I finally broke down and watched my TiVo-recorded Oscars last night - I have been busy in paper-writing hell, so I was resisting watching it until I was done, but then I couldn't wait any longer.
Yay for Marion Cotillard who played Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose. Here's a clip from the film, which was amazing, haunting, beautiful:
And the real Edith Piaf:
And, of course, yay for Juno, No Country for Old Men, and Once!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Nader to run for president
I just saw this article indicating that Nader will be in the race again.
I saw him on C-Span recently and given my views on things I find him compelling. For instance, I'm sick of the influence lobbyists have on our system, etc. Who isn't?
Nevertheless, I think it's pure ego that motivates him to run. I don't believe for a second that he's doing it for any other reason than to get attention. Ugh.
I was so happy after seeing the new X-Files trailer and then I had to read this headline. Ugh!!!
I saw him on C-Span recently and given my views on things I find him compelling. For instance, I'm sick of the influence lobbyists have on our system, etc. Who isn't?
Nevertheless, I think it's pure ego that motivates him to run. I don't believe for a second that he's doing it for any other reason than to get attention. Ugh.
I was so happy after seeing the new X-Files trailer and then I had to read this headline. Ugh!!!
Trailer for X-Files sequel!
Yes! I shit you not! This was played at WonderCon in San Francisco:
UPDATE: The clip was taken down from YouTube, but check out this site to see it.
UPDATE: The clip was taken down from YouTube, but check out this site to see it.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
The Prock Life has a cute set of photos, each containing a different letter (to spell out the name of their blog).
I checked out the photographer's site (Leo Reynolds) and he has thousands of pictures, literally. But his collection of letters is very cool. Check it out!
NYT and McCain
I have to wonder: was the New York Times story a gift to McCain?
Before news of this pseudo-scandal (does anyone really care about affairs anymore?) broke, many conservatives were unhappy with McCain as a front-runner, some were even hesitant to vote for him. Then the story breaks, and it seems all the major pundits are out in force to support McCain against the so-called "liberal" NYT.
Remember, this is the paper that employed Judith Miller, the woman who was secretly fed all those WMD lies from the administration and put them forth as the result of her own journalistic efforts.
This McCain thing seems all too convenient for me...
Before news of this pseudo-scandal (does anyone really care about affairs anymore?) broke, many conservatives were unhappy with McCain as a front-runner, some were even hesitant to vote for him. Then the story breaks, and it seems all the major pundits are out in force to support McCain against the so-called "liberal" NYT.
Remember, this is the paper that employed Judith Miller, the woman who was secretly fed all those WMD lies from the administration and put them forth as the result of her own journalistic efforts.
This McCain thing seems all too convenient for me...
Friday, February 22, 2008
Longer SATC trailer leaked
If you want a preview of the upcoming Sex and the City movie with some "spoilers" check out the longer trailer here.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Carrie Fisher: "Wishful Drinking"
I heard through the grapevine that Carrie Fisher is performing her one-woman show "Wishful Drinking" at the Berkeley Rep!
For those of you in the Bay Area, I highly recommend checking this out. (The link gives a trailer for the show, plus links to interviews she gave about the show.)
I saw this show about a year ago in L.A. and it was HILARIOUS! I didn't expect it to be so funny but she is really hysterical. She makes fun of herself, her role in Star Wars, her and her family's scandals, a variety of funny things.
It's so good and I can remember some really great moments, but I don't want to give anything away! If you like Kathy Griffin, you will like this show. (She's not as raunchy as Kathy Griffin, but has a dry, self-deprecating wit) I'll leave it at that.
For those of you in the Bay Area, I highly recommend checking this out. (The link gives a trailer for the show, plus links to interviews she gave about the show.)
I saw this show about a year ago in L.A. and it was HILARIOUS! I didn't expect it to be so funny but she is really hysterical. She makes fun of herself, her role in Star Wars, her and her family's scandals, a variety of funny things.
It's so good and I can remember some really great moments, but I don't want to give anything away! If you like Kathy Griffin, you will like this show. (She's not as raunchy as Kathy Griffin, but has a dry, self-deprecating wit) I'll leave it at that.
Fun with Reading
I saw this cute little game over at The Prock Life today and I wanted to play!
Here are the deets:
So, technically, the closest book to me is my Property textbook, and I can assure you that you don't want to read what I found on p. 123.
So I pulled a book off the shelf, The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, and it reads:
"That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard," she said sharply, putting sugar in her cup and stirring it. But she looked unconvinced by her own words, and I pressed on.
"Do you still have the book?"
"Yes."
(The excerpt is actually the 5th sentence plus the three that follow - I wasn't sure how to interpret the rules. Anyhoo.)
Thanks for the fun distraction Carla!!
Here are the deets:
I have a meme for you just so I have something to post about. It will be much shorter than the get to know you email lists. Here it is:
Look up page 123 in the nearest book
Look for the fifth sentence
Then post the three sentences that follow that fifth sentence on page 123
So, technically, the closest book to me is my Property textbook, and I can assure you that you don't want to read what I found on p. 123.
So I pulled a book off the shelf, The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, and it reads:
"That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard," she said sharply, putting sugar in her cup and stirring it. But she looked unconvinced by her own words, and I pressed on.
"Do you still have the book?"
"Yes."
(The excerpt is actually the 5th sentence plus the three that follow - I wasn't sure how to interpret the rules. Anyhoo.)
Thanks for the fun distraction Carla!!
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Kung Fu Barbie
A million thanks to Amby for sending this right when I needed this distraction.
This is amazing. Enjoy, and thank Amby for it. XO
This is amazing. Enjoy, and thank Amby for it. XO
My Portland Trip, Part One
During Karen's wedding weekend in Portland, Ren and I stayed at the Ace Hotel.
This place was absolutely incredible, in a very low-key hipsterish way. And I say that will the utmost love and affection.
First, right off the lobby was Stumptown Coffee, which serves the most amazing cup of coffee you will have in your life. The coffee is brewed to order, meaning they take the whole beans you choose (and they have over a dozen different selections each day) and grind the perfect amount, and brew it in an individual coffee maker for you.
I'm pretty sure the coffee maker is filterless, which is absolutely the best way to drink coffee. When coffee is filtered, all the oils from the beans is strained out, reducing the flavor substantially. Enough about my coffee fetish!
The lobby has a nice chill lounge area, photo booth, and a record player. On floor 1.5 (seriously, the "half" floor between the first and second floors) there is a lovely little enclave where you can check your email on the MacBook they keep there, or just hang out on the benches built into the wall (adding to the cozy factor).
The rooms are all unique; they kept a lot of the existing 1920s-era fixtures (such as the old-style sinks, molding) and added sleek, low-key simple furniture. For example, the beds were on low-level wood planks, and the "night stand" was a block of wood:
The bed was soooo comfortable. The sheets were crisp and the Pendleton flannel blanket provided the perfect amount of warmth.
On the opposite wall was a large, screen-printed (I think) image of an old ad for matches:
Here's a pic looking out to the street; we were right by Living Room Theater and Powell's Books. It was a great place to stay, reasonably priced, and perfectly located:
This place was absolutely incredible, in a very low-key hipsterish way. And I say that will the utmost love and affection.
First, right off the lobby was Stumptown Coffee, which serves the most amazing cup of coffee you will have in your life. The coffee is brewed to order, meaning they take the whole beans you choose (and they have over a dozen different selections each day) and grind the perfect amount, and brew it in an individual coffee maker for you.
I'm pretty sure the coffee maker is filterless, which is absolutely the best way to drink coffee. When coffee is filtered, all the oils from the beans is strained out, reducing the flavor substantially. Enough about my coffee fetish!
The lobby has a nice chill lounge area, photo booth, and a record player. On floor 1.5 (seriously, the "half" floor between the first and second floors) there is a lovely little enclave where you can check your email on the MacBook they keep there, or just hang out on the benches built into the wall (adding to the cozy factor).
The rooms are all unique; they kept a lot of the existing 1920s-era fixtures (such as the old-style sinks, molding) and added sleek, low-key simple furniture. For example, the beds were on low-level wood planks, and the "night stand" was a block of wood:
The bed was soooo comfortable. The sheets were crisp and the Pendleton flannel blanket provided the perfect amount of warmth.
On the opposite wall was a large, screen-printed (I think) image of an old ad for matches:
Here's a pic looking out to the street; we were right by Living Room Theater and Powell's Books. It was a great place to stay, reasonably priced, and perfectly located:
Nothing like a cut and color to boost the ego
So I have a couple of interviews on Monday and of course I'm nervous.
A friend at school graciously offered up some time to help me practice and she knocked my socks off with her great suggestions! For instance, pathetically, I didn't realize there were sites like this to help you with the interview process.
The "what are your weaknesses?" question is the worst, yeah? She gave me a great idea: talk about a weakness you had and how you overcame or are overcoming it... Once it was phrased that way I could think of something genuine and good to say.
When I feel more comfortable in my skin, I'm less nervous. When I'm less nervous, I exude more confidence. Hence, I want to be sure to be looking my best on Monday. So, at the last minute this morning I called up Altered Ego Salon in Tempe and they could fit me in for a cut and color!
The gal gave me EXACTLY what I wanted: she covered up the old color (a synthetic-y reddish-brown, combined with my roots coming in and grays appearing - lovely yes?) and added subtle highlights. It's perfect. Yay!
I've been resisting highlights given the money situation, but I decided it's worth the investment (especially since I can afford it: thank you tax refund, thank you oh so much).
A friend at school graciously offered up some time to help me practice and she knocked my socks off with her great suggestions! For instance, pathetically, I didn't realize there were sites like this to help you with the interview process.
The "what are your weaknesses?" question is the worst, yeah? She gave me a great idea: talk about a weakness you had and how you overcame or are overcoming it... Once it was phrased that way I could think of something genuine and good to say.
When I feel more comfortable in my skin, I'm less nervous. When I'm less nervous, I exude more confidence. Hence, I want to be sure to be looking my best on Monday. So, at the last minute this morning I called up Altered Ego Salon in Tempe and they could fit me in for a cut and color!
The gal gave me EXACTLY what I wanted: she covered up the old color (a synthetic-y reddish-brown, combined with my roots coming in and grays appearing - lovely yes?) and added subtle highlights. It's perfect. Yay!
I've been resisting highlights given the money situation, but I decided it's worth the investment (especially since I can afford it: thank you tax refund, thank you oh so much).
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Why backing down was the right thing to do
Not sure if you've heard about the brouhaha in Berkeley, wherein the city council planned to send the Marines a letter calling them "unwelcome intruders" - the goal being to prevent them from keeping their recruitment center downtown. It created a huge firestorm and honestly, I believe it should have. Today's news reported that the council backed down from their position, but indicated they would not issue a formal apology.
Many people would consider me a liberal/left-wing nutjob (although I give good moderate), but there is a time, place, and manner for everything, and the Berkeley City Council royally screwed themselves by not keeping that in mind.
First, I do think the recruiting practices of the military should be questioned, since there are several reports of men and women being duped into a contract (both before and after the war began) and then are stuck in a system that appears to be outside the realm of civil courts and other resources generally available to the average citizen (I'm thinking now of the authority the military maintains to regulate its own matters).
If you don't mind me pontificating for a minute, here is an example: A general principle of contract law is that if you can prove that you agreed to a contract under false pretenses (read: the other party lied to you, made false promises that gave you the incentive to enter into the bargain), then you can argue that the other party committed fraud and your contract will not be enforced (in other words, you get out from under the contract you signed).
I'm not sure that soldiers have this option or if they've tried and it worked or didn't work. Who knows. But if they wouldn't be able to make this argument that's pretty shitty, right? You are "promised" by the recruiter that you won't go into battle, this gives you the incentive to sign the agreement, and then you are sent anyway? Even if it's unreasonable for a person to believe a recruiter's promise, there seems to be an argument there. But that argument is under civil common law - not military law. Who knows what recourse a person has under military law.
On the other hand, it's paternalistic to assume that young people need protection from recruiters - if they are that out of it (that they don't realize they are potentially being lied to) and they are over 18 why are we trying to think for them?
Anyway, I digress.
The Berkeley City Council's problem is that they addressed the wrong issue.
You don't question the war through the circuitous route of questioning the recruiting practices of the war, even if that's an immediate issue in your community. Maybe they could have said they didn't want the recruiting station so close to Berkeley High or UC Berkeley. That still seems like a restraint on the military's free speech but at least it's somewhat closer to a specific concern the city is trying to address (the city may be legitimately concerned about young people in Berkeley being duped into serving).
You don't "send a message" about the war in the way they did, however. It's ridiculous and absurd and I would argue an abuse of power. Plus, it undermines their credibility (for those who think the council has any credibility left).
If they had a specific example of one of the recruiters at the office in Berkeley lying to people, they could have challenged that act - in other words, they should have been specific, not general, about the accusations or criticism. Highlight the misdeeds (if there were any) of the recruiters, don't send a general message that means NOTHING to the people you are trying to reach with that message (Bush, et. al.).
I'm really bashing on Berkeley but it's because all the good ideas percolating there get undercut by these extreme actions that do nothing to further the legitimate arguments on the left and only serve to polarize the population. One commenter on SFGate.com called Code Pink "the Operation Rescue of the left," and I think there's something to that. Polarizing tactics do NOTHING to help our country and are easily dismissed.
A more effective way to communicate your position is to appeal to people's reason and common sense.
Many people would consider me a liberal/left-wing nutjob (although I give good moderate), but there is a time, place, and manner for everything, and the Berkeley City Council royally screwed themselves by not keeping that in mind.
First, I do think the recruiting practices of the military should be questioned, since there are several reports of men and women being duped into a contract (both before and after the war began) and then are stuck in a system that appears to be outside the realm of civil courts and other resources generally available to the average citizen (I'm thinking now of the authority the military maintains to regulate its own matters).
If you don't mind me pontificating for a minute, here is an example: A general principle of contract law is that if you can prove that you agreed to a contract under false pretenses (read: the other party lied to you, made false promises that gave you the incentive to enter into the bargain), then you can argue that the other party committed fraud and your contract will not be enforced (in other words, you get out from under the contract you signed).
I'm not sure that soldiers have this option or if they've tried and it worked or didn't work. Who knows. But if they wouldn't be able to make this argument that's pretty shitty, right? You are "promised" by the recruiter that you won't go into battle, this gives you the incentive to sign the agreement, and then you are sent anyway? Even if it's unreasonable for a person to believe a recruiter's promise, there seems to be an argument there. But that argument is under civil common law - not military law. Who knows what recourse a person has under military law.
On the other hand, it's paternalistic to assume that young people need protection from recruiters - if they are that out of it (that they don't realize they are potentially being lied to) and they are over 18 why are we trying to think for them?
Anyway, I digress.
The Berkeley City Council's problem is that they addressed the wrong issue.
You don't question the war through the circuitous route of questioning the recruiting practices of the war, even if that's an immediate issue in your community. Maybe they could have said they didn't want the recruiting station so close to Berkeley High or UC Berkeley. That still seems like a restraint on the military's free speech but at least it's somewhat closer to a specific concern the city is trying to address (the city may be legitimately concerned about young people in Berkeley being duped into serving).
You don't "send a message" about the war in the way they did, however. It's ridiculous and absurd and I would argue an abuse of power. Plus, it undermines their credibility (for those who think the council has any credibility left).
If they had a specific example of one of the recruiters at the office in Berkeley lying to people, they could have challenged that act - in other words, they should have been specific, not general, about the accusations or criticism. Highlight the misdeeds (if there were any) of the recruiters, don't send a general message that means NOTHING to the people you are trying to reach with that message (Bush, et. al.).
I'm really bashing on Berkeley but it's because all the good ideas percolating there get undercut by these extreme actions that do nothing to further the legitimate arguments on the left and only serve to polarize the population. One commenter on SFGate.com called Code Pink "the Operation Rescue of the left," and I think there's something to that. Polarizing tactics do NOTHING to help our country and are easily dismissed.
A more effective way to communicate your position is to appeal to people's reason and common sense.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Writer's Strike ends; Boob-Tube returns
Oh glorious day!
As much as I'm bummed that this entire spring and summer will not contain new episodes of 24, Heroes, 30 Rock, etc., I'm happy to hear that a resolution to the Writer's Guild contract dispute is in the works!
This means the Oscars are on (more Jon Stewart in our lives is a GREAT thing) and next season we should (theoretically) get a LOT of goodness since those striking writers must have had ample time to let some good ideas percolate, yeah? I hope so.
Of course, I do recognize there are several upsides to the absence of new TV programming...
Monday, February 11, 2008
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Linky-links
Check out two new links I posted under "keeping an eye on" - I thinks you might likey:
Beautiful Hell in the USA: My friend Gary-Paul's ("GP") blog from his East Oakland hideout. He promises to blog more this year.
BKV Blog: Musings and updates from Brian K. Vaughn, graphic novel and script writer (he's one of those J.J. Abrams-affiliated superstars).
Beautiful Hell in the USA: My friend Gary-Paul's ("GP") blog from his East Oakland hideout. He promises to blog more this year.
BKV Blog: Musings and updates from Brian K. Vaughn, graphic novel and script writer (he's one of those J.J. Abrams-affiliated superstars).
Friday, February 8, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
I'm ashamed of this, but I'll admit it anyway
I don't need more distractions but I'm excited about the return of Big Brother next week!
And to clarify: I don't have Showtime so I can't watch Big Brother After Dark, and I sure as shit will not pay for 24/7 online access to the house either. But I can't be all that high and mighty, since the regular TV show is on three times a week, and you better believe I will be watching every episode.
If I didn't have TiVo I'd be asking one of you for an intervention. Seriously.
And to clarify: I don't have Showtime so I can't watch Big Brother After Dark, and I sure as shit will not pay for 24/7 online access to the house either. But I can't be all that high and mighty, since the regular TV show is on three times a week, and you better believe I will be watching every episode.
If I didn't have TiVo I'd be asking one of you for an intervention. Seriously.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
happy happy joy joy
PS: the last line is cut off on the video... the full quote is: "worst-case scenario, he does have a machine that steals smiles from children." Enjoy!
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