So keep fightin' for freedom and justice, beloveds,

Old 97s playing today at 6pm at Amoeba!

2008-06-18T17:39:52Z

Ok, ok, so I've got tickets for tomorrow night at Crash Mansion. But still! I haven't seen all these guys together on one stage since 2004 so I'm all over any opportunity I get.

VMars people: I expect to see you there. juls_chuls and afrocurl, you are excused on account of distance, but the rest of y'all (and you know who you are) if this is in your neck of the woods (and you damn well know it is) I WILL SEE YOU THERE. OR. UM. CONSEQUENCES.

Music people: Come on! If you're not already in love with these boys, you should be. I kick myself for not going to see them til my last year in Austin and wasting so many chances. It's not Waterloo, but it's the closest thing we got out here.

Be there! Especially if it's only a short walk for you!

PS-- that link through the picture up top? Yeah, the two best albums are all the way at the bottom. Both of those play like greatest hits compilations. They should be in your car's CD player, constantly. At least for the first month or so you have them.

Just a quick run out of my cave and then I'll be right back in there.

2008-06-09T23:58:42Z

From mondaysabitch: Hot Rod

1. Have you ever been in a car accident? Yep. No comment.
2. What's the longest road trip you've ever taken? NorCal to the east coast of Florida. At least, I'm pretty sure we drove. I was young. I think we took the RV.
3. What's the best song to cruise to? No contest. The Passenger.
4. What's your dream car? I want a little white Karmann Ghia. I would call him Bob. We'd be very happy.
5. What's your favourite movie about cars? About cars? Hmm, none. With cars in it? Let's go with "The Americanization of Emily." I think part of his job is to procure cars for people, right?

Also, from afrocurl:

1. It begins with a list of all 26 letters of the alphabet.
2. Comment with something for me to talk about that starts with one of those letters. Make me babble about anything -- TV shows, actors, actresses, food, idk, be creative.
3. One topic per letter -- it's like a claims list! I will cross off letters as topics appear.
4. I will post a new post talking about all 26 topics given to me!

Really, I will try. We'll see what happens, at least.

Group Geek Moment of the Day

2008-05-05T23:05:18Z

Today's the first day of Imagineering week. Marty Sklar hosted a panel about the 25th anniversaries of EPCOT and Tokyo Disneyland with two Imagineering heads for each park. The guys from WDW were hilarious. My favorite exchange:

ERIC JACOBSON: Our favorite change last year was when Tom (FITZGERALD, fellow panelist) and I took this:

ERIC: And did this:

And the room breaks into applause, probably much more enthusiastically than he expected. Marty Sklar started laughing. Then Tom said "And the graveyard in front of it next year!" and that got a few whistles of appreciation. I know. We're geeks. But at least we're all in one place, not out causing mayhem in the world at large.

Sniff.

2008-04-15T20:27:05Z

So long, Ollie, and thanks for all the fish. And bears. And rabbits. And dogs. And squirrels. And pirates. And cats. And engineers.

I lied.

2008-04-03T23:46:19Z

It's the end of the day and I do not in fact have a real entry in me. Oh well. But I do have ~~a meme and~~ some other non-original yet AWESOME content. First, the awesomeness.

I've talked about Defective Yeti before, namely my attempt to ape his AFI 100 challenge (which ended in heartbreak and defeat and technically isn't ended yet, but more on that possibly tomorrow.) He is still the best ever with this, the coolest quiz ever. He's taken the lyrics to 50 great rock songs, and arranged each word in them alphabetically. Can you tell what they are? I only knew 23. I fail at rock music. But this does not mean I will listen to more Springsteen or Marley. This bird you cannot change.

~~And now, the meme! Stolen from my roommate Liz!~~

Y'know, this is going to take a lot of searching and saving and converting and saving again and I get off work in 15 minutes and plan to be in my pajamas within 30. That's right. You heard me. Tomorrow, good people. Have patience with me for another night. Besides, the rock quiz should keep y'all occupied for a bit.

PS-- Hey everybody, try to get your first hangover out of your system before you're 28 and it's Thursday and most responsible people are waiting until at least tonight to begin their wasteland weekends and you have to be at work and coherent and such. I do not recommend this. Though I do recommend bingo at Hamburger Mary's. That I am fully in favor of.

Chocolate on Chocolate

2008-04-03T18:01:41Z

I know, I know, all you get from me now is memes. But really, I've got a post in me later today, I think, including recap of March's secret goal and this month's not so secret goal. It's something to shoot for. Until then, I leave you with this tasty meme stolen from an email from my Dad. Only best for ljland.

If all of the desserts listed below were sitting in front of you, which would you choose?

Pick your dessert, and then look to see what psychiatrists think about you.

Here are your choices:
1. Angel Food Cake
2. Brownies
3. Lemon Meringue
4. Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Icing
5. Strawberry Shortcake
6. Chocolate on Chocolate
7. Ice Cream
8. Carrot Cake

No, you can't change your mind once you click back, so think carefully what your choice will be!

OK - Now that you've made your choice, this is what the research says about you:

1. ANGEL FOOD CAKE-- Sweet, loving, cuddly. You love all warm and fuzzy items. A little nutty at times. Sometimes you need an ice cream cone at the end of the day. Others perceive you as being childlike and immature at times.

2. BROWNIES-- You are adventurous, love new ideas, and are a champion of underdogs and a slayer of dragons. When tempers flare up, you whip out your saber. You are always the oddball with a unique sense of humor and direction. You tend to be very loyal.

3. LEMON MERINGUE-- Smooth, sexy, & articulate with your hands, you are an excellent after-dinner speaker and a good teacher. But don't try to walk and chew gum at the same time. A bit of a diva but you have many friends.

4. VANILLA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING-- Fun-loving, sassy, humorous, not very grounded in life; very indecisive and lack motivation. Everyone enjoys being around you, but you are a practical joker. Others should be cautious in making you mad. However, you are a friend for life.

5. STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE-- Romantic, warm, loving. You care about other people, can be counted on in a pinch and expect the same in return. You can be assertive. Intuitively keen. You are intelligent, but can be very emotional at times.

6. CHOCOLATE ON CHOCOLATE-- Sexy; always ready to give and receive. Very creative, adventurous, ambitious, and passionate. You can appear to have a cold exterior but are warm on the inside. Not afraid to take chances. Will not settle for anything average in life. Love to laugh.

7. ICE CREAM-- You like sports, whether it be baseball, football, basketball, or soccer. If you could, you would like to participate, but you enjoy watching sports. You don't like to give up the remote control. You tend to be self-centered and high maintenance.

8. CARROT CAKE-- You are a very fun loving person, who likes to laugh. You are fun to be with. People like to hang out with you. You are a very warm hearted person and a little quirky at times. You have many loyal friends.

I totally broke all my own rules.

2008-03-26T21:56:16Z

Also, I need some new TV icons. Various shows. Stat.

Because of where I live and the friends I've been lucky enough to make I get to go to TV show panels from time to time. Every single time I feel unbelievably lucky. I'm positive that at some point, someone will realize what a little imposter I am. There is no way I get to do something so cool. Some are Paley, some are TV Academy, all of them are a blast. Usually it's just not done to be a fan at these things cause that's not smooth enough for the industry, so I try to lie low, not go all fangirly, and generally play much cooler than I am (all goals that are not always met.) This means keeping the fandom to a minimum, not staring at the actors, and definitely, under no circumstances, taking pictures. I have breached this before for awful, unfocused, as they're getting up from the chairs on the fly shots, but really, no pictures. It just feels unprofessional.

But last night.

It's not even my favorite show. On right now or ever.

But um, I still broke all my rules.

I took pictures.

I woo!ed when he walked onstage.

It was a blast. And it won't happen again at the Academy or any other Paley event, probably ever, but last night, it was fun.

(And if Robert Guillaume had been up there, I'd have taken twice as many pictures.)

HI KRAUSE.

OH MAN.

I MISS SPORTS NIGHT.

He's one of three people in Hollywood that can reduce me to a fannish mess, and one of two that I never even managed to talk to, but I will say this: Steve Martin's dog loved me.

18 of 18.

2008-03-20T23:02:43Z

Y'know how I love y'all's 12 of 12 posts and try to join in every month? And every month I completely forget about it on the actual 12th and then fail at joining in, so as a result I've only done it once, I think, last June? Yeah, not working. So instead I'll just do it whenever I remember it, and make it __ of __. So there.

juls_chuls: Here begins your Disneyland present.

We arrive. We're there when the park opens, but it's spring break, so there's still a line, and sadly, we won't do Nemo today. (Was that a spoiler? If so, apologies.)

Bob Gurr's new window! Just dedicated last week! Also, another spoiler! Mom and I saw Bob Gurr later that day! Over by the Rivers of America! Another fan had just stopped him, so we didn't want to bother him, but I thought it was pretty cool.

Just because I never really noticed him before.

King Triton commands it! Don't know why, but that's what I think everytime I see this. I like that the imagineers made his beard bigger and fuller to avoid the question of nipple-appropriateness on a statue at Disneyland.

Ariel. Just cause you like her.

11am. Time for popcorn.

Hmmm, whatever could we be up to?

We totally rode with the engineer! If you ask really nicely and wait patiently at the Main Street train station, and one of the two engines that can accomodate guests is running that day, and the engineers don't need to take on water or go on break, or do some other task that run, you can ride up at the front of the train, perched on the very front of the coal car, right behind the engine. It's pretty cool.

Fred & Ethel.
These ducks have lived on the little platform right at the entrance to the tunnel for years. They're completely comfortable with the engineers and don't care how close they get.

That's Jacob the coalman. He was really cool and chatted with us the whole ride. He was at the park on opening day in 1955 and was part of the 'filler crowd' that was used to fill the rides for the media to photograph. He had a career outside of Disneyland, retired at 55, and got bored, so he went to work on the trains at Disneyland. It was obvious from our short time talking to him that he loves his job.

There are many awesome things about Disney's California Adventure:
1. Escape from the suffocating crowds at Disneyland.
2. There is a bar there.
Exploiting the shade at the bar at Ariel's Grotto for a shot of the construction on the boardwalk.

Best. Soft Serve. Ever.
This is not up for negotiation. I'm all about the butter pecan, but I think I've tried every other flavor except bubble gum, cause I'm not six anymore. For this reason alone, I will not hear ill of DCA.

Juls, I'll have you know that I avoid this parade like the plague. I avoid most parades at the parks. They take up too much time, people stand oblivious to their surroundings, and it's generally a big ball of annoying right in the middle of my day. We came up to the sun plaza just as this was beginning and we were perfectly positioned to duck behind it straight into the Hollywood Backlot and miss the storm altogether, but ran up to the other side and took a picture because this is your present. They were doing some song about summer vacation? And then immediately afterwards something about baseball? Swing batter, batter, swing, batter, swing? And I managed to not hit anyone? And they all survived? I was proud.

More HSM on a t shirt at DCA. This is the closest you're getting to it cause I don't want to encourage you. :)

We leave the parks in search of dinner. And alcohol.

We found it! I had a 'Chopin in Paris,' with Chambord and vanilla vodka, and I think mandarin absolut. It was alright, a bit sweet, but I like my drinks sweet.

Warm sun. Sandals. Slushies. Light like this at 6pm. I love spring.

Yes, Juls, those are totally KNEE-HIGH CHUCKS. They lace all the way up in the front. And apparently they're available here. Your mission is clear.

Hey Juls! Juls_Chuls! Check this out.

2008-03-07T00:03:00Z

'What Movie do You belong in?' at QuizGalaxy.com

I haven't even seen this stupid movie, and yet I posted this meme because one of the results is HSM, and you needed to know about this quiz and spend the next hour or so getting that answer. Good luck! :)

Overheard in the commissary:

2008-03-06T21:53:35Z

"...no, I checked the contract specifically, and it doesn't exclude 'Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo.'"

"Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" is not being used as me for a placeholder, it's what she said. A term searched for in a contract.

Alright, whatever, but it made me laugh. Sometimes my place of employment is just a tad surreal.

Barely keeping up.

2008-02-27T23:34:46Z

Appearances or otherwise.

Just like last week, I'm back with very little to offer. Lots of memes, all from king_duncan, and far too few movie updates. AFI 100 in February is just not happening, folks. I'm too busy a little bee. It is my cross to bear.

Memes first!

TV meme:
Choose five series (no peeking before you choose them), list them, and then answer the questions behind the cut.

1. Sports Night
2. Veronica Mars
3. Doctor Who
4. Wonderfalls
5. Torchwood

1. Which is your favorite series from your list? And why?
Sports Night, without question.

2. If you were to pair two characters from 1 and 4, who would they be?
Casey and Jaye. She's a bit too young for him, but they'd have fun driving each other crazy. I was thinking Jeremy, but she'd probably just put him in a mental hospital.

3. What is one thing you'd like to change about 3's plotline?
Well, I'd have made the Doctor actually catch on to what he was missing in S3. Also, Martha would get to smack the crap out of Rose at some point.

4. If both main characters of 2 and 5 were falling off a cliff, which one would you save?
Well, Jack wouldn't die even if he did hit the bottom... but I still think I'd save him over Veronica. S1 Vee would get saved, S2 I'd let fall a little longer but I'd eventually grab her, S3 Vee can make a big mess and I'd do a little dance when I heard the splat.

5. Which event was the most horrible for you in 1?
When it got cancelled. Oh, you mean within the show? Dana pushing Casey to date in S2 and the subsequent Casey + Pixley torture. Heartbreaking.

6. Which is your least favorite character of 2?
HELLO? VERONICA. Well, Donut if we're talking entire series, but as for focus of rage, S3 Veronica for the win.

7. If the antagonist of 3 were to rape the main character of 1, what would you do?
Wow, the Master and Dana. That's just evil. Um, help Casey and the Doctor hunt him down and devise a fate worse than death for him.

8. What song reminds you of 5?
"Dancing With Myself" by Billy Idol. Jack would so love that song, don't you think?

9. Of 1, 3, and 5, which is the easiest to think about?
Doctor Who! At least right now.

10. Are the protagonists of 2 and 4 similar?
Well, they're both young, supposedly intellingent, mouthy, smarmy, skinny, pretty girls with very little respect for the law. I suppose so, but Jaye uses her powers for good more than evil, unlike some others I could name.

And similar music meme:
Pick your top 10 bands and answer the questions.

1. The Old 97s
2. Spoon
3. Paul Simon
4. Iggy Pop
5. Neko Case
6. Liz Phair
7. The Pretenders
8. The Rolling Stones
9. The Beatles
10. Elvis Costello

1. What is your favourite album of 2?
That one that has "Anything You Want" on it. I think that's Girls Can Tell?

2. What is your favourite lyric that 5 has ever sung?
I didn't make it to your funeral
I didn't want ritual nor resign
I just wanted to hold hands with
J.P. and Mary-Jo

3. How many times have you seen 4 live?
ONCE. AND IT WAS AWESOME.

4. What is your favourite song by 7?
"Don't Get Me Wrong"

5. What is a good memory you have involving the music of 10?
"Pump it Up" came on the radio randomly one day when I was a runner and stuck in traffic in Hollywood. By stuck I mean sitting still at Hollywood & Highland for about 20 minutes. The A/C was off and my windows were open cause my car was on the verge of overheating and I was sweaty and pissy and miserable. As soon as that song came on a breeze blew through my car and I was instantly so much happier. I danced in my seat and sang along loudly despite the windows being open and being surrounded by everyone on the planet squeezed into that tiny street. Refreshing.

6. Is there a song of 3 that makes you sad?
"Night Game"

7. What is your favourite lyric that 2 has sung?
If there's anything you want
Come on back cause it's all still here
I'll be in the back room drinking my half of the beer

8. How did you get into 3?
My mother got Graceland when I was five and I can probably still sing that entire album by heart right now.

9. What was the first song you heard by 1?
I don't remember what the first song was at the show, but the one I remember most is "Barrier Reef." Not a bad start, gentlemen.

10. What is your favourite song by 4?
"The Passenger"

11. How many times have you seen 9 live?
Well, they broke up eight years before I was born, so never. :(

12. What is a good memory you have involving 2?
Being the car with my boys from college and one of them was playing my grad mixtape he had just finished and "Anything You Want" came on and the other one was a bit miffed cause he hadn't given me my tape yet and he was going to put that song on it, too. So that song always makes me think of them both.

13. Is there a song of 9 that makes you sad?
"For No One"

14. What is your favourite album of 5?
Furnace Room Lullaby

15. What is your favourite lyric that 3 has sung?
The first thing I remember, I was lying in my bed
I couldn't've been no more than one or two
And I remember there's a radio, coming from the room next door
My mother laughed the way some ladies' do

16. What is your favourite song of 1?
"Doreen"

17. What is your favourite song of 10?
"I Want You"

18. How many times have you seen 8 live?
Never. Man, those old dudes are expensive.

19. What is your favourite album of 1?
Too Far to Care

20. What is a great memory you have concerning 9?
Listening to them constantly in my dad's truck when I was little. That's almost all he played, with a little folk music thrown in occasionally.

21. What was the first song you heard by 8?
No idea. Probably my least favorite by them, "Satisfaction," though the first time I really loved them was "Ruby Tuesday."

23

AFI movie reviews... um... later. I need a cup of tea like wow.

Bullet points would be a step up.

2008-02-20T23:31:14Z

You're not even getting those. Basically, all I've got for you are movie updates and memes. Because I'm exhausted.

2. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) - I liked it, but not nearly as much as Meet John Doe. That was just a better movie all around. This is a little too sappy, too self-consciously sweet, too naive. Did an America ever actually exist where this was at all possible? I can't believe people were ever this trusting and simple and singular, even in 1939. It's all too black and white. And I get that Capra never really went for realism and everything to him was one huge allegory and he always had a very idealized view of the world, but I guess this one just didn't work for me. Watch Meet John Doe instead. I know I've said that before, but it bears repeating. That's how good it is.

3. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) - Not so much about war, as it is human nature and obsession. And men. Whoo boy, y'know so-called "chick flicks?" This is the exact opposite. There are a grand total of five women in this movie. Two are there solely to gaze longingly at William Holden, one to gaze longingly at the young kid on the mission with him, and the other two just carry the guns. It's good, and I love David Lean more with every movie I see by him, but I don't see myself watching this over and over again. It's all about power plays and stubborn priciples and other things I'm not fond of. And building a bridge. Maybe the end would have meant more to me if I hadn't already seen it hundreds of times in various GREAT FILMS MONTAGES, but oh well.

4. The Last Picture Show (1971) - Wow, there's a lot of sex and nudity in this movie. Not much goes on, so my brain had plenty of time to think that throughout this. Y'know how Hitchcock made "Psycho" in B&W on purpose to undercut the gore and make it not quite so graphic? I really think that's why this was in B&W, too, cause I don't know if they would have gotten away with all this in color back then. It's good, but sloooooooooooooooow. Not much happens, but you get to know the characters well. Goodness knows you're given more than enough time for that. This movie is a total downer. There is no comic relief, there aren't really any sympathetic characters, and it's a dreadfully dismal view of smalltown life. Make sure you've got a comedy to watch after this.

Man, I hope I start liking these movies more. I've got 13 left and only nine days in the month. I really don't think I'm going to make it, but I'll give it the old college try.

1. How old were you in 1980?
1.

2. How old were you in 1989?
10.

3. Were you a Toys R' Us kid?
Definitely. I can still sing far too much of that song.

4. Did you watch Transformers?
Not unless it was on at daycare. I wasn't that into it.

5. Did you see E.T. on the big screen?
Yep. Spent the entire movie alternately bored out of my skull and terrified. I still hate that movie.

6. Did you own a Lite Bright?
Nope, but my grandparents did and I played with it every chance I got.

7. Who is your Favorite Golden Girl?
Golden Girls are best appreciated as a gestalt. They each inform the other- subtract one and they are all diminished. That said, Bea Arthur is always good stuff. (AGREED ALL AROUND.)

8. When someone says "Who you gonna call?" You think?
"Ghostbusters". (WHAT ELSE WOULD ANYONE THINK?)

9.What was your favorite toy?
Legos! I'd build houses and multi-level lofts and apartments for hours.

10. Did you have a Pogo Ball?
I think so. If not, someone I knew did, and I played with it enough to remember it.

11. Did you listen to New Kids on the Block?
Embarressingly resounding YES.

12. What New Kid did you have a crush on?
Who was the youngest kid? Was he on Dancing With the Stars? Or something like that recently? That one. Though really I was more a Fred Savage/Chad Allen kinda girl.

13. Did you play M.A.S.H?
HELLS YES! Mansion/Apartment/Shack/House!

14. Did you watch The Care Bears?
Yep, and I loved the movies. CARE... BEAR... STAAAAAAAAAAAARE!

15. Did you have Jelly bracelets?
Yep, lots. I think they're still in a box somewhere.

16. Did you ever own a slap bracelet?
Many. If I can find them I'll send you one, king_duncan.

17. The Breakfast Club or Sixteen Candles?
Breakfast Club now, Sixteen Candles then.

18. Did you have a crazy hair style?
Awful pixie cut in 3rd grade, the occasional perm, and I think there was a bowl cut around 7th grade.

19. What was your first bike?
Purple! With stars! And rainbows! And silver streaks! AND UNICORNS. DON'T HATE ME BECAUSE I'M AWESOME.

20. Name one thing you still own from your childhood?
Only one? Hmmm, well, I still love my great-grandma blanket. It's more a quilt my great-grandma made for me with pink and white striped fabric printed with little Pinocchios (not the Disney one, but an old fashioned Pinocchio) and tied with baby blue yarn. It's the closest thing I ever had to a security blanket.

21. Did you have a Cabbage Patch Kid?
Yep, two. Theodora Marna and Humphrey Lorenzo, but I used to pretend Humprey was a girl with short hair and call them Kate & Ally.

22. Rainbow Brite or Strawberry Shortcake?
I liked Strawberry Shortcake, but my Rainbow Brite doll got hauled everywhere with me for a while. I think she even had dinner at the Oak Tree with us once, and that was an unusual honor for a doll. I loved that show and that doll. I recently saw an episode for the first time in years, and the only way an adult could have come up with that was in the midst of extensive drug use.

23. Did you watch Miami Vice?
Never.

24. Did you own a Trapper Keeper?
Every year. (HELLS YES.)

25. Atari or Nintendo?
Dad had an Atari I was barely allowed to touch, but my first game system was a Nintendo 8-bit complete with Duck Hunt gun and Power Pad.

26. Did you play Pac-Man?
Yep. Ms. Pacman was better, though. (AGREED.)

27. Which was better: Jem and The Holograms or Barbie and The Rockers?
Barbie, of course. I had the Barbie & The Rockers niteclub stage. it was pink with a black and pink neon cardboard backdrop, and there were these stands you could put the dolls in to make them dance. I had one of the Rockers, too, the redheaded Hispanic one? Deirdre? Diva? And one of Ken's friends who was in the band, I think his name was Derek?

28. He-Man or She-Ra?
She-Ra. I watched He-Man everyday just cause it was on after The Brady Bunch, but I had She-Ra dolls. Cat-Ra got her ass kicked regularly, but she did have the cooler outfit.

29. What movie scared you the most?
I think I saw Poltergeist when I was five at my cousins' house. I still haven't seen a single Freddy movie and have only seen the 3D Jason movie cause Mister Sinus did it at the Drafthouse. Not so much a horror fan.

30. Did you try to dance like Michael Jackson?
I think even "Thriller" scared me. I've always been a wuss.

31. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear "flux capacitor?"
Coffee grounds! Banana peels! Power!

32. What other colors did Pepsi come in?
"Clear" I remember. I think it was blue for a while. (Also red. Remember the Crystal Gravy parody commercial from SNL?)

33. Roger Rabbit Or Howard The Duck?
Roger Rabbit all the way. I saw that in the theatre.

34. Did you ever beg your parents to have your school picture taken with the 'LASER' background?
I don't think we had that as an option. (I don't think we did, either.)

35. Do you know what the Ninja Rap is?
No idea.

36. Do you know why people cringe when they hear the word BUCKNER?
No idea.

37. Can you name the family members from National Lampoons Vacation movies?
Clark, Rusty, um... that crazy Scientologist, and didn't the mom have Al Pacino's baby or something?

38. Did you have pump sneakers?
Nope. No interest. But Chris Rock's pump turkey parody commercial from SNL sticks in my mind more than those shoes. I watched a lot of SNL.

39. Did you own HYPER COLOR shirts?
I had at least one, and yes, they were kind of silly.

40. Did you watch Smurfs?
HELL YES I WATCHED SMURFS. (ME TOO.)

A) Four jobs I have had in my life (other than current job):
Nanny, Purse-carrier for Debra Winger, Supermarket Check-Out girl, Countermonkey.

B.) Four movies I would watch over and over:
When Harry Met Sally, An Affair to Remember, The Jerk, and Bridget Jones' Diary.

C.) Four places I have lived:
Oakland, Austin, Sugar Land, Brentwood.

D.) Four TV shows that I watch:
Doctor Who, What Not to Wear, No Reservations, Torchwood.

E.) Four places I have been:
Puerto Rico, Muncie IN, Whistler BC, Lincoln NB.

F.) Four people who e-mail me (regularly):
Mom, Dad, Annette, Liz.

G.) Four of my favourite foods:
Fried chicken, lasagna, carnitas, Chuychangas.

H. ) Four places I would rather be right now:
Disneyland, Progress Coffee in Austin, anywhere in Houston, my aunt's house in Castro Valley.

J.) Four Things I am looking forward to this year:
Family dinner at some point after Becky's graduation, Dublin & Paris with Marie in October, Thanksgiving with the Gertons, and Christmas at home.

K.) Four favourite authors:
Edith Wharton, LM Montgomery, Jane Austen, Jasper Fforde.

L.) Four songs or artists on your iPod that you just listened to:
Just this morning there was Pulp, Johnny Mercer, Radiohead, and Shiela Nicholls.

M.) Four things I love doing:
Reading, cooking, going to Disneyland, playing games.

N.) Four things i dislike doing:
Cleaning, working out, packing, unpacking.

O.) Four favorite animals:
Dogs, bunnies, people, ducks.

P.) Four favorite drinks:
Milk, cream soda, tea in almost any form except herbal, and rum & pineapple juice.

There was an Oscars meme from mondaysabitch but I cut it cause I realized I've only seen one or two movies in each category if that. I'm not even planning on watching them. I'll be at Disneyland. I'm a bad moviegoer this year.

Awwwww

2008-02-14T21:22:00Z

Thanks so much to everyone for sending such sweet messages on Valentinr! Y'all are the best!

Hey. HEY. Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey.

2008-02-13T20:10:22Z

Time's running out, and I know you sweet people would want in on this.

Get your own valentinr

Mostly for Annette:

2008-02-06T19:33:07Z

Yes, that is a snakeskin stiletto. Or, as close to it as I'm going to get.

I found heaven on earth last night: the Target clearance aisle where size 11 Isaac Mizrahi heels go to die. I'm used to not having a lot of choice, to getting to try on one pair, two if I'm lucky. I can't tell you how happy I am that shops are carrying larger sizes more regularly. There were heels, flats, boots, converse, (JULS! CONS! AND NONVERSE! I got the cutest pair and totally thought of you! Pictures coming!) wedges, sandals, bows, patent leather, satin, croc embossed... an embarrassment of riches. I've never been a shoe girl because well, I just didn't have the oppotunity, but I could definitely get used to this.

I do like pancakes a lot.

2008-02-05T20:29:27Z

LOL, cute. Stolen from ladyofbrileith:

But if the lady is Grace Kelly, they end them.

2008-02-05T19:55:35Z

1. High Noon (1952) - I've never liked Gary Cooper much, so I put off seeing this. I've owned this movie for over six years and never watched it til last night. Good, tight, suspenseful drama, but I'm glad I waited cause I probably wouldn't have liked it when I was younger. While I was totally absorbed by the suspense and crunch of it now, I think it might have seemed boring and blank to me earlier. I'm not fond of westerns, usually because everything on screen is brown. I know it's shallow, but brown ground, brown buildings, brown clothes, brown brown brown bores me to tears. And this is black and white, so everything was beige beige beige. But the performances are top-rate, and it looks like liking Gary Cooper (Ball of Fire, Meet John Doe, this) might someday become the rule for me instead of the exception. Though why he ever left powerful and loyal Mrs. Sanchez and took up with that principled priss Amy Fowler is beyond me. I never really bought their love story; for me it was only there because the movie said it was. I thought he should have gone back to Mrs. Sanchez. But oh well. They didn't ask me before they made it. And another thing: the geography of this movie completely flummoxed me. Hadleyville where? Cause at one point someone says Frank Miller's down in Texas, which to me means they are both north of that and not in Texas. Then one of the outlaws says to another that he thought his time up in Abilene would have softened him. Which to me means they are both south of that and in Texas. Wha-ha? At any rate, I liked it, I'm glad I've finally seen, now on to the other billion westerns also on this list.

For February

2008-02-01T23:19:21Z

Recently Defective Yeti featured last year's revised AFI Top 100 Films of All Time list and made watching every single film (that he hadn't already seen) on the list one of his new year's resolutions. Ambitious? Focused? Admirable? All three. Worthy of emulating?

Hmmm...

I was thinking about putting this off til April, cause I believe it was April of last year that I did my big 30 in 30 challenge, and hey, I could just continue the movie theme for that month and pretend like I plan these things out on some kind of grand scale, but I think I want to tackle this one now.

So. FOR FEBRUARY: I will make sure I have watched all 100 of the AFI's top picks.

Really, it's my duty as a filmgoer.

If it's BOLDED I have not yet seen it and will watch it for this challenge.
IF there's a ~~STRIKE~~ through it I've seen it.
As I watch the BOLDED films I'll put a ~~STRIKE~~ through them so I can keep track of my ~~PROGRESS~~.

WOO-HOO.

1 CITIZEN KANE 1941
2 THE GODFATHER 1972
3 CASABLANCA 1942
4 RAGING BULL 1980
5 SINGIN' IN THE RAIN 1952
6 GONE WITH THE WIND 1939
7 LAWRENCE OF ARABIA 1962
8 SCHINDLER'S LIST 1993
9 VERTIGO 1958
10 THE WIZARD OF OZ 1939
11 CITY LIGHTS 1931
12 THE SEARCHERS 1956
13 STAR WARS 1977
14 PSYCHO 1960
15 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY 1968
16 SUNSET BLVD. 1950
17 THE GRADUATE 1967
18 THE GENERAL 1927
19 ON THE WATERFRONT 1954
20 IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE 1946
21 CHINATOWN 1974
22 SOME LIKE IT HOT 1959
23 THE GRAPES OF WRATH 1940
24 E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL 1982
25 TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD 1962
26 MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON 1939
27 HIGH NOON 1952
28 ALL ABOUT EVE 1950
29 DOUBLE INDEMNITY 1944
30 APOCALYPSE NOW 1979
31 THE MALTESE FALCON 1941
32 THE GODFATHER PART II 1974
33 ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST 1975
34 SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS 1937
35 ANNIE HALL 1977
36 THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI 1957
37 THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES 1946
38 THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE 1948
39 DR. STRANGELOVE 1964
40 THE SOUND OF MUSIC 1965
41 KING KONG 1933
42 BONNIE AND CLYDE 1967
43 MIDNIGHT COWBOY 1969
44 THE PHILADELPHIA STORY 1940
45 SHANE 1953
46 IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT 1934
47 A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE 1951
48 REAR WINDOW 1954
49 INTOLERANCE 1916
50 THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING 2001
51 WEST SIDE STORY 1961
52 TAXI DRIVER 1976
53 THE DEER HUNTER 1978
54 M*A*S*H 1970
55 NORTH BY NORTHWEST 1959
56 JAWS 1975
57 ROCKY 1976
~~58 THE GOLD RUSH 1925~~
59 NASHVILLE 1975
60 DUCK SOUP 1933
61 SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS 1941
62 AMERICAN GRAFFITI 1973
63 CABARET 1972
64 NETWORK 1976
65 THE AFRICAN QUEEN 1951
66 RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK 1981
67 WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? 1966
68 UNFORGIVEN 1992
69 TOOTSIE 1982
70 A CLOCKWORK ORANGE 1971
71 SAVING PRIVATE RYAN 1998
72 THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION 1994
73 BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID 1969
74 THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS 1991
75 IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT 1967
76 FORREST GUMP 1994
77 ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN 1976
78 MODERN TIMES 1936
79 THE WILD BUNCH 1969
80 THE APARTMENT 1960
81 SPARTACUS 1960
82 SUNRISE 1927
83 TITANIC 1997
84 EASY RIDER 1969
85 A NIGHT AT THE OPERA 1935
86 PLATOON 1986
87 12 ANGRY MEN 1957
88 BRINGING UP BABY 1938
89 THE SIXTH SENSE 1999
90 SWING TIME 1936
91 SOPHIE'S CHOICE 1982
92 GOODFELLAS 1990
93 THE FRENCH CONNECTION 1971
94 PULP FICTION 1994
95 THE LAST PICTURE SHOW 1971
96 DO THE RIGHT THING 1989
97 BLADE RUNNER 1982
98 YANKEE DOODLE DANDY 1942
99 TOY STORY 1995
100 BEN-HUR 1959

To sum up: I need to watch:

THE SEARCHERS 1956
THE GENERAL 1927
THE GRAPES OF WRATH 1940
~~MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON 1939~~ - Sweet but sappy.
~~HIGH NOON 1952~~ - I still say he should have stuck with Mrs. Sanchez.
~~THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI 1957~~ - Obsessively good.
THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE 1948
SHANE 1953
THE DEER HUNTER 1978
ROCKY 1976
NASHVILLE 1975
DUCK SOUP 1933
IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT 1967
THE WILD BUNCH 1969
A NIGHT AT THE OPERA 1935
PLATOON 1986
THE FRENCH CONNECTION 1971
~~THE LAST PICTURE SHOW 1971~~ - Downer!

That's only 18 movies. Pfft. If I can do 30, I can do that.

FOR THE ROOM: That pile of boxes in the corner by the bathroom. GONE. Must clear that out. And figure out if that space is getting an armoire or shelves.

14 Minutes from NoHo to Century City via Subway

2008-02-01T22:42:07Z

Best part? TOTAL POSSIBILITY.

Spotted on LAist this morning:

YAY.

Look at that:

Yea, verily, a thing of beauty. Taking the train to that big sweet mall in Century City, or Beverly Hills, OR THE BEACH.

Be still my beating heart.

Yes, true, at least ten years off, but hey, gives a girl something to look forward to.

Games! Oh the fun!

2008-01-29T22:38:37Z

Stolen from king_duncan:

It's time for a rousing game of Marry, Shag, Kill. You name three people (celebrities, fictional characters, etc.) and I have to tell you which I would chose for each one.

BONUS ROUND: List a second 3 names and I will answer then for the question DIVORCE, CHEAT ON, DRESS AS.

Just a meme. "Real" post later?

2008-01-29T20:49:43Z

After all, what is lj but a land of memes and friends and pretty pictures? And I'm bored.

Stolen from clndestyn:

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Half yes, half emphatically no. My mom really liked Charles Christopher for her uncle (or some girly version thereof?) but my dad refused to have anyone named after him and he's a Charles, too, so they settled on Christopher (or some girly version thereof) for the middle name. So I guess I'm glad I'm not Charlene Kristofer? Erin Kristofer works much better, I think.

2.WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Probably while watching Dr Who or Torchwood recently.

3.DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
I do! It looks kinda like my dad's and kinda like my gramm's and kinda like mine. It's usually all swirly and smooth and pretty.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Salami. Who thinks to ask this?

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Not yet.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Yep. I'm super-fun, dammit!

7.DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Less than I used to, I think? But probably still a lot, yes.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yep, but not my adenoids. I think. Or maybe the opposite?

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Heavens no. Have we met? Hi, I'm your resident coward. Good to see you again.

10.WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Anything with chocolate or marshmallows. Corn pops. Chex! Crispix. But the best of all time is probably the Powerpuff Girls cereal I only found once, which was essentially rice krispies and pop rocks. THAT WAS AWESOME. Lots of food questions in this meme. I think I like that.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
If they are shoes that require tying, yes, I do. Wrecks them otherwise.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Depends on what you mean.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Birthday cake whatever from Coldstone. I usually say "explosion" but I'm also usually wrong.

14.WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
The look on their faces: happy? friendly? open? no? then bye.

15. RED OR PINK?
Pink!

16.WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I can hold a mean grudge. (me too.) Also I think I am sometimes a bit paranoid.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My grandmother. (me too.)

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
Meh.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Jeans and brown glitter ballet flats. A grip once compared them to ruby slippers and that's pretty accurate. I wear them a lot.

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Blueberry waffles.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Co-worker conversations. Left my ipod in the car. Have been spending more time on myspace listening to music lately, partly to combat the way way too loud woman who just moved into the office next to my boss's.

22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Turquoise.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Vanilla, Disneyland, fresh peaches, just roasted meat, baby-head, and BACON.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
I answer the phone at work all day, but other than that my cell phone claims it was Annette. I went kind of hermitty last night.

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Yep. The Wendy-bird's pretty great.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Baseball! And the Longhorns, playing anything.

27. HAIR COLOR?
Blonde-ish, desperately in need of a cut and color.

28. EYE COLOR?
Green.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Yep.

30 FAVORITE FOOD?
Fried chicken.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings. (me too.)

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
The China Syndrome.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Pink!

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Spring!

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Depends on who's involved.

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Pumpkin pie.

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Meh.

38. Least likely to respond?
Mehhhhhhhh. Randomly not upper case?

39.WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
The Lonely Planet city-guide for Dublin and Life and Leisure in Ancient Rome.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
No mouse pad.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
Some Dr Who, US What Not to Wear, other crap.

42. FAVORITE SOUND?
Live music in the background, laughter, Disneyland, babies, trains, frying.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
That recently got tougher. I suppose for the moment I have to say the Stones, but that makes me feel like a bit of a philistine.

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Kids and animals love me. Also, I've been told that I'd make a good Disneyland tour guide.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Mountain View, CA

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
Mehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

The Sun is Shining Through the Rain.

2008-01-24T20:11:43Z

Cherry and Zippy (the ipod) and I had a good drive to work this morning.

"Whole Wide World"
"Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues"
"Anything You Want"
"Say My Name"

Have I mentioned that I love my new car and her mp3 jack?

Meet Cherry.

2008-01-22T22:34:28Z

Miss Cherry Josefa Corazon, Cherry Bomb to her friends.

Ain't she pretty? Who's a good car? Who's a good car? She is! Yes, she is! Good car! Goooooood car!

I love this car. What?

Saturday morning bright and early I went to Target and got a new Thomas guide, jumper cables, a flashlight, a first aid kit, a SF Valley map, and a tire repair kit. Then I went and sold my old car for $50. In with the new, out with the old.

Worst Customer Service Ever.

2008-01-16T00:16:02Z

Oh, I was happy this morning. The sun was bright, the birds were singing, I was getting my new car today!

And then Enterprise screwed everything up.

Yesterday as soon as I got the loan I called Enterprise and said hi, I want this car specifically, have it transferred up from Long Beach, I already have a loan and everything. I called them and handed them a free sale. The guy called me back and said they had one on the lot, green instead of the red I requested.

"Does it also have a moon roof, mp3 jack, and Onstar (three features unique to the car I found in LB)?"

Long pause.

"Um. Let me check.... Oh, it doesn't have a moon roof."

"How much is it?"

Same amount as the red one I found. Well if I'm paying that anyway, I'd like all the features. He said he understood and they'd get the red one for me. He called me later last night and said they had it. Yay! We agreed that he'd pick me up at noon at the other rental place I'd gotten a car from so he could drive me to the Van Nuys office and I could sign the papers and get the car on my lunch break. From here on out, bullet points are probably best. Other wise this might disintegrate into hysterics.

1. He was 45 minutes late picking me up. And I was on my lunch hour.

2. They didn't have my car. It was the other green one he tried to get me to buy last night. And they thought I wouldn't notice.

3. I was gone for three hours for absolutely no reason. And I was on my lunch hour.

4. The car they put me in for the night has no gas in it. Low fuel light on and everything.

5. I'm supposed to go back tomorrow, driving in an hour of traffic to exchange the cars and sign the papers.

I am so mad right now I can hardly see straight. But a gratitude list of sorts, since I still owe two:

1. I am thankful that I did not lose my cool on those incompetent jerks.

2. I am thankful that I had a job to come back to.

3. I am thankful that I am able to buy a car and get into this whole mess in the first place.

4. I am thankful that I am literate and independent enough to stand up for myself and demand an apology or compensation. They will not get away with this.

5. I am thankful that we stock instant mac n' cheese in the back so I could have something for lunch after I got back since everything closed.

Gratitude List-- Only Two Weeks Late.

2008-01-14T22:40:43Z

I am thankful for:

1. Extra steak at lunch today. Thanks Commissary Dude!

2. I GOT THE CAR LOAN!

Oh, I didn't tell you Cesar Jose Lima died? Yes. It was sad. And not a little scary. Three hours of non-fun at a 76 just off the 5. But! I got a loan! For a new car! The one that I want is pretty! With features! I would say 'mit funktionen' but I think the only person who would get it no longer reads this. Still! I got the loan!

3. NEW CAR. I KNOW I ALREADY MENTIONED IT, BUT IT DESERVES ITS OWN LINE.

4. I now like "Chinatown." That makes two Polanski movies that don't bore me to tears. But don't worry, I didn't drink all the kool aid, "Rosemary's Baby" still sucks.

5. The mere fact that this exists:

Seriously, is it not awesome? Also the toothpick holder. I would enjoy looking at him on my table while I eat dinner.

PS-- I really really like Chinatown. It's beautiful. What can I say? Sometimes you just grow up.