Rural Juror

NBC's 30 Rock is a show that keeps getting better. The first episode or two were not terribly funny and it looked like the show would not make it too far but for those who have stuck with it through or even discovered it mid-season know that the show has found itself. At first Tina Fey was too awkward, Tracy Morgan was too silly and Alec Baldwin was too slimy. None of them were great and it was sort of a struggle to like or enjoy them. Now though, all of the characters have been developed into more solid personalities whose actions and words make sense. Tina is still awkward but also has a purpose, Tracy is sill but now it is understood that he is a smart and crazy guy as well and Alec is slimy but he is so funny too just as he is in hosting SNL! Jane Krakowski and an excellent supporting cast also deserve mention. It is a pleasure to see her back on the small screen after her Ally McBeal days.
I'm relieved that this show found its stride. If you haven't tuned it, it isn't too late to catch it...Thursdays on NBC. Tina Fey is definitely missed on SNL but it is refreshing to see her in a role that is perfect (of course, she did write it) and to see a show that pokes fun at sketch comedy which most of the cast knows all too well from their days at SNL either as writers, actors or both. It is sort of the lightweight counterpart to Studio 60.
What does the subject line mean? It is the name of the movie Krakowski's character is starring in. "The Rural Juror" is difficult to say and the punchline a few times on a recent episode. Try to say it. Not a title I'd choose for a film!
Happy TV watching.

Taylor Hicks, Taylor Hicks

Taylor Hicks' album dropped on Tuesday and sales for the week are not yet reported but given Idol hopeful Chris Daughtry's fortune on the charts, the outlook is good. In fact, he is close to having the number one debut by a new artist, ever. We'll see. Even if he doesn't come out on top, Taylor should be proud of this album. He had to compromise his style minimally and made an album that has a great, upbeat, fun sound. Plus, two of the songs are his own that he wrote in his pre-Idol days proving he is more than that show. His voice is strong, the instrumentation is great and I can't wait to see him on tour!
Rather than go on and on (which I could), I'll list each track and a very short review of it. Let's see if I can be brief.

1. The Runaround: Very fun track when done live. Try not to dance! She done him wrong. "...and to think that I sat there singing you a love song...I give you everything. All I get from you is your runaround."

2. Dream Myself Awake: Rob Thomas penned this one and it reminds me of a track that would have been on Matchbox20's "Mad Season" album. Nice track. "Do me wrong, do me right, do me any way you want tonight..."

3. Heaven Knows: The Ray Charles track. It is a great song. Get ready for the horns, the drums, the keys...it's all there. Go ahead, clap along. "Heaven Knows I've tried..."

4. Gonna Move: Kicks off with nice bass line. It is about up and moving away and doing what you really want to do. "...Then I joined the college ranks. There they said they'd teach me how to think...after awhile, reading those books was making me lose my smile. And I knew in order to not conceal I had to play my music and express how I feel. I'm gonna move away from here. You can find me if you want to go there."

5. Wherever I Lay My Hat: Hat's off to Marvin Gaye and the other writers. One of the slower songs on the album about the guy the girl sits and cries over though he'll never change. "I'm the type of guy who gives the girls the eye, everyone knows. But I love them and leave them, break their hearts and deceive them, everywhere I go. Don't you know I'm the type of man who is always on the roam? Wherever I lay my hat, that's my home."

6. Give Me Tonight: Taylor has a writing credit on this one. If there is a sexy song on this album, this is it. It reminds me of a jazzy, less pop version of "Just Got Paid". The lyrics are more late-twenties than early-twenties but it is on the same level. "There was magic in the air, you were trying not to stare but I caught you, caught you cold. Now there's nothing you can do...but if you give me tonight..."

7. Just to Feel That Way: A nice song about taking a chance on love and feeling that way. By the end of the song, you know why you've let yourself get hurt. "...it's worth it, for even one day, just to feel that way."

8. The Maze: Sounds like he's in love...caught up in her maze. We've all been in someone' maze at one time or another.

9. Places I've Been: I know why I love Diane Warren. She writes great love songs.

10. Soul Thing: A Taylor Hicks original. This is a fun song about Soul and the biz. Seems to be autobiographical to a point. "When the tough get going, the muses visit me...they always say to me: It ain't no groove thing. It ain't no country twang. It's a simple refrain. It's a soul thing." Gotta love the muses.

11. The Deal: Of Taylor's original songs, this is one of my favorites. "I know livin' with me ain't easy...I'm here to show you, baby, this love is real." It's about making it happen if the love is real...just going for it.

12. The Right Place: Bryan Adams was the author of this song. It shows Taylor's voice range on the higher side and is a nice ballad to wrap things up. The last dance so to speak.

Happy Feet, Rolling Eyes

Happy Feet proves something that I've thought for a while. Unless the title of the animated film is preceded by "Pixar's", it might not be worth the money or the time. Happy Feet in animated film about a penguin who is not like everyone else. Every penguin has a heart song that is sung during mating season and in general but Mumbles the penguin cannot hold a note. Instead, he can dance. This makes him an outcast. The themes of parents accepting a child for who he is, a community handling differences and also the destruction of nature by humans are all present in a somewhat uninteresting cartoon. The funny parts weren't that funny, there was no real emotional "Bambi" moment and though the messages were important, they were sort of muted by the length and uninteresting nature of the film.

On another note, this was the first movie in a movie theater for my nephew and I think the first full movie he's sat through. He handled it pretty well and expressed our sentiments when periodically he would ask "All done?" and point to the exit. Stubbornly, the adults wanted to stay in case it got better. Maybe next time we'll listen to the 2 year old.

I don't want to say no one will enjoy this one but it is a rental for sure.

Bobby

Bobby is the story Emilio Estevez passionately and expertly wrote and directed about the events of an ensemble and disjointed cast of characters ranging from the Ambassador Hotel's kitchen staff to a lounge singer to campaign workers; on the day leading up to the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. I recommend this film (that is the quick review for those who are in a hurry).
For the first time that I have seen, the audience in the theater did not stir at the conclusion of the film. With the exception of one couple, everyone sat through the initial credits in miraculous silence. As the assassination of Kennedy grew closer towards the end of the film, the film did grow more tense. The burden of knowledge lay on the audience since we know what is going to happen while the characters do not.

There are quite a few subplots and characters that are neatly brought together up the assassination of RFK and though there could have been fewer side stories to create this fictional retelling, Estevez made them each compelling and somehow people who one can relate to in varying ways, showing how ordinary and possibly extraordinary people lived and were so sadly denied hope when Kennedy was shot.

The emotional impact of this film is quite intense. I was struck by Kennedy's words (actual audio and video footage are woven into the film). The idea that we have made little progress as a nation since then is quite clear. Kennedy's words about violence in 1968 after the assassination of MLK, Jr. echo the issues of today perfectly. It is undeniable and painful to wonder at what the world would be today had Kennedy been elected. Of course we will never know but there is hope that someone will come along again to bring us together, not in hate, but in hope for peace and love...Not to be cliche in using those words together, but we as a nation were brought together for a time by hate on 9/11 and where has that gotten us?

Stranger (and Better) Than Fiction

"Stranger than Fiction" is a great film. Now that I've gotten to the point, I'll talk a little about the film. Will Ferrell portrays beautifully the part of Harold Crick, a tax man who leads an uneventful and predictable life, until a narrative chronicles his actions begins running through his head. Emma Thompson, a writer with writer's block serves as the narrator. Co-stars Maggie Gyllenhal, Queen Latifah and Dustin Hoffman were also a delight.

The film was well-written and heartfelt, humorous and dramatic enough. There was an enjoyable balance of all elements and it stayed interesting and not totally predictable. Creative elements in the use of graphics and unique camera angles contributed to the enjoyableness of the film.

Emma Thompson is always wonderful and stayed consistent in this film. Will Ferrell was the standout because his role was completely different than the overtly comical and obnoxious characters he has played. His performance was pitch-perfect for the character; understated, vulnerable when appropriate and showing a respectable emotional range. Comedy it is said is not easy and Ferrell is among the best in my opinion. He has shown now that as an actor he has a greater range than he had exposed before, his most serious role previously perhaps having been in "Bewitched", and in addition to the compelling writing and directing, for that reason this film is worth watching.

Starsailor and others I've met...

Tuesday night I had the opportunity to meet and interview James Walsh from Brit Rock band Starsailor. KROQ in L.A. and some radio stations here are playing their new single and you may remember them from a few years ago when their first album came out. Check them out! James was a very cool bloke (British for guy) and I enjoyed our chat which took place on the tour bus before their show at iPayOne center as the openers for James Blunt. I got the call that they had accepted our interview request at 430pm on Tuesday so I had less than 2 hours to prepare. That said, it went pretty well.

You can find that interview and my interviews mentioned below from the film festival at Pirate Pods' website. I have some but not all of the interviews at my Pirate myspace page as well. Yes, I am a myspace music artist. :)

Thanks for reading about the interviews and hope you check 'em out!

Red Carpet Diaries -- Fast Food Nation

Video cameras and microphones, flashing lights and still cameras; and then a lone iPod...that was the scene at the red carpet event prior to the Los Angeles premiere of Richard Linklater's rendering of Eric Schlosser's ground-breaking non-fiction book Fast Food Nation. As reporters for Pirate Pods, I ventured up to LA with two other pirates to cover the 3rd Annual Artivist Film Festival. As press covering this event, I had the opportunity to interview several film directors, activists and also for very brief moments some of the stars of FFN as the exited the red carpet. We pirates attended the screening of the Fast Food Nation and other films which I will review shortly.

The red carpet is a crazy place. This was a minor even compared to the enormity of some premiers but it still looked unenviable to be an actor repeatedly taking questions which were essentially a new iteration of the same inquiry and smiling constantly so as not be caught looking "normal" by one of the cameras. Having never covered a red carpet, none of us knew where to position ourselves and we were at the end of the carpet so I only got to ask one or two questions of each person who would talk to me. The last person down the carpet, Greg Kinnear, didn't stop but I walked with him up to the theater door, nervously formulating and asking a question but successfully getting an answer. Next time I'll have questions written out!

Check out the Pirate Pods in a week or so to catch the interviews from the festival. My Fast Food Nation interviews include Greg Kinnear, Wilmer Valderrama, Ashley Johnson and the Catalina Sandino Moreno. Hopefully my audio came out! As a group we also conducted interviews with directors of films and the producer of the festival.

And now, the Fast Food Nation review: Like the book, the film is disruptive to the idea that what we eat and where we choose to eat had no effect on anyone other than ourselves. Basically, it is about the true cost of a hamburger from the worker in the slaughterhouse to the teenager in the restaurant to the consumer. It was interesting to see a non-fiction book turn into a fiction story and is a worthwhile film.

Forgive my misuse of html below as I show you pictures of my L.A. adventure. Hopefully these pictures will be straightened out by the week's end. :)

Victory

Being a resident of CA, election day was a bittersweet day because the victories Democrats (Dems as the media calls us) felt in the House and also very likely in the Senate were not reflected in the weakly played Governor's race out here but overall I am very please with the outcome of the elections. Honestly, as much as I despise "Ah-nold", I wasn't at all fond of Mr. Angelides, his somehow equally unfortunately named nemesis. I am looking forward to the change in politics that is sure to come through legislations. I do not think that all of the world's or even America's problems will be solved through new Democratic rule but I do think that generally the government and myself will be on better terms. :) More later...

Election Day

Tomorrow is election day. Please do your part and vote! I am already afraid that the Governator is going to hold onto his seat in this sequel, Governator 2: Re-election Day, but that doesn't mean that all is lost. Educate yourself on the issues in your area and take the 1/2 hour out of your day. Here is a General Election Voter Guide for California in case you aren't sure about an issue. Tomorrow's "in" accessory is the "I Voted" sticker. Wear it proudly!

Has-been Bobby Brown

I saw something in an email that was just annoying. Bobby Brown is reuniting with New Edition for a winter tour. Why and who is actually going to go see that? :)

(low)Tideland

I'm thinking of coming up with a clever movie-ratings system. Since I tend to write less about me and more about the movies I see, it might be a good idea...like branding this aspect of the blog. Mr. Cranky has his bomb symbolism and Rotten Tomatoes goes with a percentage-based system so I could do my own thing too. More on that another time.

I could have predicted that Terry Gilliam's latest release, Tideland, would be unwatchable but despite that I saw it anyway. Scratch that. I saw half of it. We left after 1 hour and 10 minutes though we could have saved time by leaving after 20 minutes or in fact not going at all. I just don't get him I suppose. I like Gilliam when I see him in interviews and I try to like his films but I just don't ever see the point in his storytelling. Similar to David Lynch, I just don't understand why he does what he does. The only difference is I can't stand Lynch as a person whereas I enjoy Gilliam.

Basically, Tidelands was hard to watch because of it's annoying young star and her creepy imaginary friends which are barbie doll heads that she attaches to her fingertips and holds conversations with, her dad who she prepares drug syringes for and her mom whose demise comes early in the film due to drug use and chocolate binging. The characters are disgusting and disturbing and the imaginings of the child are pointless.

In other words, by no means do I recommend this film. See Borat for the first time or again before you even consider this one!

Borat -- A Better Workout Than an "8 Minute Abs" Video

At one point during "Borat's Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan", I had been laughing so hard for so long that my stomach hurt. It was like an isometric hold on a series of crunches and I couldn't sustain it for any longer. In other words, this movie is funny.

The humor, as offensive as it is, does not fall away from also being intelligent. Borat and his film producer are the main characters with truly embarassing and authentic Americans from Manhattan to the South to the Midwest serving as co-stars. The most off-color and hideous thing and statements that Sacha Baron Cohen makes as Borat, a fictitious and terribly ignorant Kazakh television personalty are duely equalled or topped by the statements and actions of real Americans, playing themselves. I think I was most appalled during the rodeo scene when an old cowboy briefly expresses his viewpoint on homosexuals. The only time I didn't find myself laughing was when the highly anti-Semetic Borat meets and old Jewish couple. I was about as uncomfortable as I could be.

Without giving away too much, the sequence of events that occur a little over half-way through the wisely short (84 minutes) film, that feature a nude Borat and producer are the disgusting, immature and such an overwhelming relief to watch just because there is no choice as a veiwer other than to join the rest of the packed theater (no doubt this thing will continue to sell-out) in a chorus of the loudest laughter you may ever witness.

The film requires an open mind and the ability to suspend yourself from your normal life and beliefs of what is appropriate for long enough to enjoy a good laugh at stupidity, ignorance and general disgusting humor. It also relies on a sense of humor about Americans, especially Southerners. It is definitely not for everyone but I loved it.

Incidentally, Sacha Baron Cohen has been offered $22 million and a gorgeous budget for his next film, quite extraordinary. There were some big names on the Borat film with Jay Roach of "Meet the Parents" fame as producer and Larry Charles (Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthisiasm) as director. It will be interesting to what team Cohen assembles for the next transfer of on of his small screen characters to the big screen.

Now, go to the theater and see what Borat found in the U.S. & A. Enjoy this moviefilm. It's worth the 10 bucks.

A Real Cool Hand

The movie I have seen the most times is Cool Hand Luke. It remains one of my favorite films and one that I never become bored or tired of it. There was a time for the duration of at least six months, when I was about 13 or 14, that I put my VHS copy into the VCR every Sunday afternoon and about 1/2 an hour later, answered "No," to my mom's exhausting and persistent "Aren't you tired of this movie?" interrogation.
I finally replaced that old VHS with the DVD a couple of weeks ago and tonight, my affair with this wonderful work is rekindled. I can't choose a favorite scene but there are probably 20 I could go on about. I see something new each time I watch and I understand differently a line that I did not fully grasp the time before. There is nothing convoluted or even terribly interesting about the story. It is just about a man named Lucas Jackson who loses absolutely everything while working on a chain-gang. You may think, "You say he was in a chain-gang, what could he possibly have to lose?" No matter how little someone may have in the form of possessions or property, there is always something to lose. The crazy thing about Luke though was that he almost always found a way to smile and not in the cliche, he's always happy sort of way. He just seemed to be somehow entertained by it all. I adore that.
I suppose though I don't have a favorite part, I do have a favorite line. It is the line that gives Luke his chain-gang name after he wins a hand of poker. "Sometimes nothin' is a real cool hand" was said and then he became "Cool Hand Luke".
If you haven't seen it or haven't see it in a while, I invite you to check it out and get back to me on what you think. I hope you agree that if anything, it's a real cool film. There is really no point to this entry other than to say that I love this film and I wanted to share the enthusiasm. Thank you for indulging that need. Make some popcorn and enjoy!

Arrgh!

It is about time I explain one of the links featured on the blog page, piratepods.com. A few months back, a friend sent out a group email asking if anyone would be interested in working on a new website with her. I wasn't really sure what it would end up being all about but she is someone who I've always thought very highly of, probably since the first time I met her, and I wrote back in a less than timely manner.

Now, I am a pirate. Pirate Pods is a webzine of sorts that began as a place where podcasts of interviews with musicians or bands, recorded using an iPod, could be found and heard by anyone for free. The site is already evolving into much more with interviews with environmentalists, activists, theater-types and soon a film festival director also docking there.

Personally I have conducted about 7 interviews with local bands, one of which has been featured lately in Spin magazine and is currently supporting a new album release with a tour. It has been a wonderful experience speaking with various individuals and also finding myself introduced to music I never would have heard otherwise.

Next weekend, my most exciting interview is upon me. I am traveling to L.A. with two other pirates to attend the Third Annual Artivists Film Festival & Awards and could not be more thrilled. Previously, "Super Size Me" premiered at this festival and this year, "Fast Food Nation" is opening. "Born Into Brothels", and Academy Award winning film was screened at a previous festival as well. I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to attend this festival and hope to interview many people all who are making a difference in the lives of others. The festival honors films and those who work in films that are dedicated to the welfare of children, human rights, environmental preservation and animal rights.

I am very proud of the work I've done so far as a pirate and if you're interested, please give the interviews a listen. You may even find a band on our site that you already enjoy. It's late. Time for me to walk the plank, matey...

Free Subscription

I can't guarantee a daily or even weekly posting but I can guarantee that you will be entertained at least once if you sign up for a subscription to this blog, the only place online that you'll find my exclusive movie reviews and other useless ramblings. I tend to write more often when I'm bored or angry and with the holidays coming, you can guarantee that at least the latter will be true of my mood through January. I kid, I kid...but seriously, if you'd like to, go ahead and sign up. At worst you might end up saving $10 on a movie sometime!

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Wavering Flags

"Flags of Our Fathers" is the latest from the arguably brilliant director Clint Eastwood. I don't know how excited I was about seeing the film but I knew it was one of those "must see, how could you miss it" films that comes along only once in a while. I can spare you dear reader, from spending more than $4 or a Netflix mailer on this film, because it is a rental to be sure. I didn't hate the film by any means but I also didn't really get it.

I think that Eastwood did not successfully make the film he set out to make. The story was not solid enough. I know it was based on real-life events and do not want to dishonor the memory of the men who make up the story but there are different ways to talk about the same event and this, to me, was not the most effective way. I was not invested in any of the characters, could not keep straight who was who (there are the present-day older men and their younger versions in war and it was unclear as to who was who). There were a few soldiers who came in and out of the story and eventually died though it was difficult to discern who died when soldiers fell so investment in those characters was tough too. The story went from present-day to the battlefield to post-battlefield and those three time periods became muddled quite often.

It was interesting to learn more about the cloudy history that surrounds much of our nation's successes in war, but if you don't know much about it by now, my advice it to wait a little while longer to find out about Iwo Jima.

Oscar Buzz? Yes, publications are mentioning Adam Beach, the man who played the Pima Indian soldier and also the pretty Ryan Phillipe for potential nods. I'd say that Beach has a chance of nomination but not of a win ("The Departed" might kill everyone who didn't die during the end sequences of the film). Phillipe's recent split with Reese may affect his nominations chance at this point if politics come into play at this stage in the game. Either way, I don't see him winning either. The way the story was written didn't allow for a fully developed characterization of either man.

Overall, the film was negatively impacted by a loosely written film about a specific and important time in our history.

In a Rush

Rush Limbaugh warranted a spot in my blog long before he proved that drug addicts are generally self-absorbed, erratic people. I am assuming that his drug abuse is a contributing factor in his poorly-acted attack on Michael J. Fox. It was a worse offense than he could have imagined prior to swallowing a few of his special Dominican-mule delivered Oxycontins with is morning coffee and baker's dozen. Haven't seen the video footage of Rush imitating Fox? Click here.

First, if Fox's Missouri political ad was really the "first time" Rush had seen Michael J. Fox "display his symptoms," it is the first time in probably 10 years he has seen Fox on television at all. On Boston Legal, he is pretty steady but otherwise, the "display" has been on. I know that for me, with my illness, some days or even hours, I give up on hiding my shaking hands because I don't care to anymore or just forget. I'm not going to pretend to even share in what Fox is going through or has gone through other than to say it ain't easy and no one with an illness needs a slob like Rush Limbaugh to try to make it worse. It gets worse on its own.

The bottom-line is, the potential for a cloned Rush Limbaugh scares me as much as the next person and I don't necessarily agree with human cloning, but I must stand behind the use of stem cells in research that will benefit the cure of illnesses. There are plenty of viable cells that are being thrown away rather than used for a better purpose. If they aren't going to be used as intended, to create another life, can't they be used to improve an existing life? It is a rhetorical question but if you disagree, one you may want to consider. I have to assume that someone will come along here who is anti-stem-cell research and I want to ask you to really understand it and make sure that it makes sense to you to oppose it. What if you were sick and the research could benefit you? Would it make sense then?

Michael J. Fox has friends in high places, including the anchor desk on CBS' nightly news program so he took the chance when Katie Couric gave him the opportunity for a rebuttal on her show. He was eloquent and frank and I encourage anyone to watch if you haven't seen the video. Michael J. Fox has become a hero to me in the years since he disclosed his Parkinsons and for that, I wanted to stand up for him as others have and praise him for the work he continues to do. It would be nice one day, to have his impact.

Race for the Cure

There are two events that I hold very dear to me and one of them is coming up at the beginning of November. The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, a major San Diego fundraiser to fight breast cancer, is important to me because like you probably do, I know people who have fought, are fighting and who have even lost a fight to breast cancer and other forms of cancer as well.

If you would like to donate, my online fundraising page can be located by clicking the link here.

Our team, ProFlowers Pink Parade is working hard to raise money for Komen and ProFlowers is a Komen Platinum sponsor. Every $1 donated will be matched by ProFlowers.

Sorry for the solicitation but this is a very important cause.

Customs

We all made it through customs and were granted permissiong to re-enter the U.S. today. I was worried that officials may have read the blog and would detain us or at least me for my overseas activities. It is good to be back though very strange. I should be in bed but I think I have been up for so long that I am not tired anymore. It will probably hit me tomorrow.

Anyway, the flights were good today, Paris to Houston and Houston to San Diego. The first flight went by faster for me than the second, probably because I was ready to be done by the time we got to Houston. Just thought I would post a final update. Pictures to come and of course non-Europe trip subjects...I must catch up on movies now and from those viewings of course come my reviews.

Goodnight.

Au revior!

Tonight is our last night in Europe, specifically Paris. Thank you to those who have joined us on our journey. I slacked on the blog and in my personal journal these last few days. Fortunately I have time on a very long plane ride tomorrow to catch up on the personal journal. Those who have kept up with the blog, I am sure that a travel companion of mine or I will you in on the smaller details as time goes by. I will tell you now about a few odd things that have happened here in France these last few days, the highlights if you will.

1. Everybody was Kung-Fu Fighting, at the Palace Versailles!?! This will be hard to tell without the visuals but I'll try. Sandra, Erin and I went to Versailles, the Palace originally built by King Louis XIV. I had been before but it was a place I was excited to see again. We were pretty hungry when we got there and decided to go eat in the "cafe". It wasn't fit for a King, but the Louis' have been gone for a while now. On our way down the stairs into the cafe, we were stopped in our tracks as we saw a woman of about 29 year old tossing her food onto the floor. She was yelling in French at an older couple of about 67 (I am specific about ages only for my own entertainment) who were part of a group of tourists of about the same age. The woman then threw the remaining food, an apple tart perhaps, towards the corner of the room. Once her hands were free, she stood in a Kung-fu position, ready to fight. The older man she was in the debacle with said something to her in what seemed to be a mocking tone though from my perspective, much of French is spoken in a mocking tone. Anyway, from there, the seniors tour group left the cafe, passing us as they moved up the stairs and the angry woman continued to speak to them and pushed her way through the crowd. We never learned what led to her random use of the Kung-fu stance at Versailles other than she was in line for a while and the people said something to her. It was hilarious though. Later, when we were near the Grand Canal in the gardens, we saw a different woman posing for a picture in a Kung-fu stance. She was smiling though and it just occurred to me that maybe she had been in the cafe during the feud. Or, maybe it was Kung-fu day at Versailles.

2. 100's of Rollerbladers and Cyclists: This is not funny but just cool. Our first night back in Paris, we were hanging out on the street, checking out a map and deciding on what to do when suddenly a few police cars came by with lights flashing. I was worried that thing I did the night we were here a couple of weeks ago was coming back to haunt me but they were actually clearing the way for the 100's of rollerbladers and then cyclists that came zooming past. Later, once we were in our hotel room, we heard commotion again and saw from our room the group passing by again. We never found out why. I know I could google it now and list it but I'm on a roll and only paid for an hour at this lab so I'll keep going.

3. Today I saw a bum fight. There were about 8 police officers circled around two bummish-(yeah, I am making up words now)looking guys who were yelling at each other. The larger of the two could not keep his right eye open so I think he was losing the fight when the police arrived.

4. Free Metro Days: We have a dollar (1€40 to be exact) saving tip for those who use the Metro when they are in France. Do as the locals do and participate in turnstile-hopping. It is all the rave with the Parisians. Basically, if no one is looking, and there is a standard turnstile keeping you from the metro line, hop it. You may be first inclined to go under the turnstile as I was the night we arrived but that is anamateure move and can lead to a bruised knee.* Upon observing the locals jump turnstiles, and knowing we would potentially miss our train to Versailles while waiting in the ticket line, we decided to go for it and sneak onto the train. The three of us went under this time vowing to jump from now own. When we arrived at Versailles' station, we noticed that we would not be inconspicuous sneaking through the turnstiles since there were more people around who were watching for such activity. Fortunately, there was an open gate that we were able to pass through unnoticed. On our way back into Paris, the same gate afforded us free admission to the metro. When we arrived in Paris, Erin went under the turnstile because she was wearing a skirt and jumping would be tricky. Casually, I jumped over, getting m my back foot caught on the turnstile and almost falling. Sandra was equally awesome when she lost her flip-flop as she brought her 2nd leg over. No one helped her retrieve the sandal so it was a bigger challenge than my recollection may make it seem. ** If you are up for it, next time you're in Paris, jump!

5.In case you're checking them off (like we are), the sites we fit in during this last leg of the trip: Sacre Coure, atop Monmarte, Arc de Triomphe, Musey d'Orsey (just the outside, it was closing within an hour of my arrival there but still a nice building), Buddha Bar (cool nightspot); and the 25th Annivesrary Celebration of REF, (the trainline), attended by Sandra and Erin where they recieved free Evian water samples and saw a Rollerblade stunt show.

Sandra planned this entire trip and did a wonderful job. Coordinating the 5 of us whotraveledd and getting us to all of our destinations was no easy task. If she ever wants it, she could definitely make a career of travel planning. We had a great time and though each hotel had "character" (3 minutes of hot water in the shower, slanted ceilings, broken A/C) the housing was good and safe and could not have been arranged in better areas.

Since it is the last night in Paris, we are going to check out a few local spots and think of creative ways to finish packing (the biggest challenge of the trip). See you soon I am sure.

Au revior!

*For the record, I lost my ticket and needed it to get out of the metro as the same ticket is required for entry and exit. In desperation and in possession of luggage, I had to sneak through with the help of Erin and Nick.
**For the record, we only did this one day and owe no further explanation! :)

30 by 30 Final Count

The final count, after dinner and a Barcelona club, is 30.5.

The dinner we had was excellent and the perfect way to celebrate. Everything was excellent.

After dinner we headed to a club that was recommended to us by Hannika, the English girl we met previously. Jamboree Jazz was the name and there were 2 levels. Level 1: smoke-free underground level with hip-hop music. Level 2: Above ground that played 80's music but also similar to a smoke-filled room. I got toto hear Wham's "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" before we had to run downstairs to catch our breath and hope permanent damage hadn't been done by all the cigarettes we probably ended up smoking 2nd hand. We didn't recognize much of the music and were pretty tired so we headed back to our loft. It was a good evening though and great that we had a chance to check out the Barcelona scene.

We are now in Paris but we didn't arrive here without incident. On the shuttle at the Paris airport, we boarded with our bags in tow (they have gotten heavier as the trip has gone on) to catch the train. A Chinese man boarded the shuttle and kept looking at Sandra. Finally, he asked her if she spoke Chinese. She answered "Si," naturally, which probably gave him confidence since saying "yes" in Spanish indicates Chinese language skills. Anyway, she turned out to be a life-saver for the guy who was in France visiting his daughter and had boarded the wrong shuttle. Basically, he had a train to catch within about 20 minutes and was going the wrong direction. We played a mini-version of "The Amazing Race" with Sandra as the clear leader of the team and got him to the right train station. He missed the train by minutes but had a ticket booked on the next train in no time. Thanks to Sandra, he will make it to see his daughter. Otherwise, he may have been stuck on the Paris shuttle system through the weekend.

Our room at our hotel is interesting. We are on the top floor which would be cool if two entire walls of our room were not slanted to the same angle as the roof of the building! The toilet requires that one lean at an angle to sit down. The flat-screen TV is at an angle that practically requires a person to be on the floor or laying down to watch it. We are moving my bed because if I turn at all in my sleep, I will be injured for sure. If I sat up quickly in the middle of the night, I would have a concussion.

Anyway, I am out of time online so must end abruptly.

Almost there...

30 by 30, our sangria event, will be completed by the time the day ends. We made great progress last night and got up to 25.5. Barring any details of the evening, I will only say that I was relieved to wake up this morning without a hangover. :)

This afternoon we hit the 26.5 mark and we will commence completion of our last 3.5 liters later at dinner or some cool Barcelona club. We checked out Shoko last night which is a club. They played fun music and it was good to get some dancing in. The place was recommended by a girl from England who we met at our favorite hang-out here. She and her friend were really cool and oddly enough, she turned out to be our waitress today at lunch...strange coincidence.

I havent mentioned our favorite place to go for sangria and tapas. It is called "Luz de Gas" and is a cool boat with a bar, docked at Port Vell near our loft. We found it by chance when we were looking for a place to have a drink and have been there 3 or 4 times since.

Overall, we have relaxed a lot the past couple of days, walking and shopping and enjoying our vacation. There are a lot of people with mullets here and a strange 80´s punk scene so the young people are interesting to look at. Erin thinks I should get a mullet at this salon we pass by daily but unfortunately I didn´t make an appointment and there is no time now. Bummer. That would have been pretty sweet.

We head to Paris tomorrow and fly back from there on Monday. I am sure I will write from Paris where we have a few sites left to see.

Happy Birthday to Sandra!

Half-way Mark

We are at 15.25 litres of Sangria now for those tracking at home.

30 to 30 update

We are at 14 litres so only 16 litres to go.

Just wanted to give an update here.

Running Bulls...

No, we didnt see the running of the bulls while here in Spain. It is just something I think of when I think of Spain. The only bulls I have seen are on tshirts, postcards and coffee mugs all of which are probably purchased by people who never see bulls when they are here. Anyway, enough bull.

Barcelona is our longest stop during the European tour. We spend 6 nights total in our cool (yet very warm because of a difficult A/C box) little flat in the Born neighborhood before heading back to Paris, the Euro city that bookends our trip.

We have continued our Sangria consumption though no injury to anyone´s body or reputation has been caused by the special drink we order by the litre. In other words, we have all been on our best behavior as we work towards our goal of "30 by 30¨. That is 30 pitchers by the time Sandra is 30. As of last night, we are at 9.5. I don´t know if we will make it but it is a fun goal to set and since are beds are particularly uncomforable in this city, the Sangria is serving as a sleep aide. Very helpful.

We have spend most of our time walking about the city to get our bearings and to see what sites we are interested in. It was recommended that we check out the Bus Touristic which allows unlimited on and off privilages and three different buslines that stop at all major spots in the city for the duration of the life of the pass you buy. This worked out well for all of us though in a few cases, now that we know where we are going more or less, the bus was probably a slower mode of transport for us than our own feet would have been.

The city of Barcelona is somewhat like an outdoor Gaudi museum at times because his work or the influence of his work is prevalent in many places. Yesterday we checked out Parc Guell, a place that houses some of the most famous Gaudi works and is where he lived for some time as well. The mosaic works are wonderful and were worth the long hike up the hill to get to them. There was a great view of Barcelona from there as well.

Today the major site we visited is "The Temple de la Sagrada Familia¨(The Temple of the Sacred Family). This structure has been under construction since 1882 and it is anticipated that it will not be completed for another 20 years. Gaudi himself spent 40 years on the Temple, until his death. Those who continue his work maintain the integrity of what he began. Why is it taking so long? Financing mostly but also the importance of the structure to people and the materials it is made of. I photographed a quote by Gaudi that I will list here: Religious buildings, essentially, have to endure, in the same way as the religion that they house.

This is the only religious temple in the world that is currently under construction. Erin and Sandra actually went to the top of one of the towers so be sure to ask them for pics which should be great since the weather was clear today. Just like at The Vatican, I opted to stay close to the ground. It is strange because I do not have a fear of heights, but I just dont feel like going up in these places this time around.

The other major stop of the day was the Dali museum. There was an extraordinary display of his renderings of The Creation from Genesis and also Christ´s crucifiction which were interesting to look at. That was much different than Michelangelo´s Sistine Chapel ceiling paintings. My favorite drawings involved Don Quixote. I always laugh when I see him.

I know this was more a history lesson than I usually offer here but things have been pretty chill. I was on the subway today when a guy made an obscene gesture towards me and then winked. I would make a funny story out of it, and even thought about what I could say but really, it just grossed me out so no joke there!

We are likely headed out of Barcelona for a day trip to Monteserrat and Ciches (I think I spelled those correctly) for Sandra´s birthday Thursday and maybe the Picasso Museum tomorrow.

I will be back here before the trip ends more than likely. Until then, or if you prefer, hasta luego.

Espana

Hola,

We are in Spain and we are at a bar using the net briefly. Basically, we needed to check our email to get some addresses for postcards. Also, I will mention that we are with Frederick and Yngve who are Norwegian and enamored with my two counterparts. I have time for blogging because they are occupied with Hans and Frans! Haha, anyway, 3 pitchers of Sangria to the wind but I can still type, baby!

Just kidding...yet not kidding. No worries. We are still family friendly in this blog.

So, the girls have made requests as to what I put in the blog since they had time to read it during the Roman rainstorm.

1. Mini Guinness...that is a shot a bartender in Rome made us. It is Irish Creme and Kahlua. Very good. Make it and drink it in our honor while we are gone.

2. I made up a song about a bar we saw...
Cervezaria
Sangria
Had one litre
Feel so Freeee-uh

I will sing it once back in the States, by request only and for a 1 Euro minimum fee...that is what street performers get and what I get as well.

3. There are two different flusher buttons on the toilet. we figured out they yield a big and small flush, the number 1 and number 2 flush if you will.

That is all from Erin and Sandra, and myself.

We like Spain very much so far. It is a different city than Rome as far as the businesses and crowds are concerned so it is much more enjoyable.

Must go rescue mis amigas! These guys are pretty loco.

Sandra says: buenas noches. 4 more days until her birthday...30th.

Seriously, Barcelona is not ready for this.

Hasta luego!

Roamin

We had a lot to fit in today because of the rain yesterday. Fortunately, like anywhere else in the world, the forecast for rain today was incorrect and we had a sunny day. It was muggy and very hot but that was better and less intrusive on our plans than the rain.

I dubbed us the "hit and run" travel group today because we were literally arriving in places of note and then leaving them as quickly as we had come. It is not that any of us is unappreciative of the history or age of the sites, I think we are just ready to move on from Rome and get to the next stop. There are so many people here, mostly tourists. It is specifically the tour groups that I am tired of.

What did we see today?
1. Trevi Fountain, great site but we could not relax with all of the people around
2. Spanish Steps, famous but so many people made them tough to truly enjoy. I had seen them before when I was here with my mom and it was less crowded and more enjoyable. I did not walk up the steps previously and that was not fun but an accomplishment nonetheless. We have done so much walking and climbed many stairs. That probably doesnt sound interesting but that is what we have done.
4. The Pallatine, different last time as well. There was lot of the center of the grand room closed off due to the rainfall last night and a ton of people. I also had a very messy gelato experience before we went in which left me in a mood for a little while. It melted way to fast and I had thrown almost all of it away...at least what hadnt covered my hands.
5. The Forum and Ruins, this was great and I really enjoyed this. The light was wonderful too so we got some nice shots of the Coliseum as well. I am sure that I will be printing a few of these.

Tomorrow is our last day in Rome and then off to Barcelona. I am curious to see the differences between the cities, despite the obvious Spanish v. Italian. In Rome, there are an enormous number of cars and scooters zooming around. I enjoy crossing at crosswalks without traffic lights. You just step out into the street and the cars stop. It is a little scary because there is some uncertainty as to whether the cars will stop but they always have so far! It would be a shame to turn into a human speedbump.

I did make it to a record store (pretty much at Italian Borders) to get my Elton John CD and then found my CD player doesnt work. I was kind of bummed but am happy that I got the album. It isnt released in the US until Tuesday so that is cool. I also picked up a Robbie Williams CD that I could not get, even as an import in the US. Fun shopping for music here since a lot of the people I enjoy dont release much in the US (Elton excluded).

Not much else to say. Going to dinner in a few so gotta run.

Look for more from Spain!

The Rain in Spain Falls Mostly on the Plains...

We are still in Rome but I enjoy that rhyme so thought I would start with it. Two more days until we fly to Barcelona. It has been nice staying in one place for a few days and more relaxing. Today we walked down the street to the Coliseum. I decided not to go in but to just read and check things out around the area.

Erin and Sandra went inside and I must say, it was cool to see Erin totally awestruck by the place. They both took a lot of pictures and enjoyed it though after their walk up to the top of St. Peters yesterday, they opted to take the lift rather than go to the top of the Coliseum by foot.

From my perspective, it is an odd thing to see the Coliseum, so old and glorious and to sit on a ledge writing in my journal and then the next minute to walk across the street into a busy metro station, so ordinary. That is the coolest part about Rome for me, just experiencing the modern and the historic within one city block.

It began raining early this afternoon and now it is pouring. As the weather changed, the street vendors changed as well. Around the Coliseum, the postcard and statue vendors closed shop coving their stands in blue and clear plastic tarps. On cue, guys with umbrellas populated the surrounding area first selling umbrellas for 5 Euro each. Over the course of 30 minutes, the price decreased to 3Euro each or 2 for 5Euro. We didnt buy but I have had fun coming up with different ways of saying no. When the sun returns, I think the umbrella guys should keep up their business by calling the parasols...high fashion here.

Will write again soon, maybe not until Spain if there is nothing interesting to say. We have a few more places to see while we are here in Rome and are hopeful the weather will clear. The lightening and thunder indicate that our evening will be spent indoors. I know that tomorrow I will visit a record store, for sure, to pick up the new Elton John album 4 days before it drops in The States. Just because I'm in Europe doesn't mean I am any less dorky!

Ciao!

Cured at The Vatican?

Two items of good news:

1. You may notice by my punctuation so far that I have found the colon key and the question mark key. I would continue to pursue the apostrophe and hyphen but time is money here.

2. My face is back to normal. Three doses of the Italian version of Benadryl, Reactine, and a trip to The Vatican City, and my lip is no longer swollen.

I must say, I am relieved as my luck with doctors while travelling has not been the best and I was not looking forward to seeing one here. I am not saying that the Vatican visit healed me but it is a nice thought since things were not looking good this morning but are fine now.

As you could guess, today was Vatican day. I had been there before but this time was slightly different for me since I did not find myself as overwhelmed by it all as I was two years ago. Swang, Erin, Nick and Steph all went to the top of the dome in St. Peters Bascillica but I chose to hang out and spend some time reading and taking pictures, some being self portraits. Anyway, the rest of the gang of took an elevator, a lift if you will, and then from the end of the elevators accent, had to continue up the side of the Bascillica an addtional 250+ steps! In addition, they risked vertigo and some other symptom caused by climbing to that height. They all survived and got some great shots of Rome. Maybe I will check it out next time.

St. Peters Bascillica is an amazing structure. Swang and I talked about how brilliant the architects and builders were back when it was built. Seriously, we are so easily impressed by buildings today but those of Ancient Rome and other places are magnificent considering the advantages we have today.

We also checked out the Sistine Chapel. I could go on about its brilliance but you all know it is brilliant. Plus, why do that when I have a great story to tell about what happened in the bathroom of the Vatican Museums after we saw Michelangelos masterpiece?!? Dont worry, it is just funny but not gross. We all went to use the public restrooms, and though some of the facilities are quite dodgy over here, those in this building were very similar to those in the US. There are locking doors on the stalls but no toilet seats as we found out. Sandra found a stall right away but Erin and I had to check the doors to see if there any others were open. Red above the handle indicates locked and white indicates unlocked or unoccupied. Erin swings open a door showing "white" and unexpectedly we see is an older woman of probably 75 squatting above the toilet. In a matter of 2 seconds, we looked at each other kind of confused and disturbed as she said without missing a beat, "I am not quite done yet", in a British accent! Erin slammed the door shut and we got away and into unoccupied stalls as quickly as possible. I could hear Erin laughing through the walls and I was cracking up too. It was pretty crazy. It was as though the woman was expecting us. She was nonchalant about the whole thing, ready with an answer to our unasked question "Are you about done?" Well, we are positive we heard her lock the door immediately after Erin shut it and that begs our real question, "Why not lock it in the first place?" Good lord. I do not know how well this story will translate via written description meaning sans my great physical gestures to illustrate but hopefully it will be enjoyed.

On our way back to our hotel, Sandra noticed that we could actually see the Coliseum from our the street our hotel is on. Somehow this had gone unnoticed by all of us until this afternoon. Amazing what will get past you when you are so focused on other things. It was probably the first time we had even looked around our immediate area. On my walk here, to the cafe, I noticed a beautiful fountain that I must have walked by before on this otherwise somewhat ugly street. I am glad my mind was finally unoccupied enough to allow me to see that too.

Nada mucho mas (practicing for Spain) to tell at this time so i am signing off the blog scene for now. late dinner soon...just in time for most of you to have lunch.

Buona sera. (I think thats right.)

When in Rome...

Well, we are not quite in Rome yet but on our way there this morning. I have a couple of minutes on the net at the hotel so need to make it quick. We are staying at the Hotel Scandanavia which I renamed as the Hotel Skandalnavia last night at dinner...nothing scandalous has happened here though so dont think this blog is going to be anything other than family friendly. It was a premature renaming to say the least.

I can say that my travel mates do not yet know something you may actually find out first. I had an allergic reaction to some Tea Tree Oil blemish treatment Swang gave me last night befor bed for a blemish just above my upper lip and now that part of my face is swollen. If I had any trouble with my appearance before, I certainly have a new perspective on how I could look. Hopefully i can get to a farmacia for some Benedryl sometime today. Or, I may consider buying a carnivale mask on my way out of Venice. I dont look awful but my lip is pretty swollen and feels that way as well. Basically, the left half of my face is very Lisa Rinna. Though tempting, I wont pull a Suri Cruise and not appear in photographs until Annie Leibowitz decides to snap pictures. I will just make sure there are no close ups. If anyone asks...Erin beat me up again!

Anyway, yesterday I actually held a 2 birds in Piazza San Marco. It was a little scary but pretty cool and fufilled a wish to become a crazy bird lady in st. marks square. not a wish but just a thought that it would be cool. for those who dont know, there are probably 500 or more pigeons in the square and people buy bird seed for 1 euro to get the birds to climb on them. i just held out my arm for a few minutes and got one to land. did it again because a picture came out blurry and another landed.

Look out Rome...we are on our way.

Later.

Bonjour and Ciao

This will be a bit disjointed and possibly more nonsensical than usual because I am in a cafe in Venice with a molases slow inet connection and twice now i have realised that I caqnnot reach the shift key where it normally is, do not know where the apostrophe is and do not want to waste any time finding a hyphen on this italian keyboard. much to my chagrin, it is going to get ugly in the blog folks. :)

So, we are currently in venice and it is a great place to rest. we checked out a vivaldi violin concert last night and though erin and i dozed every so often, it was a nice show and a beautiful venue...though it is hard to look at anything around here and not hav ethe word beautiful come to mind.

since weàve been in italy, i feel like our diet has consisted of pizza and gelato mostly. it is kind of like being at a childrens birthday party. the gelato is cheap though which is helpful to these travellers.

i must pay homage to swangs birthday before i forget...countdown is at 10 days now. barcelona doesnt have any idea whats coming!

prior to arriving in venice, we were in paris, france. eiffel tower was the first order of business after the hotel check in. i had been to the eiffel tower before as had nick and steph, sandras best friends who we are also travelling with. they hung out in the park near the eiffel...what a view, eh...swang and erin went up into the tower, and i decided to mill around. i took a few photos and then sat in the park but not uninterrupted. a huge guy who turned out to be swiss and italian or something like that, and when i say huge i mean body builder huge, and his small italian friend started to talk to me. Great...Arnold and Danny DeVito, straight out of the movie Twins, up in my business. Well, just after that thought crossed my mind, sure enough, the Arnold guy asks where i am from and then asks what i think of the governator. he actually said governator. so, even over here that has caught on. ends up the guy knows ahrnold from body building way back. I dont know that i believe him but dont care enough not to. i chatted until i could get out of talking to these guys any longer and was able to find steph and nick. it was a mundane and painful conversation about anything they guy could think to ask about the u.s. and my plans for the evening.

i got into a minor tiff with a canadien on the Batobus. he made a comment about us being american. pretty much it was my backing down and not really making anything of it to him but being really angry about it for a while. only erin even knew what happened...on my best behavior.

the other site we caught was the louvre. very cool...or is that an understatement? the mona lisa did not affect me profoundly but there was a picture of Christ that i found quite moving. his tears were painted in the most lovely way and it really got to me. that is the only moment of overwhelming emotion i had among the louvre art collection.

otherwise, things have been rather calm over here in europe. we are off to rome tomorrow and then to barcelona.

hello to all regular readers and guests! i will try to write again soon.

Ciao!

My American Idol

After this weekend, I can honestly say that Taylor Hicks is one of the most talented and charismatic performers I have seen, and if you know me, you know I have attended many shows by all types of artists. I feel fortunate that I had a weekend full of music, having attended 4 shows between 7pm on Friday night and 4am Sunday morning. What was my itinerary? iPay One Center for American Idols Live, Hard Rock Cafe La Jolla for "Little Memphis Blues Orchestra" (LMBO), Staples Center for AI and then the Viper Room on the Sunset Strip for LMBO again. The LMBO shows were the best and they jammed both times with and without Taylor.

In fact, before we get to Taylor, I need to tell you about the band, LMBO. This is a group of solid musicians, all talented vocally and with their instruments. Check out their site if you have a chance. If they get an album out at some point, you'll hear about it here. These guys have a wonderful synergy and are generous to each other, allowing each other to be heard constantly. If you love the blues, you may love its unpredictability at times and this band brings that quality. If you happen to catch them, look out for Jeff playing two saxes at once...what a set of chops. Brian's piano solo is great too. Just after the set break at both shows, he returned to the stage first and did some Elton John. Wonderful!

Back to the story. I never thought I would find myself at the Viper Room (yes, where River Phoenix died) but I went there by myself after the Staples show, deciding last minute just to go for it. I enjoyed the LMBO show so much the night before so even if Taylor wouldn't show up like I heard he would, it would be a great time, a chance to be in a legendary club, and an opportunity to talk to members of the band and newly made acquaintances again. Jeff had said he would try to get me on the list for the sold out show but couldn't guarantee it. You know the end of this chapter. After great suspense at the time, I got in! I owe a fantastic saxophone player, Jeff Lopez, more than a thank you for getting me on the list Saturday night and allowing me the chance to see Taylor perform like he has for the past 10 years, on stage with his band playing his own songs in an intimate venue without the fancy lights and big stage...right where he seems the most at home. I hope to witness this again sometime.

I didn't leave West Hollywood until nearly 4am that night. After the show I had to go and get my camera from the bouncer who confiscated it. Does this make me a junior papparazzo? In order to get the camera and memory card back, I had to beg which was somewhat humiliating but I needed to get my pictures. Once that mission was accomplished, I waited outside to see if Taylor would emerge and also to talk to my friend from the band. I waited with the woman I had met up with from San Diego. At 2:25, I realized that I had to get my car. The garage was closing at 3 and was blocks away. I took off running (yeah, running) and got to the place only to find the gate shut. "Merde!" (pardon my French) I saw the parking guy walking down the street and begged for a 2nd time that night, this time for my car. You may guess that I got it back. I drove back to the Viper Room and Taylor had gone. What luck! Jeff from the band came outside and we chatted with him for a while. We includes myself, the woman from San Diego, and another woman who was terribly drunk.

At about 315am, we decided to leave. I drove the others to their car and the drunk girl ended up passing out! Oh doctor! (Again, you would pardon my French here.) The San Diegans said to follow them and they would stop and Denny's. The drunk girl supposedly lived in Laguna and they would take her home. We looked for her id and phone and couldn't find any information...her friend had ditched her by the way. I was worried as we drove down Sunset, that the car I was following would not stop at Denny's and that I would be stuck with her. Scenarios raced through my head, none of them good for me. It ended up fine though I haven't found out what exactly happened yet. I will have to call the woman from San Diego and find out.

At 430a I arrived at my sisters and by 730a I was awake an on the way to my mom's. I decided that I would leave L.A. at 1 or 2 and go to the Arrowhead Pond, the Idols tour's next stop. I would go there to hang by the tour busses and try to meet Taylor. I know, I sound crazy now, but I wanted to give him a note and a gift and meet him and things had worked out all weekend so why not? I didn't meet him but I did get my picture signed. A guy with the tour was kind enough to take the photo to him and an hour later, the picture you see above, taken by me at the show on Friday night, was signed.

I know this entry is a little scattered but I'm still excited about the weekend. I left plenty of details out, to spare you and to keep some of it to myself as it really was one of the most adventurous times I've had. The best part is, it made me write again...

Mr. JT

Justin Timberlake is back...not that most of you knew he was gone. Dropping a couple of years after his solo debut, "Future Sex/Love Sounds", Justin's 2nd record, hits shelves on September 12. If the first single, "Sexyback", is any indication, this is a new sound for Justin and a look back at Prince and some old, funky, sexy sounds. There is even a shout out to Tipper Gore on bottom-left corner of the album cover, Parental Advisory it reads.

So, obviously this isn't an album review since it ain't out yet. This is however a concert review. Yes, a couple of friends and I saw Justin Timberlake last week at the House of Blues in San Diego and despite all of the ribbing and mocking, I don't regret it in the least. It was a fun show, it was a hot show, and it was a show I got to see up close, probably 10 feet away from the stage. Cameron Diaz was there and so was Lil' Jon. They were spectators. I may have lost my voice because I was doing my Lil' Jon impression too loud and too frequently during a brief period of time. There was another special guest on stage, but hold on, I'll tell you about him in a few.

JT kicked it off with "Cry Me a River". You remember that one. It was the anti-Britney song, calling her out for the alleged cheating. By all accounts, she's gotten hers (think K-Fed). We heard some of the old stuff from "Justified" and new songs from the upcoming album. The new songs are cool and feel like Prince and others from the past. Justin's attitude when introducing his new material: if you don't like it, F-U. :) He's on a roll lately with saying what he wants. Lucky for JT, he didn't have any Taylor Hicks comments to make at the show. He would have lost me there, for sure!

Who was the special guest? Timberland! That's right, he was up on the stage for "SexyBack" and then performed "Promiscuous", sans Ms. Nelly Furtado. The crowd of mostly girls filled in for her though and it was more than a duet. It was a great night of dancing and singing and checking JT out, up close. He's come a long way from the boy band days of the past.

The next day, my crew was mentioned on the radio by a DJ who was there. How do we know they were talking about us? They described us well, "some girls even made tank tops with Justin's picture on them." That would be us. Had we known that our shirts would be popular (at least 20 people asked where we bought them), we could have made some extra cash.

That was our night of JT.
Up next, my weekend in pursuit of Taylor Hicks, who incidentally can carry a tune without carrying a bucket too!

Walking on Sunshine

"Little Miss Sunshine" is my favorite movie of the year so far. I cannot name another film that has delighted me as much. I was lucky to see it in a sneak preview, for free, and was totally impressed and entertained. My friends decided to go see it tonight since they didn't make the preview and I went along. It was brilliant again. It is rare that a film is entertaining enough to see twice in the same month while being just as impressive as the first time it was viewed.

There are too many great parts for me to choose a favorite but basically, the film looks at a dysfunctional family who like your family or mine still experiences love and joy together despite all of the crap that gets thrown in between the moments that make it worthwhile.

I have not seen a film like this in a while and encourage you to go and enjoy it and be prepared to laugh...out loud.

Lethal Weapon 5: Mel's Drunk

Well, well, well...If it isn't Tom Cruise shooting his mouth of, it's another favorite celebrity of mine, Mel Gibson. I do not usually enjoy the intoxication-related mishaps of celebrities or anyone for that matter. But, in cases where the celebrity is someone who has boldly spoken-out against causes that I find important, I am likely to revel in the wake of their own, publicly private, disasters.

Mel Gibson was accused of being somewhat anti-Semitic (if you can be only partly anti-Semitic) after his film "Passion of the Christ" was released. That whole thing with his father minimizing the Holocaust didn't help. Mel said he wasn't an anti-Semite and his movie did gloriously. It was blessed at the box office. Fast-forward to a couple of days ago: Mel Gibson makes anti-Semitic comments to a male police officer and sexist comments to his female counterpart. The police officer couldn't be lying, could he? Doubtful.

I could go on but it is enough for me to repeat here that Mel Gibson was arrested for drunk driving, was belligerent and a bigot when dealing with the authorities and as the latest news has stated, is checking himself into rehab. Oh how the mighty have begun their descent. I suppose he doesn't want anyone talking about this and I also suppose that is too bad. Self-righteousness is not only distasteful, it is poison that eventual you end up swallowing yourself. I do not wish ill on Mr. Gibson but I do hope that this will humble him and begin him on the path of using his powers for good and not less.

By the way, what topic did Mel use to offend me other than the 2 above? See the blog below.

Veto

So, it seems President Bush has completed a chapter in his at-home civics course and now understands how to use the power of the Presidential Veto. Of course, like other lessons we've seen him learn, he just doesn't get it right the first time...at least in my humble opinion.

Bush's first veto is against stem-cell research funding. The bills that have gone across this guy's desk over the past 5.5 years were all signed but when it is about health and science and research, he can't sign the bill. Thank you, Mr. President. I'm sure while our scientists are stifiled, scientists elsewhere will continue working towards cures and treatments. I'm sure those suffering elsewhere will be glad to know that their governments support them and value them and want them well while those of us who are here know that the irrational opinions of our President, which are falsely grounded in morality and religion, are much more important than our illnesses.

If you do not agree and are relieved that President Bush vetoed an important bill, you are entitled just as I am entitled here to say that I am displeased.

Last Flight to Vegas

This is something I meant to document about two months ago when I traveled to Las Vegas on the last Southwest flight out of San Diego on a Friday evening. My friend and I sat a seat apart since there was room. A guy asked if he could sit and I said sure (passenger courtesy). Rather than have him sit between my friend and I, I moved to the middle seat so he would have the aisle.

The guy was a bit odd. He had an iPod and was very into his music. His gyrations would have seemed impossible but I saw him moving around in his seat myself. He was also bobbing his head and tapping his foot in an un-rhythmic way. It was cool though. I understand digging your tunes. My friend and I laughed but didn't react so he could see and didn't look directly at him. I'm not always one to avoid conversation but in this case I made sure I wouldn't have to talk to him.

Suddenly I felt him leaning against me, shoulder to shoulder. I moved away from him slightly not wanting to be rude but also not wanting him to touch me.

Shortly after take-off, he leans against me again, having fallen slowly and seemingly unbeknownst to himself. I elbowed my friend so she would look. She laughed and said he was asleep. I then laughed too but tried not to move. Again, I did not want to be rude and for some reason I thought waking him up by reclaiming my personal space would be rude. My friend took a picture using her cell phone's camera. For those who are thinking, "Hey, your cell phone should be off when the plane is in the air?" calm down before you contact the FAA. There is an "airplane" mode on the RAZR phone. Anyway, I digress.

The guy then got more cozied up to me and I began to get more uncomfortable. My friend noticed his eyelids flicker open and then shut. Was he awake? I was suspicious. Finally, feeling overwhelmed by the closeness, I used my elbow to jar him awake. He wasn't jarred. He was more casual and tried to stay where he was until I bumped him again.

I was actually about to cry at this point. I felt I had been violated by someone who got a perverse thrill out of faking sleep while leaning against his neighbor on a plane. Do such persons exist? I had never heard of this fetish but I believe now that it is real.

He said, "Thanks for letting me lean on you...Comfortable."
Gross! "Yeah, well, I would suggest you don't do that to the next person you sit by. I pretty much feel like crap now and very uncomfortable."
He replied only with a sleepy smile and "It was just nice."

I could not believe this guy.

This story has no point other than illustrating a very strange thing that happened to me on a plane. I would handle it much differently if I could do it over again. I think it has actually made me more cynical about strangers where before I would be more kind. I do not understand the need of humans to make each other feel badly and cannot imagine that he did not want to do just that. It was no accident that he was leaning on me and shame on him if he ever tries it again.

Incidentally, the rest of the trip was cool and I won't (can't) tell you why...it's the rules, baby! :)

An Inconvenient Truth

I've never been someone who is an environmentalist of any sort. I have understood the importance of the basics; Reduce, Reuse; Recycle, but I suppose I never realized the gravity of the situation the world is really in.

See "An Inconvenient Truth" and gain perspective. If you liked Al Gore in the first place, you may end up loving him now. If you did not, you may have still respected him and you will learn from him. If you do not even respect him, you may wish to respect our planet.

I do not know if my habits will change or not. I don't know if I'll have the strength to do my part...I can't even get myself to exercise regularly no matter how many times I tell myself to. I do hope that I will be changed though and at least I know the consequences if I am not.

Good night.

SOUL PATROL

Taylor Hicks is the new American Idol, in case you haven't heard. If you're saying, "Who cares?", I understand. Not everyone is into Idol. If you're saying, "It should have been (insert contestantname)," you should have voted more. :) If you're as excited as I am, or at least excited, I know how you feel. Should I admit that I shed a tear when it was announced? I guess I just did. There is no point to this entry other than my desire to express my excitement over Taylor. Congratulations, Mr. Hicks. Soul Patrol!

Check out this video some fans made with an original (non-idol) Taylor song:

Just as you are...

This has been a reflective time...By "this", I mean the past few months. The one thing that I've been struggling with is self-acceptance. I can give nearly anyone in the world the benefit of the doubt in nearly any situation. I suspend my judgment sometimes when it is the right thing to do. I'm imperfect but overall liberal in what I'll tolerate. Despite these qualities, I cannot forgive, understand and ultimately accept myself for who and what I am. I think I am close. Some days I think I have and nearly find contentment but then an hour passes and the quiet I am experiencing is interrupted by the noise of my negative and convincing thoughts of inadequacy.

The difficult lesson that I am learning is to accept myself, just as I am. If I improve, then I'll have less to accept and more to be happy with. If you understand, then maybe you are on a similar path or maybe you have been here and are not anymore because you love yourself, just as you are. In any event, it is a wonderful thought that we can achieve peace from within and I'm going to stay the course until I've reached that point myself.

Good Night and Good Luck (that has a great ring)

Taylor Hicks

So, anyone else crazy about "American Idol"? My number one guy, whether I think he's actually going to win or not, is Taylor Hicks! His voice is great and as many of us know, he's got moves. Again, not saying whether I think they're good moves or not but they are moves. I haven't seen his performance tonight yet but I'm stoked. Just thought I'd share my enthusiasm. I found the picture below on the web which shows Taylor a little younger and a little hairier. I love the look. Maybe the image consultants will advise a beard again.



As far as the girls, I think McPhee is it though I love Mandisa.

Other notes: Ace has got to go...he just bugs way too much! Yes, he's good looking but that ain't enough for me, that's for sure! I admit that he seemed humbled by meeting Stevie Wonder but that video segment could have just been someone thinking ahead to the acting career they're hoping to have once they're off Idol. He did move to L.A. to become a star, right?

I'm off to watch dreams come true...

Snow

My knees and elbows are bruised after this weekend. I'm sore and tired. Yesterday I could barely move. Yes, you've guessed right...I've been snowboarding. I'm not a sports person and not a particularly coordinated person so I'm actually surprised that I enjoy snowboarding so much but I do find it exhilarating as well as scary, fun and overall just a cool thing to do. I own my own board which is something I never thought I'd do but by the time I rent 6 times this season I almost have it paid for and then there is next season as well.

So, am I any good? I think I'm not too bad. I can't turn but did make some improvements over the past couple of days. The first time I went out was about a month ago and by the day's end, I could only go down the hill "toe side" meaning I was facing uphill the entire time. That is not exactly safe and not the best way to see the amazing views around Big Bear. After days 2 and 3 of my snowboarding career, I can go down the hill "heel side" as well. I still can't turn, mostly due to fear, which is detrimental but not the end of the world. I'm going again this week and hope to get the turning thing down. Mammoth is next after that so I hope to be well rehearsed and highly skilled by then.

Have a great week!

Time

12 hour work days mean that during the winter you may only see daylight on your way to work and then again the next day when you're on your way to work again. If you run out to lunch or coffee, you'll see it then too. You also may not see friends or family or even someone you live with.

This isn't a complaint or a rant, just an observation of the past few days and something I realized about weeks before that. It is very random but just came to me.

Next week things will return to normal and I'll be bored and working an 8 - 10 hour day but still probably seeing no one. It is funny when work isn't an excuse only laziness is. Why don't I call more often or go out more? I don't know but it is something to work on. If you hear from me unexpectedly, know that right now I'm probably thinking of you. :)

If you're reading this, call up a friend that you haven't talked to in a while. The reason you haven't is probably because it is awkward after having been so long or that you don't have time when really you do because you're surfing the net. I spoke with an old friend lately and it made me realize that I also don't see the people that are right here in my same zip code. Call someone, close in location or far and say hello...you'll both be glad you did.

Talk to you soon,
R.

Oscar noms and bruises...

So, what do the two have to do with each other? Nothing other than they are both on my mind.

I've been told that my blog doesn't contain enough interesting information...about me. Well, that's because it seems that when I share too much, I just get hurt. I end up with bruises, evidence of pain and evidence of injury. Right now, my mind and heart are bruised. You can't see the bruises because they are inside, but sometimes you can tell they're there by the look on my face or my gait or my words. I'll get over it soon. I've said it enough times now to almost believe it. If you didn't guess, I liked someone who, as it turns out, didn't like me, even more than I realized.

Sometimes I think that if I knew even the ugliest truth about why things didn't work out, I'd feel better. Sometimes I think that my imaginings about why are much worse than anything I could hear. Sometimes I think that I just don't need to know. I've been told that it will only take time. I've been told "be careful what you wish for." I think it is dangerous to learn the truth and it's telling would require more bravery than the man possesses. I must be patient with time and let time make these bruises go away.

A couple of weeks ago, my knees, back and ego were bruised after snowboarding. Those bruises have disappeared and I'll be back on a board in another couple of weeks. It may take more time than that to be "back in the game" so to speak, but I guess that will happen eventually too. I've never really been in the game before and hardly got off the bench, but you never know when you'll really get to play.

Sometimes I really hate metaphors, especially when they go to far.

On to the Oscars

Just my quick 2 cents: The nominations came out on Tuesday morning, bright and early, and this was a great year for film. "Brokeback Mountain" led the pack in the major categories and deservedly. The impact of that film, on me, has increased over time and I almost want to go see it again before the awards. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is my number one for Best Actor but it is a tough category. I have my fingers crossed. "Munich" was nominated for Best Picture, I feel as mostly a courtesy to the director. My opinion of it hasn't gotten more favorable and it most likely won't. Tune in on Sunday March 5th.

When Harry Met Sally...

Recent BS (or experience depending on how you look at it) has had me thinking about "friendships". The scene below from "When Harry Met Sally" comes to mind. Before Carrie Bradshaw had something to say about relationships, Meg Ryan starred in a few romantic comedies and sometimes she wasn't annoying. Sometimes she was even involved in memorable conversations.

So, can men and women be friends? I personally think so but evidence doesn't always suggest it. Anyway, Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan tried to answer that question in 1989. I was 10 years old and didn't realize the significance of the question nor the difficulty that would ensue when I tried to come up with and live with the answer myself.

Harry Burns: You realize of course that we could never be friends.
Sally Albright: Why not?
Harry Burns: What I'm saying is - and this is not a come-on in any way, shape or form - is that men and women can't be friends because the sex part always gets in the way.
Sally Albright: That's not true. I have a number of men friends and there is no sex involved.
Harry Burns: No you don't.
Sally Albright: Yes I do.
Harry Burns: No you don't.
Sally Albright: Yes I do.
Harry Burns: You only think you do.
Sally Albright: You say I'm having sex with these men without my knowledge?
Harry Burns: No, what I'm saying is they all WANT to have sex with you.
Sally Albright: They do not.
Harry Burns: Do too.
Sally Albright: They do not.
Harry Burns: Do too.
Sally Albright: How do you know?
Harry Burns: Because no man can be friends with a woman that he finds attractive. He always wants to have sex with her.
Sally Albright: So, you're saying that a man can be friends with a woman he finds unattractive?
Harry Burns: No. You pretty much want to nail 'em too.
Sally Albright: What if THEY don't want to have sex with YOU?
Harry Burns: Doesn't matter because the sex thing is already out there so the friendship is ultimately doomed and that is the end of the story.
Sally Albright: Well, I guess we're not going to be friends then.
Harry Burns: I guess not.
Sally Albright: That's too bad. You were the only person I knew in New York.

If I gain any more insight than that, I'll let you folks who read this know. For now, the answer I have is yes, but in some cases only if they are not totally honest with each other. The honesty I'm referring to means that Harry is right and changes the answer to a no.

I think I can sing...

Unfortunately I missed the first hour of "American Idol" this evening. It is unfortunate because this first 15 minutes of the 2nd hour have been hilarious. I am amazed at how crazy and deaf these people are. I also can't believe that their friends and family are so mean or tone deaf that they let the idiots go through with it. Seriously, some of these folks sing a lot worse than me and I don't have the audacity to go audition. I can't say the thought hasn't crossed my mind because it would put me in the room with Simon which I would find somewhat exhilarating considering he is one reason I even watch the show. Still, though I'm willing to be a fool for love every once in a while, I'm not willing to be that much of a fool! I'd rather just laugh from the comfort of my own home.

Looks like it is going to be a fun season. Encore!

Munich

Munich is critically acclaimed and has been hailed as a wonderful film. For me, it was less than wonderful. Admittedly, I was tired and stayed up past my recent bed time to watch the drama unfold, so I ended up dozing off for moments at a time. Can I review I movie I fell asleep in? Perhaps I missed the one thing that would have made it so amazing. By the reaction of the people I saw it with, that isn't the case. "Munich" is 2 hours and 44 minutes long and seems 3 hours long. Recently, many studios have allowed the run-time of major pictures to well exceed 2 hours. If compelling enough, a view can watch a 3 hour film and not realize that much time has passed. In this case, for me, it was apparent. I feel strange saying something negative about a Speilberg film and about a film that carries such an important and tragic event to the screen.

Performances were strong. I hadn't researched much prior to arriving at the theater and was pleasantly surprised to see Geoffrey Rush in a sizable role. Eric Bana was excellent in his portrayal of an assassin. The story is interesting especially the news footage at the beginning. Having not lived during this time, I found it to be very compelling. At some point the film just lost momentum for me and I think looking more directly at the politics rather than indirectly as I feel it did, the film may have been more interesting. I expected more of a direct message.

Overall, "Munich" is worth watching. I just think there is too much hype about it and since I can, say that here.

I apologize if this review is somewhat weak. I saw it a few days ago and am in the middle of writing something else so this was just a quick break for me. :)

Have a great weekend.

Just for Fun...

There is no important content in this post, purely silly. Below is a link to a quick test that answers the age old question "Who is your 80's hearthrob?"

Your 80s Heartthrob Is

Michael J. Fox

Who's Your 80's Heartthrob?

I can definitely say that Alex P. Keaton would not have been a crush of mine but Michael J. Fox is acceptable. :)

Good Night, and Good Luck

Surprise! I went to the movies today. I also read for quite a while and cleaned up around the house. It was pretty much a regular Sunday except that I went to the movies which I haven't done on a Sunday morning in quite a while. It was nice to wake up on the first day of the year with a clear head and this marks the first time since I turned 21 that it has happened that way. I watched the disappointing "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" program for about 15 minutes last night, just to see the ball drop and retired to bed shortly after that happened. It was profound seeing and hearing the post-stroke version of Clark because he was so unchanging for so many years. I'm not a Dick Clark fan, but there is something impacting about seeing someone's health so decline.

One of the books I'm currently reading (I have little self-control at times and begin 3 or 4 books almost simultaneously--very ineffective in reading books to completion) is Freakonomics. I don't typically read business or econ books but it was lent to me by a friend and I'm really enjoying it so far. I'm about half-way through and have been entertained as well as informed. Check it out if you're interested.

Before you realize that I'm quite boring lately, on to the film. "Good Night, and Good Luck" is George Clooney's film that looks at the McCarthy era through the eyes of the CBS newsroom, very specifically the eyes of Fred Friendly and Edward R. Murrow. Murrow's closing phrase is "Good Night, and Good Luck" and David Strathairn delivers this line and all others with lovely precision. If you are interested in this period of our history at all, the news, or an interesting film, see this one. It is short at 1.5 hours. George Clooney's maturing career as a true filmmaker is evident here with a very serious project that sheds light on a dark period for the US for those of us who were not around to see the newscasts when they occurred the first time. The film re-enacts actual news programs as well as gives insight into the decision-making process of constructing the shows. The incorporation of real raw footage and the actor's portrayals was interesting and flawless.

Good night and good luck to you.