by the way...

It's official. I'm going to see Superdrag in D.C. on November 8! Allie and I bought our tickets on Thursday when they went on sale to the general public (since I missed the presale).

I feel like a goofy teenager, but I have to do it. I'm going to regret it if I don't.

Why don't you join us?

sex in the movie theater

Yesterday, I saw One to Another at the Laemmle Sunset 5. I was the only woman in the entire audience. And by far the youngest (mostly middle-aged gay men). And I don't even really understand why. It wasn't that graphic (I've seen more hardcore sex in "mainstream" films like Nine Songs and it wasn't all queer). Plus we were all spread out like it was a porn theater. Clearly someone was anticipating something. The ticket guy even tried to give me a ticket to Once after I clearly said I wanted to see One to Another.

The irony is that I think when I went to see another movie at that theater a couple of months ago (I don't remember which--I go there all the time--but I know it wasn't something all that sexy), I thought the guy sitting in front of me was jerking off. He left in the middle of the movie for no apparent reason, too.

what was harold like before he met maude?

In high school, he was Charlie Bartlett. He even dug Cat Stevens. Though, before there was Maude, there was a girl his own age (the principal's daughter, noless!).


As snarky as I am, I recommend you see the movie. It was thoroughly enjoyable.

happy birthday, albert brooks

I'm going to take a page out of Allie's book and wish a celebrity a happy birthday. It's no ordinary birthday--he's 60! And he's not really a celebrity, because so many people think I'm talking about Mel Brooks when I profess my love for a lot of his work. Defending Your Life remains his masterpiece, but Mother is up there.

Maybe I'll have an Albert Brooks marathon today.

i'm getting more than two days in paris

Because Arclight is doing an AFI Director's screening of the film on August 7. I bought my ticket, baby. I get to see the film a wee bit early, plus Julie Delpy and Adam Goldberg will answer all my questions after the film.

There's also a reception afterwards. The last one I went to was pretty decent: free drinks, free food, free celebrity sightings (Winona Ryder! This time I bet Ethan Hawke!).

Take that, LA Film Festival Standby Line!

total mindblower

Southwest no longer flies nonstop between LAX and BWI. I went to check on their sale for fares around the Superdrag show. I can get there, but not without stopping first. For years they've been the cheapest direct flight between the two places.

Wow.

Oh well, I hate flying Southwest anyway! Seat assignments, please!

i've never sweated so much in my life

Last night I went to the not-so-secret and probably not just invite-only Spoon show at Little Radio (remember, I got the ticket for being an early bird at Amoeba).

First, some words to the people who run Little Radio's warehouse thing: get some fucking fans! In this day and age, I can't actually understand why I was sweating buckets. Buckets, really.

Having arrived at 9:30 I was able to snag a really good spot in the crowd, where I had a pretty good view of the stage (no small feat considering my height relative to most people) and amazing sound (in front of the sound board). I suffered through John "Boring" Vanderslice. Just a man and his acoustic guitar. It all sounded the same. His record probably isn't quite as boring, but really, who wants to stand there and watch some guy play by himself and make stupid comments. I'll give him credit for having a lot of personality and talking a lot, but it just didn't appeal to me.

Then after some more waiting and compacting (you know how that happens at shows when you're in the best place), Spoon hit the stage at 11. The temperature probably went up another five degrees. But they sounded amazing! They are one of the few bands that actually retains the distinct sound of their recordings when playing live. I don't know if that makes sense, but I was really impressed with the sound quality of the performance.

I stayed in my spot for about 40 minutes until I just couldn't take the heat. With every note they played, a massive sweat drop would descend from my hair down my body. I just couldn't take it. I made my way to the bar to try and get some water ("uh, we don't have tap water."), and found, as I suspected, it was A LOT cooler back there toward the wide open door. People also weren't packed in so much. Unfortunately, the sound quality was pretty bad, both because of the sound system and because of all the idiots talking and making noise (which wasn't happening much closer in). I managed to move closer to get a somewhat better view and improved sound so I could enjoy the rest of the show.

Final Assessment: I'm really glad I went. I'm also really glad it was free (who would pay to be so uncomfortable?)! I don't think I need to go see them in September. The rigmarole just isn't worth it. It was 1.5 hour set so it was a full show. They didn't play "Sister Jack," but the set was heavily drawn from their latest two albums with a couple of older tunes thrown in for good measure. And as amazing as they sound live, they really aren't much to look at. Don't get me wrong, they are all very attractive men, but Britt Daniel spent half of the set with his back to the audience. They just didn't move enough to make it worth watching.

The whole experience also made me re-evaluate my efforts to convince Allie and Dad to meet me somewhere else in the country to go see Superdrag. Did I love seeing them live? Hell yeah, but is the pain and suffering really worth it? Probably not. Though I'm still contemplating the D.C. show. There are other reasons to go to D.C. It's just missing a couple of school things that are holding me back.

By the way, on my way home I had to get a Slurpee. I needed the freezing cold beverage, but it also reminds me of so many trips home from the 9:30 Club or Black Cat. I'm sure we did it a time or two after Superdrag.

when i go shopping, i go shopping

I just returned from Von's, where I spent $50 on nothing but frozen food.

Since I moved and had to buy a refrigerator for my apartment, I bought a counter-high model that has the biggest freezer of all the compact refrigerators, but it's tiny and it barely freezes anything. So this morning after lots of looking around and decisions about how to fix this problem, I bought a small freezer chest. But a small freezer chest is actually just a bit bigger than my refrigerator unit!

This allowed me to go nuts at Von's, where Lean Cuisine is on sale for $2/each (half price). I bought 19 different meals plus three different light ice cream flavors (all on sale as well). I saved a whooping 46% on my total.

So for the next few weeks don't let me tell you I have nothing to eat at home!

i just don't believe it

I'm crying just a little bit now. You're just not going to believe this! And if Allie weren't on her way to dinner right now, I'd be blabbing at her on the phone rather than typing this stream of conscious shocker. I just can't believe this.

Superdrag--THE ORIGINAL SUPERDRAG LINEUP--is reuniting for a limited six-city tour. No, they aren't stopping in L.A., but they're going to be in D.C. in November! I'm seriously, seriously, seriously, considering buying airline tickets. It's in the middle of the fucking week in the second half of the semester only a couple of weeks after I'm going to be in Portland, Maine, but OH MY GOD. I'm in love with Superdrag. We all know this. Isn't this what I've been waiting for?

Why aren't you coming to L.A. or hell, somewhere on the west coast?!

I just don't believe it. Sorry for the out of character blog, but I'm just in utter shock and conflict right now.

i'm 8, what number are you?

Probably about a year ago I found out about enneagrams. It's one of those personality trait things. Now, I thought you were supposed to figure out what number you were by looking at shapes and colors or something, but the OkCupid test I took was purely based on reading written descriptions and choosing the ones that best describe you. So I did it. And it's totally spot on. I'm only posting this as a self-explanation of how I work. I already know all this about myself, but sometimes it's good to advertise this to other people. It's also a good tool for dating. I've come to realize that I scare away a lot of people I want to attract, and those that are curious enough to find out about this hyperbolic asserter are usually my polar opposite. Of course there's nothing wrong with that, but unfortunately, I want someone more like myself in personality and worldview than opposite it. Otherwise I go a little insane, as this explains...

Your Score: 8 - the Asserter

you chose AY - your Enneagram type is EIGHT (aka "The Challenger").

"I must be strong"

Asserters are direct, self-reliant, self-confident, and protective.

How to Get Along with Me

* Stand up for yourself... and me.
* Be confident, strong, and direct.
* Don't gossip about me or betray my trust.
* Be vulnerable and share your feelings. See and acknowledge my tender, vulnerable side.
* Give me space to be alone.
* Acknowledge the contributions I make, but don't flatter me.
* I often speak in an assertive way. Don't automatically assume it's a personal attack.
* When I scream, curse, and stomp around, try to remember that's just the way I am.

What I Like About Being a EIGHT

* being independent and self-reliant
* being able to take charge and meet challenges head on
* being courageous, straightforward, and honest
* getting all the enjoyment I can out of life
* supporting, empowering, and protecting those close to me
* upholding just causes

What's Hard About Being a EIGHT

* overwhelming people with my bluntness; scaring them away when I don't intend to
* being restless and impatient with others' incompetence
* sticking my neck out for people and receiving no appreciation for it
* never forgetting injuries or injustices
* putting too much pressure on myself
* getting high blood pressure when people don't obey the rules or when things don't go right

EIGHTs as Children Often

* are independent; have an inner strength and a fighting spirit
* are sometimes loners
* seize control so they won't be controlled
* fugure out others' weaknesses
* attack verbally or physically when provoked
* take charge in the family because they perceive themselves as the strongest, or grow up in difficult or abusive surroundings

EIGHTs as Parents

* are often loyal, caring, involved, and devoted
* are sometimes overprotective
* can be demanding, controlling, and rigid

Renee Baron & Elizabeth Wagele

The Enneagram Made Easy
Discover the 9 Types of People
Harper SanFrancisco, 1994, 161 pages


P.S. Link added by request. I hope it works.

the benefits of working in hollywood

You can sneak out of work at 10:15 a.m. and wait in line at Amoeba to be one of the first 150 people to buy the new Spoon album (Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga) and receive a ticket to a free, invite-only show. And be back at work within a half hour. Ooohh yeah!

I couldn't believe how uncrowded it was. Sometimes L.A. is a great place to live.

i peed

AND had $300 Cristal champagne in a Frank Lloyd Wright house on Friday.

How many people can say that?

i would just tell her to go away, but this person is nicer.

Yeah, don't tell me she doesn't look like a (Scarlett the) Harlot.

(Click the link for my vindication.)

i want more than two days in paris

It's dangerous to watch movie trailers for movies you really want to see. I was really anticipating 2 Days in Paris this afternoon. I stood in a stand-by line for more than an hour, but didn't get in. Damn. I wasn't truly heart broken until I watched the trailer when I got home (you can see it here). Oh my god I really want to see this movie! Before watching it, I didn't even know who was in it besides Julie Delpy; I just had the plot outline. Adam Goldberg (the Hebrew Hammer himself) looking sexy (I'm really coming around on beards), butchering French, and playing the neurotic boyfriend. How could I not want to see this? The Bible also reports Daniel Brühl is in it, but he's not in the trailer. And, of course, it takes place in my beloved Paris. Had I been able to see it today that would have made three Parisian movies in four days. Not bad.

It opens in limited release on August 10. You know I'll be there.