Tidal waves of updates -- trickles of meaningful content.


























 
Archives
  • May 2002
  • June 2002
  • July 2002
  • August 2002
  • September 2002
  • October 2002
  • November 2002
  • December 2002
  • January 2003
  • February 2003
  • March 2003
  • April 2003
  • May 2003
  • June 2003
  • July 2003
  • August 2003
  • September 2003
  • October 2003
  • November 2003
  • December 2003
  • January 2004
  • February 2004
  • March 2004
  • April 2004
  • May 2004
  • June 2004
  • July 2004













  •  




























     

    Monday, October 28, 2002

    IT'S A MYSTERY!!!!!!!

    Holy Christ. LOOK at what I just discovered is ON THE WAY from Santa Cruz to Berkeley. It's a real-life Mystery Spot in the middle of the woods.

    As Sara put it when I pointed her to the web site to see if I should go, "if you go to the Mystery Spot, you will wear unstylish clothes from the fifties, age about 30 years, and look like you should be in the "Smooth Criminal" video." But MY favorite part? The place's address is 465 MYSTERY SPOT ROAD. Could you imagine living on that road and trying to explain your address to people?

    So, the question for you, dear readers, is this: Dare I venture into ... THE MYSTERY SPOT? At the very least, they have a gift shop, and I could probably get a cool shirt.
    posted at 11:10 PM

    Living A Week Ahead Of Myself

    Because I had nothing at all to do today, I decided to do some research on the Pacific Coast Highway. And, upon my discovering my new findings, I have decided to take an alternate, slightly less picturesque route to Berkeley by taking the CA-101 along the coastal mountains, with sojourns into Morro Bay and Santa Cruz, because my hippie aunt godmother lived there for a long time, and I think she'd be freaked out to get a picture of me in her old city limits.

    There are a few reasons for this. First, is the added time. Taking the boring, straight Interstate 5 from Los Angeles to San Francisco takes about 6 hours. But it's boring. And goes through desert, which sucks. I knew the Coast Highway would take longer, but studies suggest it would take AT LEAST TWICE AS LONG to get to my destination. Second, and probably more importantly, are the long stretches of road without towns or gas stations. That is just WAY too much for my worrying mind to handle.

    So yeah, plans have slightly changed, but the trip will triumph. It will be awesome. I'm already planning my driving music, which is one of the most important parts of any car ride, in my opinion. There is nothing -- NOTHING -- like driving and singing along to your favorite 'tunes. I'm assuming driving through the California wilderness while doing this will be especially awesome.

    And, in a tangentially related note, I've had some really good CD purchase experiences lately. I've gotten all the following CDs at really good prices, and I'm enjoying them all immensely. Ergo, pick these up, now.

    1). Of Montreal -- Aldhil's Arboretum.
    2). Ladytron -- 604
    3). The Flaming Lips -- Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
    4). The Kinks -- Arthur, or, The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire.

    And that, as they say, is it for the post tonight.


    posted at 10:47 PM

    Sunday, October 27, 2002

    The Burrito Connection

    Dammit. Just lost a huge post. I will now do my best to try to reconstruct the afforementioned post from short-term memory.

    Ahem.

    So, last night was amazing. The kids and adults alike both seemed to really enjoy our little performance. And most importantly, the actors had fun, which makes us secondary actor-performers look really good. I had some short conversations with Bob Balaban, Ed Begley, Jr. and Mindy Sterling, and a very long conversation with Lisa Kudrow's son, who is adorable.

    Today, the clouds that had covered Los Angeles for the last two weeks finally lifted, and I drove out to Westwood to walk around for a bit and alleviate some of the cabin fever I've been feeling lately. And it worked.

    Westwood is such a nice area of the city. Much nicer than the shit area WE live in. Lots of stores within walking distance, including plenty of nice, cheap restaraunts, a really great used CD store, and a place that sells ice cream sandwiches on homemade cookies with homemade ice cream ... FOR A DOLLAR! ONE DOLLAR! AMAZING!

    I also made a quick stop in La Salsa for a burrito break. I stood at the cashier, ordered my burrito and stepped to the side for the next person to order. And who do you think that person was? Why, none other than Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks. That's right. Tom Hanks eats at the same burrito place I do. Awesome.
    posted at 4:52 PM

    Friday, October 25, 2002

    Eating My Own Words And Loving It

    As the result of a deep, aching desire to get out of Los Angeles for a weekend and a short IM conversation with my steadfast enabler-friend Chris, I have just reserved a hotel room in Berkeley, California for November 8th through November 11th. I have also found a relatively cheap rental car that will allow me to drive up the Pacific Coast Highway to the city of Berkeley, allowing easy access to the city of San Francisco, the Sonoma Valley and the John Muir National Redwood Forest monument.

    In the immortal words of The Cars ... "I guess you're just what I needed."
    posted at 5:46 PM

    Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps

    I have a feeling I'm never going to get to San Francisco. I found a cheap rental car, and cheap flights, but hotels are hella expensive. Even Motel 6.

    Maybe I can just find someplace to sleep in my car? Do you think that's legal, or does that label me "homeless?"
    posted at 5:00 PM

    I Am A Human Head

    There's this little collection of shampoo and soap bottles that I have in the corner of the shower right now.

    Every time I'm in the bathroom and I look at the mirror, I can see this small clump of darkly colored objects in the corner of my eye, and always -- even though I know what these objects are -- the first thought that occurs to me is "Oh my God! There's a severed head in the shower!"
    posted at 11:44 AM

    Tuesday, October 22, 2002

    Well, Here's A Little Explanation

    Ok. So, earlier in the week, my roommate Ben asked me if I wanted to volunteer at the Storyopolis bookstore for a promotional even for Bob Balaban’s new children’s book. Realizing that I really don’t do much outside of work, and that I really like Bob Balaban, I agreed, hoping that maybe I could get an autographed copy of the book or something.

    We went down to Storyopolis last night to see what we’d be doing. Honestly, I just thought I’d be holding doors and maybe serving snacks or something. Instead, we were given the opportunity to PERFORM in a mock old-timey radio show. With fucking Bob Balaban!

    So on Saturday afternoon, I will be dressed up in 1930’s costume – suspenders, slacks and slicked-back hair, and will take my place at a small table next to this motley crew of actors, to perform a few sound effects, hold up audience-response placards, and even throw confetti into the audience a-la Rip Taylor.

    This is going to be so fucking amazing. Unless Bob Balaban yells at us. I hear he’s got a pretty bad temper…

    No, that would still be pretty fucking amazing.

    posted at 4:48 PM

    Monday, October 21, 2002

    Don't Ask Me To Explain

    ... Because I'll probably find time to do it tomorrow.

    But this Saturday, I will be appearing in a live old-timey radio show with Bob Balaban, Ed Begely, Jr., Jennifer Coolidge, and the woman who played Yvette in "Clue," which, as you may know, is one of my favorite movies ever.

    Also, my roommates and I may be making a documentary. We've got a boss idea, man.

    More to come later, when the water in my building is turned off and I can't do anything else.
    posted at 11:45 PM

    Wednesday, October 16, 2002

    Alcohol And Bloodlines

    My Aunt from Maine just called me and yelled at me because she found out I was drinking boxed wine. She lived in Santa Cruz for a few years and she warned me, in her own words:

    "There is so much good wine in California for under 10 bucks!"

    "Californians will throw you out of the state if they find out you're drinking wine from a box!"

    "You have to look at alcohol content. Volume doesn't matter if the content's good enough ... you can get good red wine with 14-15%!"

    My family rules.

    And so does my roommate, Ian, who, right now, is sitting on the couch, playing his guitar and making up songs about people we know.
    posted at 4:53 PM

    Fourteen Minutes And Counting

    So, today was my "Big Day." I woke up at 9AM, had a big breakfast, then sat down with my roommates and a Kaluha and Coffee to watch my television debut on "The Price Is Right." And it was wonderful.

    I had a great time cheering myself on, looking for all the looks of disbelief and amusement when crappy prizes were brought out, and, of course, the dirty look I gave the woman who outbid me by a dollar. Also a nice surprise was the amount of times my roommates were shown in the audience, especially Ben, who had never seen an episode of the show before he went, but turned into Mister Price Is Right when I was called on down. Awesome.

    I also talked to my family later on in the day. I guess my brother and like eight of his buddies skipped out of school to watch me today, which is awesome. And everyone at home is going crazy about it, I gather. I can't wait to go home and watch something on my giant television. And to relive the night again for everyone.

    I also got a perspective printed in the Freep today, which was nice. I don't want any Pantomime Horse fans, if there are any outside my circle of friends, to think I'd gone off and vanished or anything.

    Now that our "vacaction" is over, we need to start going to class again, which sucks because a). it's four hours long b). it's boring as all hell and c). it's all about film producing, so it's completely irrelevant for me. The only good thing about it is that after class, Aimee's coming over to watch the tape of the show, because she was kind enough to fill in for me at "Malcolm" today.

    And a question for everyone? Is Kaluha delicious in EVERYTHING? And if so, why was I not told this before?
    posted at 4:09 PM

    Monday, October 14, 2002

    Here Are Some Things For You To Look At

    Let me just clear one thing up -- I may not have liked the recent ACTIONS of Mr. and Mrs. Roommate, but I still like them both very much. Regardless of how I may come off here.

    Anyway, we drove down the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu and Santa Monica on Sunday. Despite the weather, it was gorgeous. The coast of California (at least what I saw) is unlike anything I've ever seen. It's just like this cliff where the Pacific meets the land. And the ocean isn't brown or blue, but this really cool murky green. It's really quite impressive. And here's a picture of me standing on the Santa Monica Pier. See how windy it is, and how cold I look? That's because it's windy, and I am cold.

    And here are some other pictures. Their titles are pretty self-explanatory.

    1). Roommates Ben And Ian Hate Big Coffee.

    2). How The Mighty Have Fallen.

    That last one is me preparing for Wednesday. Aren't you proud of me, Mom?
    posted at 10:02 PM

    Saturday, October 12, 2002

    One Bad Thing And One Good Thing Concerning One Of My Favorite Bands

    Of Montreal is one of my favorite bands of all time.

    I saw them once last year at T.T. The Bear's in Boston, and they rocked out.

    Tonight, because I was so bored, I was meandering around my Amazon.com wish list, and decided to check on the often-delayed new Of Montreal album, which led me to the band's web site, where I learned that the band played a show in L.A. nary a week ago.

    That's the bad news. The good news was that I was able to order their new CD from the Kindercore Records site for a mere $10 (TOTAL COST!!!).

    You win some, you lose some. Oh well.
    posted at 7:53 PM

    Friday, October 11, 2002

    Travel Angst / Music Of Hair

    So no, I did not get to go to San Francisco this weekend. On Monday, when I mentioned that I was probably going to get a flight / hotel combo by myself, my roommate's girlfriend said she wanted to go, too, and that I could drive up with them. I'm one for taking in as much scenery as I can, so I was gung ho on this idea, but they kept putting off making the reservations, and literally 12 hours before we were supposed to leave, they said they didn't want to go anymore. And then there were no flights left, so I couldn't even go by myself anymore. And the worst part is that they're not even going to do anything this weekend except see movies and lay around the apartment fighting with eachother.

    People are always suprised when they learn that I actually like going places by myself. Now you know one of the reasons why. For more, check out the explanation of Avoidant Disorder below.

    But, in other, lighter news, Roommate Ben and I had a great time last night with Aimee and her roommates when we brought the Portable Party (a box of wine) over. Lots of good conversation, etc. And today, Aimee's boyfriend Greg came out, and we all went to a taping of the Craig Kilborn Late Late Show (mediocre) and dinner (excellent).

    Other than that, there hasn't really been much going on here. I'm really getting sick of this desert climate bullshit. I need rain, and clouds, and a cool breeze of non-smoggy air. Of course, as soon as I get back to New England, I'll be complaining about the miserable weather there.

    My ex-roommate Justin (Hemlock) got his hair cut. He's had a pony tail forever. Seriously. I think it was created on the Eighth or Ninth Day. And from the picture he posted, which I can't link to because TRIPOD doesn't allow that sort of normal web-behavior, it looks really good. so kudos to you, Hemlock. Even though I always said I liked your hair long, it's still technically long(er than mine).

    So I'm at a critical decision-making point here. I need a haircut pretty badly, and I'm thinking about letting my hair get a little longer. Problem is, I probably won't be able to keep my effortless hairstyle if I did that. Maybe some kind of Beck-like combination do? I dunno. I'm open for suggestions. Except from Sara, who always wants me to spike my hair.

    Now I'm tired. So it's bed time.
    posted at 11:17 PM

    Tuesday, October 08, 2002

    Downtown

    So I decided to brave the public transit system this morning to go to downtown L.A. and visit the Museum of Contemporary Art. Not only did the Museum kind of suck, but downtown L.A. is such a dump, man. Picture Times Square, only sleazier and much dirtier. Yuck.

    This is all just fine, though, as this weekend, it looks like my insatiable wanderlust will be temporarily quenched. My roommate and his girlfriend expressed interest in a weekend trip to San Francisco, and they invited me along. I already bought a little guidebook, and this city looks very inviting, indeed. Not only is it pretty much confined to a small peninusla, but it also has an effective mass transit system! All my urban loves together again!

    We'd be making the six-hour drive on Friday morning, which, although it's a six hour drive, would also allow me to see more of this state, and hopefully also see a real-life forest that ISN'T this awful desert scrubland. I need my fall fix, dammit!
    posted at 4:27 PM

    Monday, October 07, 2002

    John Silber Is Still A Dick

    Re: this Freep article today.

    Also in the Freep today was this perspective about a Freshman's first month at school. It was terrible. So, now I will work on a perspective I've been working on since I got here, in the hopes that it will be published in a timely manner, before my appearance on The Price Is Right next Wednesday. Huzzah!
    posted at 1:10 PM

    Bored In Los Angeles

    I kind of wanted to fly home this weekend. There's no classes, but we're all working, so literally now I have nothing to do during the week. But tickets home are over $500, and I just can't justify that right now. Maybe I'll fly up to San Francisco instead. Hmm...
    posted at 1:06 PM

    Cloris Leachman Flashed Us

    Last Thursday, on the CBS lot in beautiful Studio City, CA, Aimee, some other interns and I got to attend a showing of the season premier of "Malcolm In The Middle," with the entire cast and crew. Not only was the episode amazing, but I finally got to see everyone in the cast (Chris Masterson sat at our table), and Cloris Leachman, who was there for an upcoming episode featuring her Emmy-award winning grandmother character -- and man, was she ever happy to be there. She toasted everything Linwood Boomer said before the episode aired, and then, for some reason, started taking off her blouse. Weird, man. But really cool.

    On Friday night, a few of us went to see Mr. Show's live "Hooray For America!" It was very clever very funny, but the sound system kind of sucked, and the ending was a little let-down. But we did get to see a small collection of celebrities in the hallways of UCLA's Royce Hall before the show, including:

    1). Linwood Boomer, our boss.
    2). The Music Geek from "Beat The Geeks"
    3). Andy Dick
    4). Weird Al Yankovic

    These celebrity sightings will never get old, methinks.
    posted at 1:04 PM

    Saturday, October 05, 2002

    Confirming What You Already Knew

    In response to the online psychoses tests that people have been taking, I have taken it. Enjoy.

    DisorderRating
    Paranoid:Moderate
    Schizoid:Moderate
    Schizotypal:Low
    Antisocial:Low
    Borderline:Low
    Histrionic:Moderate
    Narcissistic:Moderate
    Avoidant:High
    Dependent:Low
    Obsessive-Compulsive:High

    -- Click Here To Take The Test --



    posted at 7:25 PM

    Wednesday, October 02, 2002

    I Will Never Leave The Freep

    Just in case you thought I'd disappeared ...

    A larger update to follow. Today was a great day on the "Malcolm" set.
    posted at 9:54 PM