Favorite Songs of 2010

Hands Down!!

Cold War Kids-Coffee Spoon

The Black Keys-Everlasting Light


Runners Up

Best Coast- When I'm With You

Warpaint-Undertow

Recently Watched:

It's been awhile since I watched this, but I want to mention it because I think it's worth watching. Sam Rockwell is one of my favorite actors (Moon, Snow Angels) and I think he gives a really funny but honest performance, playing an alcoholic father who is trying to redeem himself. He doesn't always try hard enough and he offends a lot of people. He gets drunk at school, crashes his daughters date and has to be taken care of by his students. Rockwell has great delivery with at least a dozen one liners and his interactions with the young women in the film are pretty funny. It's not the best movie in the world.. it's not even the best movie about a drug addict basketball coach (see: HALF NELSON--also starring Shareeka Epp,) but I think it's worth ya time!

"Joan Rivers a Piece of Work" and "Exit Through the Gift Shop"

"Joan Rivers a Piece of Work" is a look into the aging comedians life and career. Joan is funny in the film but more often she is sad about the state of her career and how she is regarded in the industry.




"Exit through the Gift Shop" is a documentary about street art, Banksy and the creation of "Mr.Brainwash." It's a really interesting look into street art culture and "pop art."

Three very different movies

127 hours- Danny Boyle + James Franco + desert = good ass movie. The film is based on the true story of Aron Ralston (you can tell he is from Colorado from the spelling of that first name), an adventurous climber that got his arm trapped by a boulder in Utah for five days. Ralston made tapes of himself while he was stuck which made for some of "127 hours" best scenes. I saw an interview where Franco said that they did 15-20 min takes where he and the crew explored the space. For anyone who doesn't know what Ralston had to do to escape I'll just say it was bloody. Everyone is saying/will say that this movie is inspiring, and it is... the last 20 or so minutes of the film almost produced tears. You are in this with him. I knew what he was going to have to do, but I was still pulling for him to get his hand loose. (It's kind of like how when Titanic is on t.v I still think maybe Jack won't die..but he does.)

Waitress- It was a cute movie about a lot of dumb people + a doctor who falls in love with a dumb girl while his wife is becoming a doctor. oh and Jeremy Sisto is a terrible man. I found it entertaining and I think the cast was totally awesome at playing dumb..which is what they were going for..?? Don't get me wrong I thought it was well made and funny, guysssss.

Stuart a Life Backwards- This was a BBC movie that I watched because I love Tom Hardy. It was about a man who wrote a book about a homeless heroin addict with rage issues. Hardy was really good in it. The quality of movie was so so.

Parks and Recreation. good show kids, good show.

Over the holiday break I opted to watch Parks and Recreation over spending time with my family. I did play one game of taboo with those losers. ( I lost. )

anywaaaay. The show is really funny. If you haven't already watched it I suggest you do. They have an interesting group of characters and I think there is a lot of talent.

Also Paul Schneider rules in this movie:

Casper: The Saddest Movie of All Time???

ok.. so how did I start to watch a scene from Casper on Youtube? how would an adult person arrive at that? Well I'll explain. I was watching the trailer to "Beautiful Girls" and the commercial for "Now and Then" (lovable shit-bomb of a movie) was on the side. Naturally, I watched it which led me to "Casper."

It's so depressing. I knew it was depressing when I was a kid, but damn. All of the sudden they play this "he is gonna turn back into a little ghost boy" instrumental stuff. Do you remember the story of how he died? He froze to death in the snow. FROZE TO DEATH IN THE SNOW. A LITTLE BOY...PLAYING IN THE SNOW. DEATH. And Christina Ricci just can't get a break: her dad gets drunk with ghosts, she falls in love with a ghost boy who would normally look like Devon Sawa (good when he is teen, bad when he is Stan in Eminem's music video) and some girl is rude to her, I think? All the kids were mean to her right? Because apparently it's not cool for your dad to be a ghost hunter.

As a child I loved this movie, as an adult looking back WHY DO WE SHOW THESE THINGS TO CHILDREN. that is all.

Recently Watched:

Breaking Upwards

I love the trend in independent cinema of one person wearing the actor, directer & writers hat and in the case of "Breaking Upwards," Daryl Wein acted, wrote, directed AND edited.

The film is about a couple who is trying to break up slowly by taking "days off" in their relationship to do whatever they want. The film co-stars Zoe Lister-Jones, Wein's real life girlfriend and the film is somewhat autobiographical of their relationship. It's funny and it feels young and real. It really fits in with the films that I saw at the Maryland Film Festival: Tiny Furniture and Gabi on the Roof in July. So if you haven't already I say go see all 3!

Janeane Garofalo 'If You Will' Live in Seattle

One of the funniest stand-ups that I've seen in awhile. I've liked Janeane Garofalo since I saw her in the film Bye, Bye Love. I like the fact that she gets up on stage and is able to articulate her opinion and draw from her own REAL LIFE experiences. All too often comedians make up ridiculous scenarios that may be funny but aren't real.

Due Date

Most commercial comedy films won't be as funny as the Hangover..and this is one of those movies. Although it had its funny parts the unrealistic nature of the story, and the fact that as a pair neither Downey's character or Galifianakis' character were very likable I wouldn't recommend it.

QUOTEworthy: Ryan Gosling

On unrealistic Hollywood films:

"You leave feeling bad about your life like 'yeah I really wish my life was like that' and now I gotta get in the car..how do I validate my ticket? and now I gotta sit in the parking lot..Leaving the theater is such a bummer, it's such a shock to the system, because you've just been in this dream state where you're kind of identifying with these characters and then you have to go back to your life."

Dave Franco on James Franco

I've always been fascinated by sibling relationships... and I like James Franco. Esquire Magazine had Dave Franco interview his brother James in five parts. Here is part 3.

Cold War Kids Mine is Yours teaser

Yeah! CWK are coming out with a new album and touring! So far there is a VA date..come on with the Baltimore or DC show.. (or freakin philly or nyc...katie will drive/ take trainbus!)

The Baxter

Michael Showalter's "The Baxter" was pretty funny. My favorite scenes were between Michael Showalter and Justin Theroux. David Wain also had some pretty funny lines. If you like Michael Showalter, Michael Ian Black and/or Wet Hot American Summer you'll like this movie.

Lykke Li - Get Some

Lykke Li - Get Some: "Lykke Li - Get Some"

I'm fascinated by where people are from, where they've been and where they want to be.

I'd like to do a road trip across America one day. But I'm definitely not done with the west coast. I'd like to see Seattle, Portland, Mt. Shasta, some freakin' Redwoods since I didn't do that either time I was in San Francisco... and I'd also like to go further South than Long Beach.

I need to win some money.

Recently Watched: The Messenger

This film has some really great scenes. Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster play soldiers who are members of the casualty notification team (they deliver the message that a soldier has died to the next of kin.) In delivering this message the soldiers are under certain orders to act professionally, never hug or make contact with the next of kin. They also must come unannounced and may only speak with the next of kin, which in one situation gets a little tricky. The messages were filmed mostly in one shot which created a strong sense of reality. I was fascinated by the tension in every delivery.

As someone who is strongly apposed to war and training people to kill I liked the depiction of human vs soldier.

Bad Books

Bad Books - "Please Move" by Some Kind of Awesome

Recently Watched:

(SPOILER)

Sometimes when movies are extremely depressing I find it hard to like them. Revolutionary Road is one of those movies. The performances are great, but the giving up on your dreams storyline bummed me out...not to mention in the end things pan out in the worst way possible. DEATH. The fight scenes were some of the most intense that I've seen. I liked Leonardo's emotional scenes much better than his emotional scenes in Inception (not that I didn't like his performance in Inception!) I think it's worth watching, but I'm warning you it's a downer.

Recently Read

This book was hilariously funny. "Seasons Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!" was my favorite piece. It was written in the form of a letter from a deranged woman whose husband got a foreign woman pregnant while he was in the army. The adult child of the husband is delivered to the doorstep and the woman's observations/judgements of her new "daughter" are ridiculously smart, dark and funny. It reminded me of Jon Stewart's Hanson fan club letters in his book "Naked Pictures of Famous People."

Recently Watched

The Social Network is about Mark Zuckerberg. I don't care what anyone else is saying about how it's about relationships and greed...well ok..it's a bit about that...but it's mainly a character study of Mark Zuckerberg. I've seen interviews with Zuckerberg and I think that Jesse Eisenberg gave an amazing performance. He really captured Zuckerbergs disconnect.

While I found the backstory of how Facebook came about interesting it always bothers me when something is based on a true story and you aren't sure where the writer/director/actors took liberties.

Create a playlist at MixPod.com

Cover Songs Rule: As Long as I Can See the Light

I really love this song. I guess I'm the stereotypical college grad dreamer type but I definitely want to travel soon and this lyrically gets that down. I think the Cold War Kids do a great cover because they make it their own, and I also enjoy the soulful 70's hippy grit of the original.

The Cover


THE O.G

Recently Watched: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

The film definitely has a post millennium feel about it. The dialogue is fresh and the story line is odd. One of the major plot lines is that Robert Downey is a theif who's partner just got shot and he is being chased by cops. He tries to get away by running through a building, but it turns out to be an audition room. see below.



He is then taken to Hollywood to train for a part...enter Val Kilmer who plays Gay Perry. Gay Perry is a private detective who is supposed to be showing Downeys character the ropes, but instead they get caught up in a whole lot of complicated drama. Kilmer's performance was really great and him and Downey were very funny together.

I'm glad I finally watched it!

I was checking out some blogs on hypem and found this...it's really really good.

FYF Fest 2010 Mixtape by The FADER

Rites of Passage

I never went to juvie or fat camp.

Recently Watched: Little Children

Stylistically I really liked this film. The film starts off on a dark note with a news report of a convicted child sex offender moving into a community. The actor who plays the convict is completely creepy. His face is sunken, he speaks in a high voice...and the scene where his date is ending in the car...yiiiiyikes. I hope I don't see that in my nightmares tonight. The narration in the beginning and the little bits throughout the film worked for me. I really enjoyed all of the performances. So I say if you haven't already go see it!

Movies that I love: Tell No One

Why see it??? Great performances, great direction and an intricate plot. The lead actor gives one of my all time favorite performances and Kristin Scott Thomas is amazing. I saw this at The Charles Theater in Baltimore and it was one of my favorite experiences in a theater because I could feel the audiences engagement. If you like chase scenes this movie has one of my favorite/ one of the more realistic scenes that I've seen. It's the best thriller that you will see, ok! see it.

Cold War Kids - Quiet, Please

This kid CAN read.

I found myself thoroughly entertained by Diablo Cody's book about stripping. She's a smart girl who sees an amateur night sign and decides why the hell not! Cody provides a hilarious but sometimes disturbing insiders look into the sexual entertainment business. Her wit is ridiculous and after awhile I stopped asking myself but wait why is she still doing this, and became immersed in the world that she was creating. From the authoritative bosses, naive or aged co-workers to the creepy customers with very strange ..habits.., to the drunken frat boys and bitchy girls, Cody provided an interesting look at not only the people who work in the industry but the people who keep it going.



This was by far one of the funniest things that I've read. It was displayed near a section that a library assistant was helping me look for "You're a Horrible Person, But I like You," so I picked it up. I've never read anything by Sedaris, but I've been a fan of his crazy sister Amy Sedaris (Strangers with Candy) for awhile. David actually wrote about Amy quite a bit, and I have to say he has an amazing ability to capture and profile his family members as well as his own neurosis. The article about his little person guitar teacher was both sad and hysterical. I think sometimes we forget how rare it is to hear a GOOD story, most of the time the story teller is getting more out of telling the story than the listeners are getting from sitting through it. But "Me Talk Pretty One Day" provides a string of great stories. go read it.

Happy Birthday to my blog.

I created this blog to record all of the music, movies and other media that I consume.

I love looking back on all of the music that I was listening to this past year and how I connect it to certain days, events etc. I recollect a time in my life by the music that was playing in the background.

To anyone who reads this blog I hope that its been a decent read and hopefully I've introduced you to some RAD things!
-KATIE!

Recently Digested

Honestly. I fell asleep a few times while I was trying to watch this. It arrived during my heavy use of Ambien phase this summer, so I don't feel like I can give a great review of it. From what I coherently watched the acting was pretty on point considering the unusual dialogue and plot circumstances.

Jon Stewart is a pretty funny guy, but wait I already knew that! I'm not a regular viewer of the Daily Show I actually usually tune in more to watch Jon Stewart interview other people and then I wait for them to make him laugh so he does that thing where he covers his face..you know what I'm talking about. But his essays were perceptively whacky. The letters to the Hanson fan club and the Princess Diana letters to Mother Theresa had me cracking up. You go boy.

The End of Summer Mix

Track 1 Dog Days are Over -Florence + The Machine
Track 2 Islands The xx
Track 3 When I'm With You Best Coast
Track 4 Nantes Beirut
Track 5 Addicted to Love Florence + The Machine
Track 6 Billie Holiday Warpaint
Track 7 Crystalised The xx
Track 8 Metal Heart (cover) David Bazan
Track 9 Walk in the Park Beach House
Track 10 Mother And Child Reunion Paul Simon
Track 11 Animal(Mark_Ronson_Remix) Mark Ronson

Currently Listening to:

If this song hasn't already been used in a movie, than I want to make a movie just so I can use it. The lyrics are simple, but because her voice is so raw and true the song evokes really strong emotions. The idea of people growing apart is a sad reality, and I think this song captures that beautifully. Take a listen, or 10.

Books that I got today

1.) You're a Horrible Person, But I Like You (collective) READ IT! To be pronounced RED. I'm telling you that I read it already but if you'd like to READ IT ..do so!

2) The Double Life is Twice as Good- Jonathan Ames

3) Naked Pictures of Famous People- Jon Stewart

4) Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris

5) Personality Types -Using the Enneagram for Self Discovery ...this is the wild card book! I'm pretty into psychology and one of my favorite classes was Personality so this is right up my alley.

Recently Read

I just read this today. The concept was: comedians/writers answer questions that they aren't educated to answer. I liked Paul Feig, Fred Armisen, Zach Galifianakis, Janeane Garofalo, Amy Sedaris and Sarah Silverman..to name a fewww.

After finishing Chelsea Handler's book and watching her on Diablo Cody's Red Band trailer web interview thing I actually decided that I wanted to read Cody's book "Candy Girl" which is her memoir about being a stripper...but they didn't have it so I got this book.

It was really funny. (I totally LOL'ED YOU GUYZZZZ) It's about comedian/ Chelsea Lately staff member, Heather McDonalds journey blue balling guys in Hollywood. The guys that she went out with make for really funny character studies... they are completely ridiculous. She also details a brief fling with Vince Vaughn if you're into that kind of thing (I have to admit I always kind of stare at Video Vixen Diaries, the book about the girl who banged all of the rappers in all of AMERICA..but I have too much pride to check that out.)

WHHHHAT! YES!

I was reading an interview with David Bazan and he was talking about covers that he does and he mentioned Cat Power's "Metal Heart"... I immediately Youtubed it (thanks modern day technology,) here it is!

Recently Watched: "Good Dick"

This film was recommended to me and after reading the description I was intrigued because it straight up said that the girl in the movie was addicted to porn. I wondered how an indie romantic comedy could play that off. It actually turned out to be more of a drama with occassional funny moments, but I actually found it to be pretty entertaining. It's not the best movie ever, but it looks at interesting matters. The male lead is played by Jason Ritter, who was very good at being true to the moment. Ritter plays a homeless video clerk that becomes interested in a porno-o-holic female customer and begins to assert himself in her life. The conversations between the two leads felt very real...awkwardly real. I give it 3/5 stars!

The XX- Islands

Cover Songs Rule: Addicted to Love

Cover:

Original:

Needle and the Damage Done

Last night my dad started playing Needle and the Damage Done, while I was reading the lyrics and what I really love(d) about the song is how understated it is. Sometimes songs about drugs are annoying and tend to scream I USED TO BE A JUNKIE, BUT NOW I'M NOT, (BUT I TOTALLY HAVE DEMONS.)

But this song doesn't, and I really love how honest it feels. There's something that I'll always love about someone singing with just an acoustic guitar. While I love current music that takes advantage of computers/synthesizers etc it still amazes me what people are capable of writing and performing acoustically.

I'm kind of an intellectual.

My sister bought Are You There Vodka, It's Me Chelsea at the airport back in March. We switched off and each read a few chapters each because its an extremely easy read. I got through 4 chapters but then I talked too much to the people on the way home and didn't finish it...so it's been under my bed for several months and I decided to finish it this week.

First of all it's pretty funny and sticks to her style of humor. But I think a lot of it is really random and there isn't much sense to how the chapters are organized. I guess it's a collection of weird stories really, but some aren't really about drinking..

Highlights: her childhood lies and her time in jail.

"Noboddddy raise your voiiiiices"

I don't know how to pin down what it is that I like so much about this song but it's the only thing I have bookmarked on my old computer. I've gotten really into vocals that at first listen challenge me. The lead singers style is really different, I'm not familiar with a lot of Beirut's material, but I've watched them on La Blogetheque several times and this song is magical!

There are nice things in the world—and I mean nice things. We're all such
morons to get so sidetracked. Always, always, always referring every goddamn thing that happens right back to our lousy little egos.
---J.D Salinger

QUOTEWORTHY: Joseph Gordon Levitt

“I'm listening to a lot of vinyl records and it's not some hipster, retro thing ... The other night my friend and I just lay down on the floor and listened to Joni Mitchell and [Radiohead's] 'Hail to the Thief' and to Leonard Cohen. I love the iPods, but when was the last time that I sat at a computer or whatever and could listen to a whole album without getting ADD and saying, 'Check out this cover by Feist...''

Recently Watched: The Kids are All Right

I saw this film at the Charles in Baltimore city on Saturday. We waited in a huge (HOT A$$) line and missed the showtime that we wanted, so we bought tickets for the later showtime. It seemed like the air wasn't working in the theater (kinda felt like I was going to die), but it was still an enjoyable experience.

The film had an energy about it...it was fun, new and definitely not afraid to take on the modern American family ("Moms') as well as poke fun at eating organic/ healthy living trends (*cough* that I totally support.) I think the movie appeals to everyone because it's about being a teenager/growing up, being in love, getting older, marriage, gay issues and modern families. The characters are well written and it's funny ...and I've said it before but MARK RUFFALO IS A HOTTIEEEEE.

Side note: The film was clearly shot in Southern California which was another plus. I want to have a nice ass backyard where I have people over to eat outside! dammit.

Cover songs rule part 3

I'm going to warn you this isn't a happy tune. I think a lot of Cat Powers music has a haunting quality to it...which is probably why I like it, but also why its totally depressing!

Troubled Waters



I can't find an original but apparently it's by Helen Merrill

Recently Watched: Inception

I saw Inception last night. Pretty crazy. I haven't seen a lot of "action" movies in my day so when I finally see one I find that it's a good change of pace. This film did however have a lot of emotional stuff going on with Leonardo's character. Sometimes I fell into it and other times there was something that I wasn't completely buying..maybe because the concept is so high that it's hard to really humanize characters (in the way that I am used to in independent cinema.) But overall the film worked for me and I was throughly entertained with the dream within a dream..within in a dream...within ...a.dream storyline. Also Joseph Gordon Levitt is all up in this movie woot woot. He is probably my favorite actor so it was cool to see him in a big picture holding his own with a talented cast. Towards the end of the film I was like shit I like this group of people and I don't want this to end (and theres nothing for me to do at home.)

I don't know if Christopher Nolan should be called a genius or a crazy person to think all of this up, I guess a bit of both.

Halfway Through Summer Mix CD

I took a few cues from Danger Mouse's Summer Playlist (see *'s) but most of the songs were taken from my downloads section.

Mother And Child Reunion (1972) by Paul Simon
*Animal (Mark_Ronson_Remix) by Mark Ronson
Next Girl by The Black Keys
Cecilia Simon and Garfunkel
Shuv It Disco D Blend by Santogold
Hospital_Beds_live @ Artscape by Cold War Kids
Coffee Spoon live @ Artscape by Cold War Kids
*Soft Shock by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
*Girl Don't Tell Me by The Beach Boys
Dyer Maker by Led Zeppelin
Hang Me Up to Dry by Cold War Kids
Semi Charmed Life by Third Eye Blind

Recently Watched: I am Love

I had some time to kill before Cold War Kids took the stage at ARTSCAPE so to hide from the heat for a bit I caught the film "I am Love," I hadn't read anything about it beforehand which was refreshing.

The locations were beautiful, the acting was on point and the storyline was interesting. It was way different than anything that I've seen in awhile and I think that's what I liked about it.

I finally saw Cold War Kids live..and it was amazing!

GOD decided to let me get what I want (lllooord knows it would be the fiiiirst time) and Cold War Kids were booked to play ARTSCAPE. and I freakin saw them..and it was awesome. I don't want to say that I can die now, but had I been shot in the city last night my life would have ended on a good note.

Hang Me Up to Dry


Hospital Beds


Coffee Spoon


to see the rest check out my youtube account

Things that used to make me laugh.

check out the kid dancing.

Patrick? - watch more funny videos

This looks good, eh?

Haven't changed that much..

Cover Songs Rule 2

F*ck and Run



Original

Recently Watched: The 25th Hour

This was one of those movies that I don't know how to feel about. It was entertaining and I got pretty into whether or not Ed Norton's character was going to show up for his prison sentence, run away or kill himself but it was such a downer that it's hard to be like YES YOU SHOULD WATCH THIS. It altered my mind for a bit.. the idea of your life being planned out for 7 years in a crowded prison where you'd be victim of gang rape isn't too cool to think about. :) I thought the characters were written well, his old friends in particular, who he chose to spend his final hours with were interesting to watch. The way that the ending was executed was interesting..you aren't sure if what's happening is really a dream or not until the final moments. The lesson of the film is DON'T SELL DRUGS. AND IF YOU DON'T DON'T TELL PEOPLE WERE YOU HIDE THEM.

America ain't that bad part 3!

The most recent vacation I took was over Spring Break. I'd never been on a "spring break trip" before and since it was my last year of schooling (unless I decide for some crazy reason to go to graduate school,) I wanted to go on a tripity trip. The last time I went to CA with sister christian, we couldn't rent a car because we were only 20 and you have to be 21 to be considered to drive but really they want you to be 25 (BUT THEY'LL LET YOU GET SHOT IN A FOREIGN LAND AT 18..America you have flaws) I was bummed about it because I researched all of these places that I wanted to visit, mainly The Big Sur. So this time we decided to start out in San Francisco and end up in Los Angeles driving down highway 1.

Going back to San Francisco after almost 2 years was weird. We spent one full day there this time and stayed near the airport, so we took the BART into town. I remember we came up out of the ground in Mission and the weather was awesome.

The next day we woke up and took the hotel shuttle to the airport and went to rent a car. That was the most expensive part of the vacation.. it was almost 600 dollars. Driving the rental car from the airport was pretty crazy. I was both excited and a bit nervous about the day we had ahead. I wanted to make it to Big Sur before dark (so that we could see it) and that meant pretty constant driving.

Our first stop was Santa Cruz for lunch. I don't have any pictures in Santa Cruz.. I was actually underwelmed by it.. it's probably cool but I feel like internet travel sites were making it out to be cooler than it was.

From there Allison began to drive. We had glimpses of the coast while I was driving pre-Santa Cruz but now we were headed for Monterey and Carmel-Down-By-the-Sea.

Carmel

So we drove and drove and hit The Big Sur..which was amazing. Pictures can't really do it justice because they don't provide 360 degrees of experience but it's still pretty amazing.
So then we got dinner pretty late at this place called Whale Watchers Cafe. Cafe was a deceiving term because it made the place sound moderately priced, which it was not. But it was a nice spot and the only place to eat that we'd seen in miles. So we stopped. I think we were both ready to die.

I really wish that I would have recorded this guy that was playing a banjo to the side of the place. He was an older man that looked like he had stories to tell and he had a good singing voice! The waiter said that celebrities came into the place all the time. Most recently he had Sam from True Blood and Caezar..The Dog Whisperer. YES I KNOW. KEEP YOUR CLOTHES ON PEOPLE.

I started driving after we ate and we stopped in San Luis Obispo for the night (we had a hotel booked there because it was roughly in between SF and LA.) That night I read through some book about the coast that I got from the airport and saw that Santa Barbara, California was worth checking out. On the way I remember seeing Pismo? Beach which looked pretty neat. So the next day we didn't go back on the highway 1 for very long and we headed through valley looking areas. This is when I started feeling like I was getting allergies (for the people who have allergies crowd.) We stopped into Santa Barbara for lunch, the book that we had mentioned the Sojourner Cafe so we went there. It was pretty good and our waiter was really funny and told us to check out a specific beach and gave us tips about where to go in LA.

I found the street he was talking about but at first we reached the more touristy beach. While I was waiting for Allison in the bathroom (in this bathhouse-- see below) a woman came up to me and said "I'm bleeding and I haven't bled for 30 years. I'm really scared." To which I kind of half mumbled.."oh man, I'm sorry..whhhat...ALLISON ARE YOU ALMOST DONEEE"

We walked on the beach there for a pretty long time and it was crazy beautiful.

here is a very short video



So we got back into the car and decided to follow the street down farther and we got to a hill looking area that had steps. When we went down the steps..it was amazing!




After that we both kind of wanted to stay in Santa Barbara but we had a hotel booked in LA. So we drove to LA..accidently ordered a ridiculous amount sushi (it was REALLY good but whoa) and spent the first night in L.A. When I woke up the next morning I had a pretty bad cold. We went to Venice Beach around 10am and walked around..it was really beautiful..and there were already some pretty crazy looking people out walking around.

from there we went to Santa Monica which was super clean..(lots of yoga places.) We got some lunch at Urth Caffe which was pretty good and it had a busy atmosphere. Then we went to the Santa Monica boardwalk swung on some swings and rode a roller coaster.



Also Whilst in LA we went to Silverlake, took a Warner Bros tour and saw the Hollywood sign.


During the tour we saw a lot of sets that had been used in multiple tv shows and movies. The tour guide was really funny and knew tons of shit about movies. We got to see where Paul Newman filmed Cool Hand Luke..and some other crap. Some people on the tour were going APE SHIT for the Gilmore Girls set.

The last night we ate in Santa Monica. and that was that.

The next day we dropped the car off near the airport and started our journery to Denver. I sat in the aisle and Allison sat next to this woman who told her she should move out of our parents house ASAP and that Jennifer Aniston had fat thighs in person. She also said Sean Penn was a midget..among other things.

When we arrived in Denver it was snowing and the airport was freezing..and I was wearing shorts and and my college t-shirt. Our flight was delayed by over an hour and once we got on we had to be de-iced. The man that sat next to me started talking to me about Towson and he was really really cool. It took about another hour for our plan to be de-iced. (The flight wasn't supposed to get in until 12am ON TIME...) There was something really strange about being on the plane in the dark we all kept making jokes about whether or not we had really taken off...and how the flight attendent sounded like a robot. It took over 3 hours to get to Baltimore and we talked to the guy next to us the entire time. He had gone to the same college as us and then had lived in LA for 3 years after college and now had a daughter in Catonsville. He was super impressed with the fact that we did the road trip and that was pretty cool cuz then I was like...WAIT A SECOND I AM AWESOME.

We got to BWI a bit past 2 am. waved good bye to our seatmate at baggage and were picked up by the parents at 3am. Needless to say I was in a weird dream like state for the next (I'm still in a dream like state) 24 hours.

Coming home and going back to school was a hard adjustment... but I had A LOT of work to do.

Since then I've graduated...


WHENS MY NEXT VACA!???????????????

America ain't so bad! Part Two. (2008)

The next trip that I took was sans father and with my sister Allison when we were 20. We went to San Francisco, California. Which is one of my favorite..if not my favorite cities. (I have yet to see Chicago, Portland or Seattle.) It was pretty cool because I learned that I can actually read a map. (..how about that.)

What I love about San Francisco is how shockingly friendly people are. I noticed that in Colorado too..maybe it's a Western thing.. I don't know but in SF people would come up to me if I was looking at a map and ask me if I needed help. It happened like 3 or 4 times. People were really easy to make conversation with and I loved using the public transportation. (Maybe it was the 20 year old living at home-having just finished community college in me that was so excited to explore and get around on my own.) We walked across the golden gate bridge which was amazing, saw Alamo Square, Ocean Beach, Crissy Fields, Lands End Trail, Haight Ashbury, Sunset, Mission..we were all over the place. Is it sad that one of the highlights is a Chicken/Avocado/Honey Mustard sandwich that I got 3 times..what can I say good food is comforting. (and you bet your ass when I went back to SF two years later I got the same sammy)

Coming home from this trip was particularly depressing I remember my parents asking "Did you miss us/were you ready to come home?" and I had to withold my.."NO!"

(Other side trips pre San Francisco and without parental guidance included a night stay near Dickenson College for a concert and a night in Pittsburgh for a concert...so this was kind of big deal)

America ain't so bad. Part One!

(I have been thinking about traveling..a lot)

So this is where I talk about my favorite places that I've been to..in America..since I have yet to leave this-a-beautiful-a country. If I was speaking to you that would have sounded Italian.

I took my first major trip when I was 17. My father had some free air miles and took me to Colorado. We drove a lot and I'm not sure of all of the places that we went but I know we went to Denver, Boulder, Aspen, Estes Park and Red Rocks. It was weird being on a scenic highway. That's one thing about Maryland that I'm not too fond of..every highway is fug. The highlights of the trip were Independence Pass, Estes Park and the Maroon Bells. We also saw The Stanley, the haunted hotel that The Shining was based on.

Me in front of the Maroon Bells.. there are very few pictures of me and I'm wearing brown in most of them. and I look like a tom-boy. whatevs right we were in the mountains.

The next trip that I took was also with my father and his FREE air miles. We went to New England. New Hampshire, Massa-two-sh*ts (Boston for like..a half an hr--Fajay not a fan of cities), Vermont and we crossed the state line to Maine. My favorite part was Martha's Vineyard..a nice little island beach town in MA. It is where they filmed JAWS. My father erased his pics so I don't have any of me. We went during a heat wave..the heat index was 120 degrees and although I thought I was going to die it was still cool to see.

Gay Head Cliffs in Martha's Vineyard

What about New York City you ask. Oh yes. When I was 15(ish) I went to NYC for the first time, which was a pretty cool experience. Although.. THE LOVELY PEOPLE AT WALGREENS EXPOSED OUR FILM SO I HAVE NO PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF THE TRIP.

Flickr is and has always been pretty awesome..

..except for the fact that they charge you once you go over 200 pictures..THANKS FOR LIMITING ME. :)

Anyway, one of my favorite photographers on Flickr is girlhula, check out her stuff!

Cover songs rule!

The White Stripes -- I feel like Jack White just gets it. The screaming works and this performance is a great cover




Original

Recently Watched: Get him to the Greek

Filled with loads of vomit, self injury and drug use, Get Him to the Greek just wasn't that funny. I like Jonah Hill and Russel Brand but this movie was like a ride that I didn't feel like being on. There were funny moments, but it could have been a lot better. I definitely noticed a lot of product placement which I'm not a fan of.

Oh yea, Puff Daddy and his dead eyes were annoying.

I read a book!

This morning I finished reading Sarah Silverman's book "The Bed Wetter." It had funny moments but a lot of it was sad. I liked the fact that she opened up without completely letting go of her stage persona.
Includes:
depressed childhood
shrink suicide
xanax addiction
virginity loss
drug use/ dropping out of college
getting fired from SNL
being banned from NBC
VMA criticism

and much much more!

I want to start paying more attention to things that I've been taking for granted. For instance..last night I watched the sunset! I think the internet, although extremely helpful has become a slight addiction..I'd like to spend more time outside. Baltimore has been crazy hot and humid..with the exception of today which was really beautiful. I kind of wish I wasn't born into a generation of people obsessed with the internet and their cell phones, I'm not hating...I'mjustsayiiing.

Enjoy a video of my favorite sunset yet!

I wish this would come on TV, I loved it as a child.

Self Reflection up in this hizzy: Me and Doctors

So I went to the eye doctor last week and I have to do a follow up tomorrow with a trial pair of contacts and I was thinking about how whenever I go to the doctor I turn into a complete idiot.

LIKE FOR REAL. I can't describe symptoms at all. When they ask questions like "Do you get headaches/how often" I have no freaking idea how often I get them. I'm like shit when was the last time I had a headache..I've had them but not recently but what if they come back and this is my chance to tell a professional.

When I'm at the regular doctor's office and they say "Is your cough in your chest or throat? I always feel like "uhhh it's like..kind of both.."

I don't want to be misdiagnosed.

Sometimes my head just goes blank. But hey..it happens to the best of us..riiight?

"Learning to Love You More"

My sister used to read from this site "Learning to Love You More"..it's a project, a collection of assignments for people to complete to get to know themselves better.

One of my favorite assignments is Give Advice to Yourself in the Past.

http://www.learningtoloveyoumore.com/reports/53/53.php

Some of it's hilarious, some of it's sad..but all in all it's an interesting read. Since my car isn't working and I'm stuck at home I might play around and complete some of the assignments for fun. (Or I'll just look at other peoples shhhite)

Recently Watched: Remember Me

Not going to lie ever since I saw the trailer I thought Robert Pattinson looked attractive in it and that's probably the basis for adding it to my Netflix..with that said..here are some thoughts with SPOILERS..
1) R Pattz (the kids call him that) was pretty good. He has also mastered the American accent..good for him.

2) It's pretty contrived. It seemed like all of the sudden they were in love...all they really talked about were their dead family members. and #thatsnothot

3) Nothing good happens to anyone in this film. Seriously. Murder, Suicide, Jail Time, Punches to the Face, a Bad Haircut, oh and Robert Pattinson's character DIES IN THE SEPTEMBER 11th attack.

Overall the film was far too dramatic. It would make a good Lifetime movie..if Robert Pattinson had a vagina. That is all.

American Hearts

I still like this song.

Currently Listening to: WE BARBARIANS

Song: War Clouds
http://www.myspace.com/webarbarians

Recently Watched: Nights and Weekends

The film depicts a couple that has a long distance relationship. It's super realistic to the point where you just feel like you are watching a real couple document their relationship in all of its awkwardness.

SUMMER TIME!

I used to love the summer. Going to the pool, beach, playing kick ball...whatever I was outside all day..and it was pretty niiiice. But this summer is different from the past summers...I am no longer a student which means I'm not going back to school in the Fall...which mean WHAT THE EFFFF am I supposed to do now?! I'm kind of kidding but not. So I'm going to give myself some goals for the summer. (besides the whole get a job one)

---Read 3 books
--- Write down weird sh*t that happens.. (it can be used in the future film that will be made about my life)
----Go on a picnic
--- Ride a roller coaster (because I like those)
--- Try to find new places to hang out in Baltimore
--- Be more open to people..stop being so quick to be all "I don't like these people"
-- Be a better listener
---Eat healthier and exercise
--- Try something new that's somewhat athletic like Kayaking or something..yeah.
--- Go on a road trip of some sort
--- Keep painting and doing weird crafts for fun..it's therapeutic

Tunes from the Past- "Sugar Mountain"

Is it just me or is Neil Young's "Sugar Mountain" one of the saddest songs ever? I grew up with a lot of Neil Young because my dad loves him. I've always really liked this song...probably because its about growing older. I read something where Young said the song was inspired by a club that was for underage kids that he was no longer allowed to attend after he turned a certain age. I thought that was interesting because I've always wanted to be older than I am. (UNTIL NOW..all of the sudden I feel old as f*ck!-- I feel like none of my birthdays matter until 30..WHATS UP WITH THAT)
anyway: TAKE IT AWAY NEIL...

HOOKER ON CAMPUS

Just watched this short by Lena Dunham.. shes hilarious! I've been checking out some of her work because I really liked Tiny Furniture when I saw it at the Maryland Film Festival.

Currently Reading:

Currently listening to:

Today David Bazan tweeted "Being alive is the best thing ever!" which is kind of odd because his songs are the saddest songs ever..

Usually when people write positive messages on forms of social media such as Twitter or Facebook I'm like "yeaaah but life kind of sucks" but no actually Mr. Bazan is right (even if he was being sarcastic..which because I'm sarcastic I often mistake positive remarks as such..) being alive and in good health is really important so I'm going to stop my bitchin for a little while.

I was feeling rather down the other day and I went for a bike ride and felt so much better. So thats my advice to you kids, go for a bike ride..you'll feel great! (sweaty and fugly..BUT GREAT)

Recently Watched: Where the Wild Things Are

I'm not really sure what I expected. I didn't grow up with the book, as much as I just thought the kids wolf outfit with the crown looked kind of awesome. So overall it was cool to look at, but it was sad. I wouldn't watch it again. The kid who played Max had a really good look for film. He reminded me of the kid with bunny ears in Gummo. SEE BELOW