A Life in the Day

2009-11-26T10:05:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.

-- Albert Schweitzer

Image from eyehook.

2009-11-25T19:53:00.000-08:00

Not on the Bandwagon

I guess I'm in the minority who doesn't really like Adam Lambert's singing style. From what I saw on American Idol, sure he can wail and screech like the glam rockers of the '70s and '80s, but that's not my taste in music. And as for his performance at the American Music Awards, I feel what he did on Idol was far superior in terms of his singing. Sunday's show focused more on the showy shock value rather than any singing, and he came across flat and a bit boring vocally.

I know he's gay, but does that mean I have to jump on board the bandwagon and love love love him, like most in the community seem to? Does not liking him automatically revoke my pink card?

He does have a point when it comes to the editing of his performance for the West Coast viewers. He did nothing different from women singers (like Madonna, Britney and Christina sharing on-stage kisses...that were televised to millions of people, or Madonna being a bawdy courtesan for her performance of Vogue oh those many years ago on the MTV VMAs). Women seem to be allowed to flaunt their sexuality, even if it crosses the border into same-sex territory, while one little kiss between to men and civilization as we know it is coming to an end. Seems like a double-standard to me.

But I'm still not buying his album.

2009-11-22T14:22:00.001-08:00

Book Review: The Gay Detective

Francis Morley moves to Bay City in the early 1960s, taking over his uncle's detective agency. Hattie Campbell, his uncle's secretary, isn't sure what to make of her new boss; he's definitely not the type of man his uncle was, perhaps a bit on the "swish" side, but that could just be his college theater days rubbing off on him. Or maybe it's the long line of young men waiting outside the office door when she arrives, all in response to an ad Morley placed looking for an able-bodied young man to help out. Tiger Olsen, the good-looking, straight-laced town hero, finds himself hired as Morley's' new assistant when all was doing was making a routine call for his employer Chadwick Motors to greet the new detective in charge of their account. He finds Francis a bit odd, too, but also a man determined to prove himself as a detective.

Within a few days of re-opening the detective agency, Morley is approached by Captain Starr of the Bay City Homicide Department, hoping that he will be able to help solve a series of murders and the disappearance of a young man which may be connected to the murders. The reason for bringing his agency in is the odd nature of some of the people involved, people whom Starr suspects someone like Morley might be more in tune with.

Lou Rand's camp version of a noir detective story comes across as a parody of the gay pulps but with a minor difference. In many of the pulps I've read, the gay character struggles with his own identity, being forced to hide his sexuality until it ultimately forces its way into the open with tragic results. With The Gay Detective, Francis Morley never questions his own sexuality even when he knows people such as Captain Starr are using him because of what they think instead of what they know. No one out right asks him about a girlfriend or wife, but neither does he offer any such information. He's also incredibly comfortable with himself and doesn't hesitate when it comes to searching the local gay bars and restaurants -- even the bathhouse -- to uncover whatever has Bay City in an uproar. A refreshing change, but at the same time, I was never certain myself of Morley's sexuality: is he really gay, or is he putting on a show because it will allow him entry to places the police would never want to go?

Then again, most of the main characters all seemed to display some sort of homosexual tendencies though not as obviously as Morley. Captain Starr and many other male city notables frequent the back room of a bar, making it an exclusive gentlemen's club known as the "Back Room Crowd". Though no hanky-panky goes on, the insinuation that it's more than what it seems is definitely present. Not to mention all the bad guys appear to be homosexual, such as Kay Dunbar who helps to kill a man at the beginning of the story with the pay being a chance of having sex with the gunman n the backseat of the car that held the dead body in the trunk. (And Bay City seems to have only three women in its entirety -- Hattie, a rich woman who lost her cat, and a young woman whom Captain Starr referred to Morley.)

Interspersed with all its campiness, The Gay Detective spins a good detective tale, filled with drugs, sexual slavery, and a great detective. And I have to agree with the Ann Bannon quote on the cover: "It's so flaming you could roast marshmallows over it."

Image from The Thrilling Detective Web Site.

2009-11-21T10:56:00.001-08:00

Earlier Each Year

Forgive the grainy look of the pictures. But when you're on the go and don't have a proper camera, the cell phone will have to do.

Is it just me, or does Christmas seem to be coming earlier and earlier? Way before Hallowe'en, stores began displaying rows of Christmas-oriented cards, ornaments, gift wrap, snowflakes, reindeer, and everything else you can think of. Except for Christmas tress; at least that was a good sign. Then, I stopped by South Coast Plaza on Wednesday -- a full week before Thanksgiving -- and their tree was already up with toy trains rumbling through the trunk.

And then there's the matter of Disneyland. Of course, the only Christmas decorations up were mixed with Hallowe'en times thanks to The Nightmare Before Christmas. And yet, even now, they have lighted trees in both parks, a Christmas parade, snow falling, garlands, ornaments, stockings, and other yule tidings up.

I feel as though I'm being rushed into the holidays, that I need to drop everything and buy Christmas presents for the family and friends, start watching It's a Wonderful Life three times a day, and listen to carols on the commute to work.

Can't I at least enjoy Thanksgiving first?

2009-11-19T09:29:00.001-08:00

Spring Awakening Redux

Last night, we treated our friend MM to Spring Awakening. Caesar and I saw it last year so I won't re-hash the whole show, but it was just as good as that first time. Fantastic music, a shocking and surprising story, wonderful acting. One thing I've noticed about touring productions is that sometimes the song lyrics may have been subtly updated or changed. It happened with a touring production of Hairspray that we saw earlier this year, and I caught lyrical changes once again last night with the finale song, The Song of Purple Summer. (I only mention it because this is my favorite song in the show.) Perhaps the original lyric "The grey fly choir will mourn" was bit archaic, but I liked it within the context of the song...and every time the changed lyrics popped up last night, it stood out to me, a little jarring.

I also wondered how the show would go over with Orange County audiences. The crowd tends to be quite a bit older and crusty and conservative, and the subject matter of the show deals with teens and sexuality, sometimes a bit graphically. I expected at least one-third of the crowd to disappear during the intermission, but most of the crowd returned to enjoy the second act. So perhaps the OC Mindset is changing....though an older gent behind us gasped loudly when Hanschen and Ernst locked lips.

2009-11-17T22:40:00.000-08:00

We're Walking, We're Walking....

My lunch hour during the work week used to consist of buying a lunch from the food court across the street, bringing it back to the office courtyard, and sitting at a table with a book in one hand and usually a roast beef or tuna sandwich in the other. Since August, though, my routine has changed: I know spend 30 minutes walking around the area, then eat a lunch brought from home (a sandwich or soup, apple slices, diet drink). And so far, I'm down 10 lbs. Today I decided to try a different route for my walk and couldn't help myself when I saw these trees. Probably because no one really believes that the leaves change during the Fall in Southern California much as they do back East. Granted, it's not on as grand a scale, but we still get the beautiful colors. By tomorrow, the trees will most likely be bare, with their crinkly, brown paper bag colors drifting across the street.

But for today, what a nice sight.

2009-11-15T11:45:00.000-08:00

Random Long Beach Moment

Saw this on the morning walk: one of the apartment buildings down the street topped and shaved a few palm trees in their front yard and began carving tikis into them.

2009-11-14T21:30:00.000-08:00

Book Review: The Resort

Lowell Thurman decides to try something different for a family vacation: an exclusive spa located in the Arizona desert known as The Reata. For five days, he wants to do nothing but enjoy the pool, the five-star restaurants, the peace and quiet, and everything goes according to plan until they return from dinner the first evening to find someone else has been given their room. Not too big a deal, as the management finds them a different, bigger room almost immediately. But Lowell, his wife Rachel and their three kids soon notice other strange things, like the Reata's activities coordinator who almost bullies and threatens the resort guests or the spot at the bottom of the pool that looks too much like a dead body or the creepy ruins of an old resort not too far from The Reata. As their vacation nears its end, the strange incidents become more frequent, more violent, and the Thurman's find themselves fighting for their lives against an ancient evil.

As a fan of horror stories and novels, I'm kicking myself for not learning of Bentley Little sooner. The Resort is the kind of twisted tale I enjoy reading. The nature of the resort and its workers is revealed in small doses, the terror and unease slowly building with glimpses into the true horror of events to keep the reader off kilter and not completely trusting all the characters. The story itself is also very original so I never quite knew what to expect. (The scene with the Thurman family's first -- and only meal -- in The Grille restaurant and what happened afterwards in the Thurman's room comes vividly to mind.) By the last 100 pages of the book, I found myself reading and faster and faster because I wanted to know how things would turn out.

My one gripe has to do with one character -- Patrick Schlaegel -- whose story mixes in every chapter or so. Staying at The Reata while covering a local film festival, he encounters a wild, loud party in the vacant room next to him, a gigantic spider-like creature hunting him in his own room and other hard-to-explain happenings. But toward the end of the book, Patrick's captured, and that's the last we see of his character. Not sure if he died, if he lived, if he wandered across the forty miles of desert to salvation. I would have preferred some kind of resolution to his part in the story because I enjoyed following his character.

The Resort delivers a chilling horror tale, sure to cause shivers to run up and down any reader's spine. A good book and highly recommended.

Image from Fantastic Fiction.

2009-11-13T13:40:00.000-08:00

A Capella

Browsing the CDs at a Barnes and Noble listening station last night, I happened upon a CD of a capella music from an L.A. group known as SONOS. Some great music here: covers of Imogen Heap, Depeche Mode, Rufus Wainwright, Björk, the Bird and the Bee, and many others. Here's a sample of their work:

I Want You Back by SONOS.

I hate that I can't embed this video!

2009-11-12T17:30:00.000-08:00

Meet Me at the Fair

Geez, I started writing this on Tuesday, but distractions (a.k.a., procrastination) had other intentions. So with any further ado (fingers crossed), on with the post....

Sunday evening, Caesar, myself and two friends took advantage of discount tickets offered by Musical Theatre West ($10 tickets!!) to see the stage version of Meet Me in St. Louis. Shows based on movie- musicals, especially one as well-known and loved as this one, always seem risky. The show creators must overcome what everyone already knows and expects to create something new yet recognizable. This production of Meet Me in St. Louis managed to do that.

A quick synopsis of the story: in St. Louis circa 1903, the Smith family enjoys the months leading up to the St. Louis World's Fair. Oldest daughter Rose is expecting her beau to propose; her sister Esther's heart pines for John Truett, the boy next door; their mother and father deal with the ups and downs of raising four girls at the turn of the century.

It's a show filled with nostalgia, which translated well from screen to stage, bringing the joy and heartache of the music and family lives to wondrous life. Cassie Silva was saddled with the task of filling Judy Garland's shoes as Esther, and performed wonderfully, bringing much warmth to The Boy Next door and much heartache to the classic Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas as she comforts younger sister Tootie. Sarah Bermudez did a fine job as the prim and proper Rose, with Grace Kaufman and Alexa Freeman equally as fun as the two youngest smith girls, Tootie and Agnes. In fact, the entire ensemble was fantastic, with Mary Gordon Murray (who we recently saw in Putting It Together as Anna Smith, Norman Large as Alonso Smith, Cathy Newman as the stout Irish maid Katie, and Kevin Cooney as Grandpa Prophater, to name a few. The set wowed us, too, with a large Victorian house that opened like a doll house to reveal a quaint family home, and the trolley car which drove about the stage while the actors danced and sang across its platform. Oh, and not to forget the ice skating rink at the beginning of the second act!

Meet Me in St. Louis turned out to be a great show, filled with classic songs and great performances. The four of us left the theater in such good spirits that we headed to Hof's Hut for some pumpkin cheesecake to extend our cheery mood.

Image from Musical Theater West.

2009-11-11T09:53:00.001-08:00

Veterans Day

Honoring my Dad who served as a member of The Old Guard in Washington, DC, and to my Grandfather Sewall, who served on the U.S.S. Hancock in 1945.

Image from Gary Bedingfield's Baseball in Wartime.

2009-11-08T09:35:00.001-08:00

Penance

I walked this morning down along the beach. Not something unusual for me, but I'd been waiting for the cold that I've been battling since the beginning of October to finally blow over. But last night, I think I ate way too much food so the need to return to my weekend walks made itself very apparent this morning thanks to the extended belly feeling.

Last night, we were supposed to join a dinner party in order to meet our friend's new boyfriend. However, a family emergency for the host derailed those plans so we decided to meet our friend and her boyfriend in Belmont Shore at a Lebanese restaurant called Open Sesame. Caesar and I had been wanting to try this restaurant for our anniversary back in August, but the nightly throng of people, the hour-long wait, and the fact that they don't take reservations kept us from eating there.

Caesar and I arrived a bit early and put our name in then wandered around the shops until our friend arrived. First stop was the Rock Mountain Chocolate Factory, and I'd say that I resisted temptation incredibly well. Chocolate-covered cupcakes, chocolate-covered Twinkies, gigantic peanut butter cups, taffy, candy apples, and chocolate-covered bacon sat in their rows, looking delicious and calling to us. What? Oh yes, you heard right: chocolate-covered bacon. BACON. COVERED IN CHOCOLATE. I almost broke down and bought a slice, but Caesar pulled me out of that store quick. Instead, I spent money at Papyrus on Christmas cards.

Our friend arrived as we left Papyrus. She was all smiles as she and her new boyfriend met us in front of the restaurant. The first impression of the new beau was favorable: tall, salt-and-pepper hair, handsome face. And he didn't seem uncomfortable meeting the Gay Best Friend and His Partner. So we headed into the restaurant and crammed into a small table near the window.

We managed a good conversation, though we struggled against the clanging plates and glasses and the loud conversations around us. I think the boyfriend passed Caesar's questions with an "A" -- intelligent, funny, good job, family man, good listener, and really likes our friend.

We stayed in the restaurant a good two hours, enjoying the company and the food. Especially the food! I tried the kafta (beef and lamb mixed with parsley and onions then formed into kabobs and served over basmati rice) with the fattoush (a salad or romaine lettuce, onions, sumac, tomatoes and pita bread croutons), along with hummus and pita bread. Caesar's chicken tawook tasted wonderful; I had to sample some. For dessert, we walked across the street to Sweet Jill's for Red Velvet Cake, a chocolate walnut brownie, and two large, soft pumpkin cookies. (I felt my waist band stretching as the night progressed.)

So that's why I walked this morning.

2009-11-06T12:15:00.000-08:00

Random Friday

Books I finally finished a book I started quite some time ago -- Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko. That brings the total of books needing review on my blog to 3. I'm slowly catching up on those.

Writing My own attempts at fiction are not really panning out. The stories dance around in my head, and I try to put them onto paper. Doubt, though, wends its way into the mix -- will people read it? will people like it? I'm never confident about that. But I would love to have something published in a magazine one day. (And I do have a second part to the Hatch story which I've procrastinated about writing. Maybe writing isn't my thing....

Theater Between now and the end of the year, Caesar and I will be seeing 7 shows, beginning this Sunday with a performance of Meet Me in St. Louis at Musical Theatre West. $10 tickets -- can't beat that!!

Weight I plateaued again, this time at 206 lbs. But I'm not feeling defeated like I thought I would. 9 lbs. is good, and I know I can lose more to reach my goal of 200 lbs. by the end of the year. My cardiologist, however, would like to see me down to 185 - 190 lbs. There's always next year....

2009-11-04T21:53:00.000-08:00

Wild Things

Caesar and I had the entire afternoon with nothing to do before heading to California Heights for trick-or-treating with the twins so we treated ourselves to a showing of Where the Wild Things Are over at the Art Theatre. Including the projectionist, I think only 7 people were in the entire theater taking advantage of the $6.50 show -- which is a great deal for a matinée in Southern California. After one preview and having to run to the concession stand to ask someone to focus the projector, we settled in....

After an argument with his mother, Max runs away from home, his mother trying to follow as he disappears into the woods. Not sure where he should -- and definitely not in the mood to head back home -- he happens upon a small boat, pointed toward the sea, and climbs aboard, sailing as far from shore as the tiny craft will carry him. Some time later, Max spies a campfire small island and brings his boat to shore in order to check things out. He sneaks up on a camp full of large creatures all standing around, not sure what to do as another, larger creature demolishes a series of large, round structures, asking for help from his fellow creatures all the while. When no one will help him, Max decides to help with the destruction, running and screaming at the top of his lungs,much to the surprise of the other creatures. He soon finds himself accepted by the group who makes him their King.

I found it amazing what Director Spike Jones and Writer Dave Eggers were able to create from Maurice Sendak's children's book. They gave each of the creatures a personality -- more like an aspect of Max's personality -- to give Max a visual impression of what he's like and how his own actions affect others. The special effects were amazing, specifically the combination of Jim Henson's Creature Shop costumes with the computer-generated faces. The expressions and subtle facial movements looked so real. The acting impressed me, too, especially the voices of James Gandolfini as Carol (whose personality matches Max's the closest), Catherine O'Hara as Judith the downer and Lauren Ambrose as KW, and not to forget Max Records who played young Max. He made me not like Max at the beginning but was able to change that by having his character learn and grow as the story progressed.

The movie seemed a bit dark for younger kids to enjoy or to understand, but I think older kids and their parents will enjoy it.

Image from zandland's Picasa Web Album.

2009-11-03T13:24:00.000-08:00

That's Hot

Woke up to loud music from the radio and groggily made my way to the bathroom to shower. Soaking in the warmth of the water, lathering up, rinsing off, shampooing my hair. Cover my face in soap, scrubbing my nose, rubbing my cheeks, wiping the suds over my eyes. With eyes closed, begin to lean forward into the shower spray.

Jump back! Stifle a scream as the water quickly switches to arctic. Run my hands against the shower walls in search of the hot and cold knobs. Hurriedly spin the cold side almost off, but the hot water merely trickles from the shower head. Turn the hot up, but it scalds, add some cold. Let it fill my hands then splash my face a few times as I hear the neighbor below beginning to sing as she showers.

2009-11-01T21:11:00.000-08:00

Book Review: Mister B. Gone

In Clive Barker's most recent novel, a demon by the name of Jakabok Botch retells the tale of his homelife in the Demonation and his being lured like a fish on a hook through the many levels of Hell and into the modern world -- 13th century Europe -- by a party of demon hunters. He manages to escape, thanks to the help of another demon Quitoon Pathea, disguised to move around more easily among the humans. Together, the two demons roam about Europe, leaving havoc in their wake and generally enjoying each others' company. Until one argument goes too far, with Jakabok fleeing for his life while on a journey to Mainz. Not sure what Quitoon's fascination is with Mainz, Jakabok decides to try his luck there, see what all the fuss is about. Upon arriving, he's surprised to discover Angels and Demons in battle both in the air and on the ground, all because of a new invention from Johannes Gutenberg.

From the opening sentence, "BURN THIS BOOK.", Mister B. Gone takes a unique approach to the story by forcing the reader into becoming a character. The narrator, Jakobok Botch -- or Mister B. Gone as he's also known -- speaks directly to the reader, trying to convince him/her by means of flattery, taunting, tales of horror, and perhaps even pity, to coax the reader into burning the book and releasing him from the prison of pages. But as Jakobok mentions many times during his tale, curiosity draws the reader further and further in, delaying his possible freedom by wanting to know how he became trapped in the book. What also helps the tale is that Barker infuses Jakobok with humor and humanity. Jakobok may be a demon, but he also feels love and pain, and I found myself almost liking him, wanting to burn the book and to release him even after reading all the horrific deeds he'd done.

Mister B. Gone is a fun read that fans of Barker's and of horror tales will enjoy.

Image from Fantastic Fiction.

2009-10-31T15:22:00.000-07:00

How To Spend a Day Off, Pt. 2

5. Eat early! After the movie, we headed for the La Brea Bakery -- ham and cheese panini for me; turkey and avocado on sourdough for Caesar -- deciding it best to grab something to eat while the rest of the family suffered the Southern California freeways. Good thing, too, as we didn't enter California Adventure until 7:30. They were starving so we stood in one of the candy lines with the kids while their parents bought hot dogs.

6. Enjoy the Decorations Disney did go all out this year with the Halloween décor. Giant ghostly Mickeys and glowing pumpkins were scattered about the walkways. A large candy corn streamer graced the mini-Golden Gate Bridge the park entrance. The Tower of Terror was bathed in a midnight purple glow with projections of ghost and black cats popping up while guests dropped down the elevator shafts.

Disney projected images of ghosts, cats, the word "Boo!" spinning uncontrollably, pumpkins and other ghoulish delights along the walkways and the buildings. Kids ran amok chasing the spirals and other haunts as they walked along, and the adults pointed and laughed at all the creepy fun. At some spots, loud music thumped away while costumed kids danced the Monster Mash or the Chicken Dance, sometimes even dragging their parents onto the floor. (I think Caesar's sister had more fun than her granddaughter at the two dance areas we encountered. Not to mention little Lily who kicked her feet and clapped though she was stuck in her stroller.)

Of course, they also offered many opportunities for pictures with Disney characters:

7. It's all about the candy. Upon entering the park, every guest was handed a smallish plastic bag decorated with a scene from Up on one side and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves on the other, just like the one Uglier Betty's holding in the above picture. Even for a such a small bag, I didn't think Disney would give away enough candy to fill it halfway. Au contraire! Each bag was almost filled to the brim by the time we left, and believe me, we ate some candy as the night progressed. And Cheez-Its. And raisins. And Craisins. We'll be a sugar coma for the next few weeks!!

2009-10-29T21:38:00.000-07:00

How To Spend a Day Off, Pt. 1

1. Sleep in. What a glorious feeling to awaken at 8:30 on a Wednesday morning, still cuddled beneath the warm covers while a chill wind blows through the trees. No thoughts of work or emails or phone calls.

2. Take a stroll. After finally forcing ourselves from bed and quick showers, we wandered along 4th Street to catch a mid-morning breakfast at one of our favorite little bistros -- only to discover the doors closed and locked. Ladders stood among the paint cans as we glanced through the windows, and something could be heard clanking against the sink in the small kitchen. Undeterred, we kept heading up the street to another neat restaurant, Kafé Neo.

On each of the tables in the back row was a plate of food though no customers. Instead, at the table closest to the small back hallway, a man sat in a chair, camera poised to take careful aim at a plate while another man cautiously spritzed water on the food. The waitress pointed to all the empty tables, and we chose the one closest to the door. We each ordered what had to be one of the tastiest breakfast burritos: fluffy scrambled eggs, potatoes, gooey melted cheese, applewood smoked bacon and maple sausage. I think that was the first time I purposely ate something slow so as to savor it.

3. Shop!. We stopped by the AIDS Assistance League Store to find a last minute detail for Caesar's costume. The poncho was bunching along the neck so a scarf or something to wrap around that area seemed the perfect solution. But it had to clash, and in a bin near the back of the store, we found one buried near the bottom: red and pink stripes with white pompons at each end. Perfect!

4. A Matinée Sounds Good. We planned on meeting Caesar's sister, niece and husband, their two girls and their Grandfather at Disneyland for Mickey's Trick-or-Treat Party. Though it didn't begin until 6:30, I insisted on heading over early because Southern California traffic stinks. (Good thing, too, as the rest of the group didn't arrive until 7:30 thanks to traffic!)

Since we were early, we had time to catch a movie, one that I'd been longing to see since I caught the trailer on-line: Paranormal Activity.

Micah and Katie recently moved into a home together in San Diego and, since the move, they've both heard mysterious scraping noises and poundings coming from somewhere in the house. Micah decides to buy a high-end video camera to record anything odd that happens while they sleep. As the nights pass, the mysterious sounds increase, doors slam, and Katie begins to feel even more uncomfortable with Micah's meddling with the unknown.

I enjoyed this movie. The pacing was perfect, slow-moving with little bits of increasing activity so as to build to the horrific final scene. Micah Sloat and Katie Featherston play themselves and manipulate the camera themselves throughout most of the film. The work well together and with their ability to improvise events, lend quite a bit of credibility to the story. (Katie was fantastic!) What surprised me most, though, was the level of special effects for such a small budget -- the footprints and the ouija board, especially.

The movie held only two drawbacks for me. First, the psychic -- when he first appears, he does a great job helping to give Micah and Katie some very useful information about what's happening in the house; when he appears the second time, it's almost a throwaway scene, not really necessary because it didn't seem believable. It didn't advance the story at all from what I could tell. The second was Micah. Good acting, but his character becomes the clichéd boyfriend found in almost every horror movie -- goes against what everyone tells him and acts like a total jackass toward his girlfriend for no reason.

But I can overlook those because the movie as a whole worked for me.

Image from Theater of Mine.

2009-10-28T23:39:00.001-07:00

Presenting....

Uglier Betty!

2009-10-27T16:13:00.003-07:00

In Search of the Great Pumpkin

Sunday, we joined our friend and her two-year-old twins at the local pumpkin patch to check out the kiddie rides, maybe pet the animals in the petting zoo, and snap a few pictures of the twins climbing the pumpkins, most of which were almost as big as them. Quite a few people out and about that night, but the kids seemed to enjoy themselves once we left the hay-filled petting zoo without either of them actually petting an animal. At least they enjoyed the train ride and the pumpkins.

Afterwards we gorged on hamburgers and French fries -- okay, they gorged on that while I stuck to my diet and munched a chicken caesar salad -- at Ruby's. And though we were greatly tempted, we resisted the pull of the pumpkin milkshakes.

Maybe next time....

2009-10-26T14:36:00.000-07:00

Does This Zombie Make Me Look Fat?

I realize that I've been neglecting to keep my blog up-to-date regarding my umpteenth attempt at losing weight. So before delving into what we did on Saturday, I need to say that as of this morning, the display on the scale read 205.5 lbs. That's almost 10 lbs. gone since the beginning of August, and none of it has crept back to expand my belly!!!

Okay, now back to the zombies.

I drove to Huntington Beach Saturday morning for an oil change and inspection while Caesar headed for a haircut. Those were the only things scheduled for the day which left us quite a bit of time to enjoy a relaxing Saturday. But rather than lay about the apartment, we opted for a matinée showing of Zombieland at The Block.

Zombieland begins after the zombie apocalypse has already happened. Columbus, as he's called, is walking on a battered and wreckage filled highway, trying to find some easy way to get from his college town in Texas to his family back in Ohio. He meets Tallahassee, another survivor en route to Florida, and together they form a mismatched team with the hopes of both trying to remain alive and to find the last Twinkies to satisfy Tallahassee's quest. But they run into a problem in the form of Wichita and Little Rock, two women trying to make it to Playland in California because they heard it was completely free of zombies. These two women trick Columbus and Tallahassee, leaving them without a car not once, but twice. The foursome eventually does learn to somewhat trust each other as they head for California.

What I enjoyed most about this zombie movie is that it didn't start with the traditional watching a group of people slowly dying/re-animating one by one and that it didn't spend much time on how the zombie infection spread. The clever opening credits -- using slow motion scenes with the titles mixed in and being interacted with -- was quite a bit of fun (love the zombie stripper!!) and showed the zombification in a few quick minutes. Once that was done, the film could focus on the story of the four strangers trying to survive.

Another likable aspect is that Zombieland is presented like a survival manual. Columbus narrates throughout, espousing his rules to live by in the new zombie world. Such as Rule #1: Cardio. As he explains the rule, a zombie and non-zombie act it on the screen. Also, at various times, the rules text pops up showing how what's occurring on screen relates to the rules.

All the actors work well together. Jesse Eisenberg's Columbus comes across as the nerdy everyman and unlikely hero; Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin as Wichita and Little Rock make a great con artist team; and I even liked Woody Harrelson's Tallahassee and his quest for the last remaining Twinkie on Earth. Good chemistry and great comedic work. I was equally surprised to see Bill Murray -- playing himself, of all things. Totally unexpected, and incredibly funny when he first appears.

It's an all-around, fun film, nothing too horrific or graphic so I think it will appeal to many different people. We certainly enjoyed it -- and the little tag ending after the credits.

Image from The Horror Lot.

2009-10-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

Book Review: The Dealings of Daniel Kesserich

George Kramer sets off from New York to the small California town of Smithville after hearing about the death of the wife of a former college classmate, John Ellis. Hoping to both comfort his old friend and to re-connect with both him and another classmate, Daniel Kesserich, he reaches the town and heads to Kesserich's house only to find it empty. And something else strange -- from out of nowhere, a small red stone appears on the ground. Then another a few feet away. As another appears, George follows them to an old tree. Finding that odd, he returns in time to Kesserich's house only to have it explode. However, neither Kesserich nor his remains are to be found in the debris.

In the ensuing days, George scours Smithville, trying to determine what happened to his friend but instead running into obstacles in the form of a town possibly going crazy at the same time. Inexplicable bouts of uncertainty and guilt strike everyone whom he meets -- even the local priest -- and George begins to learn that Kesserich's disappearance and the mysterious death of Ellis' wife may have something to do with the strangeness.

An intriguing blend of horror and science fiction, this early novel from Fritz Leiber is very reminiscent of the works of H.P. Lovecraft. And no surprise since Leiber was in communication with Lovecraft while writing this tale back in 1936. That may be where he gets the inspiration to use a "mad" scientist dealing trying to break into the 4th dimension -- Time -- and mixes in the dangers of tampering with the unknown. And also like a Lovecraft tale, a bit of madness is thrown into the mix, but it's revealed slowly enough that even as a reader, I wasn't completely certain that George Kramer himself hadn't fallen victim to the madness, leaving me to guess as to his own authenticity in re-counting the events.

The Dealings of Daniel Kesserich is a fun trip into science and madness of which I think fans of both Leiber and Lovecraft would be proud.

Image from Macmillan.

2009-10-22T22:05:00.000-07:00

Parade

Saturday evening, Caesar and I headed to the Mark Taper Forum for a show we've both been wanting to see for some time: Parade. It originally ran on Broadway back in 1998, for less than 100 shows, but managed to snag two Tony awards for the book and the music. Like many shows that run on Broadway, I never thought the show would ever make it to the West Coast so when word surfaced that a version of the show, re-fashioned and stage din London (to much success) was to open in L.A., we bought tickets as soon as they went on sale.

The show focuses on a real event from turn-of-the-century Atlanta. A 13-year-old child laborer named Mary Phagan is strangled on the day of the Confederate Memorial Parade with her body being found on the grounds of the pencil factory in which she worked. Her supervisor at the factory, Leo Frank, is the last person to see her alive, and because he's both an educated Yankee and a Jew, the townsfolk with the backing of the newspapers and a power-hungry attorney, set out to frame Leo Frank. Throughout the investigation and trial, Frank's being a Jew becomes the centerpoint of the case: he's an outsider, a Northerner, not one of them, doesn't fit in with how regular Southern folk talk and act. It's used to turn the people of Atlanta against him, contributing in great part to his being found guilty and sentenced to death. After the trial and during his imprisonment, Frank's wife Lucille does everything in her power to get the case re-opened by the governor and to force him into re-examining the case. Leo realizes how much he really depends upon the woman whom he only considered his wife and finds himself truly falling in love with her.

Not exactly a heartwarming tale, but the show does force the audience to see how media and religious fervor can paint over the truth. (Much like what's happening today with gay marriage....)

T.R. Knight and Lara Pulver give wonderful performances as Leo and Lucille Frank, with fine voices and what seems to be a real emotional connection to their characters. The other stand out performance comes from David St. Louis as Jim Conley, an escaped convict who works at the pencil factory and uses the animosity toward Frank's being Jewish to steer any potential blame away from himself. St. Louis gives him a very smart, slick turn, making sure the audience knows that he's more in touch with what's really going on. In fact, the entire cast, including Charlotte D'Amboise, Davis Gaines and Christina Hoff, shines in this production.

Jason Robert Brown's pared down score sparkles, fitting seamlessly into the time period yet sounding modern at the same time. Many of the themes appear in different forms and with the example of The Picture Show show how the simple theme can change from childhood innocence when Mary and her beau sing it near the beginning to fear and desperation when it shows up in Frank's trial as he sings about his own innocence in the crime. Nothing is bombastic and overpowering, but they still stuck in my memory after leaving the theater.

Image from:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shockvalue/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

No, that is not me in the pic; it's the photographer.

2009-10-20T22:29:00.000-07:00

An Evening with Joan

We had nothing else planned for last Friday night, but I wasn't sure the e-mail was legitimate. The subject line read that I'd won two free tickets to a show; the problem was that I didn't remember entering any contest or drawing. So I phoned the theater to make sure everything was on the up and up.

When they confirmed that it was, I spoke with Caesar about the show, thinking he'd laugh it off, but he said "Why not?"

I clicked on the link in the email and within minutes printed two tickets to spend An Evening with Joan Collins.

An old persian rug covered a portion of center stage, with a high-backed chair in front of a dark wooded partition at the back right corner while a table with an old rotary phone stood at the front left corner. A large screen hung behind those, various pictures of Joan ranging from childhood through the movies and to her later days on Dynasty fading in and out. The music, surprisingly, was very contemporary: everything from Coldplay's Viva La Vida to songs by U2. And every once-in-a-while, the silhouette of Joan herself crossed in front of the projected images of herself. I glanced around the theater, watching couples and small groups wander in to find seats. It was possible that we were the youngest people in the theater.

The lights soon dimmed, and Joan stepped around the screen to applause which lasted about 5 minutes. Once the clapping began to die down, she began her monologue about her life in show biz, from her beginnings in a theatrical family -- her father was an agent, her mother a performer -- through the tail end of the Golden Age of Hollywood and into her days in television and writing best-selling novels.

Shortly after the show started, she mentioned her most famous role as Alexis Colby and stepped aside while a quick montage of her played on the screen. Not exactly a top-notch montage as many of the Dynasty of her were hidden behind other show scenes so the audience was left with images of Krystle Carrington and her shoulder pads. And while her monologue was truly interesting -- I never realized she worked with Bette Davis, Bob Hope and Bing Crosby (in a Road movie, too!) and so many others -- she spent much of the time reading from a teleprompter which made the experience seem a bit disjointed. The few moments when she simply sat in a chair and talked rather than read seemed more natural and more entertaining.

It turned out to be a fun evening, though, something we wouldn't have normally chosen to attend.

Image from Cover Browser.

2009-10-18T16:01:00.000-07:00

Book Review: Hangsaman

Natalie Waite prefers to live in the world created by her imagination, one in which she rules the forest or deflects questions from a determined police detective who tries in vain to make her crack. Instead, she drifts through the days leading to her departure for college, enduring her father's -- a published author -- minor criticisms of her writing and patiently listening to her mother's household woes and warnings.

Shirley Jackson's novel presents the turmoil a young seventeen-year-old girl feels, dealing with family and with the first few months on her own at an all-girls college. Natalie questions her own place in the school, wanting to fit in and to be noticed by the other, seemingly more popular girls while at the same time afraid to do anything to draw attention to her self. I remember my own first few months at college, feeling the same way, wanting so hard to mingle with new people and a new place but not knowing how to go about it, and Ms. Jackson does a fine job capturing that awkward period.

For me the strong point of Hangsaman are the characters. From Natalie's father, Arnold Waite, a published author who seems to delight in pointing out his daughter's flaws with her writing and casually putting down his wife with little statements here and there; her mother, who seems to have fallen into the dutiful wife role while trying to prevent her daughter from making the same mistakes she did; to Professor Arnold Langdon who recently married one of his students and now finds her intolerable, wanting instead to flirt with more of the girls in his classes; and Tony, another outcast much like herself with whom Natalie finds a common bond but which turns sinister -- all the characters are strong, definite presences, each either aiding or thwarting Natalie as she wends her way through college.

As for the story itself, I found it difficult to follow. Early in the novel, Natalie attends against a dinner party thrown by her father with a number of supposedly important literary figures from the area and other notables. Toward the end of the party, Natalie wanders into the woods near her home and finds herself confronted by a male guest from the party. They talk for a few pages, then Natalie wakes up thinking about the awful night she had, almost wondering if it happened at all. But nothing's ever divulged about what happened. And later on, something happens between the girl Tony and Natalie, but it's never explained, and the story continues as if it were common knowledge. These apparent gaps left me scratching my head and re-reading sections to make sure I hadn't missed anything. I felt that throughout much of the book, this sense that something wasn't being told completely so I was never quite sure that the story was whole and complete.

It wasn't quite what I expected from Ms. Jackson, after having read The Haunting of Hill House and The Road Through the Wall. For Shirley Jackson fans, I think this would be a good book to read, if only because of the characters.

Image from ACE Mystery Series.