There's a story coming out of Southern California here about a woman who gave birth this week to octuplets! 8 CHILDREN AT ONE TIME! My God! As Howard Stern was saying, "She's like a dog, with a new litter of puppies." While I'm all for the miracle of life and crap, this is outrageous! One child is enough work, let alone 8! What makes this story even worse, is that this baby-making machine already has six children! IS SHE OUT OF HER MIND?! The six children she already has are all under 10 years old! And now comes the new littler of eight! With our current economy in a depression, what this woman is doing is nothing short of criminal. I mean, we already have six billion plus human beings on the planet, and adding this many more to the equation is not helping things. I mean, I too wish I had my own child/children at times, but I have to be realistic in that I am not able to afford one of those things. Children take work/patience and lots of money! This woman has 14 kids now; chances are they're not going to have very adequate lives because the family recently filed for bankruptcy. Terrible terrible. If you don't have the absolute best to offer a child, why bring them into this difficult world? Completely irresponsible.
Do you know who Johanna Sigurdardottir is? She is set to become the world's first openly gay prime minister! The lesbian leader of an entire nation! Ya see, it's not just the United States that's suffering through this economic mess, but the world entire, and Iceland has officially gone bankrupt, so under the weight of all the pressure, the conservative government that was in place collapsed. Yeah man, who would've thought Iceland was going through all this financial ruin? I mean, it's such a tiny little islandin the middle of nowhere it seems, but the dramatic effects of this worldwide depression has hit Icelanders very hard. The French took to the streets just recently to protest their government's handling of the crisis as well, and look for more of this in the coming months around the world. Ya see, it sucks to live in these first-world nations, because one has gotten accustomed to a nice standard of living, and to see it all slip under like this is gonna make a lot of people angry, riotous, and upset. Positive things are going to come out of this however. I think people have been way too comfortable for too long, and the time has come perhaps, to really let our governments know that their ridiculous overspending and mishandling of our economies cannot continue to stand. The middle class is suffering big time.
You and I are gonna have great weekends regardless. Live a little! Let yer hair down! Have some cotton candy...
I'm going to an economic "recovery" training today in Downtown Los Angeles. I'll be at theL.A. Cathedral, at their adjacent conference center or something. Beautiful building, and it's in a pretty nice part of the city, so it should be neat to spend the whole day there and meet new people from all over the county. It's being held by ourunion, and they're providing us with food! Free food and I don't have to go to work and get paid for the day discussing our current economic crisis and possible solutions! COOL DEAL! I hope however, I can keep my big realistic pessimistic yap shut long enough however and not scare the rest of the participants there. Ya see, with all the reading and research I've been doing on this current economic mess, the outlook is DIRE. ABSOLUTELY DIRE. The America we grew up with and have come to know is finished; our debt is so overwhelming, we are broke. PLAIN FLAT BROKE. The dollar is on its way to its doom, job losses will get worse, and the whole system is on its way to complete collapse. Although Obama is going to prop up the crumbling empire a bit longer with stimulus packages and bailouts here and there, it's only a mere bandage for what's coming. Don't be scared my friends, although how can one not be? Stock up on supplies, food, water, and other things as much as possible. This is advice I myself have to heed, and pronto!
I don't know what's up with Sir Paul McCartney, but they say his relationship with some American womanwho is wealthy herself is getting pretty serious. Well, here's hoping he's learned his lesson from his last failed marriage to the moneygrubbing pegleg. So if he's going to marry this new girl, I sure hope he's got a pre-nup ready. Or for goodness' sake, don't marry her at all and just live in sin! LOL! So what?! Fornication is the norm nowadays!
That cool lady who runs this blog wants my thoughts on Slumdog Millionaire, and I have yet to see the film, which I won't really watch until it's on DVD. It's getting rave reviews, and is nominated for several Oscars, which sounds like a bunch of overhype to me. People in India however, are not happyat all, and some feel the filmis exploitative.
I'll end my post with a clip from one of the greatest movies ever made, just because I have been thinking lots about this spectacular masterpiece:
Too much partying/staying up late this weekend, all to bid one final farewell to my closing bar mentioned in my previous post. It's Monday, I'm at work, and barely functioning...
My aunt had been staying with us the past two months, and had to fly back home to Tamaleland Saturday night, so off to LAX we went. I'm sad to see my aunt go, because she is such a good cook and always makes sure I'm well fed. I will miss her. Because my aunt has a very dark complexion however, security and crap at the airport are very racist towards her. I notice that every time we're at an airport, they take a long time to look through her passport and give her really suspicious looks. And yet, when very fair-skinned white people go through the same security personnel, they tend to let them through at a much faster rate. I'm not making this up, I observe these things very clearly! For all this new airport security and crap, our planes are not that much safer since 9/11, as study after study has shown. It's all quite ridiculous, and if a terrorist really wants to kill a lot of people, they will find a way. Just because they make ya take your shoes off and allow no liquids on board does not mean one is safer. Unless we install Israeli airport security methods, all this phony baloney pseudo-security only makes flying a real annoying nuisance for the average passenger.
Flicks I actually sat through this weekend include: William Wyler also directed Bette Davis in Jezebel and The Little Foxes, movies I found much superior to the bit overly melodramatic The Letter. I mean, it had its moments and all, but blah! The musical score was intrusive and I just wasn't that wowed by the film as a whole. On the other hand, the Oscar-nominated impressive and fascinatingThe Duchessstarring Keira Knightly and Ralph Fiennes has to be seen! What a gorgeous sumptuous visual feast and most interesting compelling story this is! Even the rich nobles weren't always happy, despite their lives of privilege, and I believe this movie is based on a true story. How any normal person can sit through the French film The Last Metro is beyond comprehension, but I'm anything but normal of course. I'm patient and love to take in movies that don't have explosions/car chases, and this movie starring French cinema legends Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu is one of those films that requires patient viewing; taking place at a small theater during the Nazi occupation of France. Very interesting.
So back in 2000 I believe, I started going to the pretty cool local gay bar in town which was called APACHE back then and thus began my karaoke career. Every Sunday, a small but loyal group would meet up there and we'd have a blast belting out all kinds of tunes, acting silly, and generally having a good time. I actually met lots of cool people there; some I still see from time to time or keep in touch with online. Then around 2004 I think, Apache was bought up by new owners and closed for remodeling for about 3 months. The new refurbished place FUEL was nice and all, but did not have karaoke for quite some time and it took a while to build up its own crowd. Karaoke was re-introduced and a new era of fun was born. Sadly, this is the last week FUELwill be open, as it has been sold to new owners, who will most likely turn it into a straight/hetero bar now. This really sucks. I'm quite bummed about it. Going to FUEL about twice a week was very therapeutic, and frankly I don't even drink, but it was soooo much fun to get up and sing and unwind from work! And like I said earlier, I've met some really cool people that I would never see otherwise! It's as if CHEERS is finally closing. And to add insult to injury, we've lost another gay bar here in the Valley to the overwhelming hetero majority. They claim they're gonna find another place sometime soon for a new gay bar/club hangout, but I highly doubt it. We'll see...
I'm still in disbelief and relieved that George W. Bush is out of office! WHEW! What a weird surreal screwed up last eight years; it's as if we were under a dark cloud of super conservative overspending warmongering assholes in charge! And how embarrassing that George W.was booed and hated as much as he was till the bitter end. This president got shoes throw at him not long ago for crying out loud! Hated by the world, and his own people, can he sleep at night knowing how despised he was? I don't hate the man, but I certainly do feel his advisers (i.e. Cheney, Rumsfeld) ruined his image/standing and used him as a true moronic puppet for their horrible selfish interests. I almost feel sorry for the retard, to leave with suchpublic disrespect. I did not vote for our current president, but I wish him well nonetheless and pray/hope he will do something good out of all this calamity he has inherited. At least this one has a nice command of the English language right? LOL! And in her new role as Secretary of State is that phony but highly effective competent bitch BILLARY! Congrats to her!
Do you love Pedro Almodóvar movies the way I do? My good friend/co-worker loved ¡Átame! (Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down!) which was made almost 20 years ago; I lent it to him last night to watch and he thought it was twistedly funny. A young and handsome Antonio Banderas in his prime, in what is to me one of the most inane sex-filled enormously entertaining movies out of Spain I have ever seen:
In a shocking display of absent-mindedness or possible rebellion, exiting President Bush was found sound asleep in his pajamas Tuesday night at the White House to the surprise of incoming President Obama and the First Lady.
After a day full of celebratory activities ranging from Mr. Obama's inauguration, parade, and ball, the Obamas arrived at the White House for their first full night of repose, only to find Bush sound asleep drooling and farting incessantly in the master bedroom. The Obamas were understandably exhausted and ready to enjoy their new quarters; unconfirmed reports say that Mrs. Obama was the first to walk into the presidential bedroom and scream as she found the Texan cowboy sound asleep and snoring away. Mrs. Obama yelled, "DIS MUTHAF*CKA STILL AIN'T LEFT?!" President Obama tried to calm Mrs. Obama and her hysterical display, gently nudging President Bush, but to no avail. After several grunts and the passing of wind by Mr. Bush, Mrs. Obama took charge of the situation and violently shook Bush awake with cries of, "GIT OUT OF MA HOUSE! YOU F*CKED DA COUNTRY UP ENUFF, NOW LEAVE BEFO' I KICK YO AZZ!"
Meanwhile in Texas, Mrs. Bush was phoned of the situation and she calmly explained, "Well, I never even noticed my husband wasn't with me on the helicopter leaving the Capitol building this morning! As a matter of fact, I had no idea he was even missing from my bed last night! What was I thinking? Oh George, he's such a character. I guess I've gotten used to his antics, what with his heavy drinking and coke use of the past!" Former Vice-President Cheney was not available for comment, but exiting Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said, "Ya know, my sugar daddy Bush be fo' real ya know? Y dat new beatch Michelle gotta be up in his face like dat? Y?! Man, I would've socked that petty nappy uppity wannabe! Dey couldn't let him sleep da rest of the night? She could've just slept on the couch or somethin' and waited her turn! Disturbing my precious little whitey like dat!"
Once awakened, Mr. Bush, who was disoriented and groggy said, "I, I'm sorry. I guess I just had a brain fart or something. Ya see, I've gotten so used to this bed, these curtains, this room, and well I just...it hasn't yet hit me that I've been replaced like this! I'm not ready to go back and shovel hay and tend to tha cows ya know? It's been nice to live this good life for the last eight years and improve my vocabulabary!" President Obama respectfully replied, "It's alright George. I completely and totally understand. Change is a hard thing to accept, but change is something we must embrace, for the promise of the future lies with change, and like our forefathers before us who took to change, we must also envision that same drive, that same degree of hope and ultimate change which comes along with the enormous responsibility and task at hand of remedying the disastrous consequences of a failed policy which has brought us to economic ruin and unparalleled challenges from which we must come forth and bring about new and true CHANGE." Perplexed and a bit dumbfounded, Mr. Bush was finally escorted out of the White House and flown out of his residence for the past eight years.
Meanwhile, the country continued to worship its new president, mostly unaware of the ridiculous previous situation.
Before Martin Luther King Jr., before President Obama, and before Halle Berry went off like some crazy madwomanat the Academy Awards just a few years ago, there wasthis terrific lady, who won an Oscar herself, and most deservedly so. I just love this woman's speech. It's very sincere and moving:
Well this sucks! Ricardo Montalbán is dead. I suppose it's okay though, because he at least lived aterrific long life. The media isn't saying it, but his one and only lovely wife Georgiana Young died back in 2007, and my guess is this left Ricardo heartbroken, so he had to go and join his one true love. They were married for 63 years for Christ's sake! That is a hell of a long time, and terribly hard on the grieving spouse left behind. A wonderful classy charismatic man, with the most original voice and a true role model for Latinos everywhere! Ricardo would've been born in Spain, but his Spanish parents had a business in Mexico City, so Ricardo's mom ended up plopping him out in Mexico. When he was young, he came to Hollywood and attended Fairfax High School, quickly became proficient in English, and got into showbiz, which used to be (and sometimes still is) very anti-Latino. They wanted him to change his original name to Ricky Martin! AHAHAHAHA! Ricardo refused, and kept his lovely romantic birth name. More on this now deceased legend here, in this awesome interview he gave just a few years ago.
Of course, why does one even need to be as talented as Ricardo was back in the day when nowadays you can get away with just being good-looking and being born into the right rich family! Yes, reality shows have destroyed American brain cells, and you can now be famous like Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian simply for looking good/being rich and contributing absolutely nothing to our society! Ain't that a kick in tha head?! The male version of being untalented these days would have to be Brody Jenner, the son of the famous Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner. Yeah, this guy was on Howard Stern the other day and he's living the good life screwing women left and right, driving around in expensive cars, and getting paid to make appearances in clubs! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! What an unjust and unfair world this is right? Personally, I think Brody is kind of a hottie, but a vapid waste of space at the same time. He was on The Hills or something which brought him his current "fame" and now he's hosting some dumbass show called Bromance, about how straight dudes can be close and love one another without ever being gay/having sex with each other.
I'll stop it right here, before I lose any more of my valuable neurons talking about all this nonsense. Enjoy the weekend okay?
OH MY GOD! Howard Stern is interviewing Sir Paul McCartney on today's show! The last time Stern had McCartney on, he was still stupidly in love with that pegleg Heather! Ya wanna hear that interview back in 2001? It's all here.
Okay. I didn't want to watch the new season of American Idol, but I gave in! Just for a little bit. I had it on in the background as I got ready for karaoke last night, and some of it was actually funny. They had auditions in Phoenix, and at one point Ryan Seacrest was at the Grand Canyon, and he almost tripped and fell down into the famous gorge! OH DAMN! Why didn't he fall in I ask; swallowed up by the rocks and the Colorado River below?! I'm horrible I know, but Ryan is such a tool; the most witless uncharismatic TV host EVER! I miss Dick Clark, who seemed forever ageless, but with that awful stroke he had, Dick now sounds pretty terrible. Bummer. We're now stuck with Ryan (America's most famous host), who reads copy well, and is decent on the eyes, but he has the personality of burnt toast!
I love me a good sex scandal, and apparently we got one brewing in the sports world! Apparently, a big black basketball player by the name of Eddy Curry was harassing and putting the moves on his MALE personal driver who is now suing! WHOA! Talk about being on the "Down-low!" Yeah, I've slept...UM....I MEANT: TALKED TO plenty of men who have girlfriends, wives, and/or children; these guys also lead secret gay lives. I guess this makes these men bisexual I suppose? Or they're just effectively hiding their true homosexuality? Hard to say really, because sexual orientation is just not easy to explain. It's not a black and white issue at all. Because we still live in such a chauvinistic alpha male culture, many men still find the need to pretend to be hetero. On the other hand, many men are actually content/happy with having girlfriends or being married to a woman, but like to play around with other dudes from time to time. Humans are interesting highly sexual creatures, and I think most of us would be surprised to find out about the true sex lives of most people, especially MEN. Remember Kinsey's studies? I think he was pretty accurate and ahead of his time with his findings to be quite honest. Excellent film by the way, the one starring Liam Neeson; A MUST-SEE!
But yes, women are right when they say men are dogs/pigs. It's so very true.
You see, the world was pretty much introduced to Kate Winsletin the monster hit film Titanic, and although looking back at that blockbuster and how ultimately cheesy it really is, there was no denying that this British girl had a je ne sais quoi about her, a hidden talent/star power that promised to give us film buffs some fine performances in really unique wonderful movies. After seeing Kate (in the years since Titanic) in films such as: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Quills, Finding Neverland, and Little Children, I have ever since admired this woman tremendously for her daring roles; there are box office stars, and then there's Kate, who makes sure the script is first-rate, regardless of whether the movie will make millions or not. And last night, she finally won not just one, but TWO Golden Globes! Congratulations to this remarkable actress! I love ya Kate! And she can play American women really well; you hardly notice she's even English. It's about bloody time she earned these awesome awards, and I smell an Oscar now.
If reading about life's downs is going to get you upset/depressed, then please skip this paragraph! I have to vent though, in order to detoxify my system of the doom and gloom I currently feel as I write this. Although I have high hopes for this new year with respect to my attitude towards it, I have to admit that I often struggle with a terrible lack of motivation, particularly the last several months. I go to work because I have to and it helps to give me structure, but there are days where I frankly do not want to get out of bed. And on my days off, I often find myself sleeping till mid-afternoons. Of course, I do go to bed late on weekends, but this amount of sleeping/sloth can only mean one thing: I AM MAJORLY DEPRESSED. At so many things really. I resent having to work at something I don't enjoy doing for a living. I resent having to pay bills. I resent all this imposed responsibility. The last 12 years of my life, I have spent struggling to understand and accept the real world for what it is, but I can't seem to ever get over my bitterness towards it all; why did I have to grow up, why was I suddenly thrust upon this ridiculous slave capitalistic dumbass robotic system like this?! I don't know if I even make sense, but many say that in the end, I am ultimately responsible for how I feel and what I am going to do with my life from this moment forward is all up to me. Yes, I know that I can change my life, but sometimes I feel so helpless, as if I can't do it, like I'm trapped in my own skin/circumstances. I just don't feel like doing much anymore, except live a complete life of total hedonism. If only someone could just take my hand and guide me along, like a personal trainer at the gym and help me with what to do with myself! Yeah, I was looking to become a teacher last year, but I lost interest in that fairly quickly, because I just don't want to put in the effort for that either! What a terrible quandary I often find myself in!
I take an anti-depressant/anxiety med for all of this and it helps, but STILL! I feel like I really try and put in as much effort as possible, and yet I'm still stuck in the same mud.
Will I have to take ABILIFY as well and combine it with my current happy pill?
Y'all heard about Yellowstone National Park having a series of pretty strong quakes as of late? YEEHA! Exciting and troubling news to scientists, who are a bit concerned that the volcano right underneath this natural national gem might blow its top perhaps sometime in the near future? YIKES! Have you any idea what a tremendous catastrophe that would be for that thing to go off? It'd be worse than a nuke being detonated really! From my limited knowledge thanks to The Discovery Channel, it's not just a volcano, it's a SUPERVOLCANO! Such an explosion would be loud enough to be heard across the United States and cover most of the country with falling ash/dust that would be deadly. The sun would be blocked out for months! Hey, we can't control nature, but let's pray/hope this most powerful forcedoesn't decide to show off its potential anytime soon. Mt. St. Helens would look like a walk in the park!
What am I going to do with Israel and the Arab world? Why do you people over there keep killing each other like this?! The fighting just never stops here! WHY?!! WHYYYYYYYY???!!! Okay, I'm being a bit melodramatic here, but I just don't get it. Yes, after the suffering of WWII, the Jews took this seemingly boringpatch of land and it's now this really cool developed civilized country, but the claim is these poor Arab people that were already there were just thrown out and pushed aside, treated worse than animals. What a spectacle! I'm not anti-Semitic at all (I love you Howard BIG-NOSED Stern), but I often ask myself if Israel doesn't go too far at times?! Just this past week, certain hardcore Orthodox Jews here in the States were actually protesting Israel's current invasion of Gaza. WHOA! I'm not anti-Arab either. As a matter of fact, I have been with many Jewish and Arab men, and yum...ER. UH... OOPS! Anyway, why was Hamas firing rockets into Israel like that and hiding in that school? BOTH sides are so mean/nasty to each other at this point and my co-worker was explaining to me that the Jews and Arabs come from the same bloodline anyway and crap, all the way back to Abraham! Religion and this volatile Holy Land area are so migraine-inducing that I cease to even try to figure it all out anymore, but it is fascinating to just witness/observe this all take place. This is a dangerous conflict that could spread like wildfire throughout the region and turn it into an even wider war. Attacks on Jews in Europe are sadly increasing.
But boy, people really do hate the Jews! I can categorically tell you I don't, but this kid's show aired in Palestine is disturbing and a real hoot to watch at the same time. I actually laugh out loud at stuff like this. Farfour, my new favorite cartoon character:
Y'all liked my grainy New Year's Eve vid so much! Thanks you silly yakgellarz!
Ah yes, my first official written entry of the new year! Despite some early challenges already in 2009, I am very optimistic that this is going to be a good year for me. Last year, I was much too negative and pessimistic, and I feel that it contributed majorly to my stress levels. Now life will not always be rosy or good, but I will do my best to think positively. Unless one of you bastards I care about croaks on me, I don't think I'm going to get bent out of shape over most situations. Frankly, if the Middle East wants to crash and burn, so be it! Let the world crumble into chaos as far as I'm concerned. Worrying over the economy or whether I'll have a job tomorrow or other crap does not help matters. Even that dead-end job of mine is going to be fine. I will make the best out of it while I can okay? Be gone anxiety/depression! Cheer up WAT! Life is not that bad! You're a fun dude. You're a nice-looking charming fellow that matters and contributes immensely! I'm sick of my low self-esteem and being so hard on myself. I reiterate: THIS IS GOING TO BE A DAMN GOOD YEAR.
I watched Mystic River yesterday and while the acting is superb (Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Marcia Gay Harden), I thought the plot twist and stuff at the end was kind of retarded. Ya know, movies like Good Will Hunting, Gone Baby Gone, and Mystic River all take place in Boston right? Doesn't The Departed take place there too? Now frankly, I ain't ever been to Boston, and it looks real pretty in pics, but why is it always portrayed as this really shitty backward crime-ridden low-life hellhole in movies? LOLOLOLOL! I mean seriously! Everyone in these films is just dying to get tha f*ck out of that city and escape it! Seems like a dreary depressing place according to these films; kind of like the reputation Detroit and New Jersey have in our common consciousness. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to visit historic Boston someday, but I'm almost glad I wasn't born and raised in such a seemingly hopeless cesspool. AHAHAHHA! I tells ya what, Frank Sinatra got all the glory because he was white, but I found his voice rather annoying. It was Nat King Cole who could sing. Beautiful voice! He smoked 3 packs of cigarettes a day though; lung cancer claimed the short life of the greatest crooner to ever live. A Bette Davis documentary I was watching called STARDUST claims that it was Bette's favorite song. I can see why. Such a purty tune! It really is.
I have been so frustrated, unmotivated, and generally depressed this past year. The dead-end job and expensive bills are threatening to destroy my sanity. And if I hear someone else besides my inner voice say, "You should be grateful for you job!", I'm going to let out a huge scream! Yes, I know I'm lucky to have steady income, but it doesn't mean I have to enjoy it, and I have come to terms with the fact that I have a right to complain and whine! SO THERE! I am human after all! So here's to 2009 and a possible new career opportunity, which means seeing the light and less procrastinating on my part. I've had semi-decent health this year, but not as good as I would've liked, so here's hoping the new year will be better in that department.
2008 was memorable in that it was the first year in a long time that I'd been to a music concert, and I ended up going to EIGHT total live shows this past year! Not bad I must say. I got to see Miguel Bosé, Elton John, Liza Minelli, Radiohead, Madonna, Luis Miguel, and Coldplay! Some big names I must say, and although a bit on the pricey side, I don't regret seeing these artists live at all, for they brought me joy and some good memories that I will cherish forever.
I thank each and every good noble person that is part of my life. My co-workers, my friends, acquaintances, my family, my bar crowd, and any others who I may not see often but somehow still manage to communicate with online or on the phone. There are some of you whom I've never met in person, yet still feel a connection to, and I don't know why or how, but I thank you for being part of my world nonetheless. This blog is something I love to do, and to read your constant feedback is very cool. A special shout out to Pooch and my puppy/aminal friends for showing me the true meaning of unconditional love.
The coming new year will be difficult. I dare not sugarcoat it for you my brethren. Challenges to this country's economic/social stability will be tough, and the world as a whole is getting more chaotic. I pray for us all, and wish you complete mental, emotional, and physical health to weather the upcoming storms; for with good health, we are practically invincible right?
We need not be afraid, for faith in a higher power or oneself will keep us afloat, regardless.
Feliz Año Nuevo 2009, and here's to the best (in my opinion) new music artist of the year:
The cold temps have caused the skin on my upper neck just below my chin to literally crack and burn! OUCH! I'm using a good balm to soothe it, but man it hurts so bad, and I don't dare shave while it's irritated like that; I'm already starting to look like a whino.
In no way do I think Alzheimer's Disease is a funny thing, but I had to laugh out loud a couple of times while watching the movie Iris in order to cope with the tragic absurdity of what I what I was witnessing on the screen. I rented the DVD, because I saw Dame Judi Dench and Kate Winslet in the credits, but I had no idea the film was going to touch upon that subject and be THAT depressing! EEK! Watching a once brilliant female writer slowly lose her marbles was pretty freakin' sad. Mind you, Kate and Judi were both superb as is to be expected of course, as was Jim Broadbent who plays the poor husband who has to deal with his once thriving wife crapping on the carpet like a 1 year-old. This Alzheimer's thingy is brutal, and I will do my utmost best to stay away from these types of movies from now on, because I just don't find it entertaining to watch someone's brain turn to useless mush.
I did karaoke Friday and last night! Had a blast! One of the cool songs I did, to high praise from most of the crowd there was this:
I had a nice Xmas Eve with my family, except for when my 10 year-old niece threw a tantrum. Whatever. Let her daddy deal with it. LOL! And Christmas Day was fun too! Thanks to S for the awesome party and food! Oh yeah, I've been eating so much the past two days, and not gained a pound! DAMNIT! I have the opposite problem of most of you fine people. Go figure.
There is an incredible shocking horrific story coming out of Southern California here, about some demented guy who went to his estranged wife's Xmas Eve party and shot up a couple of people, threw homemade bombs at the house, the place went up in flames, about NINE people so far have been found dead, and he went off to kill himself in the end! YIKES! He did this all while dressed up as Santa Claus! Talk about trying to make a statement and headlines. The detailsof this terrible story just keep unfolding.
By the way, R.I.P. to Earth Kitt.
Have you heard of an amazing band called The Shins? It's composed of two Hispanic and three Caucasian dudes from New Mexico! I love them! James Mercer is the lead singer/songwriter, and this dude has some serious talent and the most wonderful original voice:
AW! Let's face it, who can resist the ads for this movie? They're plastered all over Los Angeles and I assume around this country:I mean, the puppies/dogs used in the film to portray mischievous Marley are just cute as buttons, and I'm pretty sure this film is going to do pretty big business at the box office. Granted, I don't care much for Owen Wilson or Jennifer Aniston, but STILL, this flick looks adorable! The movie follows the original bestselling book to its very emotional conclusion, so it's going to be tough for me to not want to cry like a baby. I suppose most adults will be crying, but what about all those kids whose naive/unaware parents are going to take them to the movie expecting a feel good ending? MY GOD MAN! It's gonna be almost as disturbing as Bambi's mother getting shot! YIKES!
It's Nochebuena at our house, which means tamales, a hearty beef stew, and other goodies for dinner! YUMMY! Yes, a very traditional Hispanic Christmas Eve observance for us here. Wish any one of you good people could come on by and hang out, although you'd probably feel a bit lost as my mother, aunt, and brother yammer away in Spanish.
It's okay, I would gladly translate it all for ya.
Britney Spears sounds like a streetwalking prostitute on certain tracks off her new album, and I LOVE IT! Yes, I typed that! I might have to check myself into a mental institution for this, because admitting that I like Britney Spears is akin to losing one's soul and selling it to the Devil. The tracks are catchy, groovy, and brilliantly produced; she's got an awesome team of scientists working with her that make her sound good. So way ta go BritNAY! I used to dislike her very much when she first started for being too damn teeny and popsy cute, but after her incredibly turbulent marriage and subsequent weird behavior, I now think the pop airhead from the South has much more credibility and life experience. She's real now ya know? She's human, non-virginal, and wrecked by life! She's not that young innocent school girl no more for sure; her pornographic voice/intonations on certain tracks are much more acceptable now than they were back then because I wholeheartedly believe K-Fed (although a loser in life) was probably really awesome in bed. Mmm hmmm. Congrats Britney, yourlast albumgot me hooked, and your latestnow has me convinced that you are a true pop star. I'm a bit ashamed to admit this, so I think I will stop now. I don't mind hearing if you dislike Britney, because it is perfectly understandable, but I will admit to her as a guilty pleasure. SO THERE.
We haven't had such an early good hearty powerful winter in a while don't ya think? It's rainy again here in L.A. and very cold and snowy in other major parts of this great country! So there ya go! Global warming at its finest! I actually welcome all this precipitation because one never knows when a drought might hit next year or the next or whenever, so it's always good for these clouds to come in a drop some water. Our lives depend on it!
So, in honor of winter and of many more rainy (or snowy) days to come, I present you this obscure little awesome tune called "Rainy Day" by a little British band called Coldplay:
I know plenty of you are stopping by to read, but not that many of you are commenting, and the fact that none of my recent posts has racked up 15 comments and beyond has me a bit miffed. I'm quite the demanding diva huh? ;) To those who stop by and read my words, and most especially to those who comment: Thank you all!
Hey, I don't want this year to end without mentioning the passing of a great masterful American cartoonist. Originally born in Mexico actually, Bill Meléndez came to Los Angeles/Hollywood at a young age and worked for Disney as a very talented animator. Bill said Walt Disney wasa real asshole though. AHAHAH! Can you believe it?! Yeah, Disney was a tyrant, sexist, racist, and homophobic; every quality we love in a person according to Bill and many other animators and people who worked for wonderful "Uncle Walt." Bill luckily got away from Walt, and went on to animate at Warner Bros. and do bigger and better things, like all those wonderful holiday Peanuts specials! That's right! Charles Schultz created those immortal awesome characters, but it was Bill Meléndez who brought them to life, producing/directing them for television. So when you watchA Charlie Brown Christmas this season or any of the other holiday Peanuts cartoons, that's Bill you gotta thank for animating and ultimately making them part of the American consciousness. Watching Bill in interviews, he reminds me of a much more refined version of Cheech Marin. LOL! Sadly, Bill died this past September at age 91, but has left a tremendous legacy. Gracias Bill, you were truly awesome! He even did the voices of Snoopy and Woodstock! R.I.P.
My cold is gone, but there's a nagging leftover cough that comes on strong at times that just won't quit ya know? I wanna just take this cough and kill it! KILL IT! I need to just rest some more, and I think tonight will be good to just take it easy, stay warm, and repose at home. It is colder than usual here in Los Angeles, and we have stormy/rainy weather to go with it, so winter has arrived earlier than normal here. The mountains nearby are covered in snow! EES SO PURTY!
I get the feeling that Xmas will be economically tough for most people this year, and I have frankly grown tired of having to go out and buy gifts, so I have decided not to even bother. I don't wanna go to the mall, I don't wanna shop online, and there's really not that much money to spend now is there? I did get into the Xmas spirit by putting up our tree however, so at least I'm not a total Scrooge. As for my niece, I guess I'll get her something, or maybe just give the kid some cash. THERE. Problem solved. Is this bloody holiday over yet? I haven't really cared much for Xmas in years to be honest. It's a bit depressing, expensive, and stressful. As long as good friends and family are okay, that is really the whole point anyway. This overcommercialization of the holiday is ridiculous! And unlike the following picture taken earlier today at work suggests, I'm not a Grinch and I'm not planning to steal the holiday from nobody:Have any of you ever heard of Sufjan Stevens? It's pronounced SOOF-YAWN. He's a unique singer/songwriter from Michigan who happens to be easy on the eyeswith the most wonderful erotic boyish voice. A regular Sufjan song first:
I went to a nice Christmas party Saturday and was mistaken to be only 25 years old at the karaoke bar Sunday night. Defying my true age feels good.
O.k. I'm obsessed with films. Somebody stop me! It's just so easy to sit back effortlessly and take all this cinema in...I watched Queen Christina (1933)starring Greta Garbo and I was impressed. Really good movie. Emotional even! I was thinking for a while that Garbo may have been overrated during her short acting career, but now I see why she got all the accolades. She was quite anexotic beauty, with an irresistible accent, and very androgynous characteristics. I believe she is more notable for her silent movies, but I have yet to watch those. Like IKEA, Volvo, and ABBA, Garbo is one of Sweden's great exports; amazing that her film career lasted such a short while! She really only made films in the 20s and 30s, and retired from Hollywood and the limelight by about age 35! WOW! Now that's a legend folks! I may be going out on a limb here, but I've seen pics of my mother in her youth, and she kind of resembles Greta. My mother however is not bisexual, which Garbo was; she had affairs with women as well. Garbo lived a long life and retired from acting young and was pretty wise with her cash. She was frugal and lived a comfortable private secluded socialite life until her death well into her eighties.
Another film that I sat through that most normal people would've turned off within the first ten minutes was Jean de Florette, a French flick about a hunchback city dweller (played by Gérard Depardieu) and his family who inherit a nice country home from a dead relative that was killed by his greedy neighbors who want his land for its rich soil and underground natural spring. They purposely clog the spring with cement and do everything they can to make the new family fail at their venture in the country! A very simple, yet interesting story to me, but boring to most I suppose; there are really greedy wicked people out there and this movie shows Yves Montand and Daniel Auteuil in some fine performances as very dirty rotten scoundrels! Makes me wanna go visit the French countryside and shoot people like this actually! LOL! There's a part two to this called Manon of the Spring, where the daughter grows up and gets revenge for what was done to her father, so I'm kind of anticipating how she's gonna get back at these two awful bastards! ;) Good for the ear to hear French spoken like this, even though they speak so damn fast and the dialect used in the movie is a bit harder than the one in Paris I believe.
It's raining here in L.A! YEEHA! I got the song for you:
There's a story coming out of Southern California here about a woman who gave birth this week to octuplets! 8 CHILDREN AT ONE TIME! My God! As Howard Stern was saying, "She's like a dog, with a new litter of puppies." While I'm all for the miracle of life and crap, this is outrageous! One child is enough work, let alone 8! What makes this story even worse, is that this baby-making machine already has six children! IS SHE OUT OF HER MIND?! The six children she already has are all under 10 years old! And now comes the new littler of eight! With our current economy in a depression, what this woman is doing is nothing short of criminal. I mean, we already have six billion plus human beings on the planet, and adding this many more to the equation is not helping things. I mean, I too wish I had my own child/children at times, but I have to be realistic in that I am not able to afford one of those things. Children take work/patience and lots of money! This woman has 14 kids now; chances are they're not going to have very adequate lives because the family recently filed for bankruptcy. Terrible terrible. If you don't have the absolute best to offer a child, why bring them into this difficult world? Completely irresponsible.
in place collapsed. Yeah man, who would've thought Iceland was going through all this financial ruin? I mean, it's such a tiny little island in the middle of nowhere it seems, but the dramatic effects of this worldwide depression has hit Icelanders very hard. The French took to the streets just recently to protest their government's handling of the crisis as well, and look for more of this in the coming months around the world. Ya see, it sucks to live in these first-world nations, because one has gotten accustomed to a nice standard of living, and to see it all slip under like this is gonna make a lot of people angry, riotous, and upset. Positive things are going to come out of this however. I think people have been way too comfortable for too long, and the time has come perhaps, to really let our governments know that their ridiculous overspending and mishandling of our economies cannot continue to stand. The middle class is suffering big time.
