Hearing Colors and Seeing Sounds

Hi (obligatory birthday post)

2011-08-08T00:44:00.000-07:00

I usually hate when my birthday rolls around. They're hardly ever really memorable. I mean last year was great, my sister took the extended family and my boyfriend to Farrell's in Mission Viejo. Actually, it was perfect, but this year? Oh man. The key is to set low expectations; almost believe you're a Jehovah's Witness, that way when you get one or two texts, and five or less Facebook/email birthday wishes, you're not too sad about it. Then again, what pathetic person judges their self-worth by how many of these messages are received? Ahem. Today, at least at one point, I was with someone I really love and care for. Domestic partner (ha) and I met my sister and her family, and she took us out to eat... where I ate the BEST burger ever. And fries. Those fries... ugh and iced tea. Heaven is on earth my friends, and it's on the corner of south Brea Blvd. My sister bought these adorable and absolutely delicious Korean fruit tarts from a bakery. A Korean bakery, which of course, are the best bakeries. We (we being Mr. Argueta and I) were dropped off in the fifth circle of Hell, Pico Rivera. It was actually nice though. The money meant to help me with college and my burgeoning lifestyle was funneled into my dad's attempts to be relevant in regards to today's technology. Ergo, he owns a PS3 (of which he solely uses to play crappy NFL games), and many, many blu ray dvds. Anyway, the two of us played God of War III. Which, holy crap, is one of the most aesthetically stunning video games I have ever played. I haven't played much on the seventh generation consoles, with the exception of the Wii (which really doesn't say anything). Mr. Argueta was picked up as he had further tasks. THEN...

I went outside to look for my dying cat.* Found him, but then dropped him (not too high off the ground), and saw my two bff's from high school. Yeah, high school sucked, but these guys, we've been to NY, and have known each other since we were 11. They came out of nowhere, scared the shit out of me, and then we went bowling. I am so terrible at bowling. Yes. We then got coffee, girl talk, and reminisced. Laaaaater, we said our goodbyes, and I was back at my dad's house, who took me back to Argueta's house, err home.

O M G. I love this family. My real family is okay, my sister is amazing, but the other two, eh. More surprises! And yeah, Gio is probably the best gift giver ever. And birthday planner. This guy, have him plan your shit. Pictures of gifts will soon be posted! After that, the two of us ate dinner of which he prepared (no, it's not romantic, they were leftovers), and we watched Breaking Bad.

I hate sappy posts. I hate long posts, but hi there. And, thank you Gio. You euuugh, there are no words. Just, Danny Trejo sends his regards. This was the best. Goodbye, teenage years. ~*good riddance*~

*Not dead, or dying, just depressed.

I Just Wrote an 800 Word Paper on Radiohead, I Love College

2011-06-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

**The following is an essay I wrote for one of my lower division English classes this quarter. Wait, just forget I said that, this is an analysis of Radiohead. And this is my blog. Catherine Carroll's blog.

Generation Y-ers were given the chance to indulge in being the completely awkward individuals parental divorce, the internet, and video games had made them out to be. And frankly, this was possible thanks to an English band known as Radiohead, whose single titled “Creep,” resonated in the hearts of many, (probably millions, don’t count me on that though). The typical, avid Radiohead listener may or may not have low-self confidence, a tendency to be overly-pretentious about what he or she considers “good” music, and possibly wears really tight jeans and plaid shirts. Of course, these are all generalizations, and probably only speak for myself. In 1997, Radiohead released their third studio album OK Computer.

A considerable amount of the lyrics and artwork featured in the album share a common theme of isolation, anti-materialism, anti-government, all due in part to political and social stagnation. The album itself is a widely critically acclaimed and commercially successful work, that reinstated Radiohead’s status of being a band of truly experimental genius. Ok Computer’s first single, “Paranoid Android,” illustrates disdain for the conformist society that became ubiquitous in the mid to late 1990s (popular films like Office Space (1999) and the Matrix (1999) echo such themes, and show obvious rapport towards this new mundane way of life). Nearly every verse brings to mind a sense of the anonymity and monotonous lifestyle that is accompanied with working in cubicles, subscribing to inconsequential trends, and generally being a slave of a corrupt capitalistic society.

Nevertheless, to say Radiohead is a group of radical Marxists would be a bit of an over-exaggeration. “Paranoid Android’s” lyrics are indeed anti-capitalistic, and even quite abrasive in nature, however Radiohead is in a sense lamenting the obsessive consumerism found in the western world. In a tongue and cheek manner, the lyrics (and the way in which they are vocalized, think: distortion, confusion) express and induce the madness experienced by the protagonist in the song.

Before I proceed, let me say that Thom Yorke (lead vocalist and songwriter) has this wonderfully amazing voice that can reach the highest of octaves, and in a second, change to an almost monotone murmur. I will be the first person to admit though, his voice is not for everyone, as such, definitely not my dad nor my roommates. To me though, his voice, the songwriting, the instrumentals, everything, come together effortlessly to create hauntingly beautiful pieces of music. “Paranoid Android” is composed of three distinct parts (some argue four). I really do not want to do a second by second analysis of the song, ergo, the three main segments of the song and their significance:

PARANOID

The protagonist is presented as a feeble person (just listen to that falsetto!), “Please could you stop the noise/ I’m trying to get some rest.” Throughout the duration of the song, the line “What’s this?” is repeated numerous times, thus evoking a sense of insecurity and suspiciousness. All these queries are entirely rhetorical, which consequently, adds to the mounting paranoia of both the listener and the protagonist. The lyric “With your opinion that’s of no consequence at all,” transitions focus from the protagonist to the pronoun. Also, this line marks the beginning of the anti-government sentiment present in the rest of the song. The listener is told he does not have any real, discerning beliefs or notions, because of the asset-obsessed society he lives in.

DISCOVERY

An almost slurring Thom Yorke, sings around the 2:20 mark, “Ambition makes you look pretty ugly/ kicking and squealing, Gucci little piggy.” These lyrics clearly deride capitalism. True, the free market of the west has (relatively) allowed and prompted the economic stability and agency of many people, however as expressed in the following lyrics, happiness and the human spirit are drained from this system. Furthermore, the inclusion of the high fashion brand Gucci and its correlation with a filthy barn animal emphasizes the total disdain Yorke has for materialism (at least in this song, anyway).

ANDROID

At 3:34, the song takes a dramatic shift; a chorus of angelic-like chanting with the lyrics “Rain down. Come on down rain on me/ From a great height,” is repeated. Pristine and serene images come to mind, especially with the lyrically reinforced impressions of Heaven (“a great height”). The chorus continues to overlap with the repeated words, “The panic, the vomit.” The final lyric, “God loves His children, God loves His children, yeah,” shows great juxtaposition, unsettling images with a “caring” God. Again, Yorke is using sarcasm, but this time, to praise the ideological apparatus of religion.

I would not be lying if I said this album raised my IQ. In fact, it certainly did.

Hello, (most of) The State

2009-08-24T23:01:00.000-07:00

GOOD NEWS! I have something to blog about, unfortunately this will lack the obsessive detail of past blog entries in which I encountered people that I adore and worship. On second thought, after seeing how long this ended up being, I take that back.

Last Thursday, I went to a meet and greet with six of the eleven members of the ahhmazing, beloved MTV series The State near Santa Monica, or somewhere near there. I woke up a bit late, 9:50-ish, a Top Chef marathon and BBC America were the defaults. I had to take the public bus to meet my dad where he works in downtown so that we could go to the previously mentioned destination. After waiting what seemed like hours at that bus stop right in front of that big ol' intersection (hey there agoraphobia), a bus finally pulls in. When I got to my stop, which was the very last stop of the busline, I had to wait a little while on that street. Being a teenage girl, waiting alone on a street in downtown Los Angeles is interesting, actually that's not the right adjective, is it? OH! I forget to mention, if you ever take a car/bus to/around downtown, I recommend listening to some Joy Division, particularly these tracks: Transmission, Disorder, She's Lost Control...

Well, my dad picked me up and we headed over to the the DVD store where the signing was being held at, and much to our surprise, there was hardly any traffic! We drove near the store, but we were two hours early and there was no parking anywhere. Not that people had already showed up for the signing. Free parking in LA is nearly impossible to find, kind of like the elusive Mew, Suicine, Lugia, Darkrai... you get the point. So we parked at a nearby mall and killed some time in the Barnes and Noble there. I was starting to feel the effect of the ativan I took earlier, which is probably on par with being slightly drunk but still being fully aware of everything, sort of.

We went back to the store and there was already a small line, probably ten or so people in front of me. Hmm to protect the privacy of other people, I'll cut this part really short. I talked with a huge State fan that was behind me, I'm not sure how the conversation started, but it was great! Ah, speaking with someone with the same comedic taste... it is glorious. My new friend is a BIG Thomas Lennon fan, seriously my Michael Ian Black is her Lt. Dangle. In fact, she actually won the short-shorts Lennon sports on Reno 911 that were auctioned off on eBay. Anyway, we were finally let in... Ahh and I just got to say, they were so incredibly nice (this word will soon be overused). Like, you have no idea... A few of my favorite exchanges.

Thomas Lennon- A lot of tension built up to this moment. I mean, the last time I saw him up close was at the Orpheum where he was staring directly at me and happily talking about oral sex. Would he remember me? He shook my hand and kinda locked eyes again. Oh, sweet deja vu.
Ben Garant- Nice dude! He said hi and "thanks for coming out." I swear, I have the worst hearing ever, ESPECIALLY when mixed with the confusion and disorientation of my anxiety meds in full effect. "Huh?" He repeats it. "Umm, wait huh?" He says it a third time, finally I get it; "Oh, uh yeah... thanks."
Ken Marino- "Hi, I'm Ken!" "Umm I know." "What's your name?" "Catherine." "Nice to meet you Catherine." "You too."
The greatest exchange of words, ever?
David Wain- Ah the king of them all. The head honcho... Our "conversation" went something like this:

David: Where did you come from?
Me: *surprised* Here, well I live in LA.
David: Yeah. I know that. But where?
Me: Near Whittier...
David: That's good. *signs DVD with "YOU LIVE IN LA, I HEAR"*

I took an organic banana signed by Joe and took pictures of them. It was super awesome, I mean look at this LONG blog post, which means either two things (or both) that a) this was really fun and b) I have nothing better to do.... We had to leave early, UGH. I hate myself for not staying to see Tom fall off and subsequently break his chair, actually that was really sad, in a funny sort of way.

**Note: There's something about Robert Ben Garant. I just can't pin it. Sans mustache, military haircut, and aviator sunglasses, he's pretty darn sexy.

Here. In case you don't believe me. Check out the Flickr.

The philosophy of blogging

2009-08-10T17:27:00.000-07:00

I've really hit a slump with this... The thing is, you start a blog and name it. Hopefully some people will click on the link to it on some social networking website of yours or people will find it via some obscure google search. Things go great; you find an interesting blog and read about that person's experiences, whether he or she be a self-hating Jew or an awesome ESL teacher living in Japan (obscure descriptions ftw). Then, like I mentioned above, a slump hits. You didn't blog about last week's concert or your recent vacation (not that I did any of those cool things). You start to wonder what's the point.

Well, enough of that depressing stuff! I think I will return to this blog, not for your enjoyment of reading about yours truly (creepy, but flattering, actually just creepy), but for the Google hits. I can't say the same for all browsers, but when you google the words "catherine carroll" and "jew" this blog is the first listing. A huge accomplishment really. S00, stay tuned.

2009-08-03T00:44:00.000-07:00

Thinking about resurrecting this old blog, I mean I did work really hard on that Smokey banner, and the ads are actually relevant! No more "buy hearing aids here."

I don't know yet.

2009-05-31T22:11:00.001-07:00

Hi blog. I've missed you oh so much. Sorry I cheated on you... Friends? O.K.

I'll be back two months from now to collect child support.

goodnewsday

2009-04-09T02:13:00.001-07:00

Yes, yes. Found out that The State is FINALLY getting a dvd release this summer. Now, I’ll admit I was a tad bit young when the show was on air, and YouTube has sadly been the only source for my reveling. Oh wellz.

(via Joe Lo Truglio)

Aaaaaand the dates for AWESOMECON and a live show in San Diego were posted today. Wave runners+karaoke+cold meat+T&E= a lifechanging weekend.

Summer will be loads of fun. “Awwwww yeaaaaaaaaah.”

2009-04-06T20:43:00.000-07:00

I got a Tumblr. Which is basically like this blog but with a shorter attention span.

catwashere.tumblr.com

For your viewing pleasure, this is what my NES collection looks like.

today

2009-03-22T20:48:00.000-07:00

I woke up around 10ish with a bad headache and my cat's ass in my face. Total relax day, a Twin Peaks marathon was on the "Chiller" channel. Great.

Stared at this:

Went to Borders to pick up these:

Now awaiting a beautiful reunion of comedic gods. Okay, I won't go as far to say, "gods" but it's going to be AWESOME. Hence the title of tonight's episode. Yeppers. I'm probably more excited for this than I really should be. Update soon.

UPDATE: It was, wait for it... awesome.

2009-02-27T23:48:00.000-08:00

I have a saved image on my computer titled "craziest tree ever." This is what it looks like:
I should really go to bed now, I'm sick and I have a bar-mitzvah to go to tomorrow. Actually, I wish I did. No Jews live in Pico. Reason number 3435 why I hate this city. On another note that shouldn't follow the previous sentences, what is up with the History Channel and their fascination with white supremacy? Seriously, let's see we have Gangland, Ku Klux Klan: A Secret History, Ice Road Truckers, etc. Okay that last one has nothing to with anything, but you get the point.

"Hey girlfriend, where've you been?!"

2009-02-19T22:40:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to Amoeba Records for this:

A friend and I waited in a pretty long line. Lots of people showed up. Hipsters, mainly. While waiting, a remix of "Where's My Chippy?" came on. "I don't know why you like this stuff." Haha, oh Amanda. Basically all the regulars were there. Pierre (Ron Austar) was particularly nice. Then there they were, sitting at the very end, ol' Tim and Eric. Didn't seem in much of a good mood. Well, they were obviously very tired. Oh well.

Stayed a bit to look at the LP's and their impressive dvd collection. They have everything. Russian indie rap? Yep. Brazilian new wave? Got that too. When they were all done signing everything after about an hour or so, an Amoeba employee took group pictures of them. My friend bumped into a man as she was trying to take a picture of them for me. He offered to take the picture after saying he had "freakishly long arms." And he did.

Douggpound, Palmer Scott, Tim, Pierre, James Quall, Bob Druwing, Rick Dunn, Tanese Gray, and Sire. Where's Eric? No idea. The man always disappears.

Interesting night.

boxers or briefs

2009-02-08T23:24:00.000-08:00

Haven't logged in for a while. Nothing really noteworthy, I guess. Or maybe, I just wanted to see that last post suspended in time forever at the top of my little blog. Yeah, that's it. So this will be real short. Thank God I have tomorrow off. My digestive tract is not being very cooperative. Aaaand, the Snuggie is really getting to me. So what it's just a blanket with sleeves.

aw yeeaaah

2009-01-12T19:01:00.001-08:00

Within a few days of posting that last entry I have become totally infatuated with the comedic insanity that is Tim and Eric. And by infatuated I mean obsessed. The first season? Ordered it last Thursday. Own any merch? Just purchased a terrific "Rats Off to Ya!" t-shirt. And you can just imagine the pure glee I felt when I saw on their website that the duo are coming to Los Angeles for their 2009 Awesome Tour. I mean how serendipitous (word that I thought I made up) is it that these two just happen to stop by at this time? It hasn't even been more than a month (actually it has) since my last comedy show. I hate having to resort to Ticketmaster, but the convenience charges will be totally worth it. If only that damn asshole on Craigslist would just respond to my email.

Jealous? Of course you are.

Ah, my internet friend, 2009 is off to a good start. A very good start indeed.

let's get dirty with this mother

2009-01-07T22:40:00.000-08:00

I watch this show every single night. And I don't even need to be intoxicated to completely understand everything. Ok, well maybe not everything.

I love you Tim and Eric.

As this crappy year comes to an end

2008-12-30T21:24:00.000-08:00

2008

Positive things:
-I told my teacher I love him (not really).
-I am now an aunt.
-I met Michael Ian Black (highlight of my teenage life son).
-My unhealthy obsession with said person (I know, not exactly 'positive'). Other "unhealthy obsessions" of 2008 include: Gary Sinise, Ewan McGregor, and James Mason.
-My new CD/DVD/book collection.
-The only Summer Olympics event that I watched was the Men's Volleyball matches. Gay.
-Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. The show has been around since 2006, but oh well. Ever since I saw this video and an episode where Andrew eats some rotting shark meat, I was hooked.

-The end of an era.
-Oh, and how could I leave out seeing Stella. December 13 at the Orpheum theatre in Los Angeles. Front row. Best night ever, and certainly funniest night of my life.

Negative things:
-Lots of hijacking, suicide bombings, food shortages, civil unrest, polar bears dying, etc.
-Smokey has been throwing up a lot and seems to have diarrhea more often.
-Some very talented people have died this year: Brad Renfro, Heath Ledger, and of course Paul Newman, fine actor and salad dressing extraordinaire.
-Degrassi sucks now.
-Polaroid is gradually ceasing production of their instant film.
-I discovered that David Hyde Pierce is gay.

Best Movies of the Year:
There's only two, because as you know, I'm allergic to movie theaters and top 10 lists.

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Have I seen it? Honestly, no. But I will Saturday. Director Danny Boyle is known for his two films Trainspotting and 28 Days Later, two movies that scare the shit out of me for completely different reasons. But I've heard that this is one of the most touching films of the year, probably might get the nod for best picture. The trailer itself is a masterpiece.

ROLE MODELS
Of course. I've seen it twice. This is (a slightly more mainstream) David Wain at his comedic and absurd best.

I think that about covers it for now.

Happy New Year's. Here's to hoping 2009 is better. Cheers.

2008-12-22T00:44:00.000-08:00

A few things:

1. My left eye is swelling. Probably a damn sty.
2. Twitter is pretty god damn addicting. Even if no one I know has one.
3. I now understand why people have more than one myspace account. (Hint: creepy middle aged men)
4. Brown University continues to torture me with emails. Honestly, I get the feeling they just want me to send an application so that they can laugh at how pathetic it is.*
5. My mom is worried that I will convert to Judaism
>"You know they go to church almost everyday, even on Saturdays."
Of all the arguments she could have made, she chose that one.
6. On a related note, I bought these great 99 cent Hanukkah candles at Vons today.
7. "I saw this commercial on late night TV, it was for this thing you attach to a garden hose, it was like "You can water your hard-to-reach plants with this product." Who the fuck would make their plants hard to reach? That seems so very mean."

*That wasn't too egotistical right? Wait, being too egotistical on a blog? How preposterous.

Last Night

2008-12-14T01:21:00.000-08:00

I know what you're expecting. Something along the lines of me saying that last night was the most incredible night of my life. Tis was.

The night began as follows: Got stuck in traffic on the 5 at around 6:30-ish. When we were finally in the heart of Downtown, my dad had to take a piss. And so, he parks next to this abandoned bus station and proceeds to pee behind the car. A homeless man rode by on his bicycle. When we arrived at the Orpheum, I was surprised by all the hip looking college students and teenage pseudo bohemians. I don't know. Just not the crowd I was expecting. Silly me. When we were finally let in, we sat in our seats which were in the center of the front row. After listening to Chicago and Ben Folds for about 45 minutes, some very familiar " fuck music" came on. Ah, sweet nostalgia. Thomas Lennon went on stage, and proceeded to some great stand up. Throughout his whole set though, I couldn't help but notice that he was constantly looking directly at me. He was literally raping me with his eyes, whilst discussing blowjobs and 69ing. He seriously was. I will never feel the same way about Lt. Dangle ever again, among other things.

STELLA of course, was absolutely hilarious. It was unbelievable seeing them in the flesh... I won't go into too much detail. Joe Lo Truglio later went on stage. During the encore, all of them came on stage and sang their rendition of Billy Joel's Moving Out.

After, the ushers were forcing everyone into the lobby and out the doors, basically kicking them out. David Wain had said that the three of them would be signing the STELLA Shorts dvds that were earlier being sold. So my dad and I stalled a bit in the theater and finally went into the lobby. There was a pretty big crowd around a table. Sure enough, the three of them were sitting there signing dvd covers. I was able to sneak into the line. They appeared to be so tired/sad. Showalter quietly said "hi," and signed my cover. I asked Michael Ian Black to sign my book, he seemed a little surprised that I brought it. OMFG, it was pure magic. That's all I can say about our little encounter... If I go into more detail, I'll look like a complete obsessive freak. David Wain, seemed the most miserable of the three... No one was taking pictures with them; no one was allowed to. I learned that the reason why was because the Orpheum didn't want the line to go any slower. Stupid shit. I don't know whether they had some trouble with the Orpheum staff or if they were just soooo exhausted. Tom Lennon was standing near the door and was taking pictures with people. Totally regret not taking my picture with the bastard.

We left the theater and headed home. Besides the whole negative vibe after the show and several embarrassing dad moments, the night was fucking AMAZING. I was depressed that they said this would be their last show, but alas, new shows have been posted. San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, hmmm...

Here's some stills from the videos I took. "No flash photography." Note: my camera pisses me off, but I actually kinda like how these came out. Even if they are blurry as shit(e).

Michael Ian Black's nose job

Showalter's sex dance to "Kiss From a Rose"

More at my flickr set. Fuck, I desperately need a scanner.
Update later.

STELLA tomorrow

2008-12-12T21:34:00.000-08:00

So this time tomorrow, I will be sitting in the Orchestra section, row A, seat 2 at the Orpheum Theater to see my Jewish heroes. I love these guys, it's like a dream come true. You don't even know. Sadly, this may be their last tour together, and the LA gig is their last stop. I'm like hyperventilating and shit. Ohmigod. Ohmigod. Okay I'm calm now. I can't believe I'm actually going to see them... and front row too. Oh no, I'm hyperventilating again.

Ohmigod.

If I had a tumor, I'd name it Marla

2008-12-05T23:58:00.000-08:00

Tonight was nice. I watched a movie, Fight Club. I missed about the first hour of it. I really need to finish Lullaby... Is it weird to be quasi-obsessed with a man that has been dead for 20+ years?
I don't think so. Ah, James Mason.

2008-11-28T21:21:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving.

I got my braces off today. Either the fact that I can now see my teeth without a piece of metal across them has given me the illusion that they appear larger than they really are, or my teeth have magically enlarged. I'm hoping on the former.

Freedom.

Actually, not quite. According to my retainer instructions, I have to wear them "every other night" eight years from now. Wonderful.

Twilight Review

2008-11-23T15:16:00.000-08:00

Maybe I was a bit too harsh with my last post? Nah.

Did my mom like Twilight? Yes, very much so. Me, on the other hand, not so much. Like I previously said, I tried to maintain an open mind while viewing the film. There was a plethora of different kinds of people there; tweenagers, twenty-something chicks that wear glasses and have really frizzy hair and talk really loud and probably work in bookstores, twenty-something chicks that dragged their poor boyfriends along, et cetera. A couple of conspicuous looking middle aged men were also present. I went to the 8:30 showing at Birch Street in Brea. The line went around the freaking building. Blah blah... skip to the previews. The fangirls went completely crazy when the Harry Potter preview came on. They were squealing and screaming throughout the whole freaking preview. I could only imagine what I was in store for when the actual movie came on...

Now, before I rip this movie a new asshole, I would like to say it had its good parts and its bad parts. Of course, the bad parts outweighed the good but hey, that's just my opinion. Who the hell was the director of cinematography here? He/she did an awful job, seriously. You don't just randomly pan out of two people sitting next to each other, and then stay completely fixated on a tree branch. Bad transitions. Also, way too much staring. The audience (including myself) laughed throughout the film, because the acting was that horrible. I must've said "God, this is so corny" so many times... geez. I wasn't too sure if what I was laughing at was supposed to be intentionally funny. How can you take any scene in a film seriously when the following happens: Edward calls Bella a "SPIDER MONKEY" and tells her "You better hang on spider monkey" as he proceeds to take off at 1,000,000 MPH through the forest, up trees, clinging his way like a frog up the trunks. I probably laughed more watching Twilight, than I did Role Models. Okay, that was definitely an overstatement. But nevertheless, it was baaaad. In fact, this spoof is BETTER than the movie by light years.

Man, I feel so bipolar about this post. Okay, it wasn't that bad. It was okay. Just okay. Not the best adaptation, nor acting. Anyway, the baseball scene was good. And the soundtrack is quite nice. However, this movie has FOREVER ruined Suite Bergamasque for me. One of my all time favorite piano suites used... like that? *sigh*

A Vampire Movie That Sucks (your blood)

2008-11-21T16:04:00.000-08:00

Why do I have a feeling this movie is going to blow? I'm tired about hearing about the books/movie. People often make comparisons to Twilight with the Harry Potter series, only difference; Harry Potter is actually good. I heard that a 47 year old woman moved her family to a small town in Washington, in hopes that some overly ridiculously good lucking teenage vampire will find her. People are really sad. Augh, the angst! Anyhoo, against my will; I am seeing Twilight tonight. Well not exactly "against my will," per se.

I try not to base my opinions on movies from what IMDB says, but below a 5.5 rating? Wow, that's bad. Here's a few reasons as to why I'm not too thrilled about seeing Twilight.

1. Bandwagon... the hype.
2. I've read two pages, no actually it was two paragraphs, just to see what all the hype is about. It was, how do I put it, boring?
3. I don't want to be in a theater full of teenyboppers and strange gay men, or pedophiles planning on hitting on said teenyboppers. (Yeah, make that lots of pedophiles. Just check out this thread on Rotten Tomatoes. Don't the comments by the middle aged men just warm your heart?)
4. "I know what you are."
"Say it."
*in a whisper* "Vampire."

Hmmmm... that was incredibly LAME.

But I digress, I am going to try to have an open mind. Yeah right. Review, maybe later.

SNL tonight...

2008-11-15T18:51:00.000-08:00

So it's been more than a week since ROLE MODELS opened. I've seen it twice. If you haven't seen this movie yet, what are you waiting for? Funniest movie of the year. I am so happy for its success, number 2 at the box office (well not anymore thanks to Quantum of fucking Solace), and it has received a certified "Fresh" rating from Rotten Tomatoes. I laughed throughout the entire movie. Totally exceeded my expectations; yes, it's raunchy but there's also a few "heart-felt" moments. Rudd as always, plays an amazing asshole; Scott gives a great performance as well. Christopher Mintz-Plasse is perfect as Medieval outcast Augie, and as for Bobb'e J. Thompson, is this kid seriously only 12 years old?! "Fuck you Miss Daisy." This kid will go far. If you enjoy Apatow's films, you will definitely love Role Models. Overall, it's an incredibly hilarious movie. Amazing job, David Wain.

Speaking of which, Paul Rudd is hosting tonight's episode of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. Hell to the yes.

Yay Role Models

2008-11-06T23:37:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I've been to the movies. Either the last movie I saw was I Am Legend or Juno. Anyway, I've been anticipating the release of Role Models since, well I read about it on David Wain's blog several months ago. It's unbelievable that this movie is from the same guy behind Wet Hot American Summer, with all the widespread media attention- interviews, billboards, commercials galore. The film looks very promising, David Wain co-wrote and directed, not to mention a, dare I say it, hilarious cast. The David Wain/Paul Rudd collaboration is all I need. A group of friends and I will be watching it tomorrow, opening day. So exciiiited. You seriously don't even know.

I'll be posting a review later...

2008-11-04T20:18:00.000-08:00

Obama got California, Washington, etc. he won. Not to sound too redundant, but this is truly a remarkable day in America. Oh man, they just showed McCain giving his concession speech in Arizona. He congratulated Obama; the people booed. God, can't these people show any decency? Anyway, I've heard several fireworks go off, Chicago, New York are going apeshit. My neighbors must not be too proud with their McCain/Palin and Yes on Prop 8 signs right about now. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to par-tay.

2008-11-03T17:48:00.000-08:00

My new addiction:

SUPERJAIL!

A combination of a really bad LSD trip and Happy Tree Friends (but better, much better). This show is the epitome of awesome; vivid animation, extreme violence, catchy theme song, and of course, DAVID WAIN.

Words cannot describe. Watch it. Be amazed. Sundays 8:45 on [ADULT SWIM]

Awesome.

Oh yeah, don't forget to vote. Get your voice heard blah blah. Yay!

2008-10-29T20:16:00.000-07:00

+

The Barack Obama Political Message is on.
With all due respect Mr. Barack, I think I like SNL's version better.

We built it up, we built it up, and now it's solid. Solid as Barack.

2008-10-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

+

Fuck Florida. First they totally screw up the 2004 presidential election, and now their team just beat the Red Sox; Boston made a great comeback, one of the greatest in baseball history, I might add.

Go Phillies...

2008-10-15T22:06:00.000-07:00

+
A Refresher
-->

Joe Six Pack, Joe the Plumber... and Joe the Pedophile.
Oh man, you just kind of feel sorry for McCain. Poor guy. Joe the Plumber is certainly a real person; he is bald, he is from Ohio, and yes, he is a plumber. As I'm watching Obama, I must admit he looks pretty sexy. He's looking at me and McSame is grinding his teeth into sawdust.

McCain's wife is a Dalmatian-killing robot.

2008-10-11T22:23:00.000-07:00

+

Watching the debates on Current TV is so much cooler.
WARNING: Major Republican bashing.

Wow, Palin isn't even in the White House yet and already she is involved in some scandal. Tsk tsk. Unless you're like me and you watch Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN, or any news report show with underlying Liberal elements, you would realize how pathetic and desperate McCain and Palin are. In short, McCain supporters think Obama is a terrorist, and Palin, well I'm sure you've all seen the Katie Couric interview, or at least the SNL version for that matter. What an airhead. Perhaps all the hairspray she uses has disabled her to think? You know, with that beehive style that she always has, it has to weigh at least, oh as much as my obese cat. It's really sad, that McCain has to correct his own supporters, that Obama is indeed not a terrorist, and for them to respond by booing. To further my point, spell check has underlined Palin, McCain, and Obama. Let's see, spelling recommendation for McCain is "moccassin"; Palin is "plain", and Obama is "abeam," which means "directly abreast the middle of a ship's side." Oh yeeaaaah. Wait, whaaaa??

Gawker has found what may be Sarah Palin's high school transcript, complete with SAT scores. I'll let you judge for yourself.

No wonder she thinks she can see Russia from her house. Idiot.

2008-10-09T23:54:00.000-07:00

+

It barely hit me during the 4 o'clock evening news that today was Yom Kippur. Oh yes, another Jewish post from a quasi Jewish person. Well, today is the most sacred day for Jews. Let's see what Wikipedia has to say... "Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25 hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services." I was Kosher today; I ate a Hebrew National hot dog, if that is any consolation. I'm such a bad Jew.

Dear Cubs, You've Broken My Heart

2008-10-04T22:13:00.000-07:00

I'm a Red Sox fan. I'm also a Chicago Cub's fan. Both these teams are bad, and that's why I like them. It just so happens that both teams made it into the playoffs, and coincidentally are playing against two LA teams, excuse me, Los Angeles of Anaheim, for all you Angel haters, but then again if you are an Angel hater, you would be a Dodger fan, Dodgers beat my Cubs, so yeah... you suck. Anyway, the Cubs had the second best record in baseball this year. In the course of one week the Cubs... well... they... whatever.

Fuck goats.

Whaaaa?

2008-09-23T23:42:00.000-07:00

You may have wondered why I haven't posted in a while... or not, since no one reads this blog. Anyway, I did go to the LA County Fair, mecca of disfranchised white people and trans fat, on Saturday. I tasted (note "tasted" not "ate") a deep-fried Twinkie, and a deep-fried White Castle Hamburger, taste: greasy pancake covering an even greasier mini cheeseburger; repulsive. To balance those two out I tried some deep-fried vegetables; artichoke, avocado, and pickle. I haven't had a normal bowel movement for two days.

So I have started my Early Decision application for NYU. I have come to the most dreaded part of the process, the Personal Statements... So far, (not) so good. Question three however, has certainly perplexed me. "You have been selected to sing in a talent show. What song would you choose? Why?" This isn't measuring an applicant's musical taste right? Hmm any song, let's see, how about Let Me In by Hot Hot Heat. Maybe, just maybe, they'll get the message? Or I could go ultra gay, and belt out Don't Stop Believing. Or I could be totally irrelevant and do I Am the Walrus. I'll explain how I have dysmorphophobia or something. Either way, the Pokemon theme song is definitely worth considering; "I want to be the very best, like no one ever was." No truer words have ever been spoken or sung. Did I mention I scored an impressive 88 on the Karaoke version of the Pokemon theme?? New York here I come!

screw vitamins

2008-09-09T22:27:00.001-07:00

So, I took a vitamin tablet yesterday. I don't take vitamins; only when I was a kid. The Flinstones ones, of course.
But you know what happened today? I got a cold. Thanks vitamins.

Cyanocobalamin my ass.

oh.

2008-09-04T19:19:00.000-07:00

Today is the season finale of Reality Bites Back... the only thing that gave me a reason to look forward to every Thursday. Well, naturally I am deeply saddened, however Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter should be airing their new show Michael and Michael Have Issues on Comedy Central soon. So, yay.

I am getting so tired

2008-09-02T22:28:00.000-07:00

of hearing this woman's name.

I will lose all confidence in America and move to Canada if the woman above is elected vice president, along with her archaic running mate. Okay, putting aside the whole "Baby Bristol" fiasco, this chick just isn't cut out for the job. You were the mayor of MiddleofNowhere, Alaska, population 5,000? All female voters will bow down to me, behold my running mate, a former Miss Alaska beauty pageant winner!

Ahh I can't wait for the debates. Major "ownage" Barrack Obama/Joe Biden style.

Introducing My Dream Halloween Costume: MegaMan

2008-08-26T19:19:00.000-07:00

Ok so I've been addicted to Mega Man for the last couple of days. The Mega Man X series only, Mega Man NT Warrior Battle Network sucks monkey balls. I have like been on a two year hiatus since the last time I really sat down and played a video game. I find blowing things up with plasma while being in a blue robot suit extremely relaxing. Speaking of blowing shit up, I still haven't gone too far in Grand Theft Auto: SA, I just... it's the black people... do I really have to play this stereotypical black guy?

So without further ado, the most awesome Halloween costume ever: MEGAMAN.

Oh God, what is that?! Well, I honestly tried and searched for a decent Megaman costume. And to no avail, there is none. But this one is just so freaking ridiculous. The guy actually looks happy, and he's sporting that cheeky pseudo Japanese peace sign. Black people trying to be Asian, that's so last year. I'm still going to try it though. But for this year, I think I'll just be good ol' Waldo.

Today is my last day of freedom... No more late nights and no more long mornings. Senior Year better be good.

today

2008-08-16T23:33:00.000-07:00

My dad promised me he would take me to the Glendale Galleria today, and so we went. It's a gigantic mall, probably the biggest in California, in case you've never been there before. I don't know, don't feel like looking it up. Anyway, there was a lot of fake looking people there, if you catch my drift. Up tight people and annoying tweenagers. Well, for some reason, the masses came out today. Well actually some chick from some Disney Channel show was there. Selena Gomez to be exact. All I know is she had some beef with that Miley Cyrus, so kudos to her. There were hundreds of teenyboppers waiting outside and they screamed every time the ABC news cameraman went up to them. Apparently there aren't any pressing matters in the world today, I mean yeah two guys in Georgia might have discovered Big Foot, but nah crowds of screaming preteens is where the real news is at.

Thank God we left. We walked across the street to the relatively new "Americana at Brand". A plaza with hipster-ific boutiques, a Cheesecake Factory, a musical water fountain, and a giant Barnes and Noble. Got some (much needed) new threads and a lovely Alice in Wonderland coffee mug from Urban Outfitters.

Later, I watched a movie: Dumb and Dumber. Then in spirit of my belated birthday, my dad and I ate at a Chinese buffet for dinner. And you know how those are... or maybe not.

My dinner, or at least a part of it.

At the moment, I am enjoying a slightly watered down caramel macchiato. I plan on having an all-niter, and have a movie marathon. Yeah, right.

Oh.

2008-08-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

So, I feel strangely disappointed, yet extremely happy. Why? Because he is making a brief stop in Los Angeles. But not for a book signing but for the freaking Chelsea Lately show. Well, looks like I'm off to Olympic Boulevard, where I will be waiting for the next 4 hours. Oh wait, I can't drive a car, and I don't have a ride. There's always the Montebello 40 bus-line....

Fuck me. Man, I'll never feel comfortable saying that. I still don't know why people say that anyway.

happy birthday to me

2008-08-08T20:49:00.000-07:00

I know a guy whose uncle's neighbor's cousin that knows someone that went to culinary school with that Duff dude on Ace of Cakes. Well long story short, for a rather reasonable price, they granted my wish of a Unicorn Cake.

I was quite surprised when I got the cake, as most people are on the show, but presumably for an entirely different reason. I assumed that a "unicorn" would be a piece of cake (see what I did there?) compared to all the Brooklyn Bridge replicas, King Kong Bar Mitzvahs, and Scrabble Board cakes they had so tediously worked on.

But you know what I got? I got the gayest cake ever seen by man. As the saying goes, "You get what you paid for" and in my case it was $15.

this always makes me happy/sad

2008-08-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the doctor's, the nurse was pretty ironic; "I know you,
you're the nervous one." After I ate out at BJ's, really good stuff.
For some reason I always thought it was some shabby sports bar type

place.

So, my lately currents:

current book:

"it killed me" count: 26

I've been putting this book off for the longest time, just a few more

chapters left. I love it.

current movie:

Woody Allen marathon.

current album:

current favorite picture:

Ubiquitous frozen yogurt chains and yeast infections

2008-08-03T16:48:00.000-07:00

People call it "crack". Wikipedia calls it crack. My cousin swears by it. A few weeks ago (but I'm going to write like this happened yesterday, to make my point more valid), I tried Pinkberry. Sandwiched between two other has-been popular hotspots Chipotle and Jamba Juice, was a small building with a bright green interior; very trendy. I was embarrassed to go in, I had just gone swimming. My eyes were pinkish, my hair was wet, my clothes didn't match, and I wasn't wearing a bra (not that really matters). I didn't know what to get, so I had my cousin order for me. When I got my medium cup, plain yogurt with a strawberry topping, I was shocked. No not really, but that's all it was; yogurt and strawberries. What was the big freaking deal? I've been doing the same thing to my Yo-Plait for years, and yet here I am unhappy and unemployed (damn you Fresh & Easy). Just because celebrities have been seen eating this stuff, people go apeshit.

Though I must admit, it was pretty good, but I still don't see why people are wetting their panties over some frozen yogurt, okay, GOOD frozen yogurt. Yogurtland is better. Then again, there's Yogurtworld, Yofurberry, Red Mango, Kiwiberri, Berri Good, and Yo-Shit (my own up-and-coming frozen treat restaurant chain). So, who needs ice cream when you can eat something that tastes good and can cure your Yeast Infection? Answer: No one.

Sure, these little purple microaerophillic bacteria look beautiful now, but when you're crotch is itchy as hell you could start a fire (no pun intended), you'll wish you didn't go anal.* Wow, how in the world did I get from Pinkberry to butt sex? Blogging is fun.

*Not always the case.

An open letter to the Fry's employee with the bowl haircut I saw today

2008-07-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

Dear Charlie,

You have the sexiest facial hair ever. Now, I'm not usually (by usually I mean never) attracted to men with facial hair. Beards are gross. However, your mop-top haircut accented your well trimmed beard and lovely brown eyes quite well. I have never seen you before, perhaps you only work weekdays, or are you new? I visit the Fry's in Industry practically every weekend, and I am pretty sure I would have made your acquaintance already. In fact, I know you are new. "Checkout line escorters" (the person that tells you what register number to go to) are on the bottom rung of the Fry's Electronics corporate ladder. No offense Charlie. By the way, I didn't get a chance to look at your name tag. My father said you look like a "Herbie", apparently, he doesn't share my fondness for you. In line, I saw you and you saw me. The clerk at nearby register #24 was ready; the red light was flashing. However, you stalled. "Uh um, number 24," you finally said. Miraculously, I had found exactly what I wanted- a Rubik's Cube keychain, $5.99. While my dad was making the transaction, I noticed you glancing over at me. We started toward the entrance, I never got a chance to say a word to you, or even steal a glance at your name tag. So Mr. Charlie, if you read this, I want you to know that I would absolutely love to get to know you, and maybe we can have great heated discussions about electrolytic capacitors, integrated circuits, and vegan ethics. Because well, you do look like a vegan dieting, computer science nerd. And I'm cool with that. You can check my RAM any day.

Till next time lover,

Catherine Carroll

How I (possibly) insulted my senior portrait photographer

2008-07-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

How the sitting went:

What's wrong Catherine?

*awkward nervous face*

It's only the most important picture you'll ever take in your life.

Okay, go sit down on the chair.

Already??

Uh yeah.

So what do you do at El Rancho?

Uhm I go to school...

Are you like in any sports... Choraleers?

Oh yeah I was my first year.

And you got out because Sandra left?

Uh yeah, sure.

And the new lady isn't good enough for you?

Uh no.

He finally proceeds to take some shots.

Think about that cute guy in Choraleers.

I must've made a really bad face because right after he said,

Oh nevermind.

Aren't there any cute guys in Choraleers?

No. They're all gay.

Gay? Poor thing...

Takes last few shots.

Alright you're all done, have a great vacation.

In retrospect, I think there's somewhat high chances that this dude was in Choraleers, he knew Miss Espinoza's name and all. I didn't get the "LOL-that's-hilarious, kids-say-the-darnest-things" reaction I was expecting. Did my assertion that gay guys usually enjoy singing and dancing while wearing sequined costumes, upset him? Was he reminded of painful high-school memories? If so, I am very sorry, Jorge (whore-hay); assuming that is your name. If you don't photoshop that pimple on my chin, or if you add text reading "HOMOPHOBE", superimpose Michael Jackson's nose over my face, etc. I'll forgive you, I absolutely deserve it.

the inevitable arrival of the giant zit

2008-07-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

before picture day. Thanks sebaceous glands.

Anybody have two plane tickets to San Francisco? I'm desperate. Really, really desperate. That bizarre dream I had with the 10 year old Mexican boy, could be you... Just drop a pair of round-trip coach airline tickets by Wednesday, and that fantasy can be yours. Just contact me via email, catscarlett[at]gmail.com.

Not Since Hell's Kitchen Have I Been This Excited About a Reality Show*

2008-07-17T15:14:00.000-07:00

Today is the season premiere of Reality Bites Back. The half sketch/half reality show parodies a plethora of popular reality shows. For example, The Biggest Loser becomes "the Biggest Chubby"; whoever gains the most weight, wins. The ten contestants, or comedians compete in extremely humiliating challenges for a prize of $50,000 and will be crowned "Lord of Reality". And guess who's hosting? Mr. Black of course. Well, after just seeing a spot with a man in his underwear dancing on a table in front of Michael Ian Black, I have a lot of hope this show is going to be fucking awesome. I am going to Tivo the hell out of it.

Reality satire at its best.

It premiers July 17, 2008 at 7:30/9:30 PM on Comedy Central.

*I wasn't this excited for Hell's Kitchen, in fact I've never been excited for a reality show. Reality shows are horrible, and I don't care how hilarious you think "Wipeout" is.

Confrontation... Oooooh

2008-07-16T10:09:00.000-07:00

Michael Ian Black vs Tucker Max on The 91X Morning Show

There is a literary show down happening between two of the greatest comedic minds of our time:

Michael Ian Black of ‘The State’ fame and Tucker Max who is Mahoney’s drunken womanizing hero.

Mat Diablo, being an avowed fan of This American Life is more of a David Sedaris fan, incidentally.

We had Michael on our show today talking about his new book ‘My Custom Van: And 50 other Mind Blowing Essays That Will Blow Your Mind All Over Your Face’ when we decided to bring our friend Tucker into the mix to confront Michael.

Okay, "two of the greatest comedic minds of our time" is a bit of a stretch, Tucker Max is nothing short of a misogynistic drunkard. In fact, that's what he is. The whole "feud" itself is hilarious, unfortunately Tucker's fans are totally impervious to ironic humor. Oh God, now I'm going to get my ass kicked.

Today Is Going To Be A Great Day I Can Feel It

2008-07-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

Michael Ian Black's book comes out today. Now, of course I already have my copy, but I will be going to the local Borders to rearrange the new releases. I suggest readers (there's got to be someone that reads this) to check out the book. Oh who am I kidding, no one reads books anymore.

Today is the day I finally complete the Shadow Temple in Orcania of Time after a three year hiatus of playing. Then I'm going to watch Wet Hot American Summer. After such a busy day, I am going to stop by Borders and make sure My Custom Van is well... displayed.

UPDATE: I actually went somewhere today. OMG! Right after watching WHAS, I started my book review for My Custom Van (albeit I have not read the entire thing). Well it turns out, writing a book review for a book you haven't read before, is pretty difficult. So in frustration I called up Braga, and instead of advice, she invited me to the magical world of Savers. Well, I scored two awesome shirts, a plaid flannel, and a ringer. After, we went somewhere to eat, chicken nuggets, hint-hint. Then we went to Borders on account of my obsessive compulsiveness. You see, today was publishing day, so I just had to check out the display for the book. The book was placed with other "new nonfiction", right next to it, The Rise of Barack Obama. Niiiice.

So, I Saw Paul Rudd at Ruby's on Monday

2008-07-10T21:51:00.000-07:00

Or at least his red vinyl pants wearing twin brother. My mom picked me up and we went to my sister's to converse on Monday evening. After, we went over to Huntington Beach to eat at Ruby's on the boardwalk. Well, after being intoxicated by a black forest milkshake, my sister's husband's sister's daughter, in shorter terms, my "cousin", Jasmine proclaims, "Daryl Palumbo!". So naturally, I put down my chicken tender and look around for a short hairy man. None. She points to a 6 foot something, bearded hipster and a strange red faced woman in a booth near ours. Why her face was so red, I will never know, however, I theorized that due to the man's extremely translucent pants, her face had actually absorbed a great number of red pigment... or she forgot to put on some sunblock. Anyways, I realize, holy shit, it's Paul Rudd (that one dude from Anchorman, the 40 Year Old Virgin, & Knocked Up)!!! How freaking serendipitous, I had just ordered Wet Hot American Summer. He just kept staring at us. Well, I don't blame him, we kept taking his picture with our phones, and I kept begging Jasmine to ask him if he was THE Paul Rudd. But alas, it wasn't Paul Rudd. Because a)Well fuck, I don't know... uh his jaw wasn't very angular, yeah that's it. b)Mr. Rudd is married, and his wife looks reminiscent of Meredith Viera, not the Cleveland Indians mascot. Well, regardless this Rudd clone was quite interesting, and certainly became the highlight of my day, no week, no, my whole vacation...

Pixelated bliss.

Wow, uh what the hell is my mom doing?! Perhaps she too, was aware of Paul Rudd's presence? Anyways... you got to admit there's a lot of similarity.

Don't you agree? Methinks so.

4th of July

2008-07-04T22:37:00.000-07:00

It seemed that every freaking person on my block had illegals. We looked so pathetic with our Morning Glory's, ground blooms, Piccolo Petes and whatnot. I remember back in the day when it was just awesome to see someone lighting up some Roman Candles down the street. Child's play, compared to the peonys, kamuros, spiders, and rings I saw just hours ago. Yes, I am very technical. All in all, it was a great and fun Fourth of July, despite the fact my father almost lit my face on fire, as well as the whole front yard.

sparklers + extended exposure + intoxicated parental=

Saturday In the Park -Chicago

Tour Dates

2008-07-02T21:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is old. And I apologize, for devoting yet another post about Michael Ian Black, believe me, I don't like it either... Oh whatever, fuck it, it's my blog I'll do what I want.

Two weeks ago, Black announced dates for his book via a MySpace bulletin.

The book is called "My Custom Van (and 50 other mind-blowing essays that will blow your mind all over your face)." It comes out July 15th, and I am going on a little book tour to promote the shit out of it.

If you're wondering whether or not it's any good, Stephen Colbert says, "Michael Ian Black has proven that even the most simple-minded among us can occasionally create works of genius.

If you want you can pre-order the book on Amazon. com.

Here are the dates:

Book Tour for "My Custom Van"

July 15th | Barnes & Noble/Tribeca, New York, NY - 7:00 pm
July 16th | Bryant Park event, New York, NY - 12:00pm
July 18th | RJ Julia, Madison, CT - 7:00pm
July 19th | Borders, Boston, MA - 2:00pm
July 21st | Books-A-Million, Chicago, IL - 12:00pm
July 22nd | Third Place Books, Seattle, WA - 7:00pm
July 23rd | Book Passage, San Francisco, CA - 7:00pm

Um, what's with all these musicians, comedians, etc.? Seriously, I mean if you're going to stop in the gay capital of America (no offense to San Fran), why not come to LA? Putting aside the heavy traffic, superficial people, and horrible air quality, I think Los Angels is a great place to live! [/sarcasm]

Mindless Blockquoting

2008-07-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

You might think watching a 7 hour miniseries all in one day, during one's summer vacation is... well pathetic. Well, I'll tell you my friend, it is quite wonderful. I consider the 10th Kingdom one of my all time favorite movies. The lovely Scott Cohen, magical talking mushrooms, and fairy tales galore, what more can you ask for.

Anyways...

Michael Ian Black is awesome, but you probably already knew that.

This is from his blog.

From the Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicist Blog:
Reason #127 why Michael Ian Black is a genius

When it comes to book publicity, comedian Michael Ian Black is exhibiting an edgy brilliance in an industry that often depends on book reviews and expert sourcing for pre-pub exposure.

His new book, My Custom Van: And 50 Other Mind-Blowing Essays that Will Blow Your Mind All Over Your Face (Simon Spotlight Entertainment), hits the shelves July 15, and already the internet is abuzz—not exactly about the book itself, but about Black’s so-called “feud” with fellow nonfiction writer David Sedaris. (You might have heard of him.)

Setting out to knock the popular literary personality off his bestseller high horse, Black states on his blog:

“Am I attempting to start a literary feud with David Sedaris with the feeble hope that the resultant publicity will increase sales of my book? Yes.”

Not one to settle for just any nonexistent, inappropriate author standoff, Black recently launched a contest for blog readers to turn Sedaris into a supervillan, and he even provides simple tips for casually putting down Sedaris at your next social event.

The Black-Sedaris feud is becoming an internet sensation for the in-the-know literary crowd, garnering top media for My Custom Van, such as Galleycat and Gawker. Now, I’m not advocating new authors out there to start a feud with John Grisham, or anything—but the next time you’re looking to increase your book’s web presence and overall buzz, you might take a page from Black’s humorous and innovative approach to self-promotion.

I'm really looking forward to My Custom Van, I'm most likely preordering it Friday. As for that David Sedaris contest, I contributed heh. God, I am SO lame.

Cabbage Patch Kids

2008-06-13T21:25:00.000-07:00

Oh God, how long has it been? I guess I just haven't had the "urge" to blog... Well here I am. Yay, sorry for the disappearing act, I know so many of you actually read this.

I want to see Trainspotting really bad, I mean Ewan McGregor as a heroin addict, crawling babies on the ceiling, but that's just the thing. The fucking baby looks like a fucking cabbage patch kid, and it's hella scary. Looking back at my childhood, I had one, actually I had one of the "Cabbage Patch Kids Snacktime Kids". They ATE things. Like my HAIR... and plastic French fries... Those things are freaking evil. They look like they just had some kind of allergic reaction or like they were exposed to some nuclear bomb.

"Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a starter home. Choose dental insurance, leisure wear and matching luggage. Choose your future. But why would anyone want to do a thing like that?"

-Mark Renton

Save Polaroid

2008-03-25T23:16:00.000-07:00

Polaroid pictures are memories that cannot and will not be replaced by digital.

Sign the petition to help save the instant film.

GTA IV News

2008-03-09T22:59:00.000-07:00

Drinking tea and listening to Animal collective- Bees.

I really miss the old PBS, seriously, who wants to watch a bunch of seniors playing Johnny Cash covers? What ever happened to the Antique Roadshow??

In Video Game News...

As much as I wish Claude will return as the protagonist for Grand Theft Auto 4, I got to accept the truth; he's not. It's been seven years since GTA: III. And after numerous prequels and "stories", the series is finally going in order. Liberty City, is now a virtual NYC. The game looks absolutely stunning, but alas, I don't have an effing Playstation 3 or a, oh that other platform by microsoft... Hey why not release it on the Wii?! I mean it's just too family friendly, with the only exception being Resident Evil... But by adding GTA, Nintendo could gain wider demographics. I can so see the Wii remote being used as an uzi. Oh well.

Here's a preview of Grand Theft Auto: 4. After numerous delays, the confirmed release date is April 29, 2008. I seriously can't wait. I mean, I know I do lack the actual video game console required to actually play the game and all, but it's going to be epic.

A lot of hype. A lot.

On a completely different note, fuck Daylight Savings Time.

Sea-katz

2008-02-10T18:06:00.000-08:00

I got Tales fever. Restarted Tales of Symphonia, and now I'm hopelessly obsessed again. Yesterday, I played for 12 hours straight. Ah well not really, I did have to rest my eyes for several minutes; my eyeballs felt like they were bleeding out. And sitting less than two feet away from the tv doesn't help either, mind you. I hate that feeling you get after you beat a very good game, it's like now what, and you realize wow reality really sucks. C'est la vie.

Speaking of Tales of Symphonia, the OVA looks pretty awesome. After watching a few episodes, I noticed a recurring dark theme, compared to the game which is bright and colorful. I plan on making an amv to the animation with a GJ song. It'll be "cool beans".

Today is Daryl Palumbo's birthday, and being the obsessive freak I am, I baked a cake in honor of this special day. Yeah, I know I need help.

Well I'm off to kick some Desian ass in Tethe'alla. Peace.

GOOD.

2008-01-31T19:44:00.000-08:00

I finally got my hands on a copy of Belam in Goliath. Went to the mall today and got the album at FYE. It was number one or their top 20 album thing, which was really nice.

I also got a pair of the Nike Dunks that I've wanted since I first saw them in Cerritos last week. So yay!

Wart

2008-01-21T20:10:00.000-08:00

That's right "wart". I'm not sure what the hell is on my finger but it's been there for a couple of months now. I definitely now know the difference between ringworm and well whatever is growing on my finger. Face tumors are very disturbing, God got to be one of the worst things can happen to anyone. There was some dude from China with like a fricken 20 lb tumor on his face, or what used to be his face.

So my three day weekend. On Friday arrived at my sister's late, ate the chicken crazy, slept over at jasmine's new house. On Saturday, watched Transformers, which I must say is waaaaaay OVERATED. Went to Babies R Us, then to the Brea Mall, and got take out from the Hat. Went back to sister's and watched Stardust, which was actually pretty good. Then went over to jas's to sleep over, rented and slept. On Sunday, watched the beginning of Donnie Darko, but could hardly understand what was going on due to the loud playback of a "Cater to U" remix coming from the bathroom. Had breakfast; nutella with chocolate chip waffles mmmmm. Walked to sister's and we went to Ruby's in Whittier. I wasn't feeling too well. We talked about donkeys, child molesters, and preganancy, you know the usual. Was droped off...

Anyways. I saw Labyrinth for the 10000000th time today, awesome as always.

The new mars volta albums hits 1/29. Bedlam in the Golliath. I was quite surprised of this. "...the album's creation process was subject to "bad luck controversy" after the band's bizarre experience with an ouija that Rodriguez-Lopez bought as a gift for Cedric Bixler-Zavala." Weird stuff. All I know is I never want to use one of those.

Hmm thinking of staying home tomorrow and just watch Ferris Bueller. Perhaps.

Ghosts of York

2008-01-05T22:00:00.000-08:00

Finally going to watch it for the first time. We got the works, theme song is annoying as hell. UPDATE: I think I have a new favorite movie... I can't wait to watch it with my dad.

Shit. Tonight's my last night of freedom, no more late mornings and no more late nights. I've been wanting to go to New York soo bad, you don't even know. And Jasmine (hope you don't mind) is going this week to NY, but not just NY, Long Island. Damndamndamn. She said if I get $500 I could go. Ok I'll just follow the Berries & Cream man to the end of the rainbow... Oh well, they probably wouldn't want to go to D's hometown anyways. Someday...

I have to finish reading the Great Gatsby this week, yeah way to rub it in Mr. Fitzgerald...

New Year's

2007-12-31T19:45:00.000-08:00

5 more minutes. im handling stuff pretty well.

HOLY SHITE!

2007-12-27T01:09:00.001-08:00

2007 In Review by Daryl Palumbo

Tuned A.D. magazine has interviewed Daryl Palumbo regarding 2007 and what he has planned for 2008.

Tuned: Tell us about your year…

Daryl Palumbo: It was a busy ass year. I toured the whole year on the Head Automatica record and did a bunch of Glassjaw tours as well. Plus, I DJ’d a bunch of parties all across the fuckin world, so I was pretty happy. It was the busiest year of my life probably.

Tuned: Were you glad to come back to the UK this year?

Daryl Palumbo: Oh yeah of course man. I’ve been waiting to come back to the UK for like 5 or 6 years. It was like a dream come true; it was the most eventful piece of my year and the happiest period.

Tuned: Europe was the highlight of ’07 then?

Daryl Palumbo: In a way, yeah. Doing the whole Head Automatica tour across Europe was so amazing, as were the shows in the UK. And then to finish off with two Glassjaw shows – the first UK Glassjaw shows since 2003 and one of them at Brixton… Amazing! Getting Cardboard City off the ground was a highlight too; 2007 was the year that it all stepped up a gear. We’ve started doing a lot of Cardboard City parties everywhere; Nick, Glue and I have been doing a lot of DJ sets and Glue and I got to spin a lot across Europe. There’s just been so much shit this year you know!

Tuned: What’s been soundtracking your year?

Daryl Palumbo: A lot of bumpin’ house music, a lot of old pop music, a lot of random German rock bands from the 60’s and 70’s…I’ve dedicated a lot of my year to Frank Zappa of course, as I have the past 20 years of my life.

Tuned: 2007 was quite an eclectic year for you musically; what lies ahead in 2008?

Daryl Palumbo: Yes it has been, and I think 2008 is going to be even more so. The more eclectic the better really - it makes every project better I think. In ‘08 I’m gonna do a new Head Automatica record, new Glassjaw album, second Sports record, the House Of Blow album…a lot of shit! And this year I’ll hopefully get the United Nations record together too, which is me and Geoff from Thursday.

Yay finally danceinmyblood is starting to post news again. Wacthced some old Glassjaw show videos from way back in '99. "And don't tag in the bathroom. You're lucky we even got a place to play!" Ahaha. Wow, really excited about next year. New GJ/HA/SPORTS/ and House of Blow material?! YES!