Ingaliciousness

My first FlipVideo of substance: Ingrid, Elmo and Me.

Reflections

I've just been looking back at my Inauguration videos and pix, and taking a moment to reflect on the amazing and momentous shift we have experienced and continue to witness.

One of these days I'll take a chunk of time to really study this fantastic photo and find celebrities and friends:

Click here to link to GigaPan swearing-in pic.

Otherwise, here's some atmosphere from the Inauguration Concert:

Yep, I'll Get There

This is how I've been feeling lately. There's something equally terrifying and exhilarating about how uncertain things are (in the world, nation and my life) right now. My days are filled with obsessive Facebooking/Twittering/LinkedIn-ing, applying for jobs and trying not to go crazy from the echo chamber-like silence from all those prospective employers. At the same time, I'm relishing the opportunity to write, to ride my bike around my neighborhood, do home improvement projects and watch "Golden Girl" reruns and classic films on TCM to my heart's content. Although, at the back of my mind, there's that gripping fear that a non-volunteer job opportunity won't come along before the reserve cash runs out.

So, what's a gal to do? Learn to get "recreational shopping" pleasure from visits to the 99 cents only stores, make finding free things to do around the city a game, thank my lucky stars for life, health, food, clothing, shelter, friends, family and the ability to live in an amazing city fragrant with the smells of spring and night-blooming jasmine. Oh, and of course, to allow myself to regress every now and then. PBS and Sesame Street gives me that warm, homey feeling that everything will work out just fine.

16 All Over Again

Last night, I attended a screening of "Purple Rain" at the Arclight Sherman Oaks. It was a part of the AFI Music Documentary series, and was pretty well attended.

The print that was screened was an original - no pristine digital remasters here. But that was OK.

It's amazing how I reverted to my 16-year-old self while sitting in that theater.

Funny how I realized that I knew the movie WORD FOR WORD, and had to fight the urge to recite it at times (during Morris Day's lines, natch). As I was enjoying the show, I remembered how I would go home from school and, for a time, watch the movie on VHS EVERY SINGLE DAY. Carazy!

Twenty-four years later, it was cool to finally see the movie on the big screen. (I first saw the film at a friend's sleepover party, and that was a big scandale in my house -- my dad was against me seeing the rated R movie, even though he was the one to first bring home the album, and to pretty much cure me of my Michael Jackson fever.)

The music is still thrilling and amazing (I've gotta load all the PR tracks on my iPod; now I regret selling so many of my Prince CDs while I was "downsizing"), and Prince is still fab looking and proving that, all these years later, he is still very much relevant and kicks ass. I just might have to get back into the NPG/3121 fan scene and finagle my way to his next live show.

My Senior Crush

My admiration for and appreciation of the documentary "Young@Heart" and its subject, the Young@Heart Chorus, continues.

Last night, I saw their fantastic sold-out show at the Wilshire Theatre. What a treat! The chorus was great, and the audience showed them a lotta love -- a whooole lotta love.

I was waiting around after the show, and by chance wandered back into the theatre to see members of the chorus milling around and greeting fans. I took the opportunity to shake hands and get a little kiss from my new senior crush, Lenny. If you've seen the movie, Lenny is an 88-year-old Renaissance man; he sings in the chorus, performs with his church choir, plays the harmonica, hikes, rides with a cycling club and drives! Lenny definitely has growing fan club, and he seems to be enjoying the ride.

(That Stan, who spent part of the show performing from a wheelchair, seems pretty cool, too.)

Um, did I mention that you should go see the film?

Young@Heart -- Support this Film!

Earlier this week, I attended a special screening of the documentary "Young@Heart" at the Arclight Sherman Oaks, which was followed by a Q&A with the director, Stephen Walker. The film follows a singing group composed of senior citizens (average age: 80) as they prepare for their latest show, singing popular/contemporary/rock/punk songs. This film is so profoundly moving, all I can say is, please go see it, and take friends.This clip captures a particularly moving performance of Coldplay's "Fix You."

If, by some chance, you have a direct line to Bono, please convince him to allow Stephen Walker to license U2's "One" for use in a future edit of the film. The director tried and tried to make contact, but only got as far as the person responsible for mailing out form rejection letters. The inclusion of the song, sung by one of the chorus members, will make one particularly dramatic segment all the more resonant.

The Young@Heart chorus is actually performing at the Wilshire Theater in Beverly Hills on April 17th. I'm getting my tix today!

More movie info at: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/youngatheart/

Young@Heart website: http://www.youngatheartchorus.com

Giggle Me This

He Had a Dream

OMG, this is hilarious. Reminds me of that episode of "The Simpsons" when the jazzman performed a 20-minute version of "The Star Spangled Banner" at a Springfield Isotopes baseball game...especially when El Jefe glances at his watch, oh so discreetly.

Weekend in San Diego

I took a train excursion down to San Diego this weekend with a couple friends/coworkers to participate in the Subaru Women's Triathlon.

We all opted for the "super sprint" - 375 meter swim/6 mile bike/2.1 mile run. I finished towards the end of the pack...I started out OK on the swim, but got nervous and a little lazy after getting to the first buoy. Ah well, I finished. I did exponentially better in the swim than my first tri, and, no doubt, the next one will be even better!

Rick-Rollin' Good Time

I don't know where I've been that I've only recently caught on to the Web phenomenon known as "Rick Rolling." The concept is easy ... someone does a search for something -- say, "three on three Dachshund action"-- then clicks on the top search result, only to land on a YouTube clip of Rick Astley singing "Never Gonna Give You Up." Brilliant!

Perhaps I'm late to the RR game because I don't have time to do extraneous, subversive Web searching. Regardless, I'm glad I'm in on the joke now, because it gives me an excuse to link to the "Family Guy" clip above (which, I swear, I referenced a couple times in the last few weeks just because I thought it was clever). And, of course, I have to admit that I do love the Rick Astley song (reminds me of those fun and carefree days of my late teens), and enjoy the retro kick of seeing the video.

On a related note, you'd think with all that soul brimming from his voicebox, Rick Astley would've had some rhythm. Negative! Last night I watched George Michael: Behind the Music on VH1 Classic, and noticed that he rocked a lot of the same moves as ol' Rick ... George Michael didn't have much rhythm either ... go figure!

Anyhoo, my original point was that I do dig this song, and find the oh-so-'80s video kinda charming.

Where the Bleep Does the Weekend Go?

It's 11:14 on a Sunday night; so much for getting eight hours of sleep tonight.

Now that I'm a 9-to-5er (technically, an 8:30 - 5:30er), my weekends are way too hectic. There's just too much to do. Take this weekend for example:

Friday night:
Rush home after staying a little late at work so I can catch the premiere of High School Musical 2. (Enjoyed it, but not as much as HSM, but more on that later.)

Saturday:
Get to Lifeguard Station 26 at Santa Monica by 8:30 a.m. for triathlon team workout. Ride along the bike path and up one killer hill at Temescal (hour total), then walk (My bad back prevents me from running anymore) for about 40 minutes.
Run a couple errands, get some lunch, then crash on couch with It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World on TCM in the background. Skip screening of The Simpsons Movie in the Valley.
Get up, get ready for and drive to a birthday party for a friend in Santa Monica. Arrive by 9:45. It's a fabulous soiree with hottie bartenders out on a designerly backyard/patio of a recently remodeled home. I have one of the house martinis, then a couple waters and am home by 12:30.

Sunday:
Sleep in. Skip Farmer's Market and company picnic. Clean house, go swimming (1050 meter workout), then head to the Valley to run some errands and see a screening of The Bourne Ultimatum. It's the most attended TV Academy screening I've gone to in quite a while. As a result, I have to sit in the second row, and fight the feeling of seasickness for most of the flick.
Head back to the Westside, and stop in at my laundromat of choice to do three loads. Get home by 9:40ish.

I blew off/skipped so many things, yet I'm still exhausted. I'm almost looking forward to the week, which shouldn't be as draining as the weekend -- although I do rise at the crack of dawn most days so I can work out at my company gym for 30-40 minutes and shower/get dressed before heading into the office. Tomorrow I'm taking the day off from the morning workout since I'll be going to a swim workout with the triathlon team at 7:30 p.m.

Yes, I've been working out a lot, but I have a college reunion that I'd like to look hot for in October. (plus a full triathlon I'd like to do in October, after September's Nautica Malibu Tri, so I need to be in tip-top shape.) I've also been eating well, and I hope I can keep it up.

Now, about my under-21 crush Zac Efron and HSM 2: I enjoyed it, esp, the "I Don't (or is it 'I Can't'?) Dance" number. The movie was very cute and extremely high-energy. But, I have to admit that I (gasp!) liked the original better. The songs were more infectious, and I do love that Drew Seeley's voice. For some reason, the movie producers used Drew for just about all of Zac's singing in the original movie. Although Zac has no problem carrying a tune (see Hairspray), and he insisted on doing his own singing for HSM 2. Anyhoo, I imagine that I have the same reax to the movie as all the other fuddieduddies out of the target demo -- and they echo those of the NY Times reviewer (especially the comment about the out-of-control use of bronzer on the cast. WTF?).

OK, enough stream-of-consciousness typing (esp. when I should be working on pages for my upcoming workshop critique). I hope I can get through tomorrow on just six hours of sleep...

I Got It!

Here is is, my "free" MacBook Pro -- all 5.6 lbs, 15.4 inch screen and 120GB of it! About 4 1/2 months ago, I started filling out offers through one of those marketing sites ("Get a FREE MacBook Pro!") so I could qualify for it. Yes, the process was tedious, required much attention to detail, and I have a pile of facial products, posters, language and Video Professor DVDs to try and sell on eBay, but I did receive my Apple laptop.

In the end, this baby cost me approximately $1450. Of that, about $102 was sunk costs (paying for subscriptions/services/products I didn't use; shipping costs); I used $383 in services (Disney DVDs, eMusic, Blockbuster, wine club shipments, restaurant coupons). So, you could say my actual cost was about $1056 -- even less if I get around to selling any of the $900 in unopened/unused products I now have.

I'm so jazzed, now I think I'll try for an iPhone! It's offered by these people: http://www.electronics-netpathreward.com -- just do a Google search for the correct link, spend some time on their questionnaire, then you'll land on their three levels of offer pages. Here we go again!

Fare Thee Well to FW

Parting is such bittersweet sorrow. Much more so when you're left hanging. Does Tanya Turner blackmail the lecherous owner of Earls Park down to his very last quid, or does he just go to jail for murdering Roger? Does Lucy have a biracial baby? Will Liberty ever model again? And, most importantly, what the dickens happened to Amber's (or as Conrad pronounced it, um-BAH) baby?

Those questions and more will never be answered, alas, because "Footballers Wives" was canceled before everything could be wrapped up neatly, or just explained away as Bob Newhart's ecstacy-induced dream.

Iowa on My Mind

Yesterday I returned from a week in Iowa City, where I attended the last session of the 21st annual Iowa Summer Writing Festival. I participated in a workshop entitled "Passionate Revision" led by a fabulous instructor named Lon Otto.

It's rare, I believe, to make new friends at my age, but that's just what I did. I spent the majority of my week bonding with amazing people who not only have a passion for writing and revision, but who have an appreciation for the writing process and compassion for fellow storytellers. What an honor and a pleasure to brainstorm, chat, converse and get to know them all.

And, after months of questioning my writing and wondering if I'm wasting my time plugging away at my novel, I received some much-needed validation, encouragement and advice from Lon. What a swell guy.

So, now I'm energized to continue with my project, knowing that I have a whole new set of friends to turn to for feedback and support. How fortuitous that I decided to go to Iowa and picked the workshop that I did. But, then again, I have the feeling that this was all in the stars for me.

Feeling a Little Restless

This is my last full week of "freedom" -- well, being as unencumbered as one can be when working 5 early-morning hours per weekday -- before I head out to the Iowa Summer Writers Festival then return to start my new full-time gig.

I'm super-cognizant of not "wasting" any of this precious time. I feel like I should be going for swims at the Santa Monica pool and going to spin class in the middle of the day or strolling random farmers markets or taking my beach cruiser out for afternoon jaunts. But, I haven't done much more than veg on the couch and watch TV (when not in front of the computer working) for the last two days.

I found out why I've been feeling restless yet unmotivated to make the most of my last hurrah.(Lunar cycles and all that jazz.) It's just as well, though. It's been seven months of this great hiatus. Of course, I didn't do everything I aspired to, but I did do a little bit of everything, so I have no regrets. It's time for me to get back on the career bandwagon...or at least focus on a solid job with good benefits for the time being.

And, though my new gig is not of the "sexy" entertainment-industry variety, I have a very good feeling about it, and about the people I'll be working with. They seem smart, capable and very decent. That may sound very basic, but given where I've come from, that's a luxury.

Best of all, after all sorts of sketchy experiences, it looks like I've finally gotten myself into a large company that isn't afraid or contemptuous of black people, evidenced by the sheer numbers. Besides my short stint at a black-owned and operated company (really, I have to pinch myself -- was that a dream?), I've found myself at companies large and small that I always gave the benefit of the doubt, although there were suspiciously low numbers of black employees, or my pay was suspiciously lower than colleagues with the same title and job responsibilities, or my title was suspiciously sub-par than that of co-workers with far less experience, educational background, job responsibilities and accomplishments.

Bygones. All those shitty job situations and bosses have made me a shrewder, stronger, sharper and smarter person. And, now that those lessons have been learned, I'm hoping this next job adventure will be a positive, wild ride with great rewards.

If not, at least the perks and the 401K plan are good!

Vive la France!

Sunday was a lovely day, so I headed to Bergamot Station with a friend to the Bastille Day celebration. It was small and quaint -- nice, but not quite worth the $5 entrance fee and the long, long walk from our faraway parking space.

Later in the evening, we hit a showing of "Ratatouille" at the Century City AMC. (It's a great theater with stadium seating, yet not so great if you have to sit in the third row. ARGH!). The movie was definitely one of my faves from the Disney/Pixar canon. It never ceases to amaze me how skilled the Pixar folks are at good old-fashioned storytelling. The score was great and the end titles were both fun and inspiring. Bravo to them!

Who Needs the Kwik-E-Mart? I Doooooo!

This song has been stuck in my head since I was joking about it at "Singalong Sound of Music" two weekends ago. Of course, the part I really can't get out of my head (the end, Apu sings "I doooo") isn't translated here, but you'll get the idea.

There's a promotional Kwik-E-Mart on Venice and Sepulveda. I drove past after midnight this morning and there was *still* a line snaking outside. I hope to get in sometime before The Simpsons Movie publicity ends ... sheesh, what's the deal -- are they giving away a bag of coke to sprinkle with each box of Krusty-Os?!

Makes Me Wanna SCREAM!

COMPARE AND CONTRAST:

Utah man who had sex with girl, 13, is sentenced
From the Associated Press
July 11, 2007

WEST JORDAN, UTAH — A judge sentenced the son of an imprisoned Utah polygamist to 180 days in jail Tuesday for having sex with a 13-year-old girl he met on the Internet site MySpace.

William Green, 19, must avoid pornography, stay out of Internet chat rooms and pay a $500 fine, District Court Judge Royal Hansen said.

"He's a remorseful kid," said Green's lawyer, David Leavitt. "He's married and has full-time work. I think you'll see this is a blip on the radar screen."

Green was charged with rape but pleaded guilty to two counts of misdemeanor sexual battery.

His father, Tom Green, 58, went to prison in 2001 for having sex with a 13-year-old girl when he was 37.

The girl was the first of five women he took as wives. He also was convicted of bigamy and criminal non-support for the thousands of dollars in state payments made to support his 32 children.

Green is scheduled to be released from prison Aug. 7.

Leavitt, who prosecuted Tom Green, said William Green was a victim because he grew up in an environment where there was no sensitivity to age-appropriate sex.

WITH:

Editorial
Free Genarlow Wilson Now
From The New York Times
Published: December 21, 2006

Genarlow Wilson loves reading mystery novels and can’t wait for the next Harry Potter book. The 20-year-old former high school football player and honor student works in a library, the perfect job for a young bookworm. Unfortunately, that is where the good news ends and a genuine horror story of this country’s legal system begins.

The library in Georgia where Mr. Wilson works is in prison. He is two years into a sentence for engaging in consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old girl at a New Year’s Eve party when he was 17. He won’t be eligible for parole until he has served 10 years, essentially sacrificing his remaining youth to an obvious miscarriage of justice.

As Shaila Dewan reported in The Times this week, Mr. Wilson has been convicted of aggravated child molestation even though he and the girl were both minors at the time. Even if he could win an early release, Mr. Wilson could not go home to his family. He would have to register as a sex offender and would be prohibited from living with his 8-year-old sister. It is all the more disgraceful because the Georgia Supreme Court last week refused to hear his appeal.

The sexual act took place during a party involving sex, marijuana and alcohol, all captured on a graphic videotape. But that does not make Mr. Wilson a child molester. When high school students engage in consensual sexual activity, that is not the same as an adult molesting a teenager or a teenager molesting a child.

What makes this case more absurd is that if Mr. Wilson and the young woman had sexual intercourse, he would have been guilty only of a misdemeanor and not required to register as a sex offender, thanks to a provision in the law meant to avoid just this type of draconian punishment for consensual youthful indiscretions, the “Romeo and Juliet” exception. And since Mr. Wilson’s conviction, the law has been changed to exempt oral sex as well. But the courts say that can’t help Mr. Wilson retroactively.

His lawyer is planning to file a habeas petition seeking his release. The courts need to grant it and expunge his record so that Mr. Wilson can return to his family and his once promising academic career. Legislators in other states should take notice and make sure that their own laws do not catch children in dragnets designed for predatory adults.

WHAT THE EFF???!!!

The Police Concert, and Meeting My Asian Doppelgänger

I went to see The Police concert at the Staples Center on Wednesday night, the 20th. It was cool to be there -- I went alone and had a fun time -- but maybe around halfway through the concert, I realized it wasn't really all that great.

The last time I was at the Staples Center for a concert was in January to see Justin Timberlake. Sometime during his first number ("FutureSex/LoveSound"), my friends and I remarked how amazing he sounded. His voice was crystal-clear and the acoustics were pristine. On Wednesday, sometime during "Synchronity II" or "Roxanne" or one of the old hits, I realized how crappy the sound was. Sting's voice sounded muddy and the music was just very feedbacky. Not to mention that the guys just seemed to motor through the set -- probably with dollar signs ch-chinging in their heads. Big bummer.

But, despite the concert price tag (about $125 including Ticketmaster fees), I'm still happy I decided to get in on this reunion tour. I even got so caught up in it that I lost my mind temporarily and shelled out $80 for a distressed (read: washed and has tiny tears and holes) T-shirt. I know, I know: crrrazy and just a bit out of character for this frugal chick. Anyway, onward and upward. I'm looking forward to Sing-along Sound of Music at the Hollywood Bowl next Saturday.

Some other highlights of the week:
- attending the Joost cocktail party at the TV Academy. Once I get a computer that can handle it, I can't wait to take advantage of my beta tester status.
- deciding to ditch "Late Night at LACMA" plans on Summer Solstice with a friend and scoring a last-minute table at Pizzeria Mozza (yes, Batali's place on Melrose). Actually, the meal was just "OK" -- no big whoop. Been there, done that ... I can cross it off my list.
- third interview at a big company for a full-time freelance gig. I suppose it's time to do my finances a favor and get back on the 9-to-5 bandwagon...
- "Ocean's 13" screening at the TV Academy. Fun flick. Could've been 30 minutes shorter, tho.
- Martha Stewart Living event at the Beverly Center L'Oreal Paris store. Pleasant event with nice giveaways. But, I have to admit, both of my events there attracted larger numbers of women who were more fun, engaged, and interested in the makeup. Yay, me! ;-)
- Summer solstice dessert and cocktail party at the friend of a friend's place in Beverly Hills on Saturday night. What a fun little soiree. And, I met my Asian doppelgänger! She's a mellow gal with a similar passion for travel, and -- get this -- we even sort of have the same name! How cool to make new friends (and potential travel buddies!) when you least expect it!

This coming week is another full one, but my mom is coming to visit, and we're fixin' to have lots of fun.

Ranger Ernie Rocks!

This past weekend was the last Saturday morning Griffith Park ranger hike until September. Ranger Ernie Ybarra led a small group of eager Angelenos on a 5-mile trek up to a shady hilltop oasis known as Amir's Garden.

Amir's Garden was lovingly created by Amir Dialameh, an Iranian immigrant and nature enthusiast. For more than three decades, he's hiked up the steep hillside with his pick and axe with plants, trees, flowers and succulents in tow, transforming a swath of scorched earth above the Mineral Wells area into a lush, shady grove. (Info at amirsgarden.org.)



Although a couple friends came along for the hike, we all spent time talking with various members of the hiking group. This was my third time out, and already there are familiar faces. It's a fun and interesting group of people who seek out free and active opportunities to explore the outdoor offerings in our city. (BTW, now I know where to find a tasty peach tree in the park, not too far from the old zoo -- the peaches were crunch but sweet!)

The next hike isn't scheduled until September 29 (we usually meet at 9 a.m. at the Visitor's Center/ranger station), but Ranger Ernie is planning to lead some nighttime hikes before then, which should be amazing. Email him for info at: ernie.ybarra@lacity.org.