Sunday, May 30, 2010

Smile?

Like so many other people with teeth, I often try to find ways of making my smile whiter and brighter.  Being a huge fan of coffee and red wine makes regular attention to the choppers necessary.


In the past I've gone to a dentist for that, "brighter smile in an hour" treatment (popular one now is called Zoom), which I found equally effective, expensive and painful!  Decided it wasn't for me, my budget, or pain threshold.


I used a 5-minute teeth bleaching gel called, Plus White, which offered me acceptable results given the time investment, but the improvement lasted little longer than the time investment.


Then of course, I've tried Crest Whitestrips, which I've managed to swallow in the past when I fell asleep waiting for the magic to happen.  Recently I bought the CVS generic version (we're still in a recession kids, don't judge), which is supposed to dissolve in 5-7 minutes.  Well, that's true if dissolving means the strip on your teeth turns into a gooey mess that you have to wipe off.


Anyone else have an affordable suggestion?  My smile is waiting.


Happy long weekend!

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Go Ahead, Spam Me

Anyone else still puzzled at how your spam box fills with urgent letters from Nigeria, requesting your help, in God's name?


I don't understand.  Email is nothing new.  Spam is an expected nuisance, like children selling candy outside grocery stores and post offices.  Personally I've seen at least two different "Dateline" episodes exposing the Reverend collecting fees before he can send the moron's inheritance.  This "practice" is no secret!


Let's see, here are the scenarios used I can recall the best: a distant relative of yours has passed and left you a large inheritance for which you need to pay fees before you can receive said enormous dollar amount, someone has to transfer money from their country to yours and would be happy to pay you a hefty fee if in God's name,you'll help out, someone is ill and needs your charitable financial help.


People still fall for this.  The last Dateline expose' I saw on the topic, featured an educated woman in Connecticut who bought the inheritance bait.  She lost $200,000.00 in "fees" even though Chris Hansen confronted the Nigerian ambassador living in Greenville, SC.


Maybe what's more difficult to understand than why people still fall for this, is why from time to time I can't help but respond to these emails with a well-deserved, "Go f*** yourself."


Leave it to me.



Friday, May 28, 2010

Weeding

I have a newfound love for a show that's not new, but new to me.  I love "Weeds"!  Thanks to the ingenious Netflix-via-Wii phenomena entering my living room, access to every episode of every season is at my disposal on demand.  Love!

Yes, it goes flying into the absurd at times, but that doesn't bother me.  In fact, most of the time, I'd rather not see real-life difficult, problematic scenarios played out on my TV.  A widowed mother of two from the suburbs, chauffeuring two thugs in a drive-by shooting, that's what my viewing time needs.  Over the past few days, I've actually thought, "Sure, this is bad, but nothing near as bad as what Nancy goes through!" 


Ridiculous?  Yes, but mostly, so am I.


Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Shooting the Head

After a number of years in this business, which will go undisclosed, I feel comfortable saying it doesn't matter who you go to for headshots, if you don't bring yourself to the picture, you won't get "the shot."  But what the hell does that mean?  


It means that your headshot should capture your eyes, show something going on behind your eyes, and completely look like you.  Not some character you think you should be playing, just you.  And with all I know and thought I knew about headshots, I was more than enlightened when I watched this SAG Foundation video, "Your Headshot From Every Angle," taped earlier this month.


Guests included casting directors Stuart Stone, Marci Liroff,  and Geralyn Flood and photographers Sara Corwin, Alan Weissman, and Kevin Major Howard.  Among many other things, I learned that Sara Corwin is really defensive about her high prices and Kevyn Major Howard might be slightly off-balance and/or an evangelist.


Bottom line, if you're an actor, it's totally worth it to see what they're saying.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Idolizing Crystal

Very excited to find out who the next American Idol will be!  


I watch the performances every week (fast forwarding through the plethora of Ford infomercials, starring the top 12), but I only vote on the night of the finale.  


Can I be honest? (Of course I can, it's my blog!)  I voted for Crystal Bowersox and here's why;  1. If she were to make an album (or when she makes an album), I wouldn't buy the whole thing but I'd likely download some of her songs from iTunes.  2. I think she's really talented and unique.  3. She's a woman.  4. I've watched the show every week this season and I still can't remember what the guy's name is she's up against tonight.  He might be forgettable.


It's true, I'm something of a feminist and that does bleed over into the way I vote.  Of course, were she not likable she'd not be getting my support.    


That said, one man I have great respect for has sadly given his last sharp-tongued, often painfully honest, critique.  I don't care what anyone says, Simon Cowell was spot on in his assessments of performances throughout American Idol.  Most of them were just too American to accept what was coming out of his mouth.


GO CRYSTAL!!!  

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Need a Break, Lake Now!

The law of attraction is really at work with me today.  I am OVERWHELMED  with all of my end of the semester stuff, finals, submitting my films, writing meetings, meetings, work, meetings, work, attendance records, work, work, UGH!  So, of course today, when I'm hurrying, arms full, with a trail of students behind me to get from class to the office so I can help them with registration, a random woman stops me and the following ensues:


A: Hey, you a teacher?
B: Yes!  Sorry, I...
A: What do you teach?
B: English as a Second Language.
A: Can I have some worksheets on, uh... subject-verb agreement?
B: Uh... well, I don't have any on me (and are you kidding me?)
A: Can you mail some to me at 5211 Lake...
B: (Is this really happening?)  Uh... you'll need to write that down.


OK, what the hell just happened?  Phil must have sensed my stress.  An hour later he forwarded me our anniversary getaway reservation confirmation for Lake Arrowhead Resort.  Ahh.


It's true.  This too shall pass!

Monday, May 24, 2010

My Edgy Princess Unleashed!


Recently a friend sent me probably the coolest and most creative gift I've ever received.  It was an

Edgy Princess Ring, which are handmade rings from France, made of glass.  I am head over heels IN LOVE WITH IT!!


From the moment I opened the box, the experience began.  The packaging was so carefully and beautifully created in their signature chocolate brown box with coordinating flower embellishments, I almost didn't want to open it!.  So special!  I just kept thinking what a GREAT and 
special gift to receive!



I love big rings and silver, so this was perfect for me.  Then I put it on.  Love ensued.  It fit my finger perfectly, but all the rings are size adjustable at the base, so you never have to worry about size when you're ordering.  But what's cool is, because you adjust them at the base, they don't look at all like adjustable rings.  They just look and feel really sturdy.  And awesome!


I had never seen anything quite like it, so 
I had to visit the website to find out more about this uber cool company.  The Edgy Princess mission is "to bring our fabulous finds to every hip woman and girl out there.  Why?  Because there is an edgy princess inside us all."  Yay!!


                                         Mine is the Square Classic-Silver, but they have lots of other styles in lots of different colors.  Other shapes include round, dome, rectangular, flower, flat, and plate.  What's inside?  Mine is filled with silver beads.  Others are filled with colored water, pop art designs and water, and beads of different colors and shapes.  So damn cool and chic!!


Cost?  The rings range from $30 to $40.  Not bad for my favorite accessory of all time.


One drawback.  Everyone wants to know what's on your finger!  I had to stop class twice on Thursday to answer questions about what was on my hand and where it could be purchased.  I've also been stopped twice, once in the grocery store and once walking into an audition, about my ring.  I'm getting used to it!


OK, two drawbacks, when you go to their website it is SO hard to pick one from the collection!  They're all just too unique and fabulous!


And, turns out the folks at Edgy Princess are not just good at making amazing, eye-catching rings, but they're good people, too.  A portion of all sales goes to charity.  


Want more information?  You can check out the Edgy Princess Facebook Page page or reviews on Yelp to see what other Edgy Princesses have to say about their rings.  


Thank you Edgy Princess.  I am unofficially a little bit cooler now.  It's a start.






Sunday, May 23, 2010

LOST Without You

Does anyone else fear that that TV as we know it, is about to cease to be?  Tonight we see the series finale of "LOST."  One of my favorite shows for years now, which understandably needs to come to a close at some point, but it's still so sad to see it go.  And I could probably handle that more easily if we weren't also about to say good-bye to "24,"  also a favorite since the pilot.  I guess Jack Bauer needs kick ass elsewhere.  


And perhaps I don't have a lot of support on this, but I LOVED ABC's "Flash Forward," which is sadly ending its first and last season this year.  And don't get me started on FX's "Damages."  It physically pains me to think I'll never get to see what the next move for Patty Hewes will be.


And then there's talk that "The Big Bang Theory" is the next "Friends."  Are you kidding me?  I watched that show once and could barely make it to the credits.  That's supposed to be good TV these days??


Oh, but not to worry.  The CW has announced a midseason series!  It's a reality show called, "Shedding for the Wedding."  Sure to be as engaging and inspiring as "The Bachelor" spinoff, "More to Love."  


Sigh.


Good-bye LOST.  I'm really pissed that you killed off Sun and Jin, but you were a great show.  Make another good one, J.J.  And fast!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Youthinize Me. Or Coolinize?

Last week I said to my boss, who is, well... older than me (could maybe be my mom), "Hey look, we have almost the same shoes on!"  To which she responded, "Aren't you a little young for that?"  I looked down at the brown mary jane- style flats I'd bought at Ross. Point well taken.  I'm starting to have the style of a middle aged teacher.  That's not so good.  


Then there's the issue of what my agents keep saying about my headshots.  "We want to see something more hip, contemporary.  A more modern hairstyle."


Message received.  I need a new hairstyle and if possible, a stylist.


Operation makeover!  Stay tuned!!







Friday, May 21, 2010

One Tall, Pretty Glass of Crazy, Please.

Well, it's never nice to poke fun at the mentally ill, unless the mentally ill is a bitchy New York, ex-model, socialite-wanna-be who made the very unfortunate decision to display herself to the world on Bravo's "Real Housewives of New York."  In case you missed last night's episode, Kelly Bensimon had a full-out unraveling session.  Disturbing to watch someone talk in non-sensical terms, accuse another cast member of trying to kill her (a tiny, pregnant woman, no less) and accusing yet another of channeling the devil.


Yes, it was more sad than it was entertaining.  Her response?  "I had a breakthrough, not a breakdown."    Whatever makes the voices in your head happy, Kelly.  Now go do a cartwheel.


She also added that her "breakthrough" incident "makes for awesome TV.  Can't argue there, but what about about her public perception?  I recently heard a quote from Jill Zarin suggesting that it was best for Kelly not to return to the show because it's not doing anything positive for her.  I couldn't agree more.


There you go ladies, looks aren't everything.  Being mentally sound and not inflicting fear of what you might do, every time you walk into a room is highly underrated.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

What if it Was You?

Sometimes I forget how lucky we are to be Americans.  If you ask any one of my ESL students from various countries, including but not limited to; South Korea, Sri Lanka, Mexico, the Ivory Coast and Egypt, all of them will give you roughly the same answer.  "I wanted more opportunities and a better life."  


Sure, there are some cases in certain fields where Americans might leave America for the same reason, but really, we have pretty much everything here.


The immigration issue our country faces really comes down to one thing: Were you born in this country?   Well, I was born in Massachusetts, a far cry from California.  What if I was stuck in Massachusetts for the rest of my life?  With no way to legally move somewhere else?  What if I couldn't find a job in the field I wanted to go into in Massachusetts?  What If I couldn't find any job at all?  Or what if I could find a job, but it didn't pay enough to feed me or family or put a roof over our heads?   What then?  Would I try to move somewhere else (possibly Connecticut) even if it was illegal?  Well for me, the answer is yes.


Nothing against the great state of Massachusetts, by the way!


I realize the seriousness of the immigration issue, but what none of us from the United States ever have to consider is, what if it was you?  Would you do the same thing?

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Good Wednesday To You!

So grateful today!  My wonderful students gave me a lovely send off for my last day at the mental health facility in Watts.  Doughnuts and gifts, what more could I ask for?  Oh yeah, Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings off now until July 6th.  Umm... YAY! 


Also SO grateful for my wonderful manager Joy Stevenson who is celebrating her birthday today!  Yay Joy!  Couldn't ask for someone better to be on my team.


AND I'm so grateful for my writing/producing partner Leigh Hall!  We're putting the finishing touches on our first feature film script (comedy, but of course)  and couldn't be more optimistic about it!  Yay Leigh!


Lastly so grateful for and proud of Phil Han, whose recruiting business ZenSource is taking off!  Oh, of course it is!  It's Phil!


Yay today!!!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Good, Sheen Fun

While I'm not much of a "Charlie Sheen the person fan" (much like the people he marries), I'm not opposed to the work he does.  He's funny, and though I'm continuously shocked to see how well "Two and a Half Men" does in the ratings, time and time again, I was even more floored when I heard the flurry of rumors about Sheen's imminent departure from the only thing in his life that seemed to be working.

Capitalism: A Love StoryWhy the hell would he leave?  Not enough money?  Really?  Honestly, how much money does someone need in this world?  This is a question that's been on my mind since I saw Michael Moore's documentary Capitalism: A Love Story.  How many homes, cars, boats and Manolo Blahniks does a person need before they feel fulfilled?  The highest paid actor on TV, Charlie Sheen made $825,000 per episode last season.  If he wasn't considering a full departure from acting altogether and it wasn't about money (so he claims), what was the two and a half month hold up all about?  

Well, Charlie Sheen fans can all rest easy knowing "Two and a Half Men" will return for two more seasons.  And although living large on his inflated paycheck, still facing domestic violence charges from a Christmas Holiday hassle (weapons included), with his wife Brooke Mueller, Sheen is living Lohan.  And that's not good.




Monday, May 17, 2010

Getting My Phil


AWFULLY  busy day but I'd like to take a moment to thank Phil Han's parents for bringing him into the world 36 years ago today.  And his dad for liking me, because that could really have gone either way.

I love you Phil.  My life is happier because you're in it.  Not to mention Bailey's life.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

(OK fine, that's really too short to count as a blog entry, but we'll all have to live with it.  Good night!)

Sunday, May 16, 2010

What Was That?

I've been guilty of correcting people's English without invitation to do so... I can't help it!  It's my job to correct English.  I can't help but resist the need to correct the speaker when I hear, "I haven't went there before."  NOOO!!  You haven't gone there before.  Respect your past participles, people.

This is why I've had such a hard time listening to somewhat intelligent women on The Real Housewives of New York use their version of the present perfect tense.  Or collectively fail to use it and use the present tense instead.
WHAT???


The first few times, I thought for sure I heard that wrong.  She didn't say, "We know each other for 20 years."  Clearly she wasn't enunciating and she actually, maybe through some blurry wine buzz said, "We've known each other for 20 years."


At last season's reunion show when Kelly was crying about her ex-boyfriend accusing her of domestic violence, she complained about the harm to her reputation, "My name!  My name that I built since I'm a kid!"  NO!  Since you were a kid, you idiot.


But it's NOT just her!  All of them do it and it drives me nuts.  What's going on in English classes in New York schools?  Or is it a regional dialect that so offends the ear?  Ugh... 

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Veggie Me?

For some time now I've put off reading the book Skinny Bitch because I know it will turn me into at least a vegetarian, if not a vegan, and I just don't know if I could afford that.  Not to mention how much it will disrupt my family routine.


I mean sure, I could stop eating meat, but then Phil and I would have to prepare two separate meals for dinner most of the time.  And what about my Golden Retriever, Bailey?  He's turning 13 this year.  Am I supposed to expect him to suddenly change everything he's ever known about what's delicious, too?


Today I accidentally walked in the room while Phil was watching the documentary Food Inc.  Couldn't take it.  I love animals and I can't handle the way they're being treated or the way big business and law makers fail to protect us from the dangers of producing bigger, faster food.  


I have so much respect for people like actor Larry Sullivan, who is dedicated to animal rights and living vegan, and also happens to be one of the nicest people in the world.  Here are some quotes from his Facebook page:


"Saving one animal won't change the world...but it will surely change the world for that one animal."


"I don’t ask people to not eat animals to be a jerk or controlling...I ask because the animals can’t." 


Would love to hear from anyone who's made this huge, important change.  How much did the cost of eating go up and how difficult was it to integrate this into your life?

Friday, May 14, 2010

What's With the Hellergies?

I've had allergies about as long as I've had a nose, so I've certainly learned to cope with them over the years.  But this year, even I have to say, UGH.  This sucks!  


Allergy veterans like myself know all to well when their symptoms are different from that of a cold, and I can say without hesitation, I am not flu ridden or down with a bad cold, but suffering from the worst allergies I've ever experienced (of course, not taking into account the time my face was literally covered, eyes swollen shut, due to an allergic reaction to poison ivy).  


Seasonal allergies are never pleasant, but I remember once asking a student why she'd been absent for two months and she told me, "I had allergies."  Huh.  I remember thinking, if that were a reason to stay home, I'd be... dead?


But this year is oh so special.  Today a congested, weary-looking student told me she was going home early because her allergies were terrible, to which I whole-heartedly gave her my blessing.  I saw a friend yesterday, who has also been a long-time allergy sufferer, but first-timer in breaking out in hives.  UGH!  And me?  Well I'm hitting my inhaler at an unprecedented rate due to my allergy-induced asthma, and simply feeling like crap.  And so tired! 


What the hell?  Is this a scam?  Did the Benadryl company have something to do with this?  I need another nap.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Be a Doll

Most people are critical of themselves in some way.  Actors are commonly their own biggest critics, in particular.  And maybe that's because perception means so much when you're trying to get hired as a character in a story.  But isn't it funny to sometimes find out how other people perceive you?


I teach adults, so I guess I listen to what they say about me more closely and take it more seriously than I would kids.  On Tuesday, I saw two ladies in the front row whispering and smiling.  I could tell they were talking about me, so I interrupted (kidding, of course).  "Hey, what's going on over there?"  They giggled, "We were saying you look like a doll."  


Today a different student in the front row interrupted my class to say, "You look like Barbie.  Do people tell you that?"  All I could think was, "In your country, is Barbie a flat-chested, unmarried woman in her 30s, who teaches in Watts part-time and is considering bankruptcy?"


Of course, didn't say that.  I just laughed and smiled... even said, "Uh..thank you" despite how stupid it felt.


And it's not that I can't take a compliment.  I just can't take one seriously that I don't think applies to me at all.


Later this afternoon I remembered something.  That student with the Barbie comment had a headache today... because she'd forgotten her glasses.  Ah-hah!  Not Barbie, just a blonde blur.  OK, that I can accept that.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The Sidewalk Mafia

I know I've voiced my thoughts before on mothers and strollers, but seriously, is it safe for anyone to have a foot on a sidewalk in Santa Monica without fear of losing a toe or at least some skin, to a pair of Cadillac strollers and snobby mommies, power walking behind them?  


And it's not the fact that they're taking up the whole sidewalk, it's the thoroughly unapologetic attitude towards inconveniencing others.  In my experience, nine times out of ten, a bratty kid on a skateboard is far more likely to  "sorry, please, and thank you" his way around me when he comes flying down the sidewalk, than a mother pushing a stroller.  


Today as I was putting money in the meter, I got nailed in the back of my foot just above my heel by a Sidewalk Mafia member's oversized stroller.  Even when I let out an "Ouch!" as snobby mommy wizzed by, I got not even a pause, much less an apology.  


Honestly, if you want to be bitch, don't do it in front of your kids.  It's much harder for me to call you names in public that way.


It's the Sidewalk Mafia.  It's their territory, and don't you dare get in their strolling way.  Or you just might get whacked.  On the foot. 

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Really Lame Housewives

I hate to slam one of my favorite pastimes, but does anyone else think the Real Housewives of New Jersey has become a real snoozefest?


I mean, does anyone really care if some brain-dead mafia wife is making pasta sauce in her garage?  And last night?  Just one lame, salad-eating, contrived argument scene after another.  And I can honestly say, even I don't see the point.


Highlight? Last night we saw a sleazy modeling agent tell psycho-Danielle, "You're a really good mom." (shouldn't even she have been suspicious?) This was prompted by the funneling of her 14-year-old daughter into the safe and nurturing modeling business.  Hopefully her daughter won't also follow in her mother's pesky, cocaine and kidnapping with loaded weapons, footsteps (and yes, that was fabulous and shocking, as far as storylines go, but way overused now).


And this is just catty and mean, but what happened to Dina?  Was the lighting in the baby store really that bad, or did she age like 15 years since last season?


OK, OK... need a new pastime.  

Monday, May 10, 2010

Why So Trashy?

I've mentioned before that I'm big fan of the teachings of Abraham-Hicks.  One quote I try to keep in mind is, "They're not really messing up your world in the way you think they are, they're creating in their own world.  And I can fly with that when the guy in the BMW cuts me off in traffic, or when Elizabeth Hasselbeck says... anything, or when LuAnn de Lesseps or gets behind a microphone to "sing."  


But one area where I just can't swallow that mentality is when I see someone litter.  I'm not an environmentalist, per se, but for some reason that I can't talk myself out of, it just enrages me.


You smoke?  Fine, it's legal.  But you're already polluting our air, how dare you throw your cigarette butt out your car window?  I've often daydreamed of throwing that cigarette right back into the driver's car.  Where it belongs.


Not too long ago I saw an older couple at a stop light, open their car door to toss out a fast food drink cup.  Just dropped it right on the street on Culver Blvd.  What the hell is that?


I can't begin to think about the atrocities I witnessed when I worked at at Los Angeles Technology Center (and I'm not even talking about the evil, puppy-eating woman who runs the place).  High school students walk two steps past a garbage can and toss their half eaten fries and chips on the sidewalk.  


UGH!  I just don't get it.  The only time littering is OK is if you're throwing up or dying.  And even then... well...

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Thank You For Being a Facebook Friend

Though I've sworn off the show since former my Groundlings classmate, Michaela Watkins' untimely departure from SNL (and because it's just not very good and I waste enough time on Facebook), I couldn't help but record Betty White's appearance from last night.


Such a delight.  Sure, there were lots of time-to-run-to-the-bathroom  moments as usual, but Betty White was truly a timelessly, talented treat!  She took a moment during her monologue to thank Facebook for campaigning to get her on the show as a host.  What struck me, was when she said, "When I finally learned what Facebook was I thought, what a huge waste of time!"  So true!  Why am I still on there??


Maybe it's because email is so quickly becoming an old-fashioned way of communicating.  Even my close friends (my age) respond far more quickly to a message sent through Facebook rather than through an email account.  


And is it just me, or does everyone on Facebook feel like they get news faster on Facebook?  And simply feel more in touch with what's happening, not just in the lives of my friends, but in the world?


Sure made it easier to wish my lady friends with offspring a Happy Mother's Day!  Hope you all had a great one!

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Really?

So I left out one surprise from yesterday.  You may or may not have heard of a kindergarten teacher from a tiny Georgia town who is on trial for molesting three young girls.  This might not be quite as shocking, if it were a man facing these 22 counts of sexual battery and molestation... against young girls.


Instead it's 37-year-old Tonya Craft who is a mother of a young girl herself.  The community is torn in half. One half says it's a witch hunt the other whole-heartedly believes she's guilty.


Evidence?  Not really.  It's mostly her word against these little girls, who claim that Craft would molest the girls at her house during sleepovers for her daughter.


Since her arrest, she's lost her job, her house, and custody of her daughter.


So, is there a precedent for this?  I have to say, knowing only what I've read, I just have a hard time believing these allegations are true.


It's tragic either way.  And really weird.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Friday of Surprises!

Surprise #1: The wonderful, supportive, actress-obsessed blogger, Haren Yong, who is also the Web Features Editor for Youth Entertainment Portal Klik.TV, posted a lovely blog he wrote about me!  Thanks Haren!


Surprise #2:  The Ferrari left us today.  I was so unprepared!  It wasn't supposed to be picked up until  the 17th.  Phil suggested I park my car in the empty garage now, but I said, "Not yet.  It's too soon."  You will be missed 355! 


Surprise #3: A lovely lunch with great friend and actress Jen Nikolaisen at Cheebo on Sunset was interrupted when I found a hair in my salad.  Not a huge deal, until our misogynistic waiter who kept calling me "lady" insinuated that I put it there and he wasn't doing anything about it.  Um, what?  Right before I asked to speak to the manager, he tore up the check and told us we didn't have to pay anything.  Wow.  


Surprise #4: I have won  £1,350,000.00. Pounds.  I just have to send all my sensitive information to this really unique email address for more information.  Great!  Irish19@btinternet.com must be a huge fan.


Happy Friday everyone!!!  


  

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Oh TV!

Shocking to me how in this day in the land of TV, when it's harder than ever to get a show picked up and on the air, that such bad TV shows come into my living room.  I was so looking forward to the ABC spooky new episodic, " Happy Town," but yikes!  Really?  Cheesy, cliche music transitions us into yet another scene of contrived characters playing the town idiots, and each set up is another opportunity for the cast to assault us with campy, cringe-worthy dialogue.


And then there's "Fringe."  One of my favorites for the past year and a half has taken a turn for the worse.  Where ever in the FBI world of investigating unexplainable phenomena was the film noir door opened for Olivia Dunham to break into song?  Yeah, you lost me there.


I loved "Heroes" and then there was just too much and too many powers to follow.  Lost me.


And then there's shows I loved that went off the air.  What happened to "Eli Stone"?  Great, fun show... tossed.  "Lipstick Jungle"?  "Swingtown"?  And now, probably "Damages"!  Gone!  


No wonder reality TV is so alive and thriving.  Should decisions about what America wants to watch be this hard to get right at this point?  Urgh.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Happy Cinco!!

Every year on this day, I think of one place and one place only.  No, not Cabo San Lucas, Puerta Vallarta, or even good old TJ, but El Cholo Cafe in Santa Monica, CA.  This home of delicious margaritas and seriously diet-unfriendly cuisine, was good enough to put me in a hideous senorita dress and employ me until I found something I was better at.


My career at El Cholo lasted five long years, in that long, hot dress.  Still don't get it.  Why the hell did we have to wear those long, polyester, very ugly, unsafe to carry trays up a flight of stairs in, dresses?  I've been to Mexico, no one there looks that ridiculous.  And the guys got to wear the easy, comfy, even stylish for a moment, Guayabera shirts.  A little sexist?  


Still, I made some really wonderful friends there that I still have today. 


And Cinco de Mayo was the one day out of the year the women didn't have to wear that punishing costume.  We wore jeans and t-shirts for whatever brand of tequila we were slinging in particular that day.


And I also have to thank whoever was managing El Cholo on the day when we took the photos shown in the slideshow at the end of this old-school Wrenches and Wenches sketch, Margaritaville.


Oh I miss you, Paul Bunch!



Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Cool Desert!

On our way back from Tuscon, we decided to break up the trip, and stopped along the way in Indio, CA at Fantasy Springs Resort.  Aside from the fact that it was of course, dry and hot (common in the desert I hear), this spot in the middle of nowhere was lovely.  


Really cool, modern decor and a bed that easily rivals the Westin's Heavenly Bed.  We stayed on a Monday night and the only thing cooler than the constant blowing AC everywhere you went (NOT a complaint, btw) was the room rate of about 73 clams per night.  Not to mention our visit to the snazzy, loungy pool & jacuzzi was very private.  We were the only ones there!  


It also has a casino, which we had zero interest in entering or smelling like, which was great because the hotel has its own separate entrance.


Six restaurants in the hotel and we ate at trendy, yummy, upscale casual Pom, where we mistakenly ordered enough food for a week of dinners at the Gosselins, which cost us about 50 bucks.  Drinks at the rooftop wine bar?  Can you beat $5 a glass (with a coupon from the front desk) and a lush, beautiful view from the top?


Regrets?  We were too full to stop in at Lique, the ice cream parlor which stays open until 5AM.


Complaints?  Just one... WiFi was $9.95 per day.  I don't get it.  It's free at McDonalds for goodness sakes!

Monday, May 3, 2010

Mazel Tov!

Last night I attended my very first Jewish wedding.  My dear friend Leyna Juliet Weber of Working Bug Productions tied the knot at the stunning Westin La Paloma in Tucson, AZ.  From the breaking of the glass to the chair dance, they left nothing out.  Such a treat!  


But the Jewish traditions weren't the only things that really made this wedding stand out to me.  Just like on youtube and The Office, the wedding party came dancing down the aisle to the Blacked Eyed Peas.  Then a group of four friends sang, "I would walk 500 miles," followed by scene read by two actors from When Harry Met Sally.  So much fun, so well done.  


Can I have a Jewish wedding?  Guess I'd have to find someone to buy a ticket for that boatride first.  Oy Vey!

Saturday, May 1, 2010

In Arizona

 Happy May Day everyone! As an ESL teacher and citizen who fully supports immigration reform, it's a bit ironic that this May Day I am in, of all places, the most controversial state in the country right now. When we crossed the border from California to Arizona, we also ironically never noticed a "Welcome to Arizona" sign. We spent a night in Phoenix and now in Tucson, and I'm not sure what I expected to see on the streets, but I saw no unusual police activity or raids on businesses, hunting down possible illegal aliens.

I've been pleased and relieved to hear that such immediate and proactive steps are being taken to fight this legislation. Elected officials, law enforcement officers, and tourists alike are taking a stand against what might be the most unconstitutional law since the end of slavery, and what we can only hope will the be the darkest we will ever see in our lifetimes.

Regardless of your opinions on immigration, Arizona's decision is as dangerous to the individuals it sets out to prosecute as it is to every American protected by the Constitution. It sets a precedent that could make the land of the free as a relevant a statement to Nazi Germany.

When individuals in our country become the target of crime for fear of being prosecuted if they themselves report illegal activity, the system has put people in harm's way intentionally. That's just not American. Not to mention that the majority of these individuals enter the US seeking jobs Americans don't want and paying into a Social Security system they will never be able to collect on.

Hope everyone is safe and happy today, no matter where you are or where you're from.

In The Pool

I would like to take this opportunity to thank whoever invented carpool lanes.  Yes, trying to get out of LA on a Friday at 5:00 is a poor idea, noted.  But imagine how much worse it was for couples and families making that same ambitious decision before the HOV lane was over there, to the left (thank you Beyonce, also).

Left me wondering, how many of these vehicles in front of or behind us are actually carpooling?  As in, sharing one vehicle to work or school.  Aside from soccer moms trading off chauffeur duties, how many people in LA really use the HOV for its true intended purpose, to reward high occupancy vehicles, and get more cars off the road, thus relieving congestion?  I saw what looked like lots of couples, possibly family members, but not anyone I'd guess were co-workers.



Here's to a great weekend with a friend or two to make you HOV ready!