MGMT's "Kids" beginning is so reminiscent of the beginning of the "Undeclared" theme song. By the way.

Second day of food poisoning-related inactivity was spent watching Undeclared (best show) and reading every post I've ever written on this blog. FYI, 2007 was the golden year. Take a look back. Less internet-curating, more entertaining writing.

And some stats, which I just realized blogger does on its own and no longer requires me checking Analytics.
52% of my readers use IE. How strange. 80% use Windows. Top three countries of origin are unsurprisingly USA, UK, and Canada (all time means only since May of 2010 to Blogger; that must have been when they started this service). Although today, the top three countries are USA, Malaysia, and Poland.

These are weirdly the most popular posts: 1 and 2.

Dear music supervisor of NFL for women or whatever commercial,

I am offended/confused by your choice of Lesley Gore's awesome "You Don't Own Me" track for that terrible commercial. It doesn't even make any sense.

Ugh,
Laura

PROBLEM

There is definitely some piece of music used in "No Reservations'" underscore that has been used in the foreground of some other show that I can't think of. And, it's driving me crazy. Please help!

UPDATE: I think it's used in Sundance's "Iconoclast." Hmmm.

WHAT!?#%*

Crazy: "Some 40 years ago," MGM dumped many thousands of musical scores to be used as landfill in the building of the 405 freeway.

Every day I watch some PBS, and every day I learn something outrageous.

Dear Apple,

"Learning" is not an adjective. Get your parallel structure act together!!

Only looking out for you,
Laura

Also,

I was doing some math while I was waiting for my friend to get her book signed. Anthony Bourdain's going to be 70 when his daughter is 20.

In case you were wondering...

DSC05693
Originally uploaded by neonspecs

who would win in a knife fight between Giada de Laurentiis and Nigela Lawson, Anthony Bourdain (pictured in the super blurry picture above) is pretty sure about Nigela taking it.

Zombie!

Me and Sahr from Fela dancing from Terry Richardson on Vimeo.

Duck tape or duct tape? Is there a difference?

Y'all know how much I love the L.A. River. WSJ discusses the Pasadena Museum of Art's current exhibit (Lillian, we still have to go!)

Can freeways have character? Do they deserve to be preserved?

Pretender, contender, or defender? I don't like any of them.

In other news, I encountered one of the kids from that newish Parenthood show at Royce last week, and she was not cool. As I guess I sorta expected. The show was alright but now I'll just think about her ridiculous eye rolling and expectation of preferential treatment.

Subtitle Award of the Week

Sundance Channel, from French:

"You see how beautiful the models are? Well, beautiful in inverted commas."

Yessss, inverted commas. So great.

Evolution of the Telephone.

Thank you, State Library of New South Wales.

"Big chunky phone because you need a big serious phone for the world war. You can't be texting about the Third Reich. You cant be sayin' 'Hitler just invaded the Sudetenland omg omg'" - Craig Ferguson

I saw Warren Christopher at the mall on Thursday and he was super adorable, although I feel like that may be an inappropriate way to describe a man who was not so long ago the United States Secretary of State. Anyways, he is super adorable and immaculately dressed. A man with much panache.

In other celebrity news (Warren Christopher is a celebrity, right?), Leonard Nimoy went to see Patti Smith at the Hammer and I got really excited about this. Eric McCormack (Will, really, he won't ever be able to be anything else) went to hear Neil Gaiman at Royce, and so did Eric J. Lawrence, your Local Public Radio Music Librarian (KCRW, at which I volunteered this morn, takin' your moneyyyyy) [If you happen to read this and it weirds you out that I am reporting this and increasing your celebrity to my four, maybe five loyal readers, EJL, let me know and I will delete it].

Finally, as also a member of KCET (yeah, look at me, your unemployed friend so liberally donating her time and money [I want to use the word "largesse" but can't figure out how]), I attended a "gala" at the California Science Center and California African American Museum with Tavis Smiley (whom Greg hates for reasons unbeknownst to me). I actually like Smiley a little less after I heard him speak this evening. He just seemed so not happy to be there, plus he complained about a lack of appreciation for culture in Los Angeles, which was just annoying. Eh, but the food was great (Creole, Jamaican, Ethiopian, and something else), and a few of the exhibits were nice. I especially recommend "Harlem of the West: Jazz, Bebop, and Beatnik" at CAAM and the awesome paintings/carvings of musicians that are from the walls of an old jazz club in Texas, of all places (Jake Morrow, you don't read my blog, but you should go check out this exhibition to see the section of Harry Smith. Hurry, it closes soon!). Smiley's America I Am at the Science Center was whatever. It's probably great if it's been a while since you were in high school or if your school was racist. It's never bad to be reminded of the things covered in the exhibition but it wasn't mind-blowing or anything like that.

As a result of this post, I looked up the origin of "panache." Wikipedia says it was once a marker of character worthy of suspect, until Cyrano de Bergerac. Literally, it means plume. FYI.

With chains and knives!

Roland Reiner Tiango. awesome awesome awesome. check out his stuff.

"Whoomp (Sqaure It Is)" is a terrifying thought.
Paul Rand!!!
Wes Andersen seems to be less annoying and more adorable in animation. Perhaps this is a reason.
"Indie wasn't crappy for a purpose (anymore)"
Do you have some extra old guns and knives lying around?

(bonus points to anyone who knows what the title of this point is referencing)

Dear L.A. River Report with Ed Reyes,

I would be much more into you if you were not accompanied by monumentally dull music. This isn't a hotel television menu channel show. Too bad it sounds like one (okay, obviously, I'm already admitting a lot by saying I watch LACityView channel 35).

Laura

P.S. THE L.A. RIVER IS A RIVER. DON'T MOCK IT.

baby, baby

Dear Tavis Smiley,

Your laugh brings so much joy into my life. Additionally, Lamont Dozier and Raphael Saadiq? What a show!

Danke,
Laura

chain mail replacement

I'm writing this here and not on Facebook, because I don't want to participate in chain mail and tag 25 people afterwards but also don't want to disappoint the three people who have tagged me who obviously care so much about me (hehe).

1. My mother taught English. This has made me keenly aware of other people's grammar mistakes and super embarrassed when I make them myself. It bothers me that I am quite bothered by other people's mistakes--well, at least some of them. Just so you know, "number" and "amount" are different words. "Few" and "less" are, too. There should always be a comma before "too."

2. I have never desired to be a real banker, but, when I was younger, I had my own pretend bank. I made my own currency, checks, and log books. I printed weekly statements for my family members and allowed them to make transactions. The bank even had an awesome logo and a slogan I can't remember.

3. I have never had a pet. Assorted family member's allergies and aversions prevented it. My grandfather had two cats that my brother and I named. Then one of the cats jumped at my brother and created a huge gash in his neck. That was the end of us hanging out with the cats.

4. I truly enjoy learning. I can usually listen to people to talk about things that interest me for a long time. On the other hand, three hour classes usually only retain my full attention and interest for at most two hours. Additionally, I do not wish to be a writer of any sort and have only two or three times in my life enjoyed written assignments.

5. I did not have cable television until the middle of third grade. While that seems pretty early in life, I think much about me is related to the fact that I pretty much only watched PBS for those formative years. On family trips, Nickelodeon and Nick at Nite were the Coolest Things Ever. Once we got cable, classic television was all I watched until much later. Hogan's Heroes is still my favorite show, closely followed by Adam-12. I have seen every episode of Hogan's Heroes at least three times. I would totally be able to watch the same episode a few times in a row and each each viewing.

6. It is a little weird to me that I love prison movies, but I do. My favorite movie, not just in the prison genre, is Escape from Alcatraz with Clint Eastwood. This is, in large part, the cause of my love of Clint Eastwood, not due to my love of Clint Eastwood. My second favorite is Papillon.

7. I hate washing dishes. It also amazes me how easily I make my apartment incredibly messy, when I am a generally organized person.

8. I do not know how to ride a bike.

9. I have had a fireplace in my apartment both this year and last and never used it until right now (Sunday February 1st, 7:58pm). Unfortunately, it is not a real fire place. The logs are fake. I do not like that. Also, the flames are blue. There is not much heat. The logs will never burn down. The fire will never end, unless I turn it off. What the hell? That is not the correct fire place experience. I don't like the sound it makes or the unsafe feeling it gives me. It also took my building three months to turn it on. Ridiculous.

10. I really like cooking. I would be more than happy to cook you dinner, if you help me clean up after.

11. Ella Fitzgerald once serenaded me in an elevator.

12. This one should be obvious by now: I love the work of Raymond Chandler. For the most part, I also love movies based on the work of Raymond Chandler.

13. I painted a portrait of him recently. It's the first painting I've done in a really long time. This makes my mother really happy, because I used to be very into art. I almost went the whole art school route. But, in the past four years, I haven't done much art at all. My mom thinks I am wasting talent. I think I have the skill but not the ideas.

14. I enjoying drinking gimlets. I am not sure what percent of this affinity stems from my love of Raymond Chandler and the first book of his I read, The Long Goodbye.

15. I bought a harmonica and would like to be able to play it well. I have not yet dedicated any time to this task, however. Hopefully spring break will bring greatness.

16. I am finally going to Coachella this year. I am most excited 'bout Leonard Cohen. Sometimes I call him Lenny Cohen, like we're friends. We're not, but I have met him at a Christmas party. Sorta met him. More like too nervous to say anything other than hello. (OH MY, SO COOL).

17. I frequently think in song titles. When someone says "alley oop" at a basketball game, I first think of the song by the Hollywood Argyles, not the offensive maneuver usually involving a slam dunk.

18. I think James Franco is an okay guy but am really disappointed he is going to be the commencement speaker at my graduation.

19. I don't think participation should be so highly valued by professors. This pressure to participate causes people to say things just for the sake of getting those participation points and not because they have anything valuable to say. I cannot count how many times classes have been ruined because of idiots 'participating.'

20. My usage of the word idiot reminds of an interesting twenty minutes spent in an urban planning class a year or two ago discussing all the words related to city. In a roundabout way, idiot is one of them. See if you can figure out how.

21. I have a headache right now that is distracting.

22. I will watch any Huell Howser show. Even though I am way into them, they frequently are very helpful if I want to be sleeping. I will spend over five bucks (ridiculous) on a quart of Broguiere's milk if Huell Howser's face is on it. In my defense, it does taste better than most other milk I've had.

23. I really like Jewish holidays. I am going to have a seder this year at my apartment on the third night. You might be invited. Let me know if you would like to be.

24. I don't know why I didn't think of this one sooner: I really really really like postcards. I keep every postcard I get. I also, in general, like writing and receiving letters (not just the fake ones I write on this blog).

25. I do a lot of things for the future, which sometimes seems really silly to me but I like it anyways. For example, I took a yearbook photo and am buying a ridiculously expensive yearbook when I graduate, because I am really into my grandmother's college yearbooks and want to have one for my eventual granddaughter to find. This way/philosophy/appropriate-noun-of-which-I-cannot-think-currently has caused me to be quite the pack rat.

Who ya gonna call? Trust Busters!

Dear Television Gods,

How did you let me miss this show? While I have only seen some clips, it seems to be the perfect cartoon for this particular gal. Silly songs about Teddy Roosevelt and other presidents?! How fab! It came out about the time I stopped watching Saturday morning cartoons I assume.





Release this on DVD, please!
Laura

P.S. These magazine covers are really swell.

Sorry

Dear gum chewers,

You look stupid.

Laura

P.S. People who buy Barack Obama coins, issued by the banks of countries like Liberia, on TV also look (are) stupid.

"a galvanic mixture of charm and energy"

L-R, T-B:
1) The Promise Ring: Very Emergency
2) Randy Newman: Little Criminals
3) Randy Newman: Trouble in Paradise
4) The Rascals: Time Peace Greatest Hits
5) Ray Charles: Modern Songs in Country and Western Music
6) Robert Clary: Meet Robert Clary

1) The Promise Ring were one of the first bands I really loved. It was a short but brilliant affair between me and their albums in middle school and early high school. Then I forgot about them. Suddenly, sophomore year of college, I get really into Maritime--an amalgamation of Promise Ring and Dismemberment Plan members. So I got back into The Promise Ring and bought this and a Maritime LP from their website. Oh yeah, Maritime was on my radio show. You should've listened.

2) I think I got this one from MAMSROC. Since I haven't written about my records in a while, I'll remind you that MAMSROC stands for "middle aged man sells records on campus." It's a good album, but I rarely listen to it. According to Wikipedia, "In 1978, legislation was introduced to make playing the song ("Short People") on the radio illegal in Maryland, though the bill failed to pass." That's super ridiculous.

3) Also from MAMSROC. "I Love LA!" And it's true, I do. Do you? I once saw Randy Newman at the Hollywood Bowl and the entire audience of 17,000 or so was shouting "we love it" in the correct spots. It was weird.

4) 99 cents from Rhino! I bought this because I thought it looked cool--very Lichtenstein. "Groovin'" "Mustang Sally" etc., exactly what's to be expected from a Rascals greatest hit album.

5) I can't remember where I got this. But it is of course a classic album. Revolutionary, even. "Big band arrangements by Gerald Wilson and Gil Fuller." I LOVE Gerald Wilson. He taught at UCLA, you know.

6) I bought this album on Ebay, 'cause I really wanted it, 'cause I love Robert Clary. It's probably been made clear enough already but Hogan's Heroes is my favorite show. Robert Clary played Louis LaBeau, a French POW and one of the titular "heroes." Not only does this have really cute illustrations on the back, but it prooves that Robert Clary is a really great singer. Surprisingly, most of that show's cast members were good singers. The best song this album is "Fleur Bleue." Try to find it. It's worth your time.

Recursion (maybe, I'm not exactly sure about the definition of this term)

Emergency! was a spinoff of Adam-12 which was a spinoff of Dragnet. One of the main doctors on Emergency! is in a cameo on this Dragnet episode! crazy prescient recursion?!