i make faces at car chases

It still amazes me that they actually, in all earnest, show live car chases on local TV in Los Angeles. Before I moved here I thought it was a joke. It's, unfortunately, not.

I just turned on ABC ahead of World News Tonight with Charles Gibson and the local folks are really excited about this car chase in the midst of rush hour. For the first time, the car chase fetish might make sense. They were able to combine the traffic report (not usually part of the evening broadcast, but it's not like there's real news or even weather to report in fantasyland). The thing that made me get a kick out of this and subject you to it, is that they've got several people commenting (some dude in a helicopter and the plastic anchors) and they're just amazed that certain freeway segments aren't parking lots. "I've never seen this part not jammed at this time of day." It's just too funny as they anticipate his route and what traffic he will hit. Basically, this confirms my suspicion that navigating traffic in Los Angeles is a legitimate sport. Even I'm guilty of talking about my sporting life, which drives Allie insane.

Thank god they haven't preempted the national news broadcast to follow this guy. But if I really care, I'm glad to hear that they will continue to follow the pursuit to its conclusion and have all the details at 11. Nice way to conclude the Sweeps period, really.

you'd think the only thing i ever do is go to afi director's screenings at arclight, wouldn't you?

The title says it all for such a long lull between posts. I don't know why. When you don't feel like blogging, you don't feel like blogging. That doesn't mean I haven't done anything worth blogging about. It's not as if the people who blog multiple times a day have really done anything worth blogging about either. I balance the blogosphere, I guess.

At any rate, I returned a little bit ago from an AFI Director's Screening of Gone Baby Gone directed and co-written by Ben Affleck and starring Casey Affleck (and a whole lot of other famous people...and the dude who played Taggart in the first two Beverly Hills Cop movies...I guess he had the sense to stay out of the last one).

Anyway, I totally wasn't expecting to be impressed by it. Let's face it, the trailer makes it look like pretty standard (read: mediocre) fare. And unlike most people, abducted child stories don't pull on my heartstrings that much (no, I don't think they're good, but come on, it's a total ploy to get you to cry and care and blah blah blah...it's a movie!). Let's just say the trailer doesn't do it justice. It's pretty taught with suspense, plot twists (some you can see coming but the movie doesn't pretend that you can't see them), and plenty of gunfire to make me jump in my seat a few times. Oh and it's funny. Casey Affleck gave an excellent performance, and yes, Ben Affleck can direct.

In the Q&A (no, I didn't spot any celebrity wives, babies, or best friends), the first question came from an older British woman who posed the question "to the director." Ben said that not using his name and addressing him as "the director" made his month! I believe it. He was really humble. Casey was funny and also made reference to his brother's "famous" status in a joking way. You can tell they just sort of take it in stride. It was a pleasant Q&A where I was taken by the participants (Amy Ryan was also there but obviously the attention was on the men) and there wasn't ass-kissing from the audience (maybe a first?). I did think it was a bit cheesey that the moderator asked everyone to stay in his/her seats while the panel exited "because they're already late for something." Come on. We know you don't want the crowd rushing Ben--and that's totally understandable--but why lie about it (or at least deliver the lie better)?

I love these things. They keep giving us $10 giftcards to Arclight, which basically makes the movie free. I still have one from the last one I went to. I also have a small stockpile of miniature Audi roadsters sitting in my apartment. Who wants one?

hot hot heat

My weather widget says the temperature peaked at 103 degrees this afternoon in my zip code. No big deal. Unless the power goes out and the air conditioning you rely on isn't available on the hottest day of the year.

Originally I was planning to run some errands and then see Rocket Science at the $3 theater at Beverly and Fairfax. Then when I saw that it was supposed to be 100 degrees I decided I could just lay in bed and watch movies until late in the afternoon. When the power went off just after noon I had to get out and went with my original plans. When I returned just after 5:00 p.m., the power was still out and my apartment was just approaching oven status. I was really annoyed since I saw no signs of powerlessness elsewhere in my travels.

Luckily, Miriam rescued me. I basically invited myself over to enjoy some air conditioning and a BBQ by the pool. A very nice evening indeed. I was glad to find the A/C had already cooled down my apartment when I returned a half hour ago.

I was worried my cantaloupe sorbet was ruined, but I think it's ok. I'll dig in again tomorrow.

when your past comes back to haunt you

What happens when your internet boyfriend from the mid-1990s finds you through one of those ridiculous social networking sites? Oh my god, that's an embarrassing past I don't really want to relive.

Things were different then. Who thought to communicate with people near you when you were online back then? So few people I actually knew were.

What's more astonishing is that he would even think to look me up a decade later!

rip tony wilson

Last night, Anna told me that Tony Wilson died. I couldn't believe it. Both because he's so young (I didn't know anything was wrong) and also because I hadn't heard about it! Searching for obituaries was also difficult. This morning I decided to look through Manchester newspapers, and I came across this tribute.

I weeped a little as I read it. He was not just a force in music history, but his passion for Manchester, its history, and its grand future (in his head) really gets to my core with my intense interest in cities and those that make them. This comes through in 24 Hour Party People but it is even more poignant to read it from a friend.

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 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.