August 10, 2008
Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach
Last Sunday I went with friends to the Pageant of the Masters - this is the 75th year they have presented tableau vivant in an open-air theater. We were truly stunned by how beautiful these living paintings (and really strained our eyes to see the least hint of movement - Hey! He blinked!) truly are.
The show opened with some marble reliefs and readings from Shakespeare. My first reaction? These are not real people. That must come later. Wrong. Apollo and the Nine muses came next - stunning human recreations of Wedgwood statues. The masterful "paintings" kept coming: Degas, Toulouse-Latrec, and of course the annual finale, Da Vinci's The Last Supper.
My favorite moments when they allowed the actors to move during the transition to the next "frame." You honestly cannot believe when they dim the lights, bring them back up, and those people you just saw moving into position look as if they are part of a canvas.
This was a show I have wanted to attend for years and FINALLY did the whole re-dial over and over to try to get tickets (it sells out every year). It was well worth it and I plan to attend every year!
Posted by smashmonster at 05:24 PM
March 20, 2008
Mar Vista Roofing - Roofers in Culver City and West Los Angeles
My friend recently hired Mar Vista Roofing - a roofing company that serves Culver City as well as the west side of Los Angeles - and she was incredibly impressed with their work. I decided to write this review because her story has so many elements that remind us how important customer service is, especially in challenging economic times. Also - she is one tough customer - so if she appreciated the service it was definitely exceptional.
If you are anything like me - you would rather pay a little more to get excellent service than save a few bucks and be disappointed and frustrated. That famous saying, "Penny wise, pound foolish" is more true today than ever before. You can get cheap labor - but is the job going to be done the way you want it? Not only that, but is it going to be done in a SAFE way that protects you as a homeowner from liability?
These roofers are fully licensed and insured, including for workers' comp. The rates are reasonable - even if they are a bit more - if you find a company that can do it for significantly less, they are likely not carrying the appropriate amount of insurance to protect you and your property. Don't think it won't impact you if you hire workers who are not properly covered.
I think this speaks to the shrinking pool of small American businesses and entrepreneurs who really deserve our respect for trying to play by the rules in a hyper-competitive environment where many do not.
Beyond that - the service was exceptionally fast and efficient. If you have ever torn your hair out waiting for someone you hired to finish the work they were hired to do, you know the value in finding someone who does it on time, on schedule, and doesn't leave a mess behind. With Mar Vista roofers they left the are pristine so it was as if they were never there. No crushed bushes, crap lying around - none of that - they really finished the job.
How refreshing!
Posted by smashmonster at 02:17 PM
January 27, 2008
Garth Brooks Concert
Garth was in rare form for his last of 5 shows in Los Angeles benefiting the San Diego firefighters.
Millie managed to get us fourth row tickets to a show that sold out in ten minutes. I won't tell you her secret - don't want too many people to know the trick of getting the best seats ;-)
Garth's wife Trisha Yearwood showed up to do a duet and one of my favorites of her songs, Walkaway Joe.
(Photos by Millie)
Posted by smashmonster at 11:42 AM
June 10, 2007
The End of the Sopranos
The final episode aired tonight, and frankly, it was better than most of the season. Until the end...
SPOILER ALERT - I'm putting the rest of the post after the jump so those of you who DVR'd don't have to continue if you don't want to know the ending.
Also, lots of four-letter words after the jump so if words offend you (prude) don't click the link...
OK.
So what the fuck? Or as Paulie would likely say, "Cocksuckers left our dicks hanging in the wind."
The last scene was brilliantly done - tension building, the family gathering at the diner, even the scene with Meadow trying to park her damn car...the guy getting up from the counter to go to the bathroom ala Godfather's Pacino scene...
Then it goes to black.
What the fuck?
In some ways it is utterly brilliant, but it was also the epitome of viewer manipulation. As the hours pass since watching it, I'm appreciating it more and more...but the first reaction was, "Did my DVR fuck up? I'm going to kill someone."
What did you think of the final episode?
I'm wondering if they didn't leave it open for a possible movie one day...hmm...wouldn't surprise me. The integrity of the story can always be sacrificed for the possibility of making a few more bucks off a "franchise."
Posted by smashmonster at 09:41 PM
February 16, 2007
Clifton's Cafeteria in Downtown Los Angeles
Earlier this week my roommate and I caught a Rachel Ray show on Food Network where she profiled restaurants in Los Angeles - usually funky places you wouldn't usually know about. She profiled Clifton's Cafeteria on Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles, and we decided it looked like a bit of LA history and would be a fun expedition one day.
It was definitely a bizarre place from another era - weird sort of Disney-on-skid-row feel and a motley crowd of diners.
The food was very below average and our tummies weren't too happy.
Here's a little video scanning the decor of the multi-leveled seating areas.
Posted by smashmonster at 06:13 PM
February 07, 2007
A Treat of Authentic Japanese Wagyu
A few months ago the U.S. lifted the ban on importing beef from Japan - very quickly boneless cuts of Wagyu (sometimes called Kobe beef) made their way back into American restaurants. I read a number of reviews about how different the Japanese-bred beef is compared with American-bred wagyu beef (which is what you got up until recently, and probably what you will still get 99% of the time because of the cost of the imported meat). Food reviews made authentic wagyu sound like it was worth the crazy prize tag. Granada, a little Japanese market on Sawtelle Blvd., advertised that it had authentic wagyu imported from Japan, so I decided to try it.
Wagyu is known for its intense marbling - in fact in Australia they grade it on a scale of 3-12.
They carried only rib eye cuts, and it's really a site to behold as you can see. Supposedly the fats are healthier than in typical steaks because it is high in omega 3 and omega 6 oils. I don't know if this really makes it healthy though - it looks and tastes like a heart attack (translation: holy shit this is like the best steak I've ever tasted).
I served it with risotto.
It was well worth the cost to at least try this remarkable beef that is buttery tender, but at $99 a pound, it's not something you can indulge in very often!
Posted by smashmonster at 08:23 PM
February 06, 2007
The Dirt on Dirt - Another Great FX Character - Courtney Cox Rocks as Lucy Spiller
First they brought us Vic Mackey - now FX Networks brings us Lucy Spiller. She's by far the most interesting female character I've seen on televsion - nasty-powerful yet vulnerable - but not oh-I-need-someone-to-save-me, cliched vulnerability.
It's a personal vulnerability that she protects and nurtures, the one piece of her that cannot be corrupted by the necessary evils of her professional (and simply because of the nature of her work - personal) life.
She surprises in subtle ways - Courtney Cox has truly taken on a fantastic role and she has created a female character with all the contradictions of modern life. Determinedely single. Singularly determined. You can't hate Lucy Spiller no matter what hateful things she does - just like you can't hate Vic Mackey. FX is giving HBO a run for their money when it comes to TRULY developed and original characters.
Speaking of Vic Mackey - if you haven't seen the new trailer for the upcoming season, it gives chills. The herky-jerky camera soaring in then stalling and redirecting its gaze. The sudden moment when the (very hot) Vic Mackey gazes at the camera for just a moment, then looks back to the gravestone in front of him. The music that warns you he knows he can't be forgiven but hopes he can be given some peace...it's a million times better on my 50-inch plasma screen, but here it is:
Posted by smashmonster at 08:30 PM
December 18, 2006
American Freedom to Fascism Video Online
You can watch this movie online here. What I really am interested in is the idea that the labor tax is not constitutional. Whenever I hear wealthy people whine about capital gains or tax on massive inheritances I think, well, how fair is a labor tax?
Instead of letting the power brokers control the story with provocative terms like "death tax" - take it back and start the campaign in to end the Labor Tax. Why should you be taxed for working when your work builds the wealth of the leisure/investment class?
Posted by smashmonster at 09:19 PM
December 07, 2006
The Way of Adventure
Great book for anyone looking for inspiration - written by Jeff Salz , PhD - an anthropologist and adventurer I heard speak at my company's Fall meetings. The talk was incredible - he has visited the most remote places (even attempting to hike through the southermost parts of Argentina in some pretty brutal terrain. He showed a lot of photographs of people he met travelling throughout the world - and they were breathtakingly beautiful. He has a way of capturing the light in the person - whether its a gaucho on the Pampas or a farmer in the remotest parts of Asia.
The book talks about inventure - finding adventure in your own like by looking inward and by learning how to experience joy in everyday life and work. He asked people all over the world what the meaning of life was, and came to some striking discoveries (understandings - maybe a better word for this).
Jeff has a wonderful sense of the adventure in just being alive, really alive, and I think his work is important today, when we are all so caught up in rushing to the next appointment or getting buried on our computers. It makes me think - how often do I go through periods of my life when everything is just a blur? When the days become just a set of actions (or to be honest, RE-actions) without much thought or care?
I burned myself out on self-help books many years ago - but this isn't "one of those" books. There are no gimmicks or cheap tricks - it's a wake-up call more than anything, and a refreshing take on the adventure that life is - and a reminder that its up to us to be awake for that adventure.
Posted by smashmonster at 04:17 AM
December 03, 2006
The Wire and Dexter
I really love these shows- but I feel like I need an annotated version of The Wire sometimes. I suspect I will need to rent the DVD and watch it straight through to really understand all the subtleties of the series.
The Wire captures the chaos of inner city life - the pathos, the desperation, the dog-eat-dog mentality - but also the utter sense that this way of life all makes under the circumstances. These are the most human characters I have ever seen on television.
Dexter is another winner- one of my first scripts was about a serial killer so I'm interested in the genre - but they have really turned it on its head. When I wrote my script, you could do something unique and interesting. Now most serial killer movies are pathetic and predictable cliches.
HBO's series seem to have an underlying thread that flows through all of them - while the characters' choices may be utterly corrupt there is a strong sense of human need and longing that makes them understandable and forces us to feel a certain pathos and even compassion for them. Even the most seemingly sociophathic among them seem like someone you "know" - and might even trust. I'm not sure this is intentional - but a reflection on the people who choose the shows. Utter sociopaths are boring. People who defy their sociopathy by being compassionate or caring in some situations (while utterly devoid of conscience in others) are much more interesting.
Posted by smashmonster at 08:40 PM
Sweet! Nissan Coming Out with a Coupe Next Year
I drive an Altima, and I love the car - but I will be very tempted to upgrade to the 2008 Altima coupe coming out in the summer of 2007. Check out the pics - this car is sweet!
Posted by smashmonster at 12:28 AM
Sweet! Nissan Coming Out with a Coupe Next Year
I drive an Altima, and I love the car - but I will be very tempted to upgrade to the 2008 Altima coupe coming out in the summer of 2007. Check out the pics - this car is sweet!
Posted by smashmonster at 12:28 AM
September 24, 2006
Recommended Book - 102 Minutes
"102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers" by Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn
This moment-by-moment account of 9/11 at the World Trade Center puts you in the buildings as the chaos unfolds, but more importantly, it uses historical record to point out that the fate of those trapped in the buildings was set in motion decades before when special interest groups (real estate and construction) effectively put space (rental income) over the safety of the occupants. It's a disturbing tale that repeats itself more and more often in America - if a company can squeeze a few more million a year out it, to hell with the impact on ordinary Americans.
1000 people were trapped above the impact zone:
"Their fate was sealed nearly four decades earlier, when the stairways were clustered in the core of the building, and fire stairs were elminated as a wasteful use of valuable space." (pg 243)
The most shocking part is that the fire-resistance system in the building had NEVER BEEN TESTED.
"The thickness of the fireproofing applied to the floors in two of the world's tallest buildings seemed to have been based on little more than a hunch." (p 253)
Even the architects of the building renounced responsibility they they found out that Port Authority officials had deleted a requirement that the steel be able to withstand 3-4 hours of fire - and the PA was exempt from the code and oversight requirements that the private sector could not avoid or dance around.
You will be angered by many of the facts laid out in this book - and it's an important read. A few other bits of imcompetence, childish territoriality, and stupidity include:
In 1994 Giuliani disbanded the Aviation Emergency Preparedness Working Group (note that this is AFTER the 93 attacks on the WTC) which had been designed to get fire and police to work better together through organized joint drills.
In the 8 years after WTC's first attack in 93 not a single joint drill was conducted there - even though a retired WTC director had warned they should prepare for a catastrophe involving a plane hitting the towers.
The possibility of a plane hitting the towers was warning during construction.
The real estate industry fought codes the fire department said were essential in high rises - and the real estate interests won.
It was Giuiliani who had the brilliant idea of putting the Office of Emergency Management in WTC complex - against the advice of emergency response experts because it was the #1 terrorist target. So they had NO bunker to operate from during the crisis and had to use a bus!
Posted by smashmonster at 12:53 PM
September 20, 2006
Barenaked Ladies at Borders - What Fun!
Yesterday my friend Millie and I fought our natural lethargy and trudged over to the Century City mall to Borders where the Barenaked Ladies were going to appear - they were signing their new CD and played some tunes for the crowd. What at treat to see these witty, talented boys play in such an intimate space! If you have ever seen them live, they are wonderful to watch - very funny, sending jabs back and forth - in this setting they were even more relaxed and fun. They took turns reading selections from books at the store - and they picked some pretty funny choices (a book on Scrabble, one on hacking networks for dummies, one on losing weight through dancing like a stripper or some such thing).
I saw them a couple of years ago at the Universal Studios venue - and they were fabulous then too - they seem to really love every minute of performing. There songs have great lyrics - they like to wax about the seemingly mundane so you see it in a new light (and brighter light). I imagine these guys sitting around - "hey, there was a spider in my room last night." "really? Hey that would make a good song." "Yeah, that could be deep, should I kill the spider?" Or some such existential meanderings...
One of the best songs at Universal was "Shopping" - they did this shopping cart routine ala old swimming movies (where the swimmers move in synchonized circles and create designs with their movements).
Well you know that it's going to be alright
When we go shopping
It's always lalalalala...
Shopping spree begin
It's always lalalalala...
Everybody wins
They must have gotten a kick out of George W after 9/11 going on about shopping and consuming being your patriotic duty...
They often capture the zeitgeist of our self-conscious, consumer-obsessed culture.
Love the lyrics to the new song Bull in a China Shop - ""I can't hear a thing cause I stopped listening."
Here's a video of them performing "Pinch Me" - turns out the sound on my Pocket PC video is pretty pathetic, but I'm uploading it nonetheless.
View video clip of Barenaked Ladies
Posted by smashmonster at 05:18 PM
April 22, 2006
Lord of War Is a Provocative Film that Particularly Resonates in the Current International Climate
Lord of War, starring Nicholas Cage, seemed to come and go in the theaters rather quickly. I assumed it would be a mediocre film with a lot of pointless action sequences. However, this provocative film about an international arms dealer addresses everything from U.S. manipulation of other countries' politics and the seemingly infinite ability of Americans to justify any means to get the ends they want. The film is pretty disturbing - particularly the scenes with Liberia's Batiste and in Sierra Leone - but it addresses a fundamental moral dilemma when it comes to arming other countries: If they are going to kill each other anyway and find a way to get their weapons from anyone they can, are you relieved of moral responsibility if you are the one who actually does supply the weapons of brutality?
Posted by smashmonster at 02:18 PM
March 20, 2006
So British - Pardon Me!
Another great TV ad - you'll love just how politely British the woman is upon being torn from her car.
Posted by smashmonster at 09:35 PM
March 01, 2006
Indianapolis
Indianapolis was a very pleasant surprise - this was my first visit to this city. I first stayed at a wonderful boutique hotel in Zionsvile called the Brick Street Inn - a delightful place with exceptional service. The rooms were lovely, with comfy beds and classic furniture. The service was beyond reproach. Zionsville is a sweet town with, yes, a brick street through it. Everything seems to "Fit" in this area - no ugly strip malls. Unique homes, each with its own style, cute storefronts with speciality shops, and small restaurants and cafes.
I was taken out to dinner in downtown Indianapolis - what a nice city! I had no idea it was such a attractive place with interesting architecture and "artsy" sections - plus a great restaurant row. They seem to have a love of war memorials. They were quite impressive - such as the Soldiers and Sailors Monument build in 1902 and Indiana War Memorial Museum.
There seems to be a thriving cultural community - theaters, churches, and museums.
The only unpleasant time was a stay at the Radisson Hotel by the Indianapolis airport. It's a pretty delapidated hotel with rooms that just feel musty and old. Sound travels room-to-room - almost louder than the planes taking off and landing. Something started beeping in the hallway at around midnight. I thought it was some idiot's alarm clock they forgot to shut off, but after a few minutes I stuck my head out the door and realized it was some device out there. I had to call the front desk and ask them to investigate and it was fixed in about 15 minutes. Did I get back to sleep? Not really.
The service was substandard - confusion about the reservation upon check in ("You already checked in." "Uh, not unless I have a clone I don't know about.") and check out was impossible - one person at the desk taking their dear time. Considering the fact this is an AIRPORT hotel and people need to check out quickly and get their receipt, then get to the airport, it would seem like a wise move to have the front desk properly staffed in the morning. I gave up and dropped my key card on the front desk. Now I'm having a hard time getting them to fax me the bill - got a rather brusque and annoyed accounting person who claimed it would be faxed within the next 20 minutes. That hasn't happened...it's a shame the poor customer service continues beyond your stay at the hotel.
I have stayed at the Radisson in Piscataway and one outside Denver. The service is generally adequate, although usually a bit strained. This was definitelly a "worst of the three" experience.
However, this did not change my opinion of the city and its outlying areas - simply a delightful place and I'm glad I had a chance to see it!
Posted by smashmonster at 01:59 PM
January 29, 2006
Capote
Capote is a must-see movie. Brilliant performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman. I am a fan of the "In Cold Blood" movie - I had no idea how obsessive Capote became pursuing the story - and the fact he never finished another book.
Posted by smashmonster at 10:37 PM
January 02, 2006
Bodies - The Exhibition, at MOSI, Tampa
I missed this semi-creepy show when it came to Los Angeles, so I decided to mosey over to the MOSI to catch it in Tampa while visiting family. It is very educational. It is also a little bit the quease-maker. I definitely felt squeamish at times. My father is a pathologist, so as I kid I saw my share of icky medical specimens, but somehow this was different. I don't know - real people chemicalized into frozen displays so we can see their viscera just, well, creeped me out a bit.
However, it did not creep me out enough for me not to notice the annoying habit many of the visitors had of putting their paws on the glass cases so the rest of us had to view specimens through their fingerprints. Sheesh. Some were using the glass displays as if they had problems standing upright - like they just evolved from monkeys and couldn't quite handle all this standing-up-straight-and-walking-around-on-two-legs stuff.
Of course you also end up doing the rounds with the same folks - they somehow stick to you like glue. There was The Breather, big guy with a bit of wake-apnea. He somehow always ended up hovering by either me or my sister. I whispered, "Hey, you got The Breather this time." She whispered back, "Well you got the Gum Snapper."
Me don't think them peoples get out to museums much, and this kind of exhibition brings out a very different crowd then say an exhibition on Cimabue or Dutch Masters. Hey, it's Florida!
Posted by smashmonster at 08:18 PM
October 25, 2005
North Country
Charlize Theron captures more than the anger and frustration caused by harrassment - you sense her genuine confusion: Why can't I be allowed to work and live in peace if I do my job as well as the men?
North Country does occasionally slip into "one (wo)man against the world" triteness, but it is a rousing film. Every generation needs one of these. We often forget the battles that have been necessary to create opportunity for women or other groups that were traditionally disenfranchised.
Iron-Jawed Angels is another powerful example - it was made for HBO but is now available on DVD. Iron-Jawed Angels follows the story of suffragettes fighting for the right of women to vote. Remember, it hasn't even been 100 years since women in this country had this right.
These types of films remind us that among millions of people there is often a rare individual who faces fear, intimidation, and even the threat of death to challenge inequities and change society. I often feel a little embarrassed by just how courageous some can be - it isn't easy to alienate friends, family, and neighbors to push for what is right.
The death of Rosa Parks reminds me of this too - often one person can become symbolic of a struggle and galvanize a movement. A simple act that challenges the status quo can transform the society. A book like
Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" pushed the government to investigate the meat-packing industry and even changed food laws in America.
We should all be grateful for the courageous few who are willing to incur the wrath of their countryman because what is right is right.
Without them we would still have dangerous factories and mines and ruthless child labor, women wouldn't be allowed to vote or get decent jobs, African Americans would still be sitting on the back of the bus, and 1776 would be just another date in history. There is nothing so powerful as righteous anger put to good purpose.
Posted by smashmonster at 02:47 PM
October 24, 2005
Sometimes You Just Need a Good Sappy Movie
Girls rarely get to see a movie that focuses on growing up female. For that reason, even as an adult, I find it refreshing when a movie like "Because of Winn Dixie" comes out. A magical children's movie with wonderful themes about isolation, friendship, and love, the film follows Opal and her adopted dog Winn Dixie as they try to find their place in the world.
The movie is set in small-town Florida - a Florida few people really know unless you grew up in the state. I know that when I tell people (i.e., tourists) that most of the places they go are not even half the story of what Florida is like, they stare blankly at me. "Because of Winn Dixie" made me smile (and cry, ok, I'm a sucker for sentimentality) because it takes a standard coming of age story and creates magic from the seemingly banal. The misfit characters rediscover the meaning of community - and it is all because of Winn Dixie.
Posted by smashmonster at 08:15 PM
October 14, 2005
Mish Mosh
All I can think about is that delicious bowl of mish mosh I just had at Canter's Deli in Hollywood. If you ever visit this way, it is well worth jockeying for a parking space to shovel in the noodles, kreplach, biggest-matzoh-ball-you-ever-seen-in-your-life, and chunks o' chicken all swimming in yummy chicken broth. Mmmm. With rye toast.
My roommate and I love it - and if driving the oh say 5 miles across L.A. didn't take a freaking hour we'd do it every week!
Posted by smashmonster at 10:13 PM
October 12, 2005
Propaganda Isn't Just for Politicians Anymore
GE Clean Coal Ad
I'm sure many of you have seen this absurd ad campaign by GE. A bunch of hot-bodies (I mean HOT!) shoveling coal to the tune of "Sixteen Tons". What balls! Coal is GREAT to the words:
You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store
I mean, really, have we sold out to corporate power so totally that we think this is cute or funny? I want to see time-lapse video of these folks digging coal after about 20 years, with teeth rotted out and black lung.
Watch the Coal-Is-Good-And-We-Know-What-Is-Best-for-All-You-Ignorant-Folk Ad (short clip - in Quicktime (mov) format.
This one really got me, even moreso than the oh-we-are-really-so-good-to-our-workers-we-just-love-those-poor-dumb-six-dollar-an-hour-folks ads coming from Walmart. Like, hey we saved one baby by covering his brain surgery with our health plan so we are REALLY a very good bunch of people! We know most of our workers can't afford the copays, but hey, we DID save that baby you saw on the commercial!
Did you miss my spoof of Walmart prices are falling for the waiving of prevailing wages in the Gulf? (Warning: the flash work is really primitive)
Posted by smashmonster at 06:52 PM
October 10, 2005
Weeds
If you haven't caught this ShoTime series definitely try it out. Tonight's episode had a great monologue on Iraq - the Army reserve catches up with the slacker brother-in-law who signed up in a drunken attempt to impress a girl. He says (hope to get the actual verbatim text here - but forgot to record it!) basically, "I'm not getting blown up by some 12-year-old suicide bomber who used to love Friends and Metallica until some missile destroyed his house." This is after a great exchange between him and the pot-smoking accountant who believes Iran hid the terrorists, (when told it's IRAQ he responds, "They both have sand), and they had weapons of mass destruction (When disabused of this notion, he responds, "Whatever.").
Great show tonight!
Posted by smashmonster at 07:55 PM
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