Sunday, April 27, 2008

"Godard: le plus con des Suisses pro-chinois!"



A while back, I was obsessed with the French events of May 1968. Enragés and Situationists in the Occupation Movement: Paris, May, 1968 by René Viénet gives good history on this important social movement of the last century. Starting next month in NY, the Film Forum and the Lincoln Center will be presenting a series of films relating to and inspired by May 1968. Man, I really want to go to NY for this... Read the NY Times article... go to Film Forum...

Saturday, April 26, 2008

But when I looked in her eyes well I almost fell for Lola...


Lola is a magnet, always the center of attention where ever she goes. People love her. Now it's my turn to see what the fuss is all about.

We drove down to San Diego to see the amazing SPZ perform last night. I was ready to be in the same car and even be roomies with Folkhands' terrier, Lola. This year, I want to overcome all my fears and my terror of dogs has been the hardest to overcome. My one goal was to just have Lola on my lap and lightly pet her... Simple right?


We were all hungry so we made a quick stop at In'n'Out in Long Beach. Animal style was great at the time but haunting afterwards.


Checked into the W and munched on some passable sliders and cocktails at The Beach, their rooftop lounge (yes that's really sand in the pic). The crowd were TGIF types who were digging the light techno/house music universally found at every trendy boutiquey hotel lounge. But all of the sudden, Vampire Weekend came on followed by B&S. Felt like the invisible DJ was scanning the crowd and thought that he should play some indie music to satisfy us. But then it was back to self-inducing vomiting house music with some Brazilian flair thrown in. Thanks for being edgy DJ, I really appreciate your thoughtfulness.


Kev was once afraid of dogs (never even touched one really) but on a recent SF trip with Lola, they bonded and are now mates. He said that Lola is special; she is super predictable so holding her, you know she won't go berserk and say, bite you in the face...


Lola with her surrogate master as Folkhands is still in NY.


After the thrilling show, we hung out at Tilbury's nice loft with amazing views of downtown (thanks for the late-nite yummy omelettes). Pictures of the SPZ show won't do it any justice as you had to be in that room to experience how such simply crafted songs can impact you so emotionally, so profoundly. These songs are romantic, mournful, full of rue and acceptance, transcendent. When I first heard Acoustic Mainlines around a year ago, I weeped. I loved how it made me feel even sadder and welcomed it. Then, when I saw the show for the first time last fall, the songs made me nostalgic of my past but never wanting to go back to that past. Last night, those same songs made me happy, I have so much to look forward to. SPZ is rock music. It's soul music. It's modern day classical music.


After getting up super late the next day, we headed up the coast to Encinitas. The day before, a surfer was killed a mile away by a Great White.


Lola is not fond of other dogs. This is the only time she barked and freaked out, a full on epileptic seizure. Conor quickly calmed her down and all was good again.


As we were pulling up into the parking lot at yummy Swami's Natural Foods Cafe, Jason Spaceman, in the same shirt and dark glasses from the night before, walked past us!!! Wtf? What are the chances of this happening? What are the chances???


This fortuitousness encounter gave me strength and I felt it was time. I motioned to Lola, then picked her up and put her on my lap. She was into it. I was into it. It felt fantastic. Major breakthrough.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

We brake ornaments, and get them repaired. We bring up past events that hang in the air...

I went to a dirty downtown party last night. The band was okay cuz' the sound was crap. The DJs fared better but the facilities were just frightening, tragic. BUT I was with good friends and was surprised by the clean & safe embraces of old warm friendly faces. But it was still dirty.


The band.


The White Dog DJs.


It doesn't matter where you are as long as you're with good friends. A sweet quick visit from Amy (yes! we're all caught up with our stories now aren't we?), Parisienne Dorothée and Wiggles.

*P.S. Forget sweltering Coachella this weekend, I am absolutely besotted with the prospect of going to see Spz tomorrow night in San Diego. I am just beside myself right now... and I think I'm strong enough now to face my fears of dogs... Lola, please be nice to me!*

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Put Your Arms Around Me


Here you go Nate. Satisfied? You deserve it...


Zach's Rose Bowl Air Jordans purchase this past weekend. I wonder how smelly this will be on the scorching asphalt streets of Manhattan on a hot summer's day?


Getting some yummy pickled and candied treats with my Vietnamese soul sister.


Shaka bra, my handsome Hawaiian sweethearts.

And I've been listening to this song on repeat for the last week... JLekman.mp3

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Could it be... SEITAN?

"If you're going to kill the animal, it seems only polite to use the whole thing."

My blog is about being positive and I'm really conscious about trying to keep the entries Pollyanna as I'm so terribly repugnant and bratty in real life. Today, I had a friend tell me that we can't be friends right now cuz' he doesn't think he can take my blunt criticism as it's just too much. Just too much.

Here's the real me. I like food. Like A L O T. About two weeks ago, my culinary experience traveled to fantastical ecstasy, then plunged to plebeian grime and then back where it should be, top-drawer... From Bouchon, I dined at Real Funt Daily with some dear old friends* visiting from up the California Coast. They are vegan (maybe macrobiotic, I can never remember these things.). Anyways, what they thought was the "Shit" was really shit to me. My main entrée was the special salad which filled me up but gave me a tummy ache. Not good. Dude, I am besotted with fruit and tormented by veggies... I do organic almost all the time but RFD is so lame. Last year my colleague got kicked out of this joint as she was waiting for takeaway cuz' she was eating some ice cream from yummy Boule! They say they do not allow any diary products in their facility but leather is okay as well as mobile phones. WTF? How hypocritical. I've eaten Buddhist vegetarian food since I was a newborn. It's delicious. I'm all for it but when it becomes this inane, there's no excuse for it. Recently, I had a whole milk latte I got from Boule and took it to RFD and when asked about my beverage, I lied and said it was "soy" and they all smiled, super impressed and seated me right away.** I did right.


"The Shit"***

By week's end, I went back to what I know. I had Vietnamese seven courses of beef and felt right at home. I'll eat anything... anything... as long as it's delicious.


* I love my vegan friends up North regardless of their dietary habits.*
** I only went cuz' my bourgie friends love this place. I make a lot of sacrifices for my friends.**
*** I did not photoshop this image whatsoever. ***