driving with your eyes closed

2006 Tony Award Winners

"Jersey Boys," the fast-moving musical biography of pop icons Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, won best musical Sunday at the 2006 Tony Awards, while "The History Boys," Alan Bennett's wise, witty and warmhearted dissection of British education, was named best play.

"The History Boys" received six Tonys, more than any other production, also taking home prizes for actor, Richard Griffiths; director, Nicholas Hytner; featured actress, Frances de la Tour; and two design prizes, sets and lighting.

While "Jersey Boys," picked up the top musical prize and received four Tonys, its main competitor, "The Drowsy Chaperone," the Canadian-born musical that affectionately celebrates Broadway's past, won more awards -- five -- including best book and score.

"You are insanely talented people," said Julia Roberts before giving the best-actor prize to Griffiths for his portrayal of an unorthodox yet beloved teacher in "The History Boys."

In his Broadway debut, John Lloyd Young, who plays Valli in "Jersey Boys," took the top actor-musical award and dedicated the prize to his father.

LaChanze won for her portrayal of the courageous Celie in "The Color Purple" in the actress-musical category.

"Thank you, America," exulted "Drowsy" star Bob Martin, who co-wrote the book with Don McKellar, as he collected his award.

The Canadian winners said they were proud that the show originated in Toronto.

"It's the longest-running show in Canadian history -- 12 performances -- we celebrated that," Martin said with a laugh.

Their Canadian cohorts, Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, received the prize for music and lyrics. And an exuberant Beth Leavel, who portrays the show's inebriated title character, scooped up the featured-actress musical prizes.

Cynthia Nixon, playing a distraught mother who loses a young son in an auto accident, won the best actress-play prize for her performance in "Rabbit Hole."

Ian McDiarmid, who plays Ralph Fiennes' fey, funny manager in "Faith Healer," yelped out a "fantastic" as he ended his speech thanking voters for his featured-actor prize.

John Doyle received the prize for direction of a musical for his work on "Sweeney Todd," in which the cast plays the show's instruments. The revival also grabbed an award for its new, spare orchestrations.

Christian Hoff, who plays tough, wise-guy Tommy DeVito in "Jersey Boys," won the featured actor-musical prize.

The Lincoln Center Theater production of Clifford Odets' stirring 1935 drama "Awake and Sing!" received the prize for play-revival as well as a costume design prize.

The Roundabout Theatre Company production of "The Pajama Game" took home the musical revival prize and the award for choreography to Kathleen Marshall.

No single host shepherded the presenters and winners through the telecast, although a parade of stars, including Roberts and Oprah Winfrey (a producer of the Tony-nominated "Color Purple"), were on hand to entice viewers to the CBS telecast.

"Jersey Boys," "The Drowsy Chaperone" and "The History Boys" are among the shows doing potent business at the box office, underscoring the fact that the 2005-2006 season has been a good year on Broadway.

For the first time, Broadway attendance topped the 12 million mark, jumping past the 11.9 million reached in the season before the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Grosses have been robust, too, with the season total climbing to $861.6 million, a 12 percent hike from the $768.5 million of the year before.

Those money figures were helped by the appearance of big names on Broadway, most prominently Roberts. The Hollywood star may not have won over the critics for her performance in Richard Greenberg's "Three Days of Rain," but her marquee value was undeniable, pretty much selling out the play's three-month run.

Tony winners were chosen by 754 theater professionals including actors, producers, writers, stagehands and theater owners.

The Antoinette Perry -- or Tony -- Awards were founded in 1947 by the American Theatre Wing and are administered by the Wing and the League of American Theatres and Producers.

Complete list of 2006 Tony winners announced Sunday at Radio City Music Hall in New York:

Play: "The History Boys."

Musical: "Jersey Boys."

Book of a Musical: "The Drowsy Chaperone," Bob Martin and Don
McKellar.

Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics): "The Drowsy Chaperone,"
Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison.

Revival-Play: "Awake and Sing!"
Revival-Musical: "The Pajama Game."

Actor-Play: Richard Griffiths, "The History Boys."

Actress-Play: Cynthia Nixon, "Rabbit Hole."

Actor-Musical: John Lloyd Young, "Jersey Boys."

Actress-Musical: LaChanze, "The Color Purple."

Featured Actor-Play: Ian McDiarmid, "Faith Healer."

Featured Actress-Play: Frances de la Tour, "The History Boys."

Featured Actor-Musical: Christian Hoff, "Jersey Boys."

Featured Actress-Musical: Beth Leavel, "The Drowsy Chaperone."

Direction-Play: Nicholas Hytner, "The History Boys."

Direction-Musical: John Doyle, "Sweeney Todd."

Choreography: Kathleen Marshall, "The Pajama Game."

Orchestrations: Sarah Travis, "Sweeney Todd."

Scenic Design-Play: Bob Crowley, "The History Boys."

Scenic Design-Musical: David Gallo, "The Drowsy Chaperone."

Costume Design-Play: Catherine Zuber, "Awake and Sing!"

Costume Design-Musical: Gregg Barnes, "The Drowsy Chaperone."

Lighting Design-Play: Mark Henderson, "The History Boys."

Lighting Design-Musical: Howell Binkley, "Jersey Boys."

Regional Theater Tony Award: Intiman Theatre, Seattle.

Special Tony Award: Sarah Jones, "Bridge and Tunnel."

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater:
Harold Prince.

2006 tony award nominations

The 2005-2006 Tony Award nominations were announced May 16 by Tony Award winners Phylicia Rashad, Natasha Richardson and Liev Schreiber at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts' Bruno Walter Auditorium.

The Drowsy Chaperone, the new musical that pays homage to musical theatre lovers, received 13 nominations, the most for any production of the season. In addition to a Best Musical nod, Drowsy also picked up nominations for four of its actors: Bob Martin, Sutton Foster, Beth Leavel and Danny Burstein. The Color Purple — based on the film and book of the same name — also did well, snagging 11 nominations, and the hit revival of The Pajama Game, which marked the Broadway debut of Harry Connick Jr., received 9 nominations. Crowd favorite Jersey Boys — based on the life and music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons — earned 8 nominations.

Plays that received multiple nominations include the Lincoln Center Theater revival of Awake and Sing! That Clifford Odets drama, set in the Bronx in the 1930's, received 8 nominations, while the new Alan Bennett play The History Boys — featuring its entire original London cast — nabbed seven nominations.

As previously announced, the Tony Awards Administration Committee voted to award a Special Tony to Sarah Jones, whose Bridge & Tunnel is currently enjoying an extended Broadway run at the Helen Hayes Theatre after a hit Off-Broadway engagement. Surprisingly, during the first year it was a possibility, it was decided there would be no award given in the new category of Best Replacement by an Actor or Actress in a Recreated role.

Academy Award winner Julia Roberts, who is currently making her Broadway bow in Three Days of Rain, failed to win a nomination for her performance in the Richard Greenberg play. Other notable omissions include Maria Friedman (The Woman in White), Gabriel Byrne (A Touch of the Poet), Brian F. O'Byrne (Shining City), Dominic Cooper (The History Boys) and Stephen Campbell Moore (The History Boys).

The 2005-2006 Tony Award nominations follow:

Best Play
The History Boys
The Lieutenant of Inishmore
Rabbit Hole
Shining City


Best Musical
The Color Purple
The Drowsy Chaperone
Jersey Boys
The Wedding Singer


Best Revival of a Play
Awake and Sing!
The Constant Wife
Edward Albee's Seascape
Faith Healer


Best Revival of a Musical
The Pajama Game
Sweeney Todd
The Threepenny Opera


Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Ralph Fiennes, Faith Healer
Richard Griffiths, The History Boys
Zeljko Ivanek, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
Oliver Platt, Shining City
David Wilmot, The Lieutenant of Inishmore


Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Kate Burton, The Constant Wife
Judy Kaye, Souvenir
Lisa Kron, Well
Cynthia Nixon, Rabbit Hole
Lynn Redgrave, The Constant Wife


Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Michael Cerveris, Sweeney Todd
Harry Connick, Jr., The Pajama Game
Stephen Lynch, The Wedding Singer
Bob Martin, The Drowsy Chaperone
John Lloyd Young, Jersey Boys


Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Sutton Foster, The Drowsy Chaperone
La Chanze, The Color Purple
Patti LuPone, Sweeney Todd
Kelli O'Hara, The Pajama Game
Chita Rivera, Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life


Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
Samuel Barnett, The History Boys
Domhnall Gleeson, The Lieutenant of Inishmore
Ian McDiarmid, Faith Healer
Mark Ruffalo, Awake and Sing!
Pablo Schreiber, Awake and Sing!

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Tyne Daly, Rabbit Hole
Frances de la Tour, History Boys
Jayne Houdyshell, Well
Alison Pill, The Lieutenant of Inishmore
Zoë Wanamaker, Awake and Sing!


Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Danny Burstein, The Drowsy Chaperone
Jim Dale, The Threepenny Opera
Brandon Victor Dixon, The Color Purple
Manoel Felciano, Sweeney Todd
Christian Hoff, Jersey Boys


Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Carolee Carmello, Lestat
Felicia P. Fields, The Color Purple
Megan Lawrence, The Pajama Game
Beth Leavel, The Drowsy Chaperone
Elisabeth Withers-Mendes, The Color Purple


Best Direction of a Play
Nicholas Hytner, History Boys
Wilson Milam, The Lieutenant of Inishmore
Bartlett Sher, Awake and Sing!
Daniel Sullivan, Rabbit Hole


Best Direction of a Musical
John Doyle, Sweeney Todd
Kathleen Marshall, The Pajama Game
Des McAnuff, Jersey Boys
Casey Nicholaw, The Drowsy Chaperone

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, The Wedding Singer
Donald Byrd, The Color Purple
Kathleen Marshall, The Pajama Game
Casey Nicholaw, The Drowsy Chaperone


Best Orchestrations
Larry Blank, The Drowsy Chaperone
Dick Lieb and Danny Troob, The Pajama Game
Steve Orich, Jersey Boys
Sarah Travis, Sweeney Todd


Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
The Color Purple
Music & Lyrics: Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray

The Drowsy Chaperone
Music & Lyrics: Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison

The Wedding Singer
Music: Matthew Sklar; Lyrics: Chad Beguelin

The Woman in White
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber; Lyrics: David Zippel

Best Book of a Musical
Chad Beguelin and Tim Herlihy, The Wedding Singer
Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, Jersey Boys
Bob Martin and Don McKellar, The Drowsy Chaperone
Marsha Norman, The Color Purple


Best Scenic Design of a Play
John Lee Beatty, Rabbit Hole
Bob Crowley, The History Boys
Santo Loquasto, Three Days of Rain
Michael Yeargan, Awake and Sing!


Best Scenic Design of a Musical
John Lee Beatty, The Color Purple
David Gallo, The Drowsy Chaperone
Derek McLane, The Pajama Game
Klara Zieglerova, Jersey Boys


Best Costume Design of a Play
Michael Krass, The Constant Wife
Santo Loquasto, A Touch of the Poet
Catherine Zuber, Awake and Sing!
Catherine Zuber, Seascape


Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, The Drowsy Chaperone
Susan Hilferty, Lestat
Martin Pakledinaz, The Pajama Game
Paul Tazewell, The Color Purple


Best Lighting Design of a Play
Christopher Akerlind, Awake and Sing!
Paul Gallo, Three Days of Rain
Mark Henderson, Faith Healer
Mark Henderson, The History Boys


Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Ken Billington and Brian Monahan, The Drowsy Chaperone
Howell Binkley, Jersey Boys
Natasha Katz, Tarzan
Brian MacDevitt, The Color Purple


Regional Theatre Tony Award
Intiman Theatre in Seattle, WA

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
Harold Prince

Special Tony Award
Sarah Jones

Total Nominations by Production:
The Drowsy Chaperone - 13
The Color Purple - 11
The Pajama Game - 9
Awake and Sing! - 8
Jersey Boys - 8
The History Boys - 7
Sweeney Todd - 6
Rabbit Hole - 5
The Lieutenant of Inishmore - 5
The Wedding Singer - 5
The Constant Wife - 4
Faith Healer - 4
Edward Albee’s Seascape - 2
Lestat - 2
Shining City - 2
Three Days of Rain - 2
The Threepenny Opera - 2
Well - 2
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial - 1
Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life - 1
Souvenir - 1
Tarzan - 1
A Touch of the Poet - 1
The Woman in White - 1

The Antoinette Perry "Tony" Award is bestowed annually for distinguished achievement. The 2006 Tony Awards will once again be held at Radio City Music Hall and will be broadcast by CBS from 8 to 11 PM ET. Sunday, June 11 is the date; no host has been announced.

Visit www.tonyawards.com for more information.

grey's anatomy

If you have not seen Greys Anatomy then you are definitely missing out on an amazing show. I dont know how accurate they are with surgical procedures and whatnot but the show is the most genuine thing on television right now. It documents relationships in such a realistic way. Relationship with friends, roommates, lovers, couples, co-workers, and even dogs. The season ended a couple nights ago so this blog may be of no use but this way you can make an appointment for next season or get season 1 on DVD.

"At the end of the day faith is a funny thing. It turns up when you don't really expect it. Its like one day you realize that the fairy tale may be slightly different than you dreamed. The castle, well, it may not be a castle. And its not so important happy ever after, just that its happy right now. See once in a while, once in a blue moon, people will surprise you, and once in a while people may even take your breath away."
-Meredith Grey

seedy songs and rotten rhymes

songs and poems from my childhood :)

the new CW - an early peek

By: Jimmie Manning, About.com Television Columnist

As fans of on-the-bubble series such as Veronica Mars, Everwood, and One Tree Hill wait anxiously to learn whether or not their beloved series will return, insider reports suggest that organizing a fall schedule for the new WB/UPN hybrid network The CW has been filled with anxiety as well. Reports suggest that the upstart network has been plagued by a poor development season and interpersonal conflicts among executives.

Regardless, on Thursday, May 18 a new schedule for the network will be announced, and it continues to become more unclear as to how things will finally shake down. A night-by-night look at what has developed so far:

MONDAY

While there has been talk for 7th Heaven to return to the night, fans of the family series should not get their hopes up for its return. Instead, expect the new drama series Runaway, a family thriller starring Donnie Wahlberg as the father to a family of fugitives on the run. Everwood is likely to return to the night, although it may have to share its timeslot with the new Aquaman series Mercy Reef. Even though Mercy has been in developmental hell, many feel it will be ready in time for a midseason debut. Insiders report that talk of airing comedy series on the night were also explored, but that these talks were quashed due to CBSs successful comedy block.

TUESDAY

It is almost certain that the much hoped for pairing of Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars will happen. Expect Veronica Mars to rest midseason, though, as drama Split Decision receives a trial run. Pepper Dennis, mired by poor ratings and high production costs, is unlikely to return.

WEDNESDAY

A rotation of Americas Next Top Model and Beauty and the Geek are likely to open the night, followed by the return of One Tree Hill. New Kevin Williamson drama Palm Springs will likely premiere in place of One Tree Hill at midseason to give the former series a rest from repeats. While Everybody Hates Chris and new Wayne Brady comedy Flirt are also being considered for the post-Model slot, chances are they will be needed for the comedy-intense Sunday lineup.

THURSDAY

A Smallville and Supernatural pairing seem almost certain at this point. Many pundits predict Mercy Reef to enter the night, but insiders report that the network is unlikely to toy with the success they already have on Thursday.

FRIDAY

Wrestling will continue to air on Friday night.

SUNDAY

The network is expected to air a night of comedies, although Reba will most likely not be included in the mix. Everybody Hates Chris and Girlfriends are shoo-ins for renewal, and new projects Flirt and She Said, He Said are looking promising. Girlfriends spin-off, The Game also looks good for a go, and expect All of Us to return for a new season as well. The Beginnings franchise is rumored to be coming to an end, and no WB sitcoms are expected to join the CW lineup.

where am i?

blogging used to be SO important to me and now it seems like i'll go weeks without putting anything on here. it makes me kinda sad because i feel like i'm not only losing a piece of me, but also a couple friends... i don't feel like i'm as close to my friend adam anymore, which is bullshit, because we stay friends no matter HOW long we go without hearing from one another. but i felt like maybe i was making some new friends and now maybe any thing we might've had is probably gone. karen - i still love star trek and i was thinking of going to the convention in vegas in august... are you gonna go??

anyway... i guess i really don't have anything spectacular to say. maybe i just wanted to get that off my chest.

love, matt

i need to take the lead

i love ballroom dancing. i always have. even as a kid i remember watching the ballroom dancing competitions on TV and thinking that they were the most graceful and good looking people i'd ever seen. i always wanted to be like them. as i got older i started taking dance classes, ballet, tap, jazz lyrical, tango, and waltz, but i never took my love of dancing beyond that. a few classes a week.

oh sure, i talked about taking ballroom with certain friends of mine, jesse, my sister, nicole, leslie, ana, but it never happened. why?

i just saw the movie Take The Lead on easter sunday with my sister. not only was it a good movie, but it also got me to thinking... why did i quit taking dance classes? i could blame it on moving to california and not having a studio near by, but i don't think that is true. i could say that because i'm not actively pursuing a career in acting anymore i don't need the dance classes, but that's not true either. there was quote in the movie...

"i'm not made to be a dancer."
"do you enjoy dancing?"
"yes."
"then you were made to be a dancer."

it really hit home... i mean, i don't have to be trying to be an actor to take dance classes. if you really enjoy something, then TAKE THE LEAD, go for it, do what you love, never give up on something you love, because when you least expect it, that one thing that you love, could be your salvation.

i am going to die

there is a web site:

the death psychic

and it will tell you how you are gonna die. my fortune (or misfortune) was:

"While walking to your car after visiting a friend in a rather bad part of town, you are caught in the middle of a drive-by shooting. You are hit several times in the chest. You watch as blood pours from your body as you fall to the ground. You die from massive blood loss."

well, this was a little vague for me so i decided to do a little research to get an answer to one question that was bothering me...

1) how old would i be?
answer -
the toronto star has a good article on the average age of drive by shooting victims and one part the stood out was this: "The average age of all victims is 31. The average age of shooting victims is 26." well, i'm already 26, so that means i got about 5 years left. however, upon closer reading i discovered that the main focuz of the article was young black men who LIVED in bad areas. well, since i am neither black NOR do i LIVE in a bad neighbourhood (remember, i was only visiting a friend who lived in a scetchy area) i figured that my chances MUST be better, right? AND as of right now, the worst area of town that my friends live in is the pothole filled road off of vineland and magnolia in north hollywood, so that must mean that i've beaten the odds? right??

of course i've seen all 2 seasons of Dead Like Me and i do know that death has a pre-set time and place when it will happen, so IF what my fortune said is true, it is HIGHLY more likely that, me being gay, i will not be visiting a friend, but a "hook-up" in a scetchy part of town... in which case, i better enjoy these last 5 years cuz that is WAY more likely :)

paternity tests are riviting stuff !

what is it about paternity tests that keep us as TV watching audiences in rapture of our screens and shows??? i'm currently watching two shows right now and both of them have paternity tests as major plot points: Veronica Mars and nip/tuck. i know that the probable outcome of these paternity tests will not be nearly as intreguing as watching the process behind deciding to do them, but that doesn't stop me from loving the drama :)

false memories are closer than we remember!

About one-third of the people who were exposed to a fake print advertisement that described a visit to Disneyland and how they met and shook hands with Bugs Bunny later said they remembered or knew the event happened to them.

The scenario described in the ad never occurred because Bugs Bunny is a Warner Bros. cartoon character and wouldn't be featured in any Walt Disney Co. property, according to University of Washington memory researchers Jacquie Pickrell and Elizabeth Loftus. Pickrell will make two presentations on the topic at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Society (APS) on Sunday (June 17) in Toronto and at a satellite session of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition in Kingston, Ontario, on Wednesday.

"The frightening thing about this study is that it suggests how easily a false memory can be created," said Pickrell, UW psychology doctoral student.

"It's not only people who go to a therapist who might implant a false memory or those who witness an accident and whose memory can be distorted who can have a false memory. Memory is very vulnerable and malleable. People are not always aware of the choices they make. This study shows the power of subtle association changes on memory."

The research is a follow-up to an unpublished study by Loftus, a UW psychology professor who is being honored by the APS this week with its William James Fellow Award for psychological research; Kathryn Braun, a visiting scholar at the Harvard Business School; and Rhiannon Ellis, a former UW undergraduate who is now a doctoral student at the University of Pittsburgh. In the original study, 16 percent of the people exposed to a Disneyland ad featuring Bugs Bunny later thought they had seen and met the cartoon rabbit.

In the new research, Pickrell and Loftus divided 120 subjects into four groups. The subjects were told they were going to evaluate advertising copy, fill out several questionnaires and answer questions about a trip to Disneyland.

The first group read a generic Disneyland ad that mentioned no cartoon characters. The second group read the same copy and was exposed to a 4-foot-tall cardboard figure of Bugs Bunny that was casually placed in the interview room. No mention was made of Bugs Bunny. The third, or Bugs group, read the fake Disneyland ad featuring Bugs Bunny. The fourth, or double, exposure group read the fake add and also saw the cardboard rabbit.

This time 30 percent of the people in the Bugs group later said they remembered or knew they had met Bugs Bunny when they visited Disneyland and 40 percent of the people in the double exposure group reported the same thing.

"'Remember' means the people actually recall meeting and shaking hands with Bugs," explained Pickrell. "'Knowing' is they have no real memory, but are sure that it happened, just as they have no memory of having their umbilical cord being cut when they were born but know it happened.

"Creating a false memory is a process. Someone saying, 'I know it could have happened,' is taking the first step of actually creating a memory. If you clearly believe you walked up to Bugs Bunny, you have a memory."

In addition, Pickrell said there is the issue of the consequence of false memories or the ripple effects. People in the experiment who were exposed to the false advertising were more likely to relate Bugs Bunny to other things at Disneyland not suggested in the ad, such as seeing Bugs and Mickey Mouse together or seeing Bugs in the Main Street Electrical Parade.

"We are interested in how people create their autobiographical references, or memory. Through this process they might be altering their own memories," she said. "Nostalgic advertising works in a similar manner. Hallmark, McDonald's and Disney have very effective nostalgic advertising that can change people's buying habits. You may not have had a great experience the last time you visited Disneyland or McDonald's, but the ads may be inadvertently be creating the impression that they had a wonderful time and leaving viewers with that memory. If ads can get people to believe they had an experience they never had, that is pretty powerful.

"The bottom line of our study is that the phony ad is making the difference. Just casually reading a Bugs Bunny cartoon or some other incidental exposure doesn't mean you believe you met Bugs. The ad does."


(Bd, bd, bd, bd -- That's all folks!)

Father Abraham in Smurfland

Retaliation for the recent US bombing and subsequent occupation of Smurfland, which left large numbers of Smurfs dead and injured and their leader Papa Smurf incarcerated in Guantanamo Bay, has been swift and brutal, with Barney the Purple Dinosaur being the latest US casualty. "I regret to say that the video released to the internet which appeared to show Barney being beheaded by his captors, was genuine," a Defense Department spokesperson announced last night. "I'm sure that all decent people will unite in mourning for this well-loved TV personality, so beloved by our children. But they can all rest assured that he gave his life in the defence of freedom!" Barney was captured by blue-skinned insurgents whilst touring strife-torn Smurfland, entertaining the GI Joes who have been deployed there. "The kidnappers' demands for an immediate withdrawal of our GI Joes from Smurfland in exchange for Barney were, sadly, completely unacceptable," explained the spokesperson. "The US and its allies cannot give in to terrorism." The brutal execution of Barney comes only a week after the red Power Ranger was shot down by Smurf terrorists using a Surface to Air Missile, and is simply the latest in a series of atrocities perpetrated by Smurf terrorists against the occupation forces. Prior to the snatching of the dinosaur, the GI Joe forces had taken the brunt of Smurf attacks, with several patrols being ambushed. "Those giant mushrooms offer them the perfect cover," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfield explained to a recent press conference. "One of the little blue bastards hides behind one of those thick stalks with his rocket launcher and takes out the lead vehicle of the patrol, then the rest of them leap off of the tops of the other mushrooms and massacre our boys!" Consequently, Rumsfield has ordered the immediate harvesting of the thick Mushroom fields of Southern Smurfland in an attempt to foil the insurgents. However, the Smurf resistance hasn't confined its campaign to occupied Smurfland, with attacks on GI Joes being reported in the US itself. "It was terrible," says eleven year old Timmy Cracowicz, who witnessed one of the attacks in the back garden of his Newark home. "One minute my four GI Joes were patrolling the along the back fence in their Humvee, looking out for crazy Arabs to shoot, the next there was this was this huge bang as they ran over a landmine and were blown up!" Timmy looked on in horror as a group of Smurfs, clad in camouflage battledress and armed with automatic weapons and machetes, rushed out from behind a rhododendron and machine gunned the smouldering wreckage. "They were laughing and cheering in those shrill little voices all the while," he relates, close to tears. "Not satisfied with just killing the GI Joes, they spat on their bodies, shouting 'Death to America', before beheading them and taking the heads as trophies!" Little Timmy remains severely traumatised and refuses to play outside any more, instead spending all day inside watching television. However, even this activity isn't entirely without risk. "The sight of any thing blue terrifies him now," confides his mother. "When Bear in the Big Blue House came on the other day he had a massive panic attack and hid under his bed, screaming his lungs out for two hours!"

Reprisals by US citizens against Smurf immigrants has been swift and terrible, with thousands of the blue midgets being rooted out of toy boxes and cupboards and burned on bonfires, particularly after unconfirmed press reports of terrible atrocities being committed against Barbie dolls in South Carolina. "We welcomed these little blue guys into our country by the thousand back in the 1970s and 1980s - we took them to our hearts and trusted them with our kids," declared Atlanta city councillor and part-time rabble rouser Kirk Dallins at a recent public Smurf-burning event. "How do they repay our hospitality? By defiling some our most potent childhood icons! American children will be traumatised for generations by what they've seen done to Barney and GI Joe!" However, the Smurf insurgents do have some sympathisers in the US, who refuse to condemn their actions. "As far as I can see, they've done us all a favour by killing that damned dinosaur," opines Maryland mother of three Marsha Ellington. "He used to drive me crazy with his inane and repetitive singing! I'm sure that seeing him on TV everyday must have been severely warping our children's mental development! As for those warmongering GI Joes - they deserve everything they get! All they do is encourage violence and aggressive militaristic attitudes in kids!" Ellington is one of a growing number of Americans who oppose the occupation of Smurfland and are openly questioning the government's reasons for going to war with the little people. "Those 'Mushrooms of Mass Destruction' they claimed were such a threat have failed to materialise," she points out. "All they've found there are regular giant fungi - certainly nothing which could be germinated within thirty-six hours and fire its spores at New York!" Indeed, many now suspect that the real reason for the invasion was oil. "The Smurfs are well known for their close connections with National Benezole and British Petroleum," explains Ellington. "Apparently they were instrumental in pushing up crude oil prices - face with the threat of gas shortages and higher prices at the pumps in the US, the President invaded Smurfland!"

Such arguments are dismissed out of hand by supporters of the war, who maintain that the giant mushrooms posed a genuine threat to US security. "Everybody knows that they were planning to contaminate our water supplies with those magic mushrooms," asserts Kirk Dallins. "The hallucinogens from that fungi would have turned us into a nation of hippie perverts, tearing each others clothes off and cavorting naked whilst preaching peace and love! The country would have been left defenceless and ripe for conquest!" There have also been allegations that the Smurfs were undermining the moral values of America's children by promoting unnatural sexual relationships. "One girl Smurf and God knows how many guys - led by some kind of old pervert? What the hell kind of message is that sending to our kids?" Dallins demands to know. "The fact that new Smurfs are created without any kind of normal sexual liaison between couples in a loving marriage is obviously some kind of endorsement for masturbation!" Apologists for Papa Smurf - found hiding in a forest grotto by GI Joe infantry three weeks after the end of hostilities- and his regime claim that their misdemeanours were the result of the malicious influence of their 'spiritual leader' Father Abraham, who used the Smurfs as a vehicle for his twisted anti-western terror campaign. "They were all perfectly innocent until that bearded weirdo came along," opines Ellington. "He's waged a campaign of terror against the west - starting with those incredibly irritating records!" Father Abraham - who escaped the US invaders - is apparently co-ordinating the worldwide Smurf resistance from his secret hideout beneath the mountains of Northern Smurfland. According to intelligence sources, he is currently attempting to build up a network of sympathisers amongst other popular children's characters. Indeed, British police have already moved to detain Wallace and Gromit, after intelligence reports that the inventor had been seeking supplies of radioactive cheese. "Our worry is that he'll use his moon rocket as a delivery system for nuclear terror attacks," explained a Home Office spokesperson. In separate development, it has emerged that Wallace is also under investigation by the RSPCA for alleged cruelty to animals.

Night Watch (Nochnoi Dozor)

this film is the first in a trilogy of horror/vampire/sci-fi/action/period piece/epic films that are already a HUGE hit in russia. the basic premise of the movie is that long ago, there was a fierce battle between the forces of light and the forces of dark. in order to stop everyone on both sides of the battle from being killed, the two leaders got together and formed a truce that would allow both sides to live in peace, each with their own perks. the darks can live their lives but they have to be given licences to turn others into vampires. the lights are the ones who control these licences and also make sure that the truce is upheld. this is a very VERY brief summary of the film, but i wouldn't ever be able to get it all into this blog. it is one of those films that is very visually stunning, and to watch it in russian with english subtitles just adds to the visual effects as they turn the subtitles into a part of the film. it's not just subtitles... it's art. if you like those kinds of films where you like to be visually stimulated, then totally go check this movie out. i'll admit that nothing in this film will surprize you, the "twists" are kinda predictable, but just watching it all unfold is a pleasure in and of itself. 4 out of 5 stars.

Whisper of the Heart

i don't know what it is about Hayao Miyazaki films that make me so at peace with the world, but i figured i'd share. late last night i got home from watching a movie with laura... (Night Watch... awesome film by the way) and i had 2 disturbing phone calls on the way home... needless to say, both of these phonecalls put me in a very uptight mood... not angry persay, just in the need for a massage or something. anyway... i got home, made some hot cocoa, and started watching Whisper of the Heart, and i went to bed more contented and calm then i have in a long time. odd?? so, if you are stressed out after a long day or if you are just feeling lost or alone or sad, pop in one of studio ghibli's films and you'll probably feel better :)

CGI 2006!

hey, i found this article on CGI animated films being released this year. it's really interesting... i dunno if you know or not, but the academy award for best animated feature is only given if there are at least eight animated feature films (with a theatrical release in los angeles). if there are 16 or more films submitted for the category, the winner will be voted from a shortlist of five films, otherwise there will only be three films on the shortlist. so, it looks like we may be choosing from 5 films for next years best animated feature award... what would your choices be??

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) – Hollywood is gearing up for a major cartoon showdown.

Pixar and DreamWorks Animation dominate the market for animated films using computer generated images. But several other major media firms are hoping to make a crack in this lucrative area.

"Hoodwinked," a novel take on the tale of Red Riding Hood, was a surprise hit in January.

Paramount hopes to cash in on the CGI craze with "Barnyard" due out later this year.

"Ice Age 2: The Meltdown" will be released in March. The first "Ica Age" movie was a blockbuster for Fox.

"It used to be that Pixar was the only game in town. But now other studios have gotten into the fray," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations Co., a box office tracking firm.

The theatrical release calendar is littered with CGI films this year. The Weinstein Co., the independent film studio founded by Bob and Harvey Weinstein after they left Miramax, have already released two CGI films: "Hoodwinked" and "Doogal."

"Doogal," which came out last week, has been a commercial and critical flop but "Hoodwinked," a Rashomon-esque take on the tale of Red Riding Hood, has been a surprise hit. "Hoodwinked" has grossed more than $50 million since being released in January, according to movie industry tracking firm Box Office Mojo.

Later this month, News Corp (Research).-owned Fox will be releasing "Ice Age 2: The Meltdown." The first "Ice Age," released in 2002, grossed $176 million. Fox is also the distributor for a CGI movie called "Yankee Irving" this summer.

Sony (Research) has two CGI films on tap for later this year: "Monster House" and "Open Season." Time Warner's (Research) Warner Brothers studio also has two CGI movies due out this year: "The Ant Bully" and "Happy Feet." (Time Warner also owns CNNMoney.com.) And finally, Viacom's (Research) Paramount is releasing "Barnyard" in October.

But are people interested in seeing this many animated films? After all, the industry's two pioneers also have movies coming out. Pixar (Research), which is being acquired by Walt Disney (Research), has yet to have a movie that's flopped and hopes are extremely high for this summer's "Cars."

And DreamWorks (Research), which has had hits with its two "Shrek" movies and last year's "Madagascar" is releasing "Over the Hedge" in May and has "Flushed Away" tentatively scheduled for the fall.

"Some of these movies could be in trouble. I suspect that a bunch will fall by the wayside. There is not enough demand," said Dennis McAlpine, an independent media analyst.

Dergarabedian agrees with that assessment. "There seems to be an insatiable appetite for family films but if you have too many coming out at the same time some of these movies will get hurt," he said.

Clearly, the box office allure of CGI films has attracted the interest of all the major studios.

The two "Shrek" movies, for example, have grossed more than $700 million in the United States while the six Pixar films have combined to generate nearly $1.5 billion in U.S. ticket sales. And that doesn't even factor in the international box office gross and DVD revenue from these movies.

"The temptation is too great for Hollywood to resist," McAlpine said.

Still, McAlpine said other studios should not necessarily expect similar success. He argues that it's the characters behind the hit Pixar and DreamWorks movies, not the mere fact that they are computer-generated, which has made them popular with both kids and adults alike.

"Hollywood has never been bashful about its own competence," said McAlpine. "If studios see somebody else do something, they think they can do it better. But it's not as simple as it looks -- the story has to attract people."

What's more, traditional forms of animation aren't dead yet either, despite the hubbub about CGI films.

Dergarabedian points out that "Curious George," a hand drawn movie based on the popular children's book series about an inquisitive monkey, has done well since it was released last month. It has grossed about $65 million. And none of the films nominated for Best Animated Feature in this years Academy Awards were computer-generated either.

Finding Neverland

Neverland is closer to us than we think. Maybe it surrounds us all the time but we never stop to see it. There is so much around us that we never take the time to see or hear. I've been listening to the Finding Neverland soundtrack today and the music here truly captures the essence of what Neverland is. Just take some time to sit back and listen. Sometimes it's not what you're seeing or listening to. It's how you listen to it that changes everything.

TEAVANA

this tea, lapsang souchong, has GOT to be the most foul smelling thing i've ever had the pleasure of offending my nose with. someone left a can of it at work, and i smelt it and almost died. it smells like a mixture of really bad barbeque, forest fires, and dead rotting animal. do yourself a favour and STAY AWAY from this tea!

the new CW network

News came Tuesday that the WB and UPN will shut down in the fall, and the best shows from each network will migrate to a new broadcast network called The CW, a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS.

I’ve come up with a dream lineup for the new CW (and keep in mind that currently, UPN and WB broadcast only two hours of prime-time programming each weeknight):

MONDAY: Right now, the UPN has a block of mostly so-so comedies and the WB has “Seventh Heaven,” which is gone after this season, and “Related,” a struggling comedy-drama. This is a prime spot for some fresh, bold programming.

Get "Buffy," "Angel" and "Firefly" creator Joss Whedon on the phone and have him whip up one of his patented, obsessively loved cult dramas. Cowboys in space, vampire detectives, superhero gals -- whatever. But making Whedon the cornerstone of this night would be a smart move (and in this iTunes-oriented and DVD-crazed age, there’s no doubt The CW would make a mint from ancillary sales of any Whedon drama).

It would make sense to pair up Whedon’s new show with the critically acclaimed “Veronica Mars” (which Whedon adores and has guested on) or even the cooky and slightly spooky "Supernatural". The downside: My head might explode from sheer joy.

TUESDAY: On this night on the WB, there’s the one-two punch of the wonderfully intricate, verbally complicated “Gilmore Girls” and the simple but effective, stud-muffin frightfest “Supernatural.” Personally, I think the network should keep the “Girls” on this night, but come up with a more appropriate companion for the show. “Gilmore Girls” and the terrific “Everwood” on this night would be a dream combination.

WEDNESDAY: This is where things get tricky. Of course the new CW should air UPN’s “Veronica Mars,” but should the new network once again use “Mars” as cannon fodder against “Lost”? Tough question. Though it’d be nice to move “Mars” from the line of fire, ratings might slip if the show got shipped to another night.

How about having “One Tree Hill” lead into “Mars”? The WB series might give a ratings boost to “Mars,” you never know. I’m open to switching the lineup and putting “Mars” first, or even keeping in place the current lead-in to “Mars,” UPN’s “America’s Next Top Model.”

THURSDAY: Currently “Smallville” is kicking some major behind on this extremely competitive night, so it makes no sense to move it. The trouble is, on this night, UPN has the great “Everybody Hates Chris.” Would “Chris” and “Smallville” really work together? Who knows, but right now the WB’s got “Smallville” paired with the reality show “Beauty and the Geek,” so maybe the lesson is that “Smallville” works with just about anything.

“Chris” would need a new half-hour comedy companion, though. How about giving the creative folks behind “My Name Is Earl” or “The Office” this comedy slot and asking them to whip up a new half-hour show to follow “Chris”? A brand-new quality comedy would be just the ticket as a “Chris” companion. If that bold move doesn’t appeal, the network could import one of UPN’s established half-hour comedies (perhaps the dreck they call “Eve” or the only slightly better “Girlfriends”).

Alternately, giving “Smallville” a brand-new one-hour drama companion might be the best move: A “Smallville”/“Aquaman” lineup could be just the ticket. In that case, how about moving “Chris” to Sundays and building a comedy block around it?

FRIDAY: This is every network’s trouble spot, except for the juggernaut that is CBS, which has made the night work with mix of procedurals and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

If The CW really wanted to stake a claim on this night, it would bid farewell to both UPN’s wrestling "Smackdown" and WB’s mix of stale comedies (except for “Reba,” which deserves a spot somewhere). How about importing the UPN reality stalwart “America’s Next Top Model” and the WB’s enjoyable “Beauty and the Geek” -- both fluffy shows that would give viewers a superficial but fun night of tube fare on Friday nights?

However, I’m willing to bet that the new CW execs aren’t willing to risk two of their most dependable franchises in Friday berths. So, what to do? Perhaps a new lineup of slightly edgy but feel-good reality would work here. Giving Jay McCarroll of Bravo’s “Project Runway” his own fashion-oriented reality show would be a hoot (perhaps fellow “Runway” types Santino Rice and Austin Scarlett, as well as loose-cannon supermodel and "Top Model" judge Janice Dickinson, could sit on whatever judging panel the show comes up with? How delish would that be?)

Having said all that, WWE wrestling has actually done pretty well for UPN on Fridays, and the new network might stick with it. That wouldn't be my dream, but it might be The CW's safest bet.

SATURDAY: Saturday night has become repeat night, so, when in Rome…. Repeats of all the new network’s best shows would work here: “Mars,” “Chris,” “Everwood,” etc.

SUNDAY: UPN doesn’t program any new fare on this night, and the WB has more or less given up on Sundays as well, offering a tired mixture of repeats and the aging witch series “Charmed.”

The trouble is, ABC has a stranglehold on the most affluent older viewers with its potent lineup of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” while the brash, mostly animated fare on Fox is a big draw for younger viewers. What’s a new network to do? Tough call.

My opinion: This is a night that calls for bold new programming -- not necessarily importing a current show, even a proven performer such as “Smallville” or “Chris” (though a new, quality comedy night built around "Chris" is pretty appealing, especially if it includes a new sitcom from the writers of recently killed (though possibly revived) Arrested Development).

Here’s where the CW’s secret weapon comes into play. Dawn Ostroff, current head of UPN, will be the new chief of The CW. Given how she’s rebuilt UPN from the embarrassing home of “Homeboys in Space” (yes, fellow bloggers, I remember those days -- count yourself lucky if you don’t) to a genuinely non-terrible, actually pretty respectable network, it's a safe bet that she can come up with some canny move on this night.

Still, Ostroff and her new team of executives have their work cut out for them coming up with a new lineup for Sunday nights, one that can navigate the competitive waters between ABC and Fox. I’m glad I don’t have to come up with that particular programming array. But that’s why they’re paying Ostroff and her network suits the big bucks.

All things considered, though, Ostroff has some decent building blocks to work with. Once you merge the best of The WB and UPN, you have a network that’s actually a reasonable contender for legitimacy, a network that actually has a bountiful crop of watchable fare. And that’s good news for viewers.

In Conclusion:

MONDAY 8pm: New Joss Whedon Show
9pm: Supernatural/Charmed

TUESDAY 8pm: Gilmore Girls
9pm: Everwood

WEDNESDAY 8pm: One Tree Hill
9pm: Veronica Mars

THURSDAY 8pm: Smallville
9pm: Aquaman

FRIDAY 8pm: America's Next Top Model
9pm: Beauty and the Geek

SATURDAY: repeat night

SUNDAY 8pm: What I Like About You
8:30pm: Reba
9pm: Everybody Hates Chris
9:30pm: New "Arrested Development" Comedy
10pm: Charmed

animated films

i found a really good site that tells a semi-history of animated films. if any of you are into that kind of stuff, you should check it out. it's pretty cool :)

fritz and his time machine

ok... so i am completely obsessed with that new coke commercial where fritz and his time machine go to the future to get some coke and he takes it back to the past and everyone loves it but then he runs out right when genghis khan wants some. y'all know what i'm talking about???

it's great... everytime i go to the movies, i look forward to it with a child's enthusiasm! i also found out the song from the commercial is called "via con me" by paolo conte. it's on the "welcome to collingwood" soundtrack. anyway... it got me to thinking about other great soundtrack songs i love, and it just so happens that right now i'm on a "triplet of belleville" kick, so here's the lyrics to the main song from that soundtrack:

J'veux pas finir mes jours à Tombouctou
La peau tirée par des machines à clous
Moi je veux être fripée
Triplement fripée
Fripée comme une Triplette de belleville

J'veux pas finir ma vie à Acapulco
Danser toute raide avec des gigolos
Moi je veux être tordue
Triplement tordue
Balancée comme une Triplette de Belleville

Refrain:
Swinging Belleville rendez-vous
Marathon dancing doop dee doop
Vaudou Cancan balais taboo
Au Belleville swinging rendez-vous

J'veux pas finir ma vie à Singapour
Jouer au dico manger des petits fours
Moi j'veux être zidiote
Triplement zidiote
Gondolée comme une Triplette de Belleville

J'veux pas finir ma vie à Honolulu
Chanter comme un zoiseau ça n'se fait plus
Je veux ma voix brisée
Triplement brisée
Swinguer comme une Triplette de Belleville

Refrain

J'veux pas finir ma vie à Constantinople
C'est bien trop dur de faire des rimes en “nople“
Je veux être givrée (Hop!)
Triplement Givrée (Hop Hop!)
La quadrature des Triplettes de Belleville

J'pourrai finir ma vie à Katmandou
C'est bien plus doux de faire des rimes en “dou“
Mais je veux être givrée
Complètement Givrée
Et swinguer comme les Triplettes de Belleville
(Allez les filles!)

and "Attila Marcel"

moi mon homme c'est un vrai
c'est un dur, un balaise
je vois la mort de près
de dans ses yeux de braise
il me fait ce que personne n'ose
il couvre mon corps d'équimoses
il m'assomme, il m'poche les yeux
il m'fait la vie en bleu

moi mon homme il me botte
y'en a pas deux comme lui
c'est pas de la gnognotte
trois cent vingt livres et demies
il me serre si fort dans ses bras
que mon souffle repousse pas
il est barbare, il est cruel
mon attila marcel (mon attila m'arcèle)

j'irais retrouver sa lumière
avec une droite de dieu le père
et je reste sonnée jusqu'à Paques
au paradis des têtes à claques

moi mon homme c'est un vrai
c'est un dur, un balaise
je verrai la mort de près
de dans ses yeux de braise

a fantabulous 3-movie day!

TRANSAMERICA
it was so great to see a true acting performance worthy of an award this year! felicity huffman was amazing as a transgendered woman who is forced to re-connect with a son she never knew she had who doesn't know that SHE used to be her FATHER! such a refreshingly different and yet real film. it was also really good to see kevin zegers (on whom i've had a huge crush for YEARS!) in something other than the tv show episodes and made for tv or direct to video stuff he's been doing lately. although i have to admit, i've always love the Air Bud films! :) 5 out of 5 stars.

NANNY McPHEE
basically an updated version of mary poppins for the spongebob brood that are around now, but VERY well executed! i loved emma thompson in a role that she wrote specifically for herself and none of the kids fell into that terrible trap of "look i'm a kid. and i'm A-C-T-I-N-G... badly" which was one of my concerns going in. i love the nurse matilda books and the movie stays relatively true to the original vibe of those books if not in script, however, it's a movie that you go to for pure entertainment and if nothing else it gives you that in multitudes... also great for kids as it actually teaches them important life lessons but doesn't dumb them down so the adults actually enjoy them (and maybe learn a little something themselves). also, how can you not love a movie in which angela lansbury plays a half-blind evil aunt! :) good stuff! 5 out of 5 stars!

CURIOUS GEORGE
i LOVE animation (as many of you probably already know) so i was really looking forward to this movie. i was NOT disappointed. will ferrell was NOT overly "crazy will", curious george was NOT CGI nor did he "talk" (thank god!), the animation was beautiful and pleasing to the eye, the story was good (explaining how the man in the yellow hat and george meet, how george comes to america, some good shenanigans and also plausible villians). it's sad that this may be one of the last 2D animated films to come to theatres for a really long time. i really do wish the world could hold on to this dying art form instead of sacrificing it for all CGI animation. overall, 4 out of 5 stars.

what the hell is this?

fruity oaty bars

a great 3 movie day!

KING KONG
i was a little trepidatious going into this film, as i am a big fan of the original. also, i felt the "big ape" and the "dinosaur" premise had been played out already what with all the various different big hairy ape movies there have been. but i have to admit i was pleasantly surprized. i didn't know it was 3 hours long otherwise i wouldn't have downed a huge fruit punch before going into it, but other than one bathroom break, i didn't really feel like it was all that long. i guess all the action and adventure helps make you forget. i was truly moved by the relationship between naomi watts character and the ape and i cried at the end. it was nice to see jack black in a role that could help him break out into other non-tradionally funny roles, he's our next jim carrey folks! i said it here first! :) 4 out of 5 stars.

MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS
i loved it. the music and dancing numbers were beautifully staged. i loved the songs. i've always loved judi dench, but there was one scene inparticular when she is dancing in front of her mirror and she stops and looks at herself. with that one look, she solidifies the reason why she is one of the greatest actresses of our time. it was comparable to glenn close's single tear drop in dangerous liasons. judi dench and bob hoskins were a great couple to watch on the screen. there chemistry is electrifying. overall, one of those movies that will move you and make you feel really good at the end. 5 out of 5 stars.

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
excellent. everyone should go see this movie. 5 out of 5 stars.

Do You Remember?

Hey, remember in elementary school during Valentine's Day the teacher would give us a shoe box and construction paper? We would make a little mailbox to put at the front of our desk, with hearts and glitter and our name on it? That was probably my favorite day of the year. I miss that. I wish I could make a little construction paper mailbox and put it in front of my doorstep. Then go play hop scotch, or swings for twenty five minutes, and come back to 15-25 valentine's cards stuffed in my little Adidas box of love.

yes, i'm here...

i know that it has been forever, but i guess i had a lot on my plate...

the last 3 weeks in december i was in fresno opening the new restaurant and then i went home to texas for christmas and new years... both were fun, and my sister and i even got my mom a little drunk at the new years party we went to! fun times :)

after i got back to california i had 2 interviews... both of them for "management" positions but i didn't get either one :) and you know why??? cuz i have a tongue ring... oh well...

then my mom and sister came down to cali cuz my sister moved here from texas!!! YAY!! sh's living in venice beach and it is AMAZING!! her apartment literally overlooks the beach... good morning BEACH!! :) i'm so glad that i got to see my mom cuz i love her lots and i miss her all the time but i'm REALLY glad that stevie is here now cuz she is my best friend in the whole wide world!!! :) we've already gone out to hear some live music at a bar together and i got her job at changs... (i will convert you all sooner or later!!)

anyway... after that i had a huge meeting with changs cuz we are rolling out a new menu with lots of spicy items... it is called "a night in chengdu" i'm sortof in charge of rolling it out to all the staff and so i'm having to do alot of meetings and stuff :) fun fun

and that is my life up till now... i'm still enjoying my netflix and i'm in the middle of stargate sg-1 season 8... good stuff! :)

i'll be a little more involved from here on out... sorry! :)
love, matt

hoodwinked!

a completely engageing, engrossing, original and musical re-make of the classic "red riding hood" story. very clever plot points and extremely funny dialogue make this a GREAT film for both parents and children to enjoy together. totally worth seeing! 5 out of 5 stars!

i'm still alive

yes yes... it's been awhile, but i just wanted you all to know (well, those of you that are still sticking around) that i am alive and well. i can't post much now, cuz i gotta run go see brokeback mountain, but i will get on here very soon with stories to tell...

karen... i've been travelling! :)

love, matt

pooh's heffalump halloween movie

the problem with this movie (if you are a fan of the pooh world in general) is that instead of doing a good movie , they took a previously filmed "pooh halloween" segment from boo to you too! winnie the pooh and put a portion of that in this movie. it makes you feel a couple of things... one being that they obviously wanted to rush out a "halloween" movie and so in order to speed up production, just put this 20 minute segment in the film that had been made almost 10 years ago (and even then, it was just an episode of the new adventures of winnie the pooh tv show if anyone remembers that). also, it makes you reminisce the older pooh films... it makes you miss gopher and owl and christopher robin... where have they been in recent pooh films??? did gopher move away from the 100 acre wood?? did owl finally realize that everyone was catching on to the fact that he talked too much and become a hermit?? did christopher robin finally grow too old to play with his dolls and the characters of the hundred acre wood not realize it yet?? i guess we'll never know. don't rent this film... it's not really worth it. 2 out of 5 stars

passion in the desert

this movie is at times both disturbing and also very passionate and moving. an officer befriends a leopard in the sahara, yes, but what they don't say is that him and the leopard become VERY close... no intamacy is ever shown on film, but the bond that they share would indicate that there is a deep love there... one scene even shows the officer licking the leopard in a very sexually charged way. at the end of the film however, you do feel saddened by the choices that this officer FEELS obligated to make and it makes you therefore feel even more affected when the last 5 minutes of the film reveal itself. overall, not for everyone, but definately an intreguing character study for all you actors out there and a solid piece of indie film work for all you art house lovers out there. 3 out of 5 stars

sorry nee-nee!

i seriously dislike the ladies of the red hat society!

a group of 16 of them came into PF Changs the other day and sat in my section... they ALL demanded seperate cheques and on top of that they all payed with change! PF Changs does not deal with change as a rule... if your cheque is $9.25 and you pay with a $20 then i'll just round up or down on yourt change and give you (in this example) $11 back. but NOT with these ladies... they all gave me change that would give them back change... for example... if they owed $9.56, they would give me $10.06 so that i would have to give them .50c back! UGH!!! they all ordered alcohol which they then demanded that they all pay for as they recieved their drinks! so not only did i have to take 16 different drinks out to them, but i had to take out the cheques for each drink and distribute them simultaniously with the drinks!

they had me running back and forth so much that i couldn't deal with my other tables and had to give them away to other servers... i felt like a master who could no longer feed his dog and so gave him to a loving home... "please take care of table 26 for me... i no longer can"

we add an auto gratuity to any party of 8 or more, BUT, my auto grat only came to $20, and after i broke it up between 16 different cheques, i still had one lady leave and so i only had 15 ladies pay... UGH!!

if the whole point of your "society" is to go out in public looking like a fool and having fun, then please don't take out your pent up frustration at the way you look on your server!

fellow servers of the world... we must band together to fight against the red hats...
sorry nee-nee... (my grandma)... she is a red hat lady... but some sacrifices must be made.

(i'm kidding!)

NOT a gay martha stewart

I once watched a film in which an older, Father Time-esque gay gentleman attested to a younger gay man who was suffering through the throws of a self-esteem crisis that it’s “o-kay to be gay and average.” I remembered thinking, “Well, that is very reassuring. You can just be gay and live the rest of your life as ‘Fred down at the dry-cleaners.’” Gone are the pressures to be the next Oscar Wilde and having to maintain a sparkling wit and a peppy and overly-expressive theatrical repertoire. You can go through life and not have to paint the ceiling of a chapel (with well placed, homoerotic depictions of biblical characters, no less!) It’s alright to stay home and watch Nightline and not conquer a country with elephants, design the new fall line, write your recollections of a troubled and closeted youth, make Quiche Loraine and porscutto melon balls for eighty-nine of your closest friends or mix illegal substances and dance the night away in a Go-Go cage. You’re free! Free to be the you you’ve always wanted to be with no limitations, expectations or hindrances. Or, are you, really… It seems like since the emergence of this new, trendy, Fab Five saturated gay culture, there’s more pressure placed upon us little mos. I, for one, have a very full schedule keeping up with my own, stylist-free life. I read the magazines, I’m hip, but it’s hard to remember to “zhush” your sleeves and to wear coordinating socks when I still get detergent spots on my tee-shirts. Now, it seems, I am to remember to activate the product before I put it in my hair, talk my stressed-out girlfriend through another messy breakup, (with the guy I assured her was Mr. Wrong-ish from the beginning) be fabulous at and the life of every social event, work-out, get a pedicure and a fake tan, and still remember to water the Boston Fern and put the cat out! It’s as if the personalities of Martha Stewart and Truman Capote merged and fire bombed the pop culture. But, who am I to judge. I just figure I’m not the only person to feel this way. Maybe I’m just a gay activist at heart. The one and only one to turn this imaging problem around. The one to put gay individualism back on the map and reinvent what it means to be a homosexual American, and… Oh, gotta go. Apricot and rosemary popovers are done…

my clientele

Here is one of my favorite conversations with a table I waited on:

Guest: "My son won't eat any of this food I ordered."

Me: "I'm sorry."

G: "Can you make him french toast?"

Me: "We're a Chinese restaurant,... and I don't actually cook any of the food here, I merely bring you drinks and take your order."

G: "He really wants french toast."

Me: "Well, we don't have bread, or syrup, or a frying pan."

G: "So...."

Me: "So that's a no to french toast. I can get him chow mein..."

G: "Okay, that'll do."



Ahh, another crisis averted.

i'm back and $2,000 richer!

My blog is worth $2,822.70.
How much is your blog worth?

kitchen confidential is a friggin' lie!

Now, nothing against the show, cause it's cute and quirky and whatever else is needed in an equation to make a sitcom work, but Kitchen Confidential is way out of line here, people, and I'm not gonna let this new television show off the hook.

Now for all of you who haven't seen it yet, it is about a head chef and his cute co-workers (back of house, and front of house) all trying to make a living in an upscale restaurant. There are only a few problems with this "idea", but they are so huge that I cannot get past it and actually enjoy the show. I shall list them IN a particular order:

1. All of the cooks are white. This is a huge problem for me. Any one who has ever worked in a restaurant or even set foot in one knows for a fact that 99.9% of all the cooks in America are Mexican. I work in a Chinese restaurant and all the guys making your fried rice are in fact of the Hispanic descent. This is not a racist comment, this is a statement based on my experience of working in restaurants since I started high school.

2.There is only one hostess who works there. She looks like a model, and she apparently works everyday, because she is the only person who is ever near a host stand.

3. The owner's daughter is a waitress there and she creates dishes not listed on the menu just to make the head chef prepare stuff. She would of been murdered by his Mexican friends by now.

4. There is no heat lamp. They prepare the food and set it on a table IN THE KITCHEN, where the servers come and pick up one dish and then walk back out to the dining room. I will not even go into health violations, server errors, blah blah, that is just plain wrong. Heat lamps are what makes the world go round, the world go round, the world go round.

5. A cute little prank or something will always find itself in the middle of the kitchen involving the cooks and the servers during a very busy night, and every cook seems to find time to stop and make a joke. They are not sweating, they are not busting their ass to cook up some sixty meals, they are having a ball. I don't see the cooks having a ball during the lunch lull. They are always preparing shit.

6. At the end of the night everyone goes to a bar to hang out together. Lonely Hostess, Servers, Kitchen Staff, even Dish Washers. I go out all the time, with my server buddies. Birds of a feather, my friends, it's sad but true, we stick in our groups. Restaurants are very segregated places. Every now and again we'll intertwine our posses, but for the most part we just smile and wave and leave it at that, not finish off our beers together at the same table.

This may seem like a rant, but this show could of been genius. Everyone either works in a restaurant or frequents them throughout the week. We should all be able to relate to this show, not loathe it because it is so far off. Please people, write the creators for me and tell them they are big dumbasses, and should of done their homework at least a little, like looking in the back of any restaurant. I hate you Kitchen Confidential, I hate you so hard.