Movie/DVD Reviews

I know, I know...I never update anymore. I have a job that frowns upon 'personal' use of company time. But it's very slow at work right now so...

American Gangster
Not really being a fan of Ridley Scott, but being a huge fan of the crime/gangster genre, I wasn't sure how I'd like this film. I'm glad to say that I really enjoyed it. Yes, it's a tad longer than it probably needs to be (it's Ridley Scott after all) but overall it was engaging and held my interest. The acting is superb from both Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington.

SPOILER ALERT

It's based on the true story of Frank Lucas, one of the most successful drug dealers in American history. He imported heroin directly from Asia in the coffins of dead American soldiers. Because he cut out the middle man, he was able to sell higher-quality product at a lower price, which allowed him to rise to the top of his game almost immediately. The movie leaves out certain details, including a rumor that Lucas was illiterate and poorly educated. Supposedly he couldn't even count his money, but determined it's value by weight. Also not in the movie are his children. He has at least seven children, but none of them are depicted in the film - probably to protect their identities.

The film also follows Richie Robbins, a New Jersey cop turned assistant district attorney, turned defense lawyer. What I found fascinating, and wish I could find more info on, is that Richie Robbins investigated Lucas, prosecuted him in court and later defended him! If that's not a conflict of interest I don't know what is.

Spider Man 3
ARGH...I HATED this movie. I couldn't even sit through the whole thing; I had to stop watching lest I pull out all of my hair. I really hated this movie. Of the few scenes I was able to stomach, one was Toby Maguire walking the streets of New York (i think) pointing finger guns at innocent bystanders. I mean, really. How friggin' lame can a movie get?? Unless you want all of your brain cells to give up hope and die do NOT watch this piece of crap.

Also, could Mary Jane be a bigger ho? I mean how many times has she switched between Peter and Harry? Come on! They're best friends for crying out loud.
The Wind That Shakes The Barley
Cillian Murphey (creeeeeepy) stars in this movie about two brothers who join the IRA only to lead the most miserable lives possible. I'm really not one to defend the colonialists, especially the British, but this film was obviously biased, portraying all British soldiers as evil buffoons with no sympathy or ethics. I'm positive there were plenty of British soldiers who were really terrible (as there are soldiers of every nation) but this depiction was really brutal and excessive. And yet, it also shows why the Irish struggled for so long (and still do) - they just can't get their shit together. Really. They can't. They are either fighting the Brits or amongst themselves. And when I say fighting I mean killing and torturing. If you're looking for a depressing movie, this movie fits the bill.


Okay, that's all for now.

Oh Yeah!

I'd amassed quite an impressive number of points through my credit card rewards programs so I decided to cash in. This is what I ended up getting:

AeroGarden!
Even if you've never had a green thumb, you’ll be able to produce a lush, beautiful garden with ease, right in your own home. The Aero Garden makes it easy, providing you with everything you need – including the ideal climate. Not only will the computerized system remind you to add water and nutrients, it will also automatically adjust their delivery and flow, as well as turn grow lights on and off to simulate the sun. And there's no dirt involved, either – just water and air. You'll enjoy the ease and satisfaction of indoor organic gardening, all year long! Includes 1 Gourmet Herbs Seed Kit.

I'm seriously so excited about this. I know it's really dorky (especially when I could have gotten gift cards) but I love the idea of having fresh herbs to use at home. Plus, hopefully my herbs will make it despite my black thumb. People, I've killed a cactus before.

It's available at Bed, Bath and Beyond too for around $50 from what I recall.

I'll let you know if it's worth it in about three months or so (herbs gotta grow).

Movie & DVD Reviews

The Jane Austen Book Club
I really liked this movie. Overall it's light and fun; it's a good girls day out type of film. Huge Dancy is adorable as dorky Grigg and, I must say, he is my favorite character.


Darwin Awards
Ughhhhhhh. This much-hyped indie film was just stupid and weird. It wasn't the worst movie I've ever seen but it was one of those movies that tries too hard to be clever and unique. Watch at your own risk.


Heroes
I'm not a big fan of fantasy, sci-fi etc. but I'm hooked on Heroes. I've only watched the first two discs of the first season, but it's definitely interesting and innovative (to me). I have high hopes that it'll continue to hold my interest.

Mini Update

I don't have time to do a full weekend update right now, but I had to share one moment from this past weekend with you folks. Allen and I were driving back from my sister's place last night (after watching the Emmy's...yawn) and Santa Monica Blvd in WeHo was slow b/c lots of the streets were closed off to us regular, non-industry people for various after-parties. Anyway, we were about to cross Robertson when an intoxicated gay man runs out into the street. He holds his hand up, gesturing for us not to run him over, which we, in a moment of bad judgment, agree to. We come to a stop only to find that he has also come to a stop. Right in front of our car, where he proceeds to pull his pants down and moon us. That...was not a pretty sight.

DVD Review: Thin

This documentary about a group of women who struggle with eating disorders was shockingly depressing. Of course I expected it to be sad, but I suppose I was also expecting some sense of hope at the end of the film. Lauren Greenfield films this at a treatment center in Florida and follows the patients as they try to recover. Some of the women are "restricters" -- usually suffering from some form of anorexia -- while others are purgers, aka bulimics; some women are a combination of both. All of them have very distorted body images.

Most of the women/girls there (some are just 15 years old) are forced to leave because their insurance runs out and there is no money to continue treatment. Even girls who have been inpatients for over nine weeks are not ready to be on their own. When they leave, they tend to fall right back into their habits of restricting or purging. Nothing motivates them to get better, even the thought of leaving their children motherless. Many of them express that they'd rather die than be fat.

Despite constant supervision, strict rules and an ultra supportive community of doctors, psychiatrists, nutritionists, therapists and other patients, these girls aren't able to maintain their recovery. Once they leave the inpatient program, most of them quickly lose all the weight they had struggled to gain. There was a woman who was so committed to her recovery that she moved her family to Florida so she could continue outpatient treatment. Her first night back at home, she orders a salad for dinner and you see her picking bits of Parmesan cheese off the lettuce. She goes home and eventually purges everything. The update says that she lost a lot of weight afterwards and had to check into the center again. She's supposedly maintaining a healthy weight now, but it's probably because she is still an inpatient (the film doesn't specify).

Watching the girls eat was eye-opening. As an American female, I've struggled with weight issues for what seems like my whole life. I think about how many calories something is or how much fat it contains. I don't weigh myself, but I do try to make healthy choices most of the time - with my main motivation being avoiding gaining weight. That being said, my body image issues are nowhere NEAR what these girls struggle with. Eating their first meal in the center is extremely difficult, it involves lots of support, usually with the girls crying, shaking and generally feeling horrible. It's as if someone had a gun pointed at their heads - it's that terrifying.

In the end, this documentary is enlightening, but it's just so friggin' depressing. None of the girls that the film focuses on gets better. It seems like these girls need constant support and structure. They can not do it if they're on their own. Treatment is very expensive and limited treatment (or even extended) doesn't seem to help in the long term. I kind of wished that the film had at least one girl who made it and improved just so there was a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. If I were a girl seriously struggling with an eating disorder, the message I'd get is that I can't win the battle against my own body and mind.

If this subject matter is remotely interesting to you this DVD is worth renting.

Volvo Recharge

This car is totally awesome - too bad it doesn't have a chance of being on the market until after 2017. It's a completely redesigned "car of the future" with four separate motors in the wheels, rather than having a transmission in the hood of the car. Also, you charge it at home when electricity is inexpensive and you can always choose to purchase renewable or "green" energy. Watch the youtube video for more info.

The C-List

"Comedienne" Kathy Griffin won an Emmy for her show "My Life on the D-List." The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and E! released a statement that her speech will be cut and censored due to offensive language. Um...here's part of what she said:

"a lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus."

She went on to hold up her Emmy, make an off-color remark about Christ and proclaim, "This award is my god now!"

WHAT is the point of fighting the war -- Operation Iraqi Freedom -- if someone as insignificant as Kathy Griffin can't open her big mouth and say whatever the hell she wants?

The comedian's remarks were condemned Monday by Catholic League President Bill Donohue, who called them a "vulgar, in-your-face brand of hate speech."

Really, Mr. Donohue. I find it much more offensive and vulgar that the Catholic church basically condones child molestation. Your leadership fails to report abusive priests to the police, instead choosing to transfer them from city to city, where they molest more and more children.

There's nothing I hate more than censorship. Even the most vile human beings have a right to speak freely. As far as I know everyone has the right to choose not to listen.

Full article on CNN.com.

DVD Review: Blades of Glory

This movie was just pure silliness as expected. It's funny if you're looking for an easy laugh - it's no Knocked Up. The costumes are hilarious and one of the funniest moments is when Will Ferrell has to lift up Jon Heder and you can see him grasping his butt cheeks. Poor Jon Heder will always be Napoleon Dynamite to me.

Real-life married couple Will Arnett and Amy Poehler play a brother/sister World Champion figure skating pair. They're pretty funny in a make-you-slightly-uncomfortable way.

Weekend Update

This weekend was low-key. I wish I had gotten more sleep though.

Friday
Went to Library Alehouse in Santa Monica for the first time. I'd heard great things about this place and have been wanting to try it for a long time. It was...disappointing to say the least. I think we may have just had a bad experience and hopefully it's not bad like that all the time. First, when Allen and I arrived, Fara & R had already been waiting over an hour for a table when they had been told it would take around 45 minutes. Then, they seat us at a table meant for two, so it was a good thing we weren't getting any food - there wouldn't have been room! The service was extremely slow and just poor in general. I got a sampler of beers ($7 for five 4oz. samples) and the waiter recommended one that tasted like rotten ass. I'd give them another chance and hopefully it'll be a better experience.

Saturday
Ran errands at Costco, where I picked out some new glasses. I hope I don't look too nerdy in them...

Sunday
Went to watch 3:10 to Yuma starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. It's probably the best western I've seen (I don't usually like westerns) but it still didn't blow me away.

Both leading performances were solid, as expected. It held my interest the entire time so there are no complaints on that front. I'm not entirely sure why I didn't love the film, but I definitely didn't hate it. If you're interested in seeing it, go for it!

Also went to visit the kids this weekend. My little niece has got to be just about the most precocious three-year-old on the planet. As we were looking at the fish tank (their new puffer fish, Rice, was the subject of our curiosity), my niece says, very nonchalantly, "Daddy's fat. Daddy, why are you fat?" We all burst out into uncomfortable laughter and shock, saying, "M! Why did you say that?" but her concern was genuine. Needless to say, Daddy didn't answer in front of all of us.

I'll update with DVD reviews later.

Jessica! Jessica!

Laguna Beach
Seeing as I'm completely hooked on The Hills, when a co-worker offered me Laguna Beach: Season 2 I practically clobbered him to get my hands on the DVD set. Last night, I sat down and watched eight episodes in a row. I was actually really shocked by how bitchy and catty Kristin Cavallari is. I mean...I had only read about her in the tabloids when she was trying to hook up with Nick Lachey after his separation from Jessica Simpson. I didn't really understand that she's the biggest snob in the whole world. I might dislike her more than Heidi.

You must watch this if you've ever seen LB:

Labor Day Weekend Update

Friday
Allen and I decided to take advantage of the long weekend and drive to Vegas...to get some much needed laundry done! We left LA around 9ish and pulled into LV around 2.30am. Traffic wasn't too bad, but we had decided to take a different route and it turned out to be a little longer/slower than expected.

So my father has a house in LV in a little gated community - except the gate had never been enforced until now. We showed up in the middle of the night and of course the front gate is closed and locked. There's no guard or anything, just a piece of paper taped to the keypad saying, "Pick up your remote at X location Mon-Fri 9am-5pm. Call Jane Doe with any questions." Um...we were screwed. I notice there's a door to walk through and I try to give that a shot. I push some random buttons and it opens (although, i had been pulling and it turned out I needed to push, so i'm not sure if my button-mashing helped anything). I'm thinking, okay, the gate to exit is probably just pressure sensitive or has a sensor or something, so I walk over to that side and start jumping up and down, waving my hands - to no avail. Finally, we just leave the car by the gate while we move stuff inside (luckily my dad's house is fairly close to the gate), thinking we'd just deal with parking the car somewhere later. We're already out of the car and near the house when we see a few cars coming in (it is vegas after all) and we try to flag them down so they can open the gate for us, but apparently Las Vegasians aren't very trusting or friendly so no one stopped. Finally, someone was going OUT so we started running towards the gate. Allen jumped in the car while i physically held the gate open. I held one side open enough for my car to squeeze thru, but just as Allen was approaching the gate, the other side started opening too and was about to hit my car! I'm frantically motioning for him to back up and he does, just in the nick of time. Then the gate is wide open so we just drive on in. Finally!

Turns out the gates stay open from 8am to 5pm (or something like that) and we just followed a car in after the gates closed.

Saturday
Did five loads of laundry in the morning. Then, starving, we headed to the South Point hotel's buffet lunch - only cuz we know it's super cheap. (Hey, I'm not used to paying for anything in Vegas and especially hate the idea of paying for food.) The buffet was okay, not the best quality we've ever had, but for $7 each it wasn't a bad deal.

Did a little shopping at Target, took a nap and then headed to a mall on the strip just to stretch our legs for a bit. After browsing the shops, we hit up In N out for dinner (yum!) then we went bowling. I was doing pretty good at the beginning of the first game, but then things went back to normal. I broke 100 so it wasn't that bad (unlike the 45 i got one time).

Sunday
Decided to have brunch at the Silverton hotel's buffet (bellini brunch!). It was a little pricier at $16.99 per person, but well worth it. They had yummy food and homemade-tasting ice cream (not sure if it was actually homemade, but it wasn't dryers or anything).

Bummed around, did a little more laundry, and headed out to the Primm outlets before heading home. We decided to eat dinner in Primm instead of trying to find something on the road back to LA (we don't eat fast food except for In N Out). We asked around and a salesperson suggested the cafe at the Primm Valley Hotel & Casino. We gave it a shot and I got a monster-portion of spaghetti and meatballs, a dinner salad and garlic bread for...$5.95!!! It tasted decent too! Allen splurged and got the jumbo shrimp dinner for $8.95.

We finally hit the road around 9.30pm and were home in LA by 12.30-1am. :O)

Monday
Our apartment was way too hot to stay in all day so we went to Barnes & Noble to browse the books and leech air-conditioning. Flipped through this interesting book Allen spotted called PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives.

It all began with an idea Frank Warren had for a community art project. He began handing out postcards to strangers and leaving them in public places -- asking people to write down a secret they had never told anyone and mail it to him, anonymously.

The response was overwhelming. The secrets were both provocative and profound, and the cards themselves were works of art -- carefully and creatively constructed by hand. Addictively compelling, the cards reveal our deepest fears, desires, regrets, and obsessions. Frank calls them "graphic haiku," beautiful, elegant, and small in structure but powerfully emotional.

Some of the secrets are silly, like a woman who puts boogers in her husband's soup when she's mad at him (gross, I know), but some are sad secrets about self-loathing, betrayal, abuse and guilt. Check it out if you have time. You can also check out his blog, where this all started.

DVD Reviews: The Lookout, Disturbia, The Hills: Ssn 2

At VJJ's behest, I am updating my blog. Since I'm lazy and can't think of a more interesting topic, I'm just going to do more DVD reviews.

The Lookout
This movie got rave reviews from Ebert & Roeper (or whoever happened to be subbing for Ebert). It's a heist film with a slight twist - the main character (Joseph Gordon-Levitt of Third Rock From the Sun fame) was in a serious car accident and suffered a severe head injury. His memory and thought process are completely jumbled. A group of bad guys take advantage of his situation and convince him to be the lookout while they rob the bank he works at.

The film is okay. No major complaints, but it's nothing spectacular. The acting is strong, the plot is interesting enough. It just didn't blow me away.

Disturbia
I knew I didn't want to watch this movie. I knew I wouldn't like it, but so many people recommended it and said it was surprisingly good, that I finally sat down and watched it. I was right - I didn't want to watch it. I regret watching it. Shia LeBouf is fine, and it's not that it's a bad film. I just don't like these suspense/thriller movies. And just to set the record straight, Rear Window is much better - there's really no comparison.

Also (SPOILER ALERT), would no one SMELL the hundreds of rotting corpses beneath this creepy dude's house?? I mean, he had this vast pit of formaldehyde or something under his home where dead bodies were just floating freely. Would you smell something abnormal? Seriously.

The Hills: Season 2
I have finally succumbed to the disease that plagues all of America: LC and the gang. Can I just say that now, after finally watching this season, I really can't understand why Heidi is still with Spencer. I did not know about his Audrina phase. He's such a pig!

Also, I loved it so much that I've added season 1 to my queue b/c I just have to witness the LC-Jason relationship for myself. And I'm dying to know what kind of friend Heidi was pre-Spencer. She noticeably changed in season 2, but was she an ever a really good friend? I'll let you know after I watch the first season.

DVD Review: Terms of Endearment

Wah!! This is one of the saddest, most tearjerking, heartstring-pulling movies I've ever seen. It starts of as a normal, if somewhat strange, film focusing mostly on a mother-daughter relationship that is dysfunctional to say the least. We witness both their lives as the daughter grows up and becomes an adult, gets married, has kids etc. At first, I was thinking, hey, this isn't a tearjerker. Oh, but did it ever catch me by surprise when one of their lives takes a turn for the worse. I don't want to give anything away for those last few people who haven't seen it yet. Just watch it and be prepared with two boxes of tissues. I was bawling. I woke up the next day with super puffy eyes.

Btw Shirley MacLaine totally reminds me of my mom. She looks like my mom (only white, instead of asian) and is uber dramatic like my mom. It kind of freaks me out.

That's Just Offensive

We went to a B'nai Mitvah this weekend (I'll do a full weekend update later) and at some point during the evening the "kids" played musical chairs. Eventually it was just down to two chairs and a boy and girl got to one of the chairs at the same time. The girl quickly ducked into the chair and won the seat. The male DJ then proceeded to say into the microphone, "dude, you just got beat by a chick" - his tone implying that this was an unacceptable and ridiculous outcome.

I just want to put it out there in case any of you men (and/or women) are confused about how offensive this phrase is. It only strengthens the stereotype that women are inferior to men. Is there a difference between saying that and saying, "Oh, you just got beat by a monkey" - really, what's the difference? Not only does it suggest that the girl was not a fair competitor (which she obviously was), it also embarrasses the boy, who now feels like he's lost to some imbecile. It's insulting to everyone and only promotes negativity and hatred so just stop using this ignorant phrase, okay? Thanks.

The Weekend Update

I didn't really do anything spectacular this weekend, but I'll share with you peeps anyway.

Friday
Allen and I thought about going shopping or watching a movie, but ended up being too lazy. I went to sleep at 11pm instead.

Saturday
Woke up determined to get some form of exercise that day. I really have put on a good 10-15 lbs since my freshman year in college. I MUST get rid of those excess pounds! Too bad I'm the laziest person on earth. I decided to try interval training again (remember last time? I threw up). This time, I was resolved to do it correctly - as described in detail by my latest Glamour mag: 20 second intervals of varying intensity. For example, on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is walking at a slow pace and 10 is sprinting, start off at a 4, then move up to a 6, then up to an 8, then back down to a 5 etc. Interval training is supposed to torch the calories so I figure, in my lazy-minded way, that 10 minutes of interval training is the equivalent of 30 minutes of walking. I am going to try very hard to do 10 minutes of interval training five times a week. Yeah right. At least, three times a week.

I saw my doctor today for my annual physical and she agreed that 10 minutes of exercise is better than nothing so...it is medically sound and even advised! That is my justification for so little activity.

After exercising I was very tired and had to take a nap. Then i met Fara at the Barney's Warehouse Sale. We didn't have much luck; most of the clothing was still out of our price range, but I did pick up a new "fancy" tank top for $19.

We went out to dinner and had a drink at our usual haunt.

Sunday
Allen and I finally washed our cars! Mine was seriously so filthy. It hadn't been washed for at least a year and we took that car on multiple trips to Vegas and to the Sequoia National Park so it was covered in dirt and bug guts. Compared to what it looked like pre-wash, it's practically brand new! I have to get an air freshener or Febreeze or something though b/c the interior doesn't smell so great. Ick.

That's all folks. Boring weekend. Wish me good luck in my pursuit of fitness!

DVD Review: The Bridge

This documentary is not for the easily-disturbed. Filmmaker Eric Steel and his crew spend the entire year of 2004 filming San Francisco's Golden Gate bridge, capturing 24 people commit suicide by jumping off. It's morbid and dark to say the least. Surviving family and friends are interviewed to try to give more insight and one actual survivor (God knows how he survived the jump) is interviewed. As you can imagine, most of the jumpers had some mental illness, whether it was depression, schizophrenia or bi-polar disorder.

The most disconcerting scenes are obviously the ones where you actually see people climb over the railing and jump. Each time it happened, even though I knew it was coming, was shocking and disturbing. Some people are saved by the bridge patrol and one woman is saved by a tourist. Another aspect that is sad and strange is how many people/tourists walk by someone on the rails and ignore them.

While the documentary is very sad, it's also interesting to see how surviving family members and friends feel. Some are angry and confused, some are relieved. It's heartbreaking to hear a parent share that they knew their son was going to commit suicide, that it was only a matter of time, and that although he knew his parents loved him, he was hurting so much all the time, that they knew he'd be better off dead. Accepting your child's desire to kill himself must be extremely difficult - does it make you a good or bad parent? Do you give up trying to convince your child to live because you're exhausted or because you truly want him to be happy, and being happy means being dead?

FYI - more people commit suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate bridge than any other place on earth.

Pops

I know I've basically been blogging about movies recently so I thought I'd share this conversation with you all. My dad totally amuses me. He's in Asia now and I was wondering when he was coming back (for somewhat selfish reasons). Of course, I also wanted to check up on him.

DAD: Hello? (sounds sleepy)
ME: Hi Dad! Are you still sleeping??
DAD: Oh hi! Yeah...(sounds sheepish). What made you think to call Daddy? Is it because it's 8/8 and it's father's day?? (sounds so pleased)
ME: ...yup! Happy father's day!

I couldn't tell him the truth, that I had no idea when father's day is in Taiwan. He just sounded so happy.

Review: Becoming Jane

I met up with the BWFs for a girls night out: dinner and Becoming Jane. I don't think any of us had great expectations for this film because the reviews were mixed and, well, let's be honest here, it was Anne Hathaway. Not that she's not good in Devil Wears Prada but this is a period piece and serious and well...I'd heard about Havoc from BDiddy and S-Class.

I think we all liked it! I did. I'd say the first third of the film is a bit slow, but it starts to pick up after a bit. And the ending is well worth it. It definitely gives you more insight into her novels. If you're an Austen fan, you should watch this (but you can probably wait until it comes out on DVD).

Btw, I don't really know why I'm writing this review as most of the people who even occasionally read this blog were with me last night.

Review: Bourne Ultimatum

This movie kicked ass! I LOVED it. It's practically non-stop action and GOOD action at that. None of that crappy Michael Bay thumb-up-your-butt action, where he's just hoping multiple (pointless) explosions trick you into liking the movie. The Bourne series has a believable plot line and good character development. And you just have to love Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) - he'll use anything around him as a weapon. He'll kick your ass with a towel or a magazine. How can you not enjoy that? Go watch it! It's a guaranteed good time.

Bonus - there's no stupid girl to slow him down in either Supremacy or Ultimatum. Love that!

Take Action!

Ben Cohen, founder of Ben & Jerry's, explains how you can make a difference and why you should. Watch it! It's fun and easy to understand.

DVD Reviews

Boys of Baraka
This is a good documentary that follows the lives of a group of boys sent to a boarding in school in Kenya. They're all from the same school district in Baltimore, Maryland, where 76% of black youth do not graduate high school. It's wonderful to watch many of the boys grow and take their education seriously. It's equally heartbreaking to see some of the boys give up. Their lives are filled with broken promises and most of them come from broken families.

There was one scene that really touched me. Before leaving for Kenya, one of the boys, Richard, goes to visit his father in jail. He says to his father that he's going to Kenya to make something out of himself, so that he never winds up in a place like jail, where he can't even see his own children. You can tell that Richard had been wanting to say that to his father for a long time. You sympathize with both of them. I'm sure the father is a victim of circumstance as well (although he did shoot Richard's mother in the leg).

The Way We Were
Okay, I thought I was going to hate this movie. I'm not a fan of Babs and that "Memories" song makes me want to hurl. When the movie first starts and the song is playing and there are all these close-ups of Babs, I though, "Eff me, why am i doing this to myself?" But i hung in there and i ended up really liking the movie! I don't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen this classic yet so I won't tell you my favorite parts. I'll just say that i DID cry, but not as much as I thought I would. And now I finally get the Sex and the City reference to Hubble (Season 2 finale. Episode is called "Ex and the City"). Watch it if you haven't already!

PS - Robert Redford was a hottie! Too bad he didn't know about the benefits of SPF back in those days - he has leather-face now.

All About Eve
Another classic, this time starring Bette Davis. This is a great film. It's about an aging movie star who lets a fan into her life only to figure out that the fan isn't as innocent and demure as she pretends to be. Backstabbing, misrepresentation and the downside of ambition.

Bleh...

Ugh. I'm so unmotivated today. You know how you have those days where you just can't seem to muster up the energy to do anything. Today is one of those days. It doesn't help that I'm dying to get home so I can watch yesterday's SYTYCD. And, by the way, when I say, "Don't tell me anything!" I MEAN, "DON'T. TELL. ME. ANYTHING."

I do have to leave work a tad early to get to the tailor in time to pick up some jeans I had hemmed. I'm kind of excited. I hope they look a little better now. They're kind of boy-ish in that it's a straight, loose leg. Although I just read in my Glamour that petite gals such as myself shouldn't wear baggy/loose clothing b/c it's unflattering. They even used celebrity pics as proof! Supposedly, my frame is like Reese Witherspoon's (plus 20 lbs. but hey, who's counting) and even SHE looks not-so-great when she tries on that loose clothing. Oh well. They can be my fat-pants.

What's Goin' On

Since I've started my new job, I've been terrible at updating this blog. I am busier, but I used to make time. Somehow it's just fallen off my radar. But I'm going to try to be more consistent!

So. I've recently decided that I need to be in better shape - you know, get healthy, fit, all that good stuff. A few people at work had been raving about this place called The Bar Method. This past Saturday I gave in and gave it a try. It is a bit pricey - $20 per session, with various package discounts. Mind you, I am not in good shape at all. AT ALL. I'm not morbidly obese or anything, but I'm definitely not fit. I get tired easily, I throw up when I run, I can't touch my toes without bending my knees. I sucked it up and tried it.

It's a very interesting method of working out, combining ballet, yoga and pilates with a bit of weight training. After one class, I can tell it would definitely get me in shape. I was SO SORE on Sunday. Everything hurt - my shoulders, pecs, biceps, triceps, abs (the least sore b/c I was practically dead by the time we got around the ab exercises), gluts, quads, hamstrings, calves and shins. One of the things that happens while you're working out is that your legs tend to shake - and I mean SHAKE. The instructor said it's a good thing though, because it means your muscle is breaking down and reshaping itself to be longer and leaner.

I'd love to go back, despite not being a fan of exercise in general, but it's just so damn expensive. They offer an introductory price of $100 for 30 days (unlimited number of sessions), which is pretty good, but still more than I would normally pay to exercise. And after the intro offer, it gets really pricey.

Turns out Drew Barrymore is a fan of The Bar Method though, because she was in one of my boss's sessions! My boss said Drew's legs were shaking too. That makes me feel better about myself.

Same Old Nothing

I don't really have anything in particular to blog about, but am just burnt out and taking a break from work.

Have you guys seen the new Simpsons trailer? At first, I was like...eh, it's nothing special. But then the last scene is of Homer walking a pig on the ceiling while singing, "Spiderpig, spiderpig, does whatever a spiderpig does..." OMG, that cracked me up! I was laughing so hard for at least two minutes. Can't wait to see that movie.



Also, people in China are serving cardboard to other people as food. Not sure what that says about the Chinese. Well...I do know, but I'll just do as I was taught, you know, "If you don't have anything nice to say, blah blah blah."

That's all. Oh yeah. Bush sucks.

Update
I guess the Chinese cardboard story was fake! The reporter made it up. What ever happened to journalistic integrity?

Also, I get to go to a screening of the Simpson's movie!

The Weekend Update

Friday
Nothing too eventful happened on Friday. A few of us went out for drinks at Ye Olde King's Head. It's nothing fancy, which is kind of why we like it. Call drinks are only $8! That's a steal in LA.

Saturday
Went to Manhattan Beach with BK and Fara to eat lunch at Uncle Bill's something Pancake restaurant. Yum! After stuffing our faces, we walked around the shops, spied on a few surfers and visited the mini aquarium place. It was a fun day!

Sunday
Hung out with family most of the day. Went to Lisa Klein Kids and saw...of all people...Brett Ratner. He's even more disgusting-looking in person.

And yet, he was still with a relatively attractive young woman. I mean...really. How desperate are you? And really, do you honestly believe he'll put you in one of his piece of shix movies? Poor dumb girls...

Haircut
I got my haircut this weekend. I made sure to choose an auspicious day - yes, I believe in that kind of stuff. The last time i made an appointment w/o consulting the Chinese calendar, I ended up with a mullet. Seriously. I do like my haircut. I like my stylist; this is the second time I've gone to him and he's consistently good. However. The prices were raised and no one mentioned it to me until it was actually time to pay!! It went from $45 (very reasonable in LA) to $60!!!!! Ugh. Needless to say, I wasn't exactly happy with that. I'm undecided about whether I'll go back.

Patriotic Days

A bunch of us got together to celebrate the 4th of July by watching a crappy scary movie (The Descent) and stuffing our faces.

In the spirit of Independence Day, we discussed the recent Scooter Libby ridiculousness and the 2008 presidential elections. We all agree that Bush and Scooter suck dick and that we're still undecided about the elections. I, however, am quite seriously thinking about becoming an ex-pat if the republicans win again. Seriously.

We can be like Hemingway and his pals, except w/o the cat or suicide. Who's in?

The Weekend Update

Friday
VJJ and I prepared ourselves for Cry-Fest 2007, aka as the movie Evening, featuring the best actresses of our time, only to wind up somewhat disappointed. The movie itself was nice - lovely cinematography, fantastic acting, semi-interesting plot, Patrick Wilson. The problem? IT WASN'T SAD!!! And I cry very easily.

Do any of you remember that Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup commercial from a few years ago? A little girl is adjusting to just being adopted; it's her first day in her new house. In an effort to make her feel more comfortable her new mom brings her a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup. The mom doesn't say anything, just hands her the bowl, and the little girl smiles. Tears were streaming down my face by the end of the commercial. So you can understand how much of a letdown it was to shed only a few tears during this movie (if that - I only teared up once!).

Part of the problem, I think, is that the movie constantly shifts between the past and the present, which renders the viewer unable to really get into either of the stories. Plus, personally, I found the past much more interesting and wished they stuck more to that.

Although we didn't cry much, there was one woman in the theater who was deeply affected. For some reason she was SOBBING. I mean, heaving uncontrollably, trying to keep the snot in, practically hyperventilating. Okay, maybe it wasn't that extreme, but she really was crying quite a bit. We didn't get it.

Saturday
Met my sister and the kids at some park off Coldwater Canyon. There pond with ducks, turtles and fish. My niece was very intrigued by all the animals and kept shouting, "Ducks! Ducks! Ducks!" When we finally saw a turtle out of the water, I told her we had to be very quiet so as not to scare the turtle. Thereafter, she would shush any passerby and whisper that you had to be very quiet. One portly man did not heed her warning and practically stomped on the turtle, scaring it to death and thereby causing it to return to the water. My niece was sad and angry, saying to me, "He was NOT quiet!" She got over it in about half a second though.

Sunday
VJJ convinced me to take her ballet class. I must say, I was slightly inspired by SYTYCD, and haven't done ballet since I was six so I decided to give it a try. I remember liking ballet, especially all the accessories that accompany it - ballet slippers, little skirts, tights and leotards. I liked the class, but am not sure it'll fit into my schedule. I'm still thinking about it. I'm a little sore today, but I'm not sure if ballet is enough of a workout to keep me in shape, which is a new goal of mine. We'll see.

Pirate Adventure

Allen and I went to Pirate's Dinner Adventure this past Saturday as part of a field trip for his school. I must say that I thought the whole thing was pretty torturous. It's kind of like Medieval Times if you replace the knights with pirates. The show is a cheesy, low-cost (no-cost) musical. And, to make matters worse, the food isn't even good! It's like airplane food, which I find really gross.
The best part of the "adventure" was when I got berated by our pirate. Everyone is put into a different colored group and has a respective pirate. For example, we were seated in the yellow section and were assigned the yellow pirate (he also happened to be the only Asian pirate, wonder if they made him yellow on purpose...). So before the show starts, the yellow pirate walks up to our row and asks one of Allen's co-workers to go up to the stage with him. She immediately agrees. He then approaches me and this is what happened:

Pirate: I need you to come up to the front with me.
ME: Um. No thanks.
P: Why not? Just come up front.
ME: Really, no thanks.
P: I told everyone they would have fun! Come up to the front.
ME: I'll just have fun from my seat thank you.
P: You won't be embarrassed. It's fun. Just come up.
Me: Yeah, really, I'll just stay here and have lots of fun in my seat.
P: WHY ARE YOU BEING SUCH A BABY???? WHY ARE YOU BEING SUCH A BABY???
ME (about to punch this mother-effer in the face, but trying to remain calm so as to not embarrass Allen in front of his co-workers): NO thanks. I'll stay here.

Can you believe that?! He totally was shouting at me. When he was done with me and realized (finally) that i wasn't going to give in, he turned to the girl next to me and started yelling at her! He was such a douche bag. He even more disappointing when we realized he was the lamest pirate of them all, he couldn't do any acrobatic tricks like the other pirates, he couldn't sing or act (a required skill they all seemed to be lacking).

Anyway, don't waste your money. It was free for us and I still regretted going.

Mini Update

I started the new job this past Monday. I still miss all my friends at W. Beach. It's not that people at the new place aren't nice, they definitely are, but it's not the same. I'm sure I'll make new friends and they'll be fun too, but the W. Beach folks became a part of my family.

My favorite things about the new job?

Free parking!
At W. Beach I had to park on the street and walk a couple blocks to the office. The walking I didn't mind, but i HATED parking on the street. My car got scratched, dinged and sat upon (one day, I found a Land Rover parked ON TOP of my bumper).

Free food!
They have a good selection of snacks/food here, including Hot Pockets, cup-o-noodles (so bad for you, I will try to resist eating), yogurt, cottage cheese (yuk), fruit, oatmeal, cereal, popcorn and more! Plus a wide selection of beverages though i mostly just drink water.

Office supplies!
I'm a complete nerd and LOVE, and I mean LOVE, ordering office supplies. I tried to maintain some form of composure as the receptionist handed me the giant Corporate Express catalog on my first day. No one here knows about my love for office supplies yet. I really, really tried to not go crazy and order everything I wanted, whether I needed it or not, and I think I did pretty well. I got some new pens, highlighters, sharpies (one of my all-time favorite products, I resisted ordering the giant 24-pack, and just kept it the basic four colors - trust me, that took restraint) and most of the desk stuff that everyone needs such as drawer organizers and so forth. Office supplies are ordered each Friday so I won't get mine until next week. The suspense is seriously killing me. I can't wait for them to arrive!

That's all for now. I'm glad I have at least one friend here at the new place. She's helping me adjust and introducing me to all her friends.

Dolphin Killer(s)

I was completely horrified when I read this on Yahoo! News as one of the 'top stories.'

Four dead dolphins have washed ashore with fatal bullet wounds and fifth with lacerations on its pectoral fin, said authorities who have offered a reward for information on the slayings.

It's a horrendous thing that happened," said Mark Oswell, spokesman for the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. "That someone would go out there and shoot four dolphins."

"It usually turns out to be a fisherman," said Oswell, adding there have been cases when anglers take out their frustrations on dolphins and other mammals that eat their catch. Complete article.

I can't imagine how anyone could live with themselves after killing a dolphin. I know, people get killed all the time and you don't see me blogging about it daily, but then again, sometimes people suck, while dolphins never suck. Sometimes, sadly, you can understand why and how a human being would get shot: self-defense, poverty, mental illness, gang violence (aka The Game for all you fellow Wire watchers). But dolphins are innocent. They're so lovely and smart and friendly and entertaining. So it's really quite unbelievable that someone, even a struggling fisherman, would intentionally shoot and kill one of them, not to mention four of them. A whole school! I hope the person is caught and severely punished.

Camping

We finally uploaded the camping photos from our one night spent at El Capitan State Beach.

Our tent! It looks really small in this picture for some reason, but it's not. It's very spacious for a tent. We love it.

After dinner, we went back to the beach to watch the sun set. Pretty right?

This is later in the evening, just as the sun is about to set. Remember the dolphins we saw? yeah, we really couldn't get a picture of them. I mean, we tried, but they're not visible; they just look like they're a part of the waves.

Okay, that's all I have the energy to post. I'm a lazy bum these days.

DVD Reviews

Since I've had so much free time lately I've been watching a lot of movies. Here are a couple of the latest ones I've seen.

Alpha Dog
This is based on the true story of a 15 y/o boy who is kidnapped by a bunch of low-level drug dealers. It actually happened in LA during the late 90s so many of you might remember it. The movie starts off badly. The first 30 minutes consist of these druggies telling each other to f--k off and is just really stupid, but I guess there setting up some background and letting the audience know that the characters are just a group of stupid, young, immature guys. They end up kidnapping this boy because his older brother owes the ringleader, Johnny Truelove, money and has been threatening and insulting to Johnny.

The story is really sad because the boy has multiple opportunities to leave, but he decides to stay because he's trying to be grown up and thinks it's a way to help his brother. JT is in charge of watching him and eventually sort of becomes this boy's friend. He's actually not half bad in the film. Anyway, I'd recommend renting it if you're interested. I thought it was worth the time even though parts of it are stupid and seem pointless.


War Tapes
This documentary uses footage shot by three American soldiers while they're on duty in Iraq. It's not the best documentary ever made, but it's very interesting. You see the soldiers risking their lives for the very obvious purpose of helping KBR/Haliburton (Vice President Dick Cheney's company) make more money. The soldiers become aware that that they've essentially been deployed in Iraq mainly to serve as security to the cargo trucks belonging to Haliburton. Haliburton basically has a monopoly on every product in Iraq from food to gas. One soldier described it as if each and every store in your community was owned and operated by one single company. Haliburton is even contracted to serve the food on the army base and charges the US government for every single item down to the paper plates. Haliburton is by no means the main focus of the documentary, but it's hard to ignore the fact that these soldiers are risking their lives and that Haliburton is making an ungodly amount of money because of it, not to mention that WE, taxpayers, are lining Cheney's pockets with more and more money every day that we're in this war.

It's also very interesting, and a little sad, to watch the soldiers progress. They definitely change as they're over there and become more cynical and jaded. When they return two of the three are visibly more angry, depressed and emotionally scarred.

Hello

Okay, I know I haven't updated in a very long time. Sorry! Since leaving W. Beach, I've just been bumming around. Even though I've had all this time off, it's not a good time for Allen to take vacation since it's the end of the school year for him and lots of his students are graduating. Luckily, he was able to take a couple days off last weekend.

Friday 6/1
We woke up super early to make the drive up to Refugio State Beach, which is about 20 minutes north of Santa Barbara. We had packed up the car for a four-day weekend of camping and were really excited to finally be taking some time off to do something fun. We got to Refugio, but it turned out the campgrounds were full. The park services girl suggested we try "El Cap" (by looking at the map we figured out that she meant El Capitan State Beach), which was a few miles south. We drove down there and luckily there were four sites left out of over 200!

(We didn't take this photo. I was going to upload pics, but Allen took the camera today - sorry!)

We set up and took a nap - we were really tired from waking up so early! After we woke up, we took a quick walk on the beach. The campgrounds are right on the coast and the beach is only a few minutes walk. We only stayed for a bit to check it out, but after dinner (spaghetti and meat balls!) we went back to watch the sun set. It was so pretty! We even got to see some dolphins near the shore. We kept trying to take pictures of the dolphins but they were too far away and too quick for us.

After it got dark, we built up the fire and tried to enjoy the night. Unfortunately, there were a lot of kids in our area. And even more unfortunate, they were really annoying. Normally, I'm a big fan of kids. Everyone knows I dote on my niece and nephew, but man, the girls near our site were so bratty and one of them had a very shrill voice. Like banshee shrill. And she kept insisting that she was not afraid of the dark. So we gave up on sitting by the fire and went to our tent to watch an episode of The Shield on Allen's laptop instead. It was a good one! Then we went to bed.

Saturday
In the morning, park services told us we couldn't stay - the grounds were fully reserved for Saturday. It really sucked, but we packed up and tried to see if the other campgrounds had any open sites, but we didn't have any luck so we just had to drive home.

When we got home, we were totally bummed out that our trip was cut so short. Allen already requested Monday off so he decided to plan a mini-trip to Palm Springs! We'd never been there together and Allen had never been at all. We booked a cheap room for Sunday at the Palm Court Inn.

We were somewhat cheered up so we decided to go to dinner. We took BK to eat soon tofu at BCD Tofu - his first time. Yum! Then we got Korean dessert at Ice Kiss. It's this crazy dessert that has fruit, ice cream, jelly things, red beans, whipped cream and shaved ice. It comes in a doggy bowl! The only thing I don't really like is the red bean, so I won't get that next time.


Sunday
We headed out to Palm Springs and made a stop at the Cabazon Outlets since check-in wasn't until 3pm. It was pretty hot outside, but we tried to tour the entire mall. We bought some new salad plates at Crate And Barrel (love that store) and some other stuff.

(I didn't buy the whole set - I wish! But this is what our new salad plates look like)

After checking in, we went swimming. It was seriously hot in PS with temps in the 100s during the day and in the 80s at night. Swimming was fun and relaxing. I normally don't like swimming very much b/c I hate getting water in my ears, eyes and nose, which kind of defeats the point. But it was so hot that I just had to get in the water. There were these two foreign women who were also in the pool and all they did was work out. It was so strange. They were doing push-ups and swimming laps. Made me feel really lazy and fat, but whatevs.

We decided to go into town after it cooled down a bit. We saw a Cold Stone and thought it would be perfect because it was still pretty warm out. We had to wait for a LONG time before we were served because there were two groups in front of us. Both groups had only one member who could speak English (barely) so ordering took a really long time. I was getting pretty frustrated, but eventually we got our ice cream (Allen got a shake) and it was delicious.

Monday
We had to check out by noon so we ate breakfast and then went into town. We tried to walk around since most of the shops had been closed the night before, but it was so damn hot that we just decided to go home.

See? I haven't been doing much. The only thing I have been doing a lot of is reading and watching DVDs. I'll post reviews next.

W. Beach

Yesterday was my last day at work W. Beach. I'll be starting somewhere new in a few weeks, and while I'm very excited about this new opportunity (and especially glad that I already have a friend there), I'm so sad to be leaving my friends at W. Beach. I've made so many lasting friendships with the funniest, kindest people. I know I'll still see everyone on the weekends, and sometimes even during the week, but it's not the same as seeing them everyday, you know? I guess this is just a part of growing up. Love you peeps.

Weekend Update

Friday
A bunch of us went back to Ye Olde King's Head for a low-key night. This time, however, the night didn't go as smoothly as we hoped. We were asked to switch tables twice and had to deal with a rude magician (really) and his rep/assistant. The rep was very pushy and kept shoving her odd-shaped boobs in our faces. In the end though, we got the last laugh - a free round of drinks AND no one showed up for the magic/comedy show!

Saturday
While Allen was taking his CSET Science test, I ran some errands at the promenade. Picked up some new undergarments at Victoria's Secret & exchanged some make-up for my mom. You know how third street has all those street performers? One of them caught my ear and I stopped to listen for awhile. It turned out to be a band (two guys) called the Ken Oak Band. One guy (Ken Oak) uses a cello as a bass and the other guy has a guitar and they both sing. Their music is kind of folksy, but I liked it enough to check them out on myspace. I'm friends with them now.

Afterwards, I stopped by the library and picked up two books: Girl With A Pearl Earring and Slammerkin. After reading The Other Boelyn Girl, I've been so interested in 15-18th century-based novels. I've already finished Girl With A Pearl Earring (I had nothing else to do on Saturday and it's a fast read!) and I really liked it. I'd already seen the movie, starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth, so I knew what the story was, but I still enjoyed it. I love the idea that there's a story behind every painting.

After Allen got home, we watched Pan's Labyrinth. All the bugs and weirdos totally creeped me out, but I really liked the juxtaposition of the real world against the fantasy world.

Sunday
Went to visit my mother, who is leaving again soon. We went to dim sum, where all the dishes are only $1.99 each! That's a steal. The place gets so packed that they started opening at 7am. After breakfast, I took my mom to Target to pick up some make-up. I wanted to buy the make-up for her, since I barely got her anything for Mother's Day. Part of her gift was supposed to be a mother/daughter(s) day out, where my sister and I would take her to lunch and go shopping. My sister ended up not being able to make it out, so I really wanted to make it up to my mom and I was insisting that I pay for her stuff at Target. I swiped my card before she could get her cash out, but then she practically pummelled me in the parking lot and forced me to take her cash. Do you guys ever have this problem with your parents? I took the cash, but snuck it into her purse when she was in the bathroom. When she's at the airport and there's nothing she can do, I'll call her and tell her where I hid it.

DVD Review: Because I Said So

I say this movie is a piece of crap. Normally, I love Diane Keaton - she's so quirky and lovable. In Because I Said So Keaton plays the completely neurotic, overbearing, insane mother to three equally annoying and crazy daughters, including Mandy Moore. Keaton can't let her youngest daughter (Moore) go and constantly meddles in her love life.

The plot is weak at best. The characters are unlikeable. Keaton's long scenes make you seriously hate her and want to pull your hair out. There's a scene where Keaton has lost her voice due to laryngitis and has to write in a notebook to communicate. She asks Moore, her youngest daughter, what an orgasm feels like. WHAT MOTHER DOES THAT? Moore then proceeds to describe the sensations, ooh-ing and ahh-ing, eyes closed and writhing on the sofa -- it is one of the most uncomfortable and unbelievable scenes I've ever witnessed! I had to fast-forward because it was totally grossing me out.

Even more annoying? Keaton and Moore wore Uggs (colored ones, no less!) for half the movie. Enough said.