Dec 28, 2005

Rant: Being Sick Sucks

On the way back from Portland I started feeling ill and it just keeps getting worse. I'm in Mass now and, granted, the below freezing weather doesn't much help, but it's been days, I've taken antibiotics, vitamins, and every conceivable cold medicine you can think of and I'm still sick! In fact, I feel somewhat sicker in some ways... My cold symptoms seem to be wanning, but I think I'm having flu like symptoms now because my stomache feels queasy and my head feels dizzy. Argh, this sucks. Can't I just wake up and feel good for a change???

Dec 22, 2005

Webmistress: New mp3s site now officially launched!



With all the success of www.u2mp3s.com I decided to give it a go with my second favorite band: NIN. Thus, the new www.ninmp3s.com was officially launched today! It is still very much in its embryonic phase, but I have uploaded the first mp3; a cover of Queen's "Get Down Make Love." (I figured I'd start off with my favorite cover and deal with figuring out what constitutes a NIN rarity later, lol.) Enjoy!

Photo: Dublin the Kitty


A Picture Share!
Originally uploaded by U2Mel.

Dublin

Dec 20, 2005

Photo: Beautiful sky on way to Portland


A Picture Share!
Originally uploaded by U2Mel.

To blue sky in like ten minutes.

Photo: Snow on way to Portland


A Picture Share!
Originally uploaded by U2Mel.

From winter wonder land to...

U2: Portland was amazing!

Yay!!! It was like a big ole party! Saw sooo many familiar faces -- all of us diehards. The twins got pulled up and I was so happy for them. Heck, if someone asked me who I would have chosen for the last US show, it would have been them in a heart beat. I just love those girls to death. Amazing. I got some great shots and *drum roll* video! Will post once I'm back in (warmer!!!) Los Angeles.

What a night! What a show! What a tour! I love U2!

Dec 16, 2005

Life: Portland, Portland, Portland! I can’t wait to get there!

Y’know why? Coz then I’ll not be frazzled, not have to drive for 16 hours, not have to do laundry, pack, worry, yada… Of course, I chose to buy a Portland ticket ages ago, so I shouldn’t complain, but I’ve had a rough coupla weeks, man.

I really need this concert. I really need to emerge myself in one last U2 show, surround myself with good friends, good music, and good times.

Then I have to drive back, unpack, do laundry again, re-pack, and fly to Massachusetts for the holidays! Ack!

It’s a good thing my Mum booked a flight on the 24th and not the 22nd or I'd never have been able to do Portland. I really needed the bumper of a couple days just in case… You just never know with weather, cars, etc. Anything can go wrong!

Ok, getting ahead of myself… Just need to focus on one day at a time. Today: Pack! Tomorrow: drive! And so on…

As a side note, I have like, seriously, about 10 loads of laundry that I need to do. I haven’t really done done laundry since I went to Ohio in March. Sure I’ve washed a handful here and there for various events and such, like my favorites items, but not the whole shebang. I have way too many clothes. It’s insane. And, the scary thing is, I still have a closet and a bureau full of clothes, not to mention one large suitcase full of clean clothes. Man, I am a clothes freak! Oi vey!

Well, back to the day… Gotta get a lot of stuff done today, including an oil change. Bah, I need a money fairy. U2 has broken me this year. (But I still love ‘em.)

Dec 13, 2005

News: Tookie Williams & LA riots?

Well, we’re getting nervous now. We were told not too long ago that LA is on red alert, so to speak, for a possible riot due to Tookie Williams death sentence to be carried out at 12:01 am. We were told that the police will try to keep it below Olympic and Adams and that it shouldn’t reach K-town, though it has in the past. I wasn’t here for Rodney King, so I don’t know what to expect or if they are making a mountain out of a mole hill. I guess only time will tell. Right now, we’re 2 minutes away. Goodness.

Nov 29, 2005

Webmistress: Out Sick

Just to let u2mp3s.com members (and anyone else who reads this blog) know, I'm sort of out of commission for the next few days.

I'm taking 2000 mg of antibiotics per day for my cat bite and it's making me extremely fatigued. I'm up for 3 hours, I sleep for 3 hours, and so on. It's also making me very woozy, so I'm not able to be online much without getting dizzy.

I'll be back as soon as this fool penicillin is out of my system.

PS: JP, I'll burn you those DVDs ASAP. No worries, my friend!

Nov 25, 2005

Life: Mae is spayed, the penicillin is working, and my heart is broken...

So, I brought Mae home from the vet. She’s FIV free, caught up on shots, & will no longer want to make babies. She really needs a home. She just can’t live here. The other cats don’t want her.

My oozing bruise is getting better, but the penicillin is knocking me on my ass. It’s 1000 mg twice daily. Man, I just had no idea that an antibiotic could knock me out faster than Nyquil.

As for my heart, I won’t be telling you about that. This blog is totally public. If you’ve been following along, you may have noticed I deleted a bunch of stuff. This blog was always meant to be a tad vanilla and so it shall remain, despite briefly deviating.

So, if you’re reading this to find out how I’m really feeling, well, you just won’t find that here and my LJ is friend’s only.

Randomness: I wanna cut my hair and dye it black.

But I probably won’t. Well, I dunno. Last time I dyed my hair black I looked so darn Italian it scared me. When I looked into the mirror, I saw my Italian Grandmother staring back at me. Freaky! Though I just might darken it some more… Ooo, maybe red… Ugh, I dunno, anything, something different. I’m so bored with it. And I definitely have to chop some off the end. It’s just too long. Though, I will not go back to the wicked short bleached blonde look – too much work there. Hmmm… Yeah, just thinking out loud.

Photo: Old Car


A Picture Share!
Originally uploaded by U2Mel.

You don'T see a car like that everyday, But them again this is Larchmont.

Nov 24, 2005

Music: Pressure Radio :: Broadcasting Underground Dance Music :: Internet Radio

A friend of mine who also happens to be a DJ has a live stream going on right now at the above link. It's really cool. You should check it out.

Nov 23, 2005

Rant: Cafepress Shop Closed

I got sick of dealing with the oppressive & inconsistent tactics of Cafepress so I closed both my premium shops. However, the Boy still has an account, so I'll be uploading my book, In the Now, and my flower calendar there.

Stay tuned for updated links.

Cats: Pharaoh fell, I'm bleeding, & Mae needs a home.

Ugh. What a way to start the day.

Pharaoh, my silver tiger, somehow fell off the wardrobe and got wedged in between it and the wall. I was awoken by the lovely sounds of a screeching cat, who, when I tried to rescue him, was so freaked out he actually bit me! Timid, shy Pharaoh. Well, I couldn’t pull him out, nor was I strong enough to pull the wardrobe away from the wall, so I had to firmly plant one foot against the wall and use my body weight to tilt it so he could get out. I was so darn concerned for his well being, I didn’t even realize I had 4 large bleeding wounds on my arm. Great. It’s all swollen now and I guess I’ll have to go to the Bob Hope Wellness Center for some antibiotics.

Meanwhile, the kitty, who I named Mayflower because my Mum lives in Plymouth, hasn’t been doing so well. The other cats clearly do not want more than 11 cats total. They tortured poor Belfast, our previous number 12, to the point where he escaped and never returned, but he was mean spirited. Mae is wicked sweet. She just loves the company of people. She’s fallen asleep on me on the couch. My Dad would call her a “TV cat.” The Boy hasn’t told anyone about her because he wants to keep her now, but he’s not here witnessing the power play. When you have 11 cats you no longer have pets, you have a colony and you are at the mercy of that colony. You can’t force anything on them. They will get their way. *sigh*

Anyhoo, I’m just completely beat.

Nov 22, 2005

Film: Catwoman

I don't care what anyone says, I like this movie! I just now watched it for the first time on HBO On Demand and just got totally into it. Now, perhaps it's because I was an art chick in school, or it could be that I really dig black leather and bad ass chicks who kick ass, or maybe it's the fact that I love cats and currently have 12 of them in my home (as they just keep finding me)... Well, ok, it's most likely all of the above. Regardless, it rocked and I thought Halle was f*cken cool.

Thank you and good night. (Or day. What time is it?)

Nov 16, 2005

Creative Writing: Crazy

A Poem Called “Crazy”

I was sitting here thinking that I would like to post a poem to my blog since I have not posted any creative writing in awhile. So, I cruised through my “words” folder to see if I could find anything I felt like sharing when I noticed the title “Crazy” and could not, for the life of me, recall writing it. I opened it up, read it, and am oddly blown away by how apropos it is for me right now despite the fact that I wrote it more than a decade ago, so here goes:

I hear the mice
chewing on my thoughts
while bugs
eat my love.
Covered with dust
I’m six feet under
the ground I walk on;
I can’t see anyone
But they see me.

I know I’m not crazy
Yeah, I know I’m not crazy

Even though,
the sky is red
and my blood, blue;
Salty waves splash on my cheeks.
I feel tired,
But I can’t sleep.
I feel hungry,
So I devour some ice cream.
I feel sick,
So I drink some coffee.
There’s a void in me
I must fill.

I know I’m not crazy
Yeah, I know I’m not crazy

But sometimes
When the TV picture fuzzes out
I see your face
painted red
When I hear the crash of an atomic bomb
I hear your wicked laugh
echoing in my head
When I read Burroughs
you are the words
that I dread.

I know I’m not crazy
Yeah I know I’m not crazy
But sometimes I feel like I am
When I think of you...

7/21/93

For good and bad, life has been nothing but pure synchronicity for me over the last several days and just keeps getting more surreal yet perfect, more right as each new day passes. I so love it! I feel so, well, as they say in Boston, wicked awesome right now it is crazy! (No pun intended, really.)

It’s 4:19 am. I’m drinking a Cherry Coke and snacking on peanut butter. Rosemary Clooney blares through my speakers and I feel like dancing. How’d my day turn around so fast? Ah, better not to question it, eh? Just go with the flow, baby, and enjoy the ride. Life is too short for pettiness and I have big things to do! Let go. Let Go. LET GO!

My meeting was canceled for tomorrow, but it may be fortuitous. Jer’s out of town, I have the place to myself, and I can clean without interruption. Today alone, I attacked the cats’ corner and kitchen and I feel ten fold better about my environment. So, what of the big things? Well, “they” say that one’s environment greatly effects one’s mind, plus the holidays are ever approaching, not to mention the end of the 3rd leg (U2 Vertigo Tour 2005), so now is the time to focus on the external preparedness and just get that done with so that I’m fresh for the next level. Yay! I can’t wait! (Well, ok, I can wait, as I’ve things to do, but you get my drift, I hope. Live in the now, babe) Oh, phone’s ringing, gotta go. I’m rambling anyway, lol.

Nov 15, 2005

Life: Full Moon Fever

Friends, they may come and they may go.
Some you miss and some you don’t.
But in the end, what’s meant to be will be.
And I’m learning better who’ll be on the journey with me.

There’s been a lot drama these past few days. Maybe too much drama. But one thing’s for certain, I know who my real friends are and that’s what matters most to me right now. Not only that, but a few very talented gals inadvertently reminded me what it’s all about: the music. (Thanks EXIT)

Nov 14, 2005

U2: $50 off The Complete U2 - who wants it?

I got a new U2 iPod because I had the monochromatic first edition, but I wanted the color screen iPhoto version. As a result, I got another coupon for $50 of The Complete U2. All you need, I guess, is the coupon code, but I don't know who to give it to since pretty much everyone I know already has it. Sooo, if you're reading this, don't have it, & want it, give me a shout out & I'll give you the code (and that way it won't be wasted, lol).

U2: Fast Cars - I love this song!

"Fast Cars"
My cell is ringing, no ID
I need to know who’s calling
My garden’s overgrown
I go out on my belly crawling
I got CCTV, pornography, CNBC
I got the nightly news to get to know the enemy

All I want is a picture of you
All I want is to get right next to you
All I want is your face in the locket
Picture in my pocket
Take a pill to stop it
I know these fast cars will do me no good

I’m going nowhere
Where I am, it is a lot of fun
There in the desert
To dismantle an atomic bomb
I watch you shadow box
Check the stocks, I’m in detox
Want a lot of what you got
What you got can make this stop

All I want is a picture of you
All I want is to get right next to you
All I want is your picture in a locket
Your face in my pocket
Take a pill to stop it
I know these fast cars will do me no good

Child inside
Don’t you worry ‘bout your mind
Don’t you worry ‘bout your mind
Don’t you worry ‘bout your mind
Don’t you worry ‘bout your mind
You should worry ‘bout the day
That the pain, it goes away
You know, I miss mine sometimes

The size is much too big

There is no fiction
That will truly fit this situation
I’m documenting every detail
Every conversation
Not used to talking to somebody in the body
Somebody in the body
Somebody in the body

Nov 3, 2005

Photo: An American Dork


A Picture Share!
Originally uploaded by U2Mel.

I am such a dork.

U2: U2 in LA was AMAZING!

I’m beat. Gonna crash. Amazing show. U2 rocked the house once again, though last night might have been a little better – hard to judge. Very different set list feel. Sick of the lottery, tho. Totally corrupt. Someone needs to tell Bono that Clear Channel employees are the ones letting in trainspotters and shutting out the real fans from the ellipse. At least he pulls WOWY girls up from outside the ellipse. Well, off to dream land. Hopefully my website (u2mp3s.com) will be back to normal in the AM.

Oct 29, 2005

Life: You're Fired!

Have you ever had to fire someone? Break up with someone? Cut off a friendship? How do you go about it? Do you just march right up and say, “You’re fired!” I guess if you’re in the professional world, firing a person is a heck of a lot easier than breaking up with a significant other. Moreover, breaking up is easier than cutting off a friendship, I feel. But how do you do it? A phone call, a message, an e-mail? Do you explain why? Do you worry about something coming back round to hurt you? Do you ignore the situation and keep up pretences because you fear confrontation?

I have absolutely no problem with confrontation if my heart is in the right place.

I can cut you off faster than you can ask why if I truly feel deep down inside that I have to let you go. I do not think this is a bad trait, though I have had people get quite upset with me. However, I’ve watched friends and colleagues suffer due to a fear of confrontation. Really suffer.

Sometimes I avoid a situation, but only if it just doesn’t feel right to break free from the person. In those cases, I need to sit back and contemplate my hesitation because I know that my instincts are always correct (it’s just my brain that gets in the way and musses things up).

Thus, sometimes I look like a wimp because I’ll tend to just ignore the person at all costs until a confrontation is absolutely unavoidable. And when that happens, something positive usually comes from it. So, I take such situations quite seriously.

Burning a bridge should not be done flippantly.

Depending on the situation, business or personal, it should be approached with severe caution. In business, pretences should be maintained until such time as one knows for sure that said bridge must be burned. In personal situations, one needs a little bit more time… Things should be handled delicately.

But, ultimately, you have to do what feels right for you. Seek advice, listen, ponder, but don’t necessarily do everything everyone else tells you to do. Only you know what you need to do.

I write all this because I wish someone had told this to me about 6 months ago.

Oct 25, 2005

Photo: gold boots by Nine West


A Picture Share!
Originally uploaded by U2Mel.

OMG

Photo: Pharaoh


A Picture Share!
Originally uploaded by U2Mel.

Love me.

Celebrity: Clerks 2 - Silent Bob Dies?


Forever Silent
Originally uploaded by U2Mel.

Yeah, so I was procrastinating and began mindlessly surfing the various blogs I link to when I landed on Kevin Smith's video blog about the making of Clerks 2: The Passion of the Clerks and this whole big hoopla over an accidentally leaked major plot point via some storyboards. Well, me being the ever curious one, I had to find the original footage, so I trekked on over to a Torrent site (that I found via Digg.com) to DL the mpeg, watched the whole thing, and caught this, like, millisecond glimpse of a non-blurred image (some of the conversation in the video was bleeped and some footage was blurred, I guess, to keep the secret). Well, when it comes to working with audio/video files, I'm big into minutia, so I did a frame by frame, then trimmed to selection, and exported the image sequence (love Quicktime Pro) and got the attached image. It's the only real clue. The characters are at a funeral. Jay is crying. Then there's a slow tilt down this blurred out statue that stops and moves in on the blurred out text, which is "Forever Silent." Cool, huh? (In the end I used a "Print Screen" capture instead... Yeah, I know I'm a dork. Get over it.)

Oct 23, 2005

Webmistress: phpnuke mp3 player block

Embedded phpnuke mp3 player block with stand-alone option.

That is what I want.

Just thought I’d share.

Rant: Great. I spoke too soon.

Great. I spoke too soon.

Just when I’m ready to call it a night on the old computer (at 3 am, lol) I check in on my torrents only to find them in the red! Argh. I know I paused them, which caused them to time out, but they were still in the red when I resumed them. Glitch? Oh well…

Restart computer (which has been on for 3 days straight without rest), try BT again, if works – great, if not – check settings. I just love Murphy’s Law.

Edit: It works just fine now. *shrug*

Oct 22, 2005

Randomness: Im feeling very Pop.

I’m feeling very Pop today. Dark and moody undercurrents dressed up in a fancy suit. Almost finished downloading three U2 torrents. Drives me nuts when users don’t configure their firewalls for P2P. I’m sitting here downloading for 3 days one file because two out of three users are blocked. Argh. It’s not that hard to fix. Heck, if you can figure out BitTorrent you should be able to figure out your own firewall and ports.

<plug>

In other news, I recently discovered a brand spanking new online calendar that is the answer to my dreams… Introducing Planzo! (You can view my calendar via the event blurb located towards the top of my sidebar.) Awhile ago I went surfing the internet to find the perfect online calendar. I was unhappy with Yahoo’s calendar because I felt it wasn’t versatile enough. I wanted more control.

Then I discovered Calendars Net, but it was difficult to use, took long to load, and was just terribly ugly. Recently one of my U2//Mp3s.Com members pointed out a cool interactive map, Frapper, for members of a group to share their locations with each other. (It’s one of those things that us message board users enjoy because we’re usually all over the world and it’s neat to see all the little red flags everywhere… Kind of humbling.) Anyway, I checked out Frapper’s main site, Rising Concepts, which is where I saw Planzo.

The calendar is incredibly “user friendly.” You need not be a computer guru just to use it. It’s easy to read and navigate. You just hover over the period on the calendar in which you want to add an event, click, type, hit return and voila! You’re done. There’s also a notebook feature that could be used as a blog or just a place to jot things down, as well as the ever indispensable “to do” feature. I love this addition because lists are my life! My favorite aspect of “to do” is how quickly I can use it. I found Yahoo’s version more time-consuming to use than necessary.

Planzo is everything I wanted in an online calendar and more because it has a little “get to know me” kind of section in the sidebar. My one complaint would be that accessing community features seems under-developed, but it is still in Beta.

Planzo is the kind of site I want all my friends and family to be on so we can plan get-togethers, keep in touch, and generally know where each other is at. It’s a good thing.

</plug>

Music: Tomorrow Never Knows

“Turn off your mind, relax, and float down stream,
It is not dying, It is not dying
Lay down all thought, surrender to the void,
It is shining, it is shining
That you may see, the meaning of within,
It is being, It is being
That love is all, and love is everyone,
It is knowing, it is knowing
That ignorance and hate, may mourn the dead,
It is believing, it is believing
But listen to the color of your dreams,
It is not living, it is not living
Or play the game, existence to the end,
Of the beginning, of the beginning,
Of the beginning, of the beginning,
Of the beginning, of the beginning”
-John Lennon

I love that song…
Feels like I can wrap myself up inside it like a thick blanket on a cool night.

Oct 18, 2005

Insomnia: So I tried to sleep

So, I tried to sleep but the endeavor was unsuccessful. Too many thoughts racing around my brain. Thought I could read, but too tired to absorb the information. Great. Another round of silly games? Why not? Man…I think I’m in a holding pattern waiting on U2. While I am excited to see them live, I’m also exasperated… Is that the right word? It’s like I can’t wait until they’re done touring so I can just get on with my life. That might sound dumb to some, but those of you who know… Well, you know.

Randomness: I went to the gym today.

God that sounds so LA. "I went to the gym." Ha.
But I did.
And I liked it.
*Shock* *Horror*
I used to work out in my apartment, but now it's too messy to do that.
So, I'm contemplating handing money over to some random corporation so I can walk in one place for 20 minutes a day.
Our culture is so bass ackwards.
Meh.
Then I went to see Domino at Mann's Chinese with my friend Kevin. I liked it, but I think Oliver Stone would've done a better job with it than Tony Scott did.
But... Any which way around, I just like seeing cool chicks kick ass. (And I secretly wish I could, too.)
Kevin told me I look like Chloe from 24. I'm not a fan of that comment.
But, then again... He's short and bald, so why should I care? HA! (You reading this, Kev? Ah, you know I luv ya!)
Alrighty then, off to bed, but first - a quick game of Big Kahuna Reef (I'm so darn addicted to these "match 3" games... It's sick, sick I tell ya!)
PS: I'm gonna make myself a T-shirt that says: I'm just a dorky white chick from New England. (Thanks K. He should have a shirt that just says: Got Pulse? Muahahahaha!)

Oct 17, 2005

Life: Need Therapy? Yup.

I haven't been to my therapist in ages. Between sharing a car & J. on Clerks 2 it's been ridiculous. But now I should be able to go, it's just getting back into the habit again that'll be tough. Blargh. I need to sound off.

Oct 15, 2005

Life: Black Ennui

I got sick of the pink - plain and simple. Which is not to say that I dislike pink. I *love* pink. But sometimes, with blogs, too much color can just bug me. So, I decided to go with either simple black or simple white and for right now black white won.

In other news... I'm bored out of my gourd. The boy's on Clerks 2 5 days a week and plans to do *nothing* on the weekends but lounge. I don't blame him - he's working a lot, but I need to get out and do stuff. I had been hoping to go see Gary Baseman's art in Pasadena but I seem to have no one available to come with. Blargh. Thing is, I only want to go because I actually met Gary at Starbucks and, to put it bluntly, he was cool as shit. I also want to have a Margarita at Cat & Fiddle... Or maybe a glass of Shiraz. I need a platonic boyfriend to go out with, but LA is just not like NYC or Boston in that arena. Too many people here are either completely jaded or just out looking for connections, angling everything. Well, I ain't jaded and I ain't got no connections for anyone but myself (as of yet). Oh well! And next week the boy will be staying down in OC at a Days Inn all week. I want to have a party. I need to clean first... But how much fun would that be? Won't happen, tho. I just do not have enough time to clean up that much.

Y'know what I really wanna do? I want to go see The Fog. I need some good dumb fun and some popcorn.

The one good thing I can say about today is... *drum roll, please* I bought myself the Leather iPod Case by Coach. So freaken cool!!! I absolutely adore it! here, look:

New Coach iPod case in black

Cool, huh? yeah....

Oct 12, 2005

Photo: LAFD truck and a flag


A Picture Share!
Originally uploaded by m220.

America as an idea is still a good one. Now we just have to find our way back to truth, Justice, And peace.

Oct 5, 2005

Photo: Another Melissa in Larchmont


A Picture Share!
Originally uploaded by m220.

Photo: Starbucks Cup Wisdom


A Picture Share!
Originally uploaded by m220.

Randomness: Pain in the Neck

OMG my neck is killing me!!! Man. Slept funny plus an old injury to my neck that never was corrected plus temperature changes plus stress equals me not being able to turn my head to the right. Argh. And now I smell like a nursing home or locker room what with my Icy Hot and my Bengay, not to mention my Aspercreme and my Traumaheel.
Goodness gracious. My body is like 80.

Insomnia: 103

Is it U2? Is it the new car? Is it J starting Clerks 2? Is it my back pain? Is it feeling a fool for reasons I shouldn't mention? What is it? Is it that I haven't written in awhile? But I need notes...facts. I could write something else, but my passion lies in no other script at present. What is it? I can't sleep and it's driving me bonkers. I have a meeting in the morning. I have things to do, people to see and yet my mind won't let me be. Why can't I sleep? What is it? Whatever it is, it's driving me crazy. I wish I could just sleep!

Sep 29, 2005

TV: Smallville - Best Series Ever!

Can I just say that after 3 decades of experiencing television, Smallville is -- by far -- my absolute favorite series. As a kid I loved Dr. Who, Monty Python, and Star Trek (reruns of the original series). As a teen I loved Twin Peaks. After that, Charmed. Now it is Smallville and it exceeds my expectations every season. And Tom Welling.... Goodness he's good. (I must see The Fog.) Man, I can't wait until next Thursday. I want episode two now!

Sep 26, 2005

Photo: Bono (by me)


Bono
Originally uploaded by m220.

I can't wait for the 3rd leg! Woohoo! November/December are my U2 months! I've never wanted winter to get here so bad. ;-)

Sep 24, 2005

Review: The Notebook

I finally saw The Notebook. I originally wanted to see it because it has an incredible cast, but later I read several positive reviews, which reinforced my wanting to see it. Though I never really knew what the story was about aside from a woman having to choose between two loves. Well, I finally just watched it and it goes so much deeper than what I thought. Aside from incredible storytelling and amazing acting, this film touches me a such a deeper level. J. told me that in one review he read the film was said to be designed to make the viewer cry, but, then again, they weren't expecting me as a viewer and what I've experienced. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It was soul deep. It took me to a place in time that is so hard for me to visit I often shut it out. Oddly enough, though, I was recently reminded of that place by a suggestion to write about it. I couldn't bring myself there on my own, but this film just took me right to that place. I know this may all sound confusing, as I'm leaving out key elements of both the film and my past, but, I guess what I'm trying to get at is, that only a truly good story can bring out such emotion; only a tale that touches upon universal truths and the human condition can awake our own truths within us. I highly recommend The Notebook. You may not cry as hard as I did, but then again you just may. It depends on how close your own past, your own family experiences come to the plot. Mine was frighteningly close, but I'm glad I saw it and I'm glad it unlocked part of my memory. Everything happens for a reason, we just have to pay attention to the signs and go with the flow (which doesn't mean "follow," it just means going with "the way," as described in Eastern philosophies).

Randomness: PS

If you tried to call me Friday, I'm not dead. I've been fighting a cold since Inland Invasion so I decided to just relax and drink orange juice all day. (I'll check messages this weekend.)

Sep 23, 2005

Film: Star Wars - Empire of Dreams

Off and on for several years of my life I have had the thought that I was born the wrong time flash through my head. There are aspects of the Victorian era I wish I could've experienced. Then there are concepts of the future like, civilian space travel, that I wish I could partake in. Then there were smaller shifts, like, man, I wish I could've experienced the sixties or been born into the current high tech world with a pacifier in one hand and an iPod in the other. However, there is one fairly simple reason why I know I was born at precisely the right time: Star Wars. The original Star Wars, that is. I was just of the right age to experience A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. Three of the best films ever made on many levels. Had I been born any later I may have missed Star Wars, but thankfully I was born at the right time and the seed was planted. Star Wars changed the industry for
the better and I will be able to tell stories better because of it.
Thanks George.

Sep 22, 2005

Life: Beautiful Day

There's something to be said for being up until 5 am watching Rome on HBO On Demand and still able to get up at 9ish, go to a cafe, work outside, and finish editing a 185 page script before 2 pm.
Of course, now, I seriously need a nap. Ha. But, at least, I
accomplished my day's main goal. What next? Buy a new vacuum cleaner! Blargh. Nap first. Clean later.

Sep 20, 2005

Randomness: My Cell Phone is Possessed

It calls people of its own volition and I'm not talking like when your phone is in your bag and something bumps it or whatever, especially since mine's a flip-phone. I'm talking like I can be in the middle of a conversation with my friend Anna and out of the blue I'll hear ringing and suddenly my dad is on the line. It's so freaken weird, man, I had to vent.

Sep 19, 2005

Music: KROQ Inland Invasion reviews

(X-posted in MySpace)

There were a handful of bands I must recommend seeing:

The Arcade Fire:
These guys & gals are intense. They look like the band geeks from high school but they rock hard and have some very unique sounds. I especially dug the chick on accordion (she also played keyboard, drums, sang vocals, etc.). My male friend was hot for the violinist.

Live:
I had never seen these guys perform before, though I bought their album Throwing Copper years ago and loved it. From a technical position, they were the best band of the day. Their sound is tight, they completely let go on stage, and Ed is just in the moment - none of it seems staged. Also, the tunes from their upcoming album sounded really good: real rock 'n' roll, which is something, I feel, is desperately needed in the "pop" scene today.

Garbage:
With a singer like Shirley Manson, how could any band go wrong? She lights up the stage with her massive persona and performance. This is one hot chick. Also, the camera just absolutely loves her. (See KROQ Inland Invasion 2005 set.)

Jet:
I know these guys seem a tad "sell-out" with their introductory single in an iPod commercial ("Are You Gonna Be My Girl"), but they play well and have some great classic-sounding songs. My one problem would be that they sound a little bit like "everyone else," however my inability to specifically name who they sound like kind of makes up for this, lol.

Oasis:
Two words: Liam Gallagher. Granted all the songs are composed by Noel and he is one damn fine songwriter, but let's face it, without Liam there would be no Oasis. He is the epitome of arrogance and his absolute shamelessness makes it not only forgivable but also enjoyable. I found myself making eye contact with him (I was front-center pit) and just cracking up. He's a rock star. He knows it, he loves it, and he shows it. So what if they sound like (or, more importantly, want to be) The Beatles? They have genuinely great Brit pop tunes and an enigmatic front man. What more could you ask for? (Ok, ok, originality, but we can leave that to bands like U2. Oasis is a good fucking time; it's ok that they are not a religious experience.)

Final note: any bands who performed that I did not mention I either did not see (due to much needed breaks) or I disliked (um, 311, go home).

Life: I Feel Like Death.

Man, am I getting too old for all day concerts? Nah, couldn't be. There were people twice my age at that thing. Phew. Mayhaps I need to eat better. Damn. Note to self: For U2 binge (2 LA, 2 Las Vegas, 2 Oakland, 1 SLC, & 1 Portland) make sure to get on a steady nutritious diet, exercise daily, and totally detox the system. Oh! And plenty of rest in comfortable environments! Which means, when crashing at Hector's in Santa Cruz -- or anywhere else -- bring a warm blanket and sleeping bag! Speaking of, I should prolly zip an e-mail off to Hector to make sure he'll be in town. I know he's going to Greece soon... Oh, I would love to join him on that trip, but I have a lot of work to do before I can take international vacations. *kicks self in butt* I need a cheerleader (of sorts). I need someone with whom I can work on my writing who supports me (emotionally, mentally) and believes in me. I can do it myself and I will, but sometimes it would just be nice to share the journey with a true friend -- someone I can see often -- who isn't riding your coattails, rather just on a sort of parallel journey... One in which you help each other via respect and positive energy... I may have had that, but, well, the heart does silly things... I'd fall in love with the sky if it could help me to fly.

Sep 18, 2005

Photo: KROQ Inland Invasion 2005 pics

Click Me

Music: Done and Done.

KROQ Inland Invasion pretty much totally rocked. Or was it just Oasis? I dunno, all I know is I had a darn good time. I may look like a lobster, feel like every muscle in my body is immobile, and never want to drink an alcoholic beverage again but it was all worth it for one main reason: pit tickets. That, my friend, is the way to go with big, all day concerts like that. We went through the line up, chose the bands we wanted to see, and devised a plan to get in and out of the pit in such a fashion that we would be nearly guaranteed front and center every time and it worked. Granted, you can't get rail, since there are those who just camp out there all day, but you can get very close. For the headliner, Oasis, I was two people back from the rail and dead center on Liam. Man, that was cool. (That and the two people were extremely short girls which always helps for us in betweeny chicks.) Anyhoo, I'm uploading pics to Flickr now and will shortly post a link. Cheers!