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ladynoblebarnes' LiveJournal:
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| Wednesday, January 30th, 2008 | | 9:45 am |
History repeating and all that
Hey, so does Eva Longoria's "star turn" in OVER HER DEAD BODY mean that Kirstie Alley will be replacing her on Desperate Housewives???? PS- What did Shelley Long choke on in the original movie? I remember it as a CHICKEN BALL, but that doesn't seem, well, plausible. But then again...oh fuck it, I'm going to watch Troop Beverly Hills (what a thrill) | | Wednesday, November 21st, 2007 | | 11:13 am |
is it just me?
Or does anyone else see the poster or trailer for the new Will Smith movie and think I AM LEGEND (of Bagger Vance) | | Monday, November 12th, 2007 | | 2:50 pm |
Cheap and Fantastic Fake Trees
So I grew up with a mother TERRIFIED of live Christmas trees catching on fire. E grew up with a mother who liked a perfect house. This year, for our first Christmas in the house, we decided we were getting a REAL tree. And we could go to the lot and pick it out, and strap it to the car, and recycle it...and then we started talking about other things. Like the pine drip. And the watering. And the threat of fire (and thank you, we've had more than enough fire this year). And the fact that I don't want any food on the tree to attract bugs/vermin. And the mess. And the needles. And the hassle. Sooooooooo, suddenly a fake tree seemed MUCH more attractive. As is my wont, I started doing the research. Amazon had some trees. Home Depot, Kmart, Walmart, Target. Costco was suggested as being great deals, but, wow, um, kinda sparse. However, the tree that looked the best in the pictures, that was the most affordable was TRASHED on amazon, people FREAKING out about how terrible it looked and how it refused to fluff. I made the mistake of looking at the Hammacher Schlemmer "perfect" trees. And oh lord, they ARE perfect. In my search for finding a load of them that fell off a truck, I stumbled upon Frontgate and Balsam Hill, both companies also make these gorgeous full hand-painted trees. Anyway, way too many details later, balsamhill.com is having a HUGE sale this week. They have $500 trees for $240 and so on, most importantly, this week, the shipping is FREE. So I wanted to share this with you. If you are looking for a fake tree, take advantage, because you know everyone's prices will go through the roof after next week. | | Wednesday, July 25th, 2007 | | 10:52 am |
TV and prep books
I am officially obsessed with Greek. I made E watch it Monday night (and I do mean MADE- he finds the 14 year old in me endearing, except when Gilmore Girls is on). We all know I love the shit out of all books set in schools, preferably prep schools, but college works well too. I feel the same way about tv and movies (oh, Cruel Intentions, you still own me). Every character is endearing, it's scandalous and funny and has heart, and so on, and I LOVE the brother and sister leads. Last night we watched Damages. Now, I love Glenn Close, because I love the Big Chill, and I watch Buffy on FX in the morning. Rose Byrne...she intrigues me. I think her nose is fascinatingly flat and her eyes are always on the verge of tears, all hangdog-y and yet, despite traits that normally bother me, I still like her. I watched Wicker Park a few weeks ago (because I am obsessed with Clea DuVall when she plays a man, aka Josh Hartnett -SErIOUSLY THINK ABOUT IT THEY ARE THE SAME PERSON) and Rose Byrne was REALLY good, soapy, sure, but good in a crappy movie. Anyway, I can't go into all the reasons why Damages may be the best show ever on television that doesn't involve a teenage girl crime fighting heroine (either Veronica or Buffy) or rhyme with Schwinn Leaks, but, it IS. It's fantastic writing, Glenn Close is captivating in every scene, Ted Danson is so creepy and shitty all white-haired and selfish, Rose Byrne holds her own and buys into them without causing us to shout how stupid she is at the television. And some of it? Fucking SCARY and tense and suspenseful. It was so good, we watched it AGAIN immediately afterwards. Here's some of my favorite school book choices. I know it's only July, but everyone's running How to Decorate your Dorm Room spots, so apparently, no, it's NOT too early for school musings. •The Secret History by Donna Tartt. One of my all time favorite books: private college, mysterious death, and well blazered students studying Greek. Phenomenal. •Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl. I have raved about this book enough. It's brilliant and also mysterious. What both this and Secret History have in common is rare for me: a mystery that I want to reread again and again and again. This picks up where Secret History left off and runs with it. • The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis. Remember when I used to talk about Ellis all the time? I don't think this is a great book on its own, but it does truly mirror a lot of my college experience- on drugs, sleeping around in a small town, and being completely disaffected while never going to class. • A Separate Peace by John Knowles. I can still reread this and be utterly moved by the metaphors and the language. The two rivers as the two friends: one all clean and shiny and perfect and one all twisted and dirty. Oh and the ENVY in that book. So great. • Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld. It's about that girl who's invisible. She doesn't fit in, doesn't have a lot of friends, you never really notice her...or all the seething rage going on inside. There's a chapter about how cruelly she treats her parents on a visit that made my sking crawl, it's so accurate, that shitty time when you can't just let yourself love your parents and EVERYTHING they do is humiliating and you KNOW you're hurting them and can't stop. Though as much as I loved this, I read Man of My Dreams in the spring and it was so utterly dull and awful that I forgot the majority of the plot maybe three weeks after I read it. • FELL and FELL Back by M.E. Kerr. These are young adult fiction that I still reread. It's about a kid who poses as his rich neighbor's son and goes off to prep school and gets caught up in secret societies. So so so good. • Old School by Tobias Wolff. This isn't one of my FAVORITES, but it's good, seeing boys get all excited about authors. To me, it's worth reading for the Ayn Rand stuff- the parody of her "fans" is amazing. •Eating the Cheshire Cat by Helen Ellis. SOUTHERN GOTHIC SORORITY GIRLS FUCKING EACH OTHER UP. Sometimes this book is WAYYYYY over the top for me, but it was scandalous enough to read in a day. • Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. I have had so many people tell me about this and then I read it and fell in love with it. I can't really explain why it's great, but everyone I know who's read it has fallen under its spell. •Broom of the System by David Foster Wallace. It has scenes at Amherst. That counts. And, if you've been thinking about tackling Infinite Jest, this is a good way to dive into his prose. Books that you may think should be on this list and aren't: •Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. Ok, because the tennis academy scenes don't stand out nearly as much as the father's films and the recovery house scenes. • The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. Because I don't really like it. • Harry Potter books. Yes, true, they are DEFINITELY school books, and yes, I do like them a bunch, but they are more Books about Cool Magic than Straight UP School. Whatever, it's my list. • The Fundamentals of Play by Caitlyn Macy. Ok, here's my fatal flaw: any book that draws comparisons to Secret History, I will read. Sadly, now things have reached a point that saying a book is like Secret History is like saying a coming-of-age story is the new Catcher in the Rye or that a new broody lyrical band is the new Smiths. Sometimes, I'm rewarded (Marissa Peshl). And then there are other times when the book is so blatant and awful and contrived and the characters are just nightmarishly caricatured hacks of annoyance that I'm compelled to actually throw the book across the room and never finish it, just sneer at it every time I pass over it in the bookshelf and feel DUPED and also lose faith in reviewers that ANYONE could have liked it. Which is what happened with this one. • Prague by Arthur Phillips. See above. Same situation, but less violently thrown. Any suggestions, glaring omissions, please let me know. | | Friday, June 1st, 2007 | | 10:03 am |
Calamity Physics Film
They are making one. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3ibdf0b7dd533b3de68376bd8c59868a89Discuss. It's a given that the majority of adaptations blow, but I'm really curious about this. Will it even translate to film as an interesting story or will it be like Rules of Attraction with a death? Also, while this book did major sales, it was no Grisham. I mean, forgive me for being snotty, but it's a smart people book, not an airplane novel (COUGH da vinci stephen king COUGH). Of course, a lot will depend on casting, director, etc. But one of the charming things about the book for me was all the literary references, and I don't see how that will be anything but pretentious if it's left in. I don't know. Yet, despite my wariness, I'm excited. Also, in the world of adaptations, The Time Traveler's Wife starts shooting in August. I really loved that book, excellent summer read. | | Friday, May 11th, 2007 | | 9:27 am |
people they ain't no good
This morning I stop in the gas station to get cigs and a twelve pack of Diet Coke. The attendant tells me that he has to get it from the back. While he's rooting around, another man comes in, murmuring as he passes me, "Don't Panic" then heads straight for the attendant and hollers "PUT UP YOUR HANDS THIS IS A ROBBERY" Now, when in life threatening situations, my reaction is always the same. I know better than to play the hero, fight is not an option. I don't, like, run. I freeze. Which is what I did, heart POUNDING. The attendant slowly stands and turns around, at which point the robber breaks into laughter, "Hey pal! How are you!" I made some loud exhalation of relief and the guy (who thinks he just pulled the funniest joke since the slippery banana peel) says, "But I told you not to panic!" Laughing crazily because I was so shaken, I yelled at him, "THAT IS WHAT ROBBERS TELL YOU TO DO! DON'T SCREAM! DON'T PANIC!" He rolls this around for a second. "Oh yeah, I guess that's true." The attendant, who is as amused as I am, proceeds to bag my Diet Coke and get my cigarettes. He is trying to return to normalcy as much as I am. THEN, Jag Off Bang Bang behind me has the AUDACITY to say, "Aw, you're much too pretty on the outside to be all smoked up on the inside." I didn't even glance at him. He had already gotten far too much of my attention for one day. I just walked out, got in my car, and realized I was still strongly shaking. Fucking people, man. NOT FUNNY. | | Thursday, February 15th, 2007 | | 1:24 pm |
So. Moving on.
WHOOHOO. Ok, so this morning, I put up that post. Then applied for three other jobs. Called E, told him I wanted to quit. We had a long talk last night about money. I have enough to be unemployed and still pay my bills for at least the next month. We are in good shape. He gave me his support. Called my sponsor, told her I was going to quit, that money was ok and she said, "ok, thank GOD, I have NEVER seen you so afraid and miserable. DO IT." So I did. I walked in, gathered all the materials they had given me, turned to my trainer and said, "I've given it some thought and this isn't for me. I appreciate the opportunity, but I don't want to waste your time." She was surprised, but made it very easy. She hugged me, wished me the best of luck, and said they'd mail me a check. I have never been so sure of a decision in my life. I feel amazing. So far I've cleaned my apartment, and am eating waffles with peanut butter in a tshirt and pajama bottoms. Today is a freebie. It's bizarre. This is so NOT ME to jump without a net. Yet, I'm less afraid then I've been in a long time. I KNOW it will work out. I'm confident in my abilities. I have the absolute best, most supportive loving boyfriend in the world, and I know a ton of people, who all have their ears to the ground for me. I'm going to contact some recruiters. My resume is in order. And I get to find something that makes me happy. | | 7:31 am |
so yeah
I'm going to quit. I fucking hate this job. | | Wednesday, January 31st, 2007 | | 3:38 pm |
whoa
I just finished Special Topics in Calamity Physics. I read it (aside from the first 23 pages) in two days. Holy fuck it is GOOD. | | Friday, January 26th, 2007 | | 9:56 am |
get your big face out of my life, graham cracker
When E and I went to see Borat, we looked over, and there was Heather Graham. Huh. Then, at the Arclight about a month later, there was Heather Graham. Last night, we go to Katsu-ya in Studio City to mark 7 months together. Who is seated next to us but...Heather Graham. I commented that she does look great and he (wonderful boy that he is) turns, stares at her, looks at me and says, "Yeah, no comparison. You're better." But honestly, I think that's because we both still hold a resentment for her ruining Twin Peaks. | | Sunday, January 14th, 2007 | | 5:34 pm |
cat burglars, my ass
So. We got robbed. Last Friday, we came home from dinner, settling in for some Freaks and Geeks and E asks where I put the small stereo that was in the bathroom. I thought HE moved it. Then we searched the house. The GARBAGE. His car (three times). Now, I love my boy, but he is, oh, absent-minded. We settled on the idea that he must have picked it up and taken it to work. Monday. He didn't take it to work. Wednesday. His ipod is now missing. Yesterday. We had a totally gorgeously dorky plan to go to the Natural History Museum, then go see Night at the Museum. We are getting ready, and I look over in the bedroom at the remainder of our Christmas...my brand new Mac Mini (which was STILL IN THE BOX) is gone. So is the digital camera that was on the desk. That's when we realized he isn't losing his mind and we probably don't have a poltergeist. Police came, locksmith came. Police found a footprint on the windowsill by the kitchen. A window we didn't realize was unlocked. The landlord came by. She thinks it was the people who live in the front house, they have 5 kids. THe kids are GREAT, really polite and well-mannered and always offering to help us. But they have a huge group of friends always hanging out. We think it was hopefully not them, but their friends. We are 99% sure it was kids. Everything that was taken was small, easy to jump out the window. They left E's laptop, they didn't touch his guitars, keyboards, samplers, mixing boards, etc nor any of the 8,000 records. AND because they stole 3 packs of gum off the counter (and why not). We are focusing on the positive. It happened during the day, is doubtful they will come back, it's just stuff and he is in a position to replace everything. We are getting renter's insuranc e this week (painful that we didn't, that we KNEW we should, but...). Neither of us was hurt. I'm bummed we lost the first six months of our relationship in pictures. He's LIVID that something was taken from ME, especially something he gave me (not to mention the cost). It sucks. I hate that someone was in our bedroom. That someone stepped so heedlessly through our life. It's frightening and violating and deplorable. I mean, for LA, this is a really lovely residential neighborhood (more evidence against those little shit kids). But there's not much we can do. Oddly enough, it's brought us closer. I tremble at the thought that they'd come in when one of us was here. But we're ok. In other news, we somehow managed to both get tomorrow off, so that's sort of a nice karmic reward. Or something. | | Friday, December 22nd, 2006 | | 8:07 pm |
Ok, so when I lived in Greeley, an hour north of Denver, I never had any desire to move to Denver. Earlier this year, as you remember, I was seriously considering it. Now, thank god I fell in love. Shudder. Am SO GRATEFUL not to be there. But, stealing from Alf's blog, here's the link as to why they have the coolest mayor EVER. http://www.9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGNAME=KUSA&IKOBJECTID=a5df576f-0abe-421a-00d7-ceba2e08a38c&TEMPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bfMy parents are here. So far, so good. We are all getting along, my dad isn't being TOO guilt-inducing for me having a rich full life, as opposed to his life, which consists of doing nothing but missing me. So far. Tonight they meet E, which I think will go well, since everyone adores him and he is the nicest guy in the world and has utilized his 8,000 records to make a doo wop mix for my dad. | | Tuesday, November 14th, 2006 | | 11:06 pm |
i am so stressed out by everything i'm taking a slight vacation from life. no social commitments will be made or upheld from this point through Christmas. See you in January. | | Tuesday, November 7th, 2006 | | 8:19 pm |
LYNCH
Ok, so Inland Empire is three hours long. It doesn't need to be, and yet, I still really liked it. I don't like his switch to digital, I'm not entirely sold on that. It works for the film, but there are parts when it made me sleepy. It's nearly impossible for me to give a plot summary, or explain WHY I liked it, or defend it to anyone else who has seen it and will hate it. It's definitely the most feminine film he's ever shot. Laura Dern impressed me, she hits every point of her incredibly broad range, which is showcased in full. I said to E last night that she went took on every iconic scary male character he's ever created and channels them all. The end credits are fantastic. It's long. I can't explain why I liked it, it's more dream logic than anything he's ever done, which says a lot. Now, the rumor going around is that the whole movie is nearly improvised. Not true. Lynch explained that what happened really was he got an idea for a scene. He shot that scene. Then he got an idea for another scene. And shot that. He basically shot several scenes, then let the movie emerge from that. The Q & A was great. I've never seen him in person, and he is just as "Gee gosh golly" Gordon Cole as everyone says. The best moment of the night was someone asked a question about the theme of animals and whores and actors. Lynch cut him off without hearing the question and just hollered out, enthusiastic as a kid talking about ice cream, "I LOVE whores and animals!" And, not to start a war, but if you are writing about politics today, or how anyone who doesn't like Borat is narrow minded and foolish*, consider yourself scrolled. I'm just not into it. *I also hate Monty Python and the Beatles. Just call me a brain dead communist and be done with it. | | Monday, November 6th, 2006 | | 4:32 pm |
i'm just going to say it
While there were funny parts, REALLY funny, I didn't like some of Borat. I SEVERELY didn't like them. Though Kiss Kiss Bang Bang? INCREDIBLY underrated. It's fantastic. I'm still fucking sick. A cloud of mucus is hovering inside of me like Charlie Brown. Tonight, through my darling boyfriend's thoughtfulness, we are going to an advance screening of Inland Empire. The new David Lynch movie. Now THAT I'm excited about. It will make me uncomfortable in a way I *like*. Current Music: pulp's peel sessions are blowing my mind | | Saturday, September 9th, 2006 | | 8:21 am |
Scratch my ears, I'll scratch yours
http://www.johnimonlydancing.com/music/good, yes, lots of music. Yeah, so, because I'm totally computarded, apparently my free version of stuffit has expired. I really don't want to pay for it. How can I open these files and listen to the glory? I'm working on a stupid pc at work. Look at all the music I just gave you! Help me out please. | | Thursday, September 7th, 2006 | | 12:37 am |
would you still respect me
If I changed careers and just got a plain ole JOB? One that like, makes money? And has, um, vacations? And doesn't give a crap about helping people? | | Wednesday, September 6th, 2006 | | 2:08 pm |
ah, the weekend
I've been inspired by doctorhemolymph's using lj as, oh, an actual JOURNAL. A recording of events. And I do lots of fun stuff. So this entry is really for me, to remember. Friday night after work I went to a flower shop/lingerie store in Echo Park to get jacqueleena a bridal shower gift. That store is genius. And darling. Then I called her and we went for mani/pedis. For $30, I wasn't impressed and their color choices were laughable. Then got home around 8:45, changed into all black, picked up Christianne, and we went to my friend Alf's birthday party. The theme was Pirates vs. Ninjas. Hence the black. On the way home, she and I stopped in to see Bookstore George at his bookstore and I picked up ANOTHER Banana Yoshimoto first edition, Sarah Vowell's Assassination Vacation, and Nick Hornby's recent one with all the people who died? I can't remember the name. All for under $20. Bookstore George is a good person to know, and I adore him and we like to get all lit-snobby together. And yes, I DO turn all the Eggers backwards every time I go in there. Saturday I did NOTHING in the morning. Just hung out and watched the Craft. It was great. I was scheduled to meet E's family that night, but they had a family situation, so that was postponed til their next visit. Kelly and I have been talking about the Bog People exhibit at the Natural History Museum for MONTHS and it is closing next weekend, so we finally got to see it, and it was FASCINATING and totally creepy. Very well done. Claudelemonde says that, in my heaven, I will get a clipboard full of answers to every question I have. That's something that's maddening to me about anthropology "we THINK they were in the bog as sacrifices, oh, except for these two guys who were naked without possessions or clothes and one was stabbed." See, we have a book at work that says people were thrown in the bog for punishment for homosexuality. Which explains those two. But the Natural History Museum isn't big on controversy. Then we visited the North American Mammals and the African Mammals taxidermy, said hi to the walruses and elk and I spared her from the bird room, which she finds creepy. Since Dean the best tour guide ever quit, the dinosaurs just aren't the same, so we skipped them. Then we hugged, because we sure do love that place and it's been too long, and went and had amazing mexican mole at this great place in Koreatown. I came home and cleaned. And just hung out in my house all night. And it was fantastic. I haven't made the choice to stay home on a Saturday night in months. Sunday I drove down to OC and met up with E and we got stressed out by Little Miss Sunshine, then met up with his friends to go to Balboa Island (VERY Arrested Development, banana stands and all). We played skeeball and pinball and, wow, that man plays some vicious air hockey. He calls it "Animal-style" after the Muppet of the same name. Pucks were flying. It was great. Monday he came up, we had brunch, then went to see the Hockney exhibit (also closing) at LACMA. It felt very SoCal in the 80s. We came back to my house, watched a little Veronica Mars. And then a little more, making me late to the shower. Came home to him paying bills, watched more Veronica Mars and went to bed. Came into work yesterday with ten new cases. All for me. Which I need to go and take care of now. | | Tuesday, September 5th, 2006 | | 10:42 am |
despite everyone else in the world feeling otherwise
I DID NOT like Little Miss Sunshine. Yes, everyone in it was great. But it did NOT make me feel good, but rather stressed out. And for the record, yes, I do have good taste in film. I just didn't like this movie. | | Saturday, September 2nd, 2006 | | 7:16 pm |
Opening and Closing
This weekend I am trying to actually enjoy not working three whole days in a row. Unfortunately EVERYONE has already seen both Talledega Nights and Little Miss Sunshine. Today I'm going to the most beautiful place in Los Angeles, the Natural History Museum, to see the Bog People exhibit before it closes next weekend. I also want to see the Hockney exhibit at LACMA before it closes (a two month run? TOO SHORT). AND I just got word that the H & M has opened in Pasadena. Girls in this city have been buzzing breathlessly about this for a year. Oh, and yes, there IS a two story Forever 21 in Pasadena as well! Fancy that! How convenient! Also, just a side note, but I am *OVER* Urban Outfitters. It's wicked overpriced and everything they carry is flimsy or ugly. Forever 21 carries cuter versions of everything for roughly $12. I may need to buy a little happy to console myself with the fact that my boy is stuck entertaining his family all weekend... |
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