This California Life

Song of the Day: Tuesday Edition

2010-12-14T20:57:00.000-08:00

Favorite Song of the Day: Thursday Edition

2010-12-02T15:57:00.000-08:00

Favorite Song(s) of the Day

2010-12-01T16:23:00.000-08:00

Favorite Song of the Day-Ratatat & Alasdair Roberts

2010-11-24T13:22:00.000-08:00

Better version of the above here.

Don't Be A Lazy Goat

2010-11-16T14:11:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays for two reasons: it's not religious, and there is animal sacrifice, gobble gobble. So I'll admit, the prospect of being stuck in LA for Thanksgiving all by my lonesome was starting to get me down. But then the clouds parted and the light shone down, for I would not be flying and therefore would not be subjecting myself to being either visually or physically sexually harassed. Go team!

For all of you who are flying this Thanksgiving, you have my sympathy, but though it's too late for you, don't go to your happy place quietly. There's still hope for the future. Sign this petition to stop this affront to our human rights.

And while you're at it, sign this open letter in support of Planned Parenthood. It's easier than sanitizing a wire hanger.

So don't be lazy!

Nice Ad Targeting

Final Word

2009-09-03T11:10:00.000-07:00

I've already written in detail about my all encompassing hatred for the new Star Trek movie, and after this post I'm done, I will think of this movie no more forever. I just had to share this brilliant Abridged Script which succinctly sums up my opinion of the film, only more eloquently and concisely and without my head trying to explode from sheer frustration.

My favorite lines:

“Look, we’re paying tribute to the original series by conforming to its limitations!”

“CHRIS PINE
Look, I’m just not Starfleet material. The only thing I’m any good at is hanging off ledges.”

“CHRIS PINE
He does understand that he went back in time right? And can therefore just stop his home planet from being destroyed altogether?
(pause)
So wait, why does red matter destroy planets but send ships back in time?

LEONARD NIMOY
BLACK HOLES LET US DO ANYTHING!

CHRIS PINE
Apparently, since you’re close enough to Vulcan to see it with the naked eye but not so close as to be sucked into the ensuing black hole.”

“Let’s go back to my place, I think a hull breach is imminent.”

Fateful Meal

2009-08-16T20:39:00.000-07:00

You may be asking yourself, why would my soon to be roommate not want me as a tenant after sampling my cooking, was it that bad?

For your gastronomical pleasure, the menu that sealed my fate:

Goat Cheese and Sun Dried Tomato Profiteroles with Herb Oil

Beat Salad with Goat Cheese

Carrot Soup, my specialty which I have perfected over the years

Rigatoni with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Espresso Chocolate Mousse with Orange Mascarpone Whipped Cream, for this recipe I substituted coffee for the espresso. (Too slow with the camera on this one.)

Everything tasted great, at least i think it did, there were no leftovers at least. We even had the local possum come by to check it out.

Well, we'll see what happens, but one things for sure, that's the last time I cook for that guy.

Oh, so they have internet on computers now!

2009-08-16T15:14:00.000-07:00

Well, for a while there I was without Internet, what a strange and confusing ride that was. But I have returned, so now for some backtracking...

Where exactly have I been? The short answer is I moved out of my commune and into a two bedroom apartment less than a block from the beach. It was a pretty sweet setup, I even got used to not relying on the internet for my entertainment and gasp, went outside and walked around Venice for amusement. But, alas, it wouldn't be my life if something didn't go wrong. That something was my roommate who took an immediate dislike to my presence in her home. I'm not sure why she felt hostility toward me, maybe when I cleaned the apartment I destroyed an ecological experiment she had going on. I could have sworn when I cleaned out the fridge I heard someone screaming very quietly, noooo! I'll never know the reason, but all that matters is she kicked me out.

So a mere month after moving I was on the apartment/room hunt again. I already posted about my first response to the add I posted on Craigslist, but I'm happy to say I did get some decent responses mixed in with the people who would only consider me as a roommate if I submitted a picture of myself, creepy.

So with mere days to spare, I found a place in a good location, near buses and downtown. The room wasn't available right away so Joe and Elissa were kind enough to let me crash on their couch until move in day. Which, I might add is Tuesday. Or I should say, was going to be Tuesday.

My new landlord/roommate has been emailing me at least twice a day since I agreed to move in, at first very humorous emails, but they quickly progressed into the category of 'is he kidding, I can't tell', and from there it has only digressed. He seemed concerned about things such as how long I take in the shower, could people use the bathroom while I'm in the shower, do I listen to loud music, do I cook everyday, etc. Fair enough, he just wants to know about the person moving into his home, wants to set some boundaries and rules, I can live with that.

To assuage his fears I invited him over to dinner the other night along with my former roommate and Joe and Elissa. Let's just say the plan backfired. The very next morning he emailed me offering me a full refund, saying basically he didn't think it would be a good idea for me to live there (full story provided upon request). So....what to do. Move in anyway with a man I'm starting to suspect isn't all there in the sane department, or cut my losses and take the out he's given me. I have one day to decide...what to do, what to do.

Apartment Hunting

2009-07-28T15:53:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm moving out of my apartment in a few days and have yet to find somewhere to move into. It seems impossible to find a place without having a job to prove your income. So in my desperation I created an ad on Craigslist seeking a room to rent with the hopes that someone would be willing to take me in....

Here's my first response:

"Hello! how are you? hope this finds you well... We are a young professional couple living in Santa Monica (14 blocks to the beach). we are mellow, laid back but do love fun & action in a way. We are very clean (ddfree) and non-smokers. Please be too. Please, this is probably not what you expected off hand but we really mean no offense and just want to offer you a share. If this email offends you in any way - we apologize! we have a one bedroom apartment and wanted to invite you to stay with us here. can be just a few days, several weeks and even long term (depending on what you're actually interested in). Would like to be more of friends and share with you our friendship, care, affection and hopefully develop intimacy between us. (we have a great sofa-bed in the living room but would be nice if you slept with us in our bed from time to time). Will you consider having fun with us, in an intimate way? (or just with the guy - i love to share!). This is more of a sincere emotional and physical relationship. We realize this is a little unconventional, but we are secure in our relationship and have weighed the consequences and believe in opening up our relationship with others. we mean no offense and this is only intended to those girls who wish to explore the living in trio scenario. we are very open-minded and laid back. not into the partying but more of a relaxed evening with dinner and glass of wine with some tv or nice conversation. we would be grateful if you would put your share in the and help us a bit on household stuff...Please send some pics of you and tell us about you."

Not quite what I had in mind, but they are only 14 blocks to the beach...hmm.

Take That Star Trek

2009-07-19T17:11:00.001-07:00

For all you out there who think the new Star Trek movie is as hot as an Orion slave girl, behold, and weep.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

That's right, think your movie is so original now?
And if for any reason you're not completely satisfied, I hate you.

Farewell My Denim Friend

2009-07-10T15:34:00.000-07:00

You were made in Jordan, but I bought you around two years ago at the Salvation Army somewhere in Upstate New York for about two dollars. I don't know what kind of life you had before I rescued you, but I like to think I gave you a good, loving home. You and I, we had some fun times over the years.

Remember that time we went hiking:

Or when we saw a glacier:

Matt even bought you flowers for Christmas:

But we both knew the good times couldn't last forever. We started to outgrow each other. I had to keep tightening my belt to keep you with me.

And you changed as you aged, you became faded, weak, and frail to the point that I couldn't wear you for fear of hurting you.

So now we come to the end of our relationship, you were the best companion a girl could ask for. You weren't demanding, I never had to shave my legs for you. You accommodated my ever changing weight, and you never once complained when I wore you for a week straight, which I did often.

I don't know what your wishes would have been, but I'm going to place your remains in the dumpster out back. Maybe some homeless person will find you, who knows, you might even end up as part of an art project. All I know is that our journey together is over.

Dead Snow

2009-07-08T14:54:00.000-07:00

I had the grotesque pleasure of watching the Scandinavian film Dead Snow last night. This was possibly the most frightening, vomit inducing film I have ever seen. The premise is a group of pre-med students journey to a remote cabin in the mountains for fun and fornication on their holiday break. Somehow, they awaken a horde of Nazi zombies; let the chainsaw wielding, blood spurting, and intestine swinging commence. Thankfully, intertwined amongst the scenes of peoples' insides becoming outsides was a surprising and much needed comedic respite (who needs a soccer ball when a zombie head is a perfectly good replacement). I give this movie a solid ten, as in I had all ten fingers covering my eyes for the majority of the film.

Here's the trailer:

Speaking of trailers, behold what may perhaps be the greatest movie trailer ever created:

I have only the vaguest idea what this film is about, but if it's anything like the trailer, I'm there.
Better yet, maybe I'll just watch the trailer repeatedly for the next hour.

Shoes: Womens' Downfall?

2009-06-19T16:13:00.000-07:00

Feminism in Flash Gordon.

I've been saying it for years, shoes are evil. Who knew Flash Gordon was so savvy to the plight of women against the evil oppressor that is the fashionable shoe.

Dale Arden: useless female character. She swoons, she faints, she cheers, she cries, she falls madly in love with our hero, why, cause that's her purpose in the film. All of these actions are done under the influence of her shoes.

As soon as she takes them off however, the story changes. She can fight, fire a gun, perform acrobatic flips, and she doesn't swoon, not even once. Without the restraint of her shoes she gains courage and strength.

I'll let the evidence speak for itself:

Skip to about 30 seconds in on this video and see the awesomeness that is Dale Arden. Notice anything about her feet? At about 2min 12sec the shoes go back on and it's back to the helpless little whiny character.

Again in this video, look at the feet (I know it's difficult to focus on the feet)

Now lets see her in action with shoes firmly in place. Go Flash Go!

Well, what do you all think? I think I'm heading out for the night in my flip flops.

King of the Impossible

2009-06-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to a double feature showing of Flash Gordon and Battle Beyond the Stars. Both movies were pretty awesome, although, it's amazing to me how much better Battle is compared to Flash in terms of dialogue, acting, and well, special effects; but how much more people love Flash Gordon. Go figure.

I now have the Flash Gordon song stuck in my head...won't you join me?

The best part and worst part of the night was when Bernard Williams, the executive producer of Flash Gordon was on hand to talk about the movie.

He told us some awesome stories, one about how the star Sam Jones started making demands, like a personal chauffeur and more money, and the director said no. So they broke for xmas and Sam Jones never came back, most of the film was shot, so instead of meeting his demands, they used a double and dubbed all of his dialogue. I had no idea, I even met Sam Jones at comicon and got his autograph. I want my money back.

The bad part? Do you even have to ask? The questions. First of all, the moderator talked too much, as far as I'm concerned the moderators job is to keep the speaker talking and keep the questions on topic. Simple job, he couldn't do it though, moderator fail.

The 'questions' were awful. Just, awful. One woman, who was entirely too excited about the movie started her question by talking about herself, informing us all that she was getting her PhD in pop culture. Man, I went into the wrong field. And then her question was something like, I heard they were remaking Flash Gordon which is a travesty because the original is so perfect, how do you feel about all these classic films being remade and ruining our culture. That's an abridged version, the real question was much less coherent. Ok, all I'm gonna say is: the 1980's Flash Gordon is a remake. Yeah, it's called research, something a PhD student should be pretty adept at. Question fail.

I don't even remember the real questions, if there were any. Someone just wanted to say how much they love the movie, but had no question. Oh, and the best was the last question we had time for which was, I just want to know when Clockwork Orange is playing. Nice.

Favorite line from Flash Gordon:
Dale Arden: "Keeping our word is one of the things that make us... better than you. "

Favorite line from Battle Beyond the Stars:
Sador: "This is Frojo, my Third Officer. Frojo is expert at inflicting pain... while keeping the victim alive."
Nestor 2: "...It's good to have skills."

I'll leave you with a little video treat:

Real Girls at Comicon

2009-06-15T18:42:00.000-07:00

Well, that was a pretty bleak list of panels to go to at Comicon, so I thought I would talk about what I enjoyed from my four years of attendance. I'll even throw in some tips for ya, cause I'm in a giving mood.

There are certain events that I went to every year which are a sure bet. These include:

Cartoon Voices: This is always a good panel, it's amazing to see the people behind cartoon characters showcase their talent. The best part is they all get a random script (like Flash Gordon), and do a read through. I highly recommend going to this event.

Dumbrella: This panel features the creators of the webcomics: The Creatures in My Head, Scary Go Round, Diesel Sweeties, Boy on a Stick and Slither, explodingdog, Goats, and Overcompensating. This panel isn't really all that informative but the banter is hilarious and well worth it.

Worst Cartoons Ever: Why would you want to watch the worst cartoons ever, cause they are so wrong that they're almost right, no not really, they're just so wrong they're funny.

Adult Swim: This panel is always great, especially when the panelists are drunk and dance on the table while ignoring the moderators pleas to keep their language swear free for the sake of the children, which to be fair, it is adult swim (ahem, creators of Moral Orel).

These three events I can highly recommend, some of my favorite panels, unfortunately were one time only events, but just to give you an idea of what this girl likes to see at Comicon vs. what the LA Times suggests here are some of my favorite:

Serenity: This was amazing, the whole cast minus Alan Tdyk was there in all their shiny glory along with Joss Whedon. They talked about the upcoming movie, showed us a sneak peak of the River fight scene in the bar, and then just goofed off. Seeing Nathan Fillion try out for Wonder Woman was a highlight.

TV Funhouse: This panel was hilarious, Dino Stamatopoulos (who was a party to the Moral Orel hijinks), was great, the highlight was Doug Dale who couldn't be present but was with us via video phone. He used this little piece of technology to his advantage by upstaging the other panelists with numerous props and facial expressions...you had to be there.
Comic Book: The Movie: We got to see this film with two of its stars, who's names I can't remember. Not only was the movie hilarious, and filmed at the previous years Comicon, the discussion after the movie was priceless. It was a rambling conversation where we learned how the film was made, but more importantly we were indulged with numerous side-splitting stories about celebrities like Mark Hamill and William Shatner.

Aspen Comics: I always enjoyed their panels, but this last years was memorable because it was a memorial for the late Michael Turner, it was very sad, I cried.

Author panels: This is kinda general, but they get all mixed up in my head, these are generally very good, the authors give good insight into how their minds work, how they come up with characters, build worlds and the like. George R.R. Martin was a highlight for me, I could have listened to him talk for hours, now if he would only finish his next book.

There are many more, those are just the ones that come to mind at the moment.

Worst Panels:

Penny Arcade: Now hear me out. Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik were great, it was the fans that were the problem. I was a little terrified in fact during this panel. It was held in one of the bigger rooms, and the majority of the attendees were male, and they were all brain washed. It was scary. Here's an example: guy gets up to the mic to ask a question, the usual ass kissing ensues, then he says that he bought a Zune, but then they wrote about how Zunes sucked, so he threw it away, and then everyone in the room cheers, then he says something to the effect of, your opinions matter to us and we follow whatever you say blindly. More cheering, some people give him a standing ovation, it was like they had their own personal unthinking army at their disposal. Creepy as.

Book Publishers: This panel was just boring, super duper boring. It was on powerpoint if I remember correctly and included a picture of a book, and the write-up, so the two editors would go, this is the name of the book, then read off the description, next slide, yawn.

This last year we tried to go to some of the lectures, such as the History of Comics During WW2, and the Anthropology of Star Trek, stuff like that. These panels were more than disappointing. Basically, it was like being in a college lecture, powerpoint, boring speaker, which makes sense because they were all professors who had just written some book which they were pimping to us, so it was like, in this chapter I talk about whatever, and in this chapter I talk about something else. They were not as insightful as they could have been.

Joss Whedon: I love Joss, don't get me wrong, this is another case of the fans being too creepy for me. The most horrible moment is when someone asked him to do the dance he perfoms in an episode of Angel. The whole crowd went crazy, chanting for him to dance. The poor guy just stood up there shaking his head, and to his credit he didn't do it, too much like dance monkey dance, dance for us hahahaha. Sooo creepy.

Ok, on to tips:

Don't bother buying water, there's water at the back of every room, just bring a bottle and keep refilling it.

Always have a backup schedule, so if you don't get into the event you want to see, which will happen, you don't have to waste precious time searching through the events catalog.

Be prepared to not get into every event. You won't. If there's something you really, really want to see, be prepared to get there one to two hours early, this won't always be enough time, but it's better to find out if you can or can't get in as early as possible so you can get in line for your backup and not miss that too.

They don't clear rooms between events, so if you see one thing, and then have some time off but need to be back in the same room later, don't leave. There's a chance you won't get back in, just stay for the event in between the ones you want to see, who knows, it might turn out to be awesome.

Go outside once in a while, get some fresh air, there's plenty going on outside the convention center to amuse you.

And probably my best piece of advice is to avoid Hall H at all costs. Don't even look at events that take place in Hall H, just forget about them. Hall H is like a black hole, you spend all day trying to get in, miss what you wanted to see anyway, and then once you're in you can't leave, or if you do you'll never get back in again. Just forget it and go see something else.

Also, don't forget there are other events such as 24 anime, got an hour free, go check out a show or two. There are also movies playing at night in the adjacent hotels, go watch some, they're usually good and free!

It can be an overwhelming and exhausting four days, so just remember to have fun.

Girls at Comicon

2009-06-15T16:37:00.000-07:00

The LA Times just put out an article about what to do at Comicon if you're a girl. Frankly, shame on you LA Times, this list is complete tripe.

Here's a list of what they think girls should do at Comicon and why:

Most offensive:

Prince of Persia: "Women will be rushing the stage, offering to do star Jake Gyllenhaal's laundry on those washboard abs that he acquired for the film"
Right, cause as soon as I see a good looking guy I immediately think about doing his laundry, thanks.

The Wolfman: "Vampire-lovers have it all wrong. Werewolves can keep you warm, sympathize with your monthly curse, sniff out where you lost your keys and not thirst for your sweet, sweet blood."
Wow, just, wow.

Brad Pitt: "He's starring in Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds," and it's one of his I'm-really-a-character-actor roles in which he sports a mustache and a chewing-tobacco Southern accent. But it's also, you know, Brad Pitt -- and we're pretty sure he's shaved the face furniture"
Ok, first of all, what girl is going to see this movie, I mean, according to their list, apparently we only like movies and tv with sexy vampires that make us cry. So where do they get off...oh I see, they didn't even list it under Inglorious Bastards, just Brad Pitt, so screw the movie, we just wanna see him in all his glory, blarg.

Caprica: ""Battlestar Galactica" taught us that there are girls galore watching sci-fi. "Caprica" adds an element of family drama and even soap opera addiction (it's been called "Dynasty" in space) that may even be able to build on the greatness of mourned "BSG.""
Yup, cause I was missing something from scifi, it wasn't enough to have awesome special effects, a great story, and compelling characters, it apparently has to have a family and soap opera element for it to be acceptable for a girl to watch it.

Less offensive, but still stereotypical and chauvinistic:

Flash Forward: "Love, mystery, changing your fate."

New Moon: For this one they inform us that the two male stars appear shirtless in the new film, let the swooning commence.

The Time Traveler's Wife: Promises us "bittersweet tears"

Whiteout: "What more do you need than the hunkiest Aussie to ever play the undead" Hmm, I could think of a few things.

Alice in Wonderland: Forget about his acting ability, we just wanna see Johnny Depp for his "hotness" factor.

True Blood: The guys from true blood are gonna be there with their "sexy" accents in tow, oh joy.

Where the Wild Things Are: Ok, this one actually looks decent.

Toy Story 3: Also, nothing wrong with it, just the fact that they think girls are instinctively drawn to children's stories. (I guess they did write the girls' guide, not the womens' guide, maybe that's why I'm having trouble with this list. But if they did market it for girls, what's with all the sex in the others?)

Iron Man: "He already sold us on the "Iron Man" franchise with the first movie and the trailer of a shirtless brawling Holmes pretty much sells itself. How times have changed when Jude Law as Watson just makes us go, "Oh, he's OK, too." Expect these sessions to be full of a more "mature" set of fans. Leave Shia and company to the kids."
Ah, he was shirtless, that's how he got on the list. And why is mature in quotes?

Book of Eli: "A rough-looking Denzel is just as much of a draw as a clean-shaven Denzel -- the suave never leaves. And he gets to be bad, which is often so very good"
No comment.

Vampire Diaries: They don't know if the show's any good, but don't worry, there will be "eye candy aplenty from the menfolk"
Well, thank God for that.

The Big Bang Theory: "Aww."
'nough said.

V: "The ladies who recall the '80s miniseries this is based on will be hoping for a repeat of that forbidden reptilian allure, the ultimate in star-crossed lovers. Morris Chestnut and Scott Wolf provide the requisite eye candy, but it's "Serenity" stars Alan Tudyk and Morena Baccarin who will have all the Whedonettes giddy for talk of a possible reunion (uh, even though Wash died)."
I'm pretty sure women flock to shows by Joss Whedon because they feature strong, confident women. I think he would be appalled by this list.

Supernatural/Smallville: Promises "hunky goodness"

G.I. Joe: Why would this be in a list for girls? "People may pooh-pooh dance flicks, but not when Channing Tatum, former underwear model, is in them. And some girls may steer clear of high-testosterone action films, but the same applies. There's also Sienna Miller, Marlon Wayans, Dennis Quaid and some others, but it's Tatum as Duke that may be the girl-draw."
Oh, that explains it.

Well, I left a few out, three I think, the ones that were actually about strong women.

Question and Answer, My Personal Nemesis

2009-06-15T14:33:00.000-07:00

In my last post I mentioned that having gone to Comicon for the last four years I've sat through my fair share of question and answers, and I have a strange love-hate, mostly extreme hate, for them. So I thought I would delve into this phenomenon some more.

Love: I love hearing the directors, producers, and actors talk about their work. Especially when they're passionate about it. The best is when they lose track of what they're talking about and start to ramble on. Those instances are when you get the most insight not only into their creation, but into the person themselves, and sometimes they tell some wickedly funny stories.

Hate: I hate when you can tell that the actors (and yes, it's always the actors), don't want to be there. They look bored, they don't answer the questions asked them in any detail, the worst is when they act like they're too good to be there talking to us commoners. Which is just silly, we're the ones who pay for them to be in the position they're in. Yes, Scott Speedman, I'm pointing my finger at you.

Extreme Hate: My biggest problem with question and answer sessions are the people asking the questions. My dream is to become famous for the sole purpose of being able to tell people, no, that's a dumb question, and yes, they do exist, and making them do a walk of shame back to their seats. Now I know, I can be harsh to people, but when there's only a limited amount of time and more people in line to ask questions than time permits, there's no room for stupidity, it wastes everyone's time.

Here's my rundown of what infuriates me (and if you sit through eight plus hours of this for four days straight, you'd be pissed too).

1. I just want to say how much I love you and love the movie/show/game/comic and love love gush gush suck up.
We all know that you love them/their work, we all do, that's why we're here. There's no need for every person to say it, it can be assumed.

2. First of all, I just want to say... Or, My first question is...
No, no, no, first of all implies that there's a second of all, and we're all allowed only one question. Only one, they repeat that numerous times so there's no confusion, and yet some people get up there and think, wow, this is my big chance to finally talk to whoever one on one, I'm gonna pretend there's no one else in this room that seats 2,000 people and ask them really specific questions that only I care about.

3. For the love of Buddha, do not cry. If you get up to the microphone and are so overwhelmed that all you can do is cry, just stop embarrassing yourself and sit down, please. (This actually happened at the Underworld panel, she wouldn't sit down till Kate Beckinsale actually came off the podium and gave her a hug, I almost threw up.)

4. I mentioned about asking really specific questions that nobody else cares about, examples of these are: I just wrote a comic/script do you think you could read it, how do I get it published/made. Or, do you remember in episode 16 when you went to that planet and said blahblahblah, but then in episode 37 you said blargblargblarg, so which is it?

Extreme love: While all those things annoy me to no end, they do give me immense joy on the rare occasion when the actor/director/producer doesn't put up with it. Nothing pleases me more to hear them say, no, I'm not answering that question, or you're taking too long, next. Bruce Campbell, you're my hero for exactly that reason.

Moon

2009-06-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

I've already written about the amazing film Moon, having seen a sneak peak screening, but this Friday was the official release. I traveled two hours to Hollywood to see the film again because the director Duncan Jones was doing a question and answer after the showing. And let me say, this film was still riveting and powerful the second time around.

My advice to all those who want to see this film, which should be all of you, is to not watch or read anything about it before you go. Having seen it already I've been following it online on such websites as io9. Unfortunately, their coverage of the film gives the whole plot away, and takes out all the mystery that makes the film worth watching. So again, avoid reading about this film at all costs.

Having said that, I'll give you a clean version of the q&a. First of all, I arrived at the theater about 40 minutes before the showing and there were only 5 seats left, phew, but as the credits rolled about half the theater goers left. This just seems like poor etiquette, you know some people who wanted to see the director couldn't get in to the showing, so if you're going to a movie and don't want to see the director talk, then don't take the seats away from someone who does, go to another showing.

Ok, one rant down, another to go. Having gone to Comicon for four years running I've had my fair share of question and answers, and I get very, very annoyed with people who can't ask good questions. For the most part, the questions were decent, how much did the film cost ($5mil), how many days was it shot in (33), questions about the special effects and inspiration were interesting and insightful. But then there are the questions that kill me, there were only two really bad ones this time around, thank Jebus. One was so pathetic I was embarrassed for the person asking it, it was to the effect of, I didn't get the ending, can you explain it to me, and then he said what he thought happened, and poor Duncan, who was a lot nicer and more patient than I would have been, explained that his interpretation was wrong and then explained how the film ended. Wow, it was like the person fell asleep at the end, it wasn't an ending up for interpretation, it's very clear cut. And the other offending question, which was just rude, was basically, I've never heard of you before, this is the first film you've directed, how'd you get the money to do it being a nobody....and it kinda rambled on. I felt appalled for the director, and ashamed for the person asking who was obviously jealous, and not hiding it well. And then adding insult to injury after the director justified himself, the same person asked how old he is...and then it was over. No more questions. What a way to end it. Thanks jerk.

If you're lucky enough to have seen Moon and would like to know the specifics of the question and answer, just send me an email.

Fine Day Out

2009-06-07T22:19:00.000-07:00

I had this whole glorious day stretched out before me, full of possibilities just waiting for me. But what to do? Hmm, I know, go to the movies, cause that worked out so well for me last weekend. But you know what they say about quitters (seriously, what do they say, I have no idea, but I'm sure it's something negative). So with my not-pod (as I lovingly refer to my SanDisk MP3 player) tuned up to a jaunty walking beat and my trusty backpack well stocked with emergency supplies* for the disaster that was surely about to befall me, I looked both ways and made my way into town.

It was a beautiful day and I had nothing but time, so I decided to walk the two miles to the theater; which isn't a bad walk I might add. Down Main Street with all its quirky shops, walk down Ocean with a view of well, the ocean, and then the 3rd Street Promenade which always has some form of entertainment or other. Aside from the fact that tourists have a different walking speed than the rest of the human race and have a way of absentmindedly meandering back and forth across the sidewalk so they're impossible to pass, the walk was very pleasant. I even had time to go to the comic book store and pick up some good reads. I was a little disturbed by the fact that my backpack was gaping open the whole two miles and none of the 200 or so people I passed bothered to mention it to me, but no one stole anything, so I guess I can't complain.

With Land of the Lost, The Hangover, Away We Go, and Up all playing, it was a hard decision choosing which to see. I ended up choosing a movie that no one else had expressed any interest in viewing, that movie was Drag Me to Hell, and I pity all those who aren't going to see it because it might be the best summer movie out this year. Well, that probably isn't true, but it was so much fun I was actually a little giddy in the theater.

I can sum up the plot pretty succinctly: nice woman gets cursed by mean gypsy, even meaner goat demon comes to take her soul. Simple enough, but this movie had a perfect balance of suspense, horror, and humor. The main character is so likable that all the horrible things that happen to her are truly terrifying to watch. I had my hands over my eyes for a good portion of the film, but what I saw through the gaps in my fingers was great. There's so much humor in even the most gruesome scenes that I couldn't help laughing while being disgusted at the same time. My favorite scene for instance, involves the old gypsy woman losing her false teeth, then trying to bite the main character only to kinda slather her in spittle. Disgusting but oh so funny. The only thing I didn't like was the end, but that's just me, I won't ruin it by saying more.

If you're a fan of The Evil Dead, or any horror movie of the PG13 variety, and don't mind copious amounts of bodily fluids, then go see this movie.

Here's the trailer if you need convincing, which you shouldn't, just trust me and go see it.

After viewing this gem of a movie, I walked back home and that was that. Dare I say no disaster. Is this the new order of things or will events revert back to the chaos that I have come to think of as my normal life? Well, I know what answer I would prefer, but the other is vastly more amusing for all you readers.

Well, I'm off to bed while visions of cloven hooves dance in my head.

*For enquiring minds who want to know what emergency supplies I keep in my backpack, the answer is: a bottle of water, a bus map, quarters, a book, extra cash, matches, shoe laces, a handkerchief, a bottle opener, sunscreen, a hat and jacket. I like to think with these items I can McGyver my way out of anything.

Star Trek

2009-06-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

I had seen the new Star Trek opening day, and frankly, wasn't a fan. In fact, the more I heard how much people loved it, the more I hated it. I chose to keep this to myself, but have decided maybe people like it so much because they don't have enough reasons to dislike it. So here's why you too should join me in my hatred of this film.

So many points to make...where to even start.

Well, first of all, this contains spoilers, so if you haven't seen it yet and plan to in the future, stop reading.

I guess my first complaint, which nagged me throughout the whole film is destiny. Yes, I hate destiny. I hate Harry Potter and Star Wars and anything where the characters are amazing and all-knowing not because they worked hard or are the best at what they do, but because destiny dictated that they would be better than everyone else. Destiny blows. But that's why Star Trek is awesome. Everyone in Star Trek is equal, they all have the opportunity to achieve greatness through their own merits. No one is raised above the crowd. Well, that is except in the new movie where Kirk somehow is destined to be the greatest captain in Star Fleet. Now I know, Kirk was a badass, youngest captain ever, blahblahblah. But that was because he was smart and quick witted, not because of destiny. Alright, enough on that, I'll leave you with this great article that goes into it further.

Let's talk about plot. Ok, so Romulus is destroyed. The one ship that survives gets sent back in time, and instead of oh, I don't know, trying to prevent the destruction of their planet or getting the population to evacuate, what do they do? They find the one person who actually tried to save their planet (more than they did), and decide to blow up his planet, that'll show him!
Seriously? Boohoo, I'm so sad my world and everyone I love is gone, let's do it to another world, then they can share our pain and we can go to grief counseling together and cry on each others shoulders, and write sad, angsty poetry. Oh wait, they blew up Vulcan, the planet whose inhabitants have no emotions, nice.

For a franchise that is supposed to be progressive, the women in the movie were absolutely useless. Let's see if I can remember all of them, there were so many. First there's Kirks mom, who is only important in that she gives birth to him, then she's out of the movie, purpose fulfilled. Spocks mom, what did she contribute to the movie again? Oh right, she stood next to the edge of a cliff during an earthquake (smart), and died. Now Spock's sad, purpose fulfilled. Green woman, makes out with Kirk, check. Uhura, well, she had a bigger role, but was basically just emotional? support for Spock. I mean, she's supposed to be the smartest linguist in Star Fleet or something, but besides translating one message (and not telling anyone of authority about it), she pretty much doesn't do anything. This movie blatantly fails the Bechdel test which states that a movie: 1. has two women in it who, 2. talk to each other, 3. about something other than a man.

More complaints:

If you only need a drop of red matter to prevent a supernova, why bring so much, that's just asking for a backlash.

Why did future Spock tell Kirk he had to become captain? There wasn't really any reason for it as far as I could see other than future Spock wanting his younger self and Kirk to be friends. How cute. But really, it's an alternate reality, why should they be friends, isn't it enough that they were friends in one reality, they have to be besties in every possible reality?

They managed to find room for every Trek stereotype: Kirk makes out with a green woman, red shirt dies, Chekov says his v's like w's, Sulu has a sword, Bones says 'dammit I'm a doctor, not a...', the list can go on. I get why they did it, but I still thought it was cheap.

What ever happened to putting people in the brig? Since when did Starfleet policy include stranding people on harsh planets with giant vagina monsters?

The film had the mandatory action scene on some high precipice with random fire erupting sporadically.

How does a drill cut off communications?

Where were all the senior officers and crew on the Enterprise? You can't convince me that they sent that ship out completely manned by novices.

Did no one on the Narada object to what they were doing, I mean, they're miners right? Not one of them was like, look, I didn't sign on for this, just drop me off on the next planet you're not blowing up and good luck with the whole revenge thing.

Basically, I felt like this movie didn't uphold the basic principles and ideals that are Star Trek. Star Trek always had its fight scenes, but the majority of the story was always about trying to avoid conflict using diplomacy. Which I know for mainstream audiences is boring, but that's what I love about the franchise. Also, Joe pointed out the dynamic between Spock/Kirk/Bones was that of compromise. Spock was all logic, Bones all emotion, and Kirk was action. Unlike in the movie though, in the original Kirk would listen to and consider both colleagues viewpoints, then meld them into a working plan that solved the problem. Go Team!

What would make this movie bearable? Simple, forget about how all the old, established, beloved characters started out, and instead make it its own stand alone movie with all new characters.
See, easy.

My advice: Watch Galaxy Quest, even as a spoof it's a better Trek movie than Abrams Star Trek.

Adventure

2009-06-02T16:36:00.000-07:00

It seems wherever I go adventure and mayhem soon follow.

After a weekend with my idiot roommates I was itching to get out of the apartment. But what's a broke girl to do out on the town? Go see a movie? My thoughts exactly. So I looked to see what was out and noticed that there was a double feature of Meet Me in St. Louis and Little Women playing. Problem solved. I had missed the 3:30 start of MMiSL so decided I would go to the 7:30 showing. Well, this didn't happen. I just couldn't get the planning to work out. I had several courses of action, I could take the bus from my house or just walk the mile to the bus that goes east, but then from there it's a two mile walk to the theater, and the last bus runs at 12:10 and the movie gets out at 11:50. Now I know I'm pretty amazing, but two miles in twenty minutes is beyond even me. So I could skip the second movie and make it, but what's the point of going to a double feature if you don't see both movies? Plus it would entail 4 to 6 miles of walking. Without dinner, I didn't stand a chance. But then the heavens parted and the light shone through, on the theaters website I noticed that it was also playing the next day. Perfect. I could go to the 3:30 showing and not get home too late.

Well, the next day I met Joe for lunch at Joe's Diner, and we talked the logistics of the trip. I would take the metro bus instead of the big blue bus which i had planned on. Take the bus from my place east, then another bus north, getting off a block from the theater. So simple. And as I was informed, you could show up whenever and just go into the movie, so if I got there late (not knowing how long it would take) I could just go in and stay for the second showing and pick up what I missed. They really knew how to show movies back in the day. I was exceedingly excited over this idea.

So the bus trip was fine, and I actually got to the theater at 3:25, just in time. Everything was looking up. Until I got to the ticket window and saw it was closed, the sign saying the film started at 7:30, double d'oh. Well, now what, it took me about an hour and a half to get there, so I was pretty much stuck there unless I gave up and went home. Well, I'm not a quitter, oh no, not me.

I used my trusty phone to inquire what was in the area to do. Lucky me, there was a comic book store a few blocks down. This would be a great opportunity to pick up some comics my store had sold out off. So I made the small trip, and what do you know, they were sold out of the same exact copies...what're the chances.

Well, with the comics I did by and my ever present book I headed to the La Brea tar pits to sit and read to pass the time. I made it about two miles, and decided to head back so I could get something to eat. Retraced my steps for another two miles, got some cheap chinese food, went to Gamestop to kill some more time. Then finally, yes finally, it was opening time for the movie.

Meet Me in St. Louis was great, as I knew it would be, Little Women (1933 version featuring a very young Katharine Hepburn), was also good, but long.

And then the long road home was stretched out before me. The movie got out at 11:50, caught the first bus within 20min, caught the second bus within 15 and I thought it would be a speedy ride seeing as how there was no one on the road. But no, I had to get one of the good bus drivers who sticks to the schedule, so not only did he drive ridiculously slowly, but he would frequently pull over and wait and wait and wait. There's nothing more frustrating than sitting on an empty road when all you want to do is get home. Also, the bus smelled like an outhouse, honest. People would get on, sit down, then stand up and check their seats for moisture...it would have been funny except I did the same thing, and as soon as you got used to it, the doors would open, let in fresh air, then the smell was back. Ah, the metro bus.

I ended up getting home at 1:10am, I walked 4.5 miles, I got a little sunburned, I spent $7 on the movie, $5 on the bus, $6 on comics, $6 on dinner, and another $2 on water.
So, what's a girl to do when she's bored and broke. Stay home and read a book.

Happy Days: Misc

2009-05-29T15:39:00.000-07:00

Favorite webcomics at the moment:

Ah, I love the smell of science in the morning, I wish this was how I got into the field instead of some boring Indiana Jones films.

Having avoided all things Twilight related, well, as much as one can what with it being all over the media, I never really gave much thought to its striking similarities to Buffy. That is until now.

Favorite song at the moment:

I especially love the dancing.

Gnarls Barkley - Going On
Uploaded by zegonzag. - Watch more music videos, in HD!

Book currently reading:

Point of Hopes by Melissa Scott and Lisa A. Barnett

TV shows:

Just finished watching Trigun with Joe, moving on to Full Metal Alchemist to fill in anime night. Only two episodes left to watch of Chuck with Joe and Elissa. And I just found out Elissa has never seen Spongebob Squarepants, which is a sin I tell you, so I might have to remedy that this week with Season 1. Wheeee!

For your viewing pleasure:

Trigun: (A great show that mixes scifi and western (pre Firefly), it has some truly sad moments and then some truly hilarious moments. This video showcases the silly side of the show.)

Chuck: (An awesome, nerdy, funny show that just finished its second season, and praise Jebus, got picked up for a third.)

Spongebob Squarepants: (I don't know if anyone's seen these, but there are a bunch of episodes on youtube that have been sped up to average around 5 min. I think they are hilarious!)

Last movie I watched on DVD:

Wet Hot American Summer

Was gonna add the trailer, but I hear the ice cream truck! Gotta run, yay!

Happy Days: Music

2009-05-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to see some awesome bands play these last few weeks.

First off, we went to a show at the Viper Room, which for those who don't know is where River Phoenix died of an overdose. I don't know what I expected, but it was pretty much an average dive bar except with expensive drinks.

We were there to see a band called Fitz and the Tantrums, who were really great. They're a kinda funky 60's band. I'll let their music speak for itself:

The other band we saw that night was Dr Seahorse who blew me away. They were the happiest, bounciest, funnest band ever, and their music was good on top of it.
Here's their myspace page if anyone's interested:
(can't find them on youtube)

Later that week we went to a coffee shop and saw the wonderful Joe Mauer and Maryellen Owens perform. Unfortunately I can't find a video of them (apparently there's a baseball? player named Joe Mauer who has about a million websites devoted to him), but they very good none the less.

And finally we saw Reverend John Delore who is from New York and is doing a 40 day green tour, ie is touring the country using Amtrak and Greyhound to get around.
He was excellent:

Happy Days: Movies

2009-05-29T14:51:00.001-07:00

After the disappointment I felt after watching Wolverine and then Star Trek, I'm happy to report there is hope for all you movie goers.

Easy Virtue, This movie was hilarious, I could not stop laughing. It was well written,
the acting was superb, it was smart and entertaining. I give it a 10 out of 10, it was a perfect comdey.
(I also pretty much love anything with Colin Firth (even though he had his shirt on the whole time))

Trailer:

Needless to say I was thrilled to have seen a good movie after such a long time.
Then I went to a free screening of the movie Moon.
And let me say, I was in heaven, this movie was amazing. Words can't even describe how good it is. Get up right now and go see it, seriously.
I don't want to give any details cause that would give it away, just trust me, and go see it.

Here's the trailer:

And finally the midnight movie was Howl's Moving Castle.
This was an amazing film visually, it's hard to believe when watching it that it's all hand drawn, really amazing.
The story is ok, it gets kinda rushed at the end, and the whole movie is set up and leading to a tragic ending, but since it's a Disney film, miraculously at the last minute everything works out and everyone has a happy ending, wow.
But I would still recommend it, it is really beautiful and fun.

Here's the trailer (in English), I highly recommend seeing it in Japanese though

Happy Days: What I Call Home

2009-05-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

Wow, what an amazing two weeks I've had.

Let's start the update by getting the house situation out of the way...for those who aren't aware I'm living in Venice in a sort of commune sort of hostile house. 12 people, 1 bathroom, drama and fighting ensues.
I was happy enough in the house, for what it is, and then our landlord got out of jail...yeah.
Long story short, he raised my rent about ten days before it was due, via text message. I threatened to go to the housing department and report him, whispered in a few ears, and next thing I know, he's been fired.
Yay, my evil powers do work.
Then the backlash began of him not being happy about being fired and threatening to take all our furniture/tv, etc.
So how does this fit into my amazing week?
Well, he's gone, the furniture is still here, and the new landlords are decent and fair enough.
They're even putting locks on the doors, oh happy day.

Outlander

2009-05-16T16:11:00.000-07:00

Last night I finally, FINALLY got to see the movie Outlander

OUTLANDER!

I was less than sober while viewing this spectacle, so I'll leave my biased opinion out of this.

But if Vikings teaming up with an alien to fight a dragon from space sounds awesome, which it should, check it out.

Here's the trailer:

Left 4 Dead

2009-05-16T15:27:00.000-07:00

After some trial and mostly error, Joe and I have found a multi player game where we can play in the same room and be teammates instead of hunting each other down,
and by hunting each other down I mean having Joe demolish me repeatedlyfor any given amount of time. Oh happy day!

That game is Left 4 Dead and it is AWESOME!

I was pretty much terrified throughout the whole game, what with the zombies jumping out at me, but my trusty shotgun pulled me through.

Here's the opening scene:

And some gameplay:

First and Last Day of Work

2009-05-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

Showed up for my first day of work at 8 all shiny and happy with a spring in my step and my Futurama lunch box swinging at my side.

Met up with my newly hired fellows, and we were back in the conference room where we were finally told what was expected of us, to my dismay.

Here's how it went down:

We were told our job was to post real estate listings on Craigslist. We would each be given a list of email addresses that we would use to make accounts on Craigslist, we could only use each email address for ten posts (otherwise it would be flagged as spam), and we were not to use the words foreclosure, no credit check, or put any addresses in the posts.
We would also be given 14 real estate listings which we were to upload into a Photobucket like site 100 times.
Then we had to open an Excel page and make two columns.
While the 14 listings are being uploaded 100 times, we were to go to a legitimate real estate webpage, find a listing, copy part of it for a title, paste it into the first column on our Excel page, then copy and paste the rest of the listing into the second column for the body (making sure to delete any addresses).
Then on Craigslist we had to post the title, body, and one of the uploaded listings, and the price was determined by a list they gave us of all the cities in the US with corresponding prices for 2, 3, and 4 bedroom properties.
We had to do this for eight hours a day, averaging two posts per minute....riiight.

When I asked how this works because the listings were made up and random, they simply said the salespeople would handle that.

So after about an hour we were done for the day...

I then went home and looked up the company in Google and found out that it's a scam.
People call about the listings because they're cheap, and are sold a 200 dollar book of foreclosure listings in their area. The company received an F from the Better Business Bureau because they have a 7 day money back guarantee, but when people try to cancel, they don't return their calls till 8 days have passed, or they say they don't want to buy the book, but they charge them anyway, and the foreclosures on the list are old, not for sale, or just false. Also these lists are usually free, a fact they leave out.

And the real kick in the pants was that everything they told us to do was illegal based on Craigslists terms of use (stealing intellectual property, listing false, misleading, deceitful information, posting spam, the list goes on), and since we were hired as independent contractors if and when we were caught it would be me personally who had to pay the numerous fines, not the company.

I quit of course, and went back with the brilliantly indignant Elissa to get back the copy they made of my social security number and passport, which they wouldn't give back, but on the plus side, Elissa convinced several of the people waiting for an interview to run away and not look back.

And so you don't get scammed by the bastards, the company is called Lotus Interworks, formerly known as Zingow (type Zingow scam into google for more info). Avoid at all costs!

Job Take Two

2009-05-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

So again, replied to a listing on Craigslist for a data entry job, and actually received a reply setting up an interview, whoohoo.

Got dressed up, even wore heals for which my feet are still nagging me about, for the interview.

Strangest interview process I've ever had:

Five of us were ushered into a conference room where, without any description of the job we were interviewing for, we had to take a spelling test. Yes, a spelling test, as if they've never heard of spell check, anyway, the words were easy: apartment, beautiful, town house, etc.

Then we had to come up with titles for a tv...ie. 40" flatscreen, superb picture quality, etc.

Finally, one at a time, we had to create an email address, create a Craigslist account, and then make a posting for a real estate property. Easy enough, although during none of this did they explain the job...sketchy.

We were told to come by the next day for a second interview with the CEO.

At home that night I looked at their website, and what do you know, it has no information on it.

So I assumed the job was writing listings for Craigslist...you know what they say about people who assume...

Again, got dressed up for the second interview, heals=pain.

Met with the CEO for about two minutes, who hired me, but didn't answer any questions regarding the specifics of the job, saying we would learn all that in training.

Job End

2009-05-15T15:54:00.000-07:00

Showed up for my third week of work, knocked on the door, hit the doorbell repeatedly. No answer despite the fact that I could both hear and see them inside. Sketchy.
Finally, after twenty minutes they opened the door a crack and informed me that they not only didn't want me last week but all subsequent weeks. I was effectively fired. Wow, one whole days employment, that's a new record.
And the money they were mailing me, yeah, never showed up. Surprise, surprise. After mentioning this little tidbit, she disappeared into the apartment again and came out with a wad of cash, which she handed me, then shut the door in my face. Head down doing the walk of shame I made my back to the bus. While waiting I counted the money and realized I was short-changed.
Jerks.

But it was all good, cause in the meantime I had procured another job for myself...

Job part 2

2009-05-15T15:50:00.000-07:00

Well, the day before my second week of work, I get a text from my employer saying they don't need me this week, could they have my address to mail me my money...
Replied with my address and then the wait began...

Job

2009-05-15T14:48:00.001-07:00

Well, after months of applying to everything on Craigslist I finally got a job...
nothing spectacular, cleaning this couples house once a week for 10 dollars an hour.
It was a start at least.

First day of work, I show up to the smallest apartment I have ever seen and wonder why they need help cleaning it since there's nothing to it. Well, the woman has a 6 month old child and is a few weeks preggers with more crotch fruit...so needs help. Works for me, I don't mind taking advantage of lazy rich* people.
*(Ah, first impressions, so cute and comforting in the beginning and crushingly devastating later.)

Well, it soon became clear to me that these people were f**king crazy. The woman refused to put her child down, which may be why she couldn't get anything done. And she had things for me to clean but had no cleaning supplies. So for example, she wanted me to mop the dining room floor; which involved me standing around while she moved all the furniture out of the dining room. Then she couldn't find a mop, so she cut up a tshirt for me to use. So I was down on hands and knees mopping the floor Cinderella style, humming a little tune to my rodent friends. Anyway, the day continued on like this, me standing around waiting for her to give me something to do.

And then she sent me shopping...what a trip. First of all, she had to write a list, and then explain it to me along with her reasons for buying everything on it...as if I cared. Second of all, she knew I took the bus to her place and yet had me buy the heaviest items the store offered. Third of all, the items were all on WIC, which meant
a.) how could a family on WIC, which is for low income families for those not aware, afford to pay someone to do their cleaning and errands for them,
b.) it was like trying to decipher something written in another language: lets take cereal for example:

(From the WIC Food Page)

Types of Cereal
Hot or cold: cooked-instant or non-instant or ready-to-serve
Adult breakfast varieties (e.g., corn flakes, bran flakes, oatmeal, grits)

Requirements
Minimum of 28 milligrams of Iron per 100 grams of dry cereal (i.e., iron = 45% U.S. RDA for adults per 1 ounce dry cereal)

Not more than 21.2 grams of sucrose and other sugars per 100 grams of dry cereal (i.e., not more than 6 grams of sucrose and other sugars per 1 ounce dry cereal)

Then on checkout, every item has to be matched up to its coupon, which has to be signed...the whole process is long, confusing, and annoying, anyone on WIC out there, I feel your pain.

Then there was the walk back, with my two gallons of milk, two pounds of carrots, cans of tuna, six bottles of juice, a bottle of detergent, and 2 dozen eggs on top of it (plus some other cumbersome items like boxes of cereal), I made my way back feeling as if someone had turned the gravity up, my feet could barely leave the ground.

But after some hours of this, my day was finally over, the sun was out, the birds were singing, I felt like I had accomplished something....

What I learned: when they say they'll pay you next week, just say no, gimme my fing hard earned money--now!