What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Ah, New Year's Eve. I can't believe it's tomorrow already! How on earth did 2011 wrap up so quickly? I've got a thing or two I'd like to do, but as of now, no official plans yet. How about you, friends? What are YOU doing New Year's Eve?

Forget You, Flu!

There are few things I hate more in the world than being sick, for the record.

For one who leads an immensely busy, full life, there is nothing more frustrating than hitting a roadblock. I can hardly believe that five days ago I hiked 10 miles, including going over a dryfall or two (thanks to the assistance of some manly men) and squeezing through a couple of slot canyons.

Today, thanks to a smidgen of the flu, it's taking an immense amount of energy to sit at my desk and write/edit instead of curling up and napping. And that's after taking off work a few hours early on Tuesday and sleeping 21 hours in the last day and a half.

Bah. No me gusta.

"Sein"-tology

I really seem to like these YouTube clips, huh?

Sorry for the paucity of real posts these days - I've been too busy living my life to blog about it, I guess. Hopefully I'll be able to catch up someday - but it won't be any time this week, that's for sure!

Anyways, for now, I wanted to share this Seinfeld montage. The funny story with it is that back in the days before YouTube, during my freshman year of college, I compiled a "La Crescenta Mix," a CD of songs selected by Rebecca and myself that tied to relevant memories for our little group from high school. (It's still one of my favorite mixes to this day!)

Well, the audio of this was among the songs we chose, since Seinfeld was a favorite show among us - in fact, we snuck aside and watched the Seinfeld finale at the church building in lieu of our regularly-scheduled church activity, if I remember correctly (Rebecca? Tabitha? Am I making this up?).

Today, while reading through my digital media RSS feeds, someone had linked to a YouTube clip that linked to this one (which claims to include 100 Seinfeld quotes). It's amazing how many of these phrases have found their way into our daily slang.

Finding this familiar track in a Web 2.0 incarnation was pretty fun. Hope you enjoy it, too!



What's your favorite Seinfeld quote of all time?

Turkey-Lurkey-Doo

You know you love this song. You know you look forward to hearing it every year.

Wow, can you believe this is 15 years old now?! Look at how young good ol' Adam Sandler looks here!

"Jimmie Walker used to say 'dynomite' - that's right!"

Palin for (Vice) President!

I know, I know - enough about the election already, right?

Two weeks to go, kids! Kind of crazy - this is such a HUGE election. I'm definitely excited for Nov. 5 to see how everything turns out (and to get back to the usual swing of things!).

So, I just have to say, I love Sarah Palin! After Romney was out of the running for the presidential election, I was pretty blah on the whole thing. McCain's not exactly Mr. Charisma, but, then again, Obama's got charisma - and stands pretty much opposite of all my beliefs. Seeing as we're not in high school anymore and this vote actually MEANS something, well, my vote is for the candidate who shares my values - and Obama, that is not (say no to socialism!).

The dismal election brightened for me on Aug. 29 - the day that I first heard the name "Sarah Palin." Ah, yes, I remember it well - Tina and I were getting ready for the day before driving from Phoenix to Tucson, and lo and behold, the news was all about this Alaska governor / hockey mom.

I fell in love.

I won't go into all the info on why I'm a Palin fan, but, gosh, I just like her! I love the breath of fresh air she's brought into the election and really hope that she wins. Er, that McCain wins. Yeah. Some combination thereof.

Anyways, enough of my political soapbox.

So, I love SNL! It's so fun during the election season, even if they do swing too left for my tastes. I have to say, the Sarah Palin stuff is CLASSIC - especially when Palin made an appearance this weekend!

I just finally watched it thanks to the amazing Hulu - and, to share the awesomeness, here it is. Love or hate Palin, you're sure to get a chuckle out of these fantastic sketches. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: these are just my views. Agree or disagree, that's fine - know that I still love ya', and I would fight to the death to protect your freedom of speech to voice your views, regardless of whether I share them. :)

The Best Chicken Dance Ever

One of my lovely coworkers sent me this to brighten my day - I thought I'd pass along the Arrested Development sunshine. Enjoy! Happy Friday!!!

Oh My, Mary Poppins!

I was browsing SNL's page for the latest Sarah Palin clips - which I'll post later tonight - and I found this delightful bit:



Mary Poppins has always been a favorite of mine - I think Anne Hathaway nails it perfectly. Who knew ol' Mary got around?!

"Ghost Town": Laugh, Cry, and Think Ricky Gervais Is Darling (Weird, Huh?)

Hola!

Just a quick post, and then I'm off to Dreamland, but I just HAD to tell you to go see Ghost Town!!! A few of us went tonight, and seriously, it was the best film I've seen in a while. I haven't laughed that hard in a movie for a while, let alone laughed out loud AND gotten truly teary-eyed all in one picture.

In case Ghost Town isn't ringing a bell, it's a rom-com starring Ricky Gervais (creator of the British version of The Office), Tea Leoni and Greg Kinnear - think The Sixth Sense meets Ghost meets Just Like Heaven, with a twist of The Office's awkward humor and yet also some timeless Hollywood screwball humor from the 1930s a la Preston Sturges. It's fantastic!

Hurry and catch this one before it leaves the big screen - you won't regret it!

The Office: Japanese Style

I found this great clip on Hulu as well - it's the Japanese version of The Office from which Ricky Gervais claims he got his inspiration for the British version. Enjoy!

Hillary and Sarah - Live from New York!

Gotta love when SNL gets in on the political action. Check out this fantastic SNL clip on Hulu - enjoy!

Sink Me!

They seek him here,

They seek him there,

Those Frenchies seek him everywhere.

Is he in heaven,

Or is he in hell?

That damned, elusive Pimpernel.

For book club this month, we're reading The Scarlet Pimpernel, Baroness Orczy's famous story of masked identities and derring-do set to the backdrop of the French Revolution.

I'm so thrilled with this pic! Not that the last few books haven't been winners, but The Scarlet Pimpernel has been on my must-read list for a while now. I adore the 1982 film adaptation (although I hear the 1934 version is even better!), and so far, the book's a captivating read!

Meanwhile, I wanted to share with you all the source of my initial exposure to this fabulous classic tale: "The Scarlet Pumpernickel," a 1948 Looney Tunes short starring Daffy Duck. Not exactly a faithful remake, but you gotta love how cartoons introduce kids to the classics. Enjoy!


(The YouTube clip's not loading well - you can also click here to see it.)

I'm Not a Musician - But I Play One on TV!

What happens when you mix a Bachelor, a few Heroes, a guy who's Lost, a Desperate Housewife and a plumber, plus Chuck, a doctor, and his intern in the House?


Why, you get Band from TV, which is what it sounds like: a cover band composed of TV actors who play for nonprofit causes in their spare time.

Netflix sponsored their latest show a couple of weeks ago, and when I got the invite from Netflix, there was no way I wasn't going!!! TV? Music? Classic television episodes afterward? All in the lawn of the Gene Autry National Center, a hop-skip-and-jump away from my childhood stomping grounds? What's not to love?!

My friend Laura and I made record time driving to L.A. and snagged some pretty good seats on the lawn about an hour before the show got started.


Taking to the stage that evening were Band from TV regulars James Denton (Desperate Housewives), Jesse Spencer (House), Greg Grunberg (Heroes, Alias), Bob Guiney (The Bachelor, TLC's Date My House), Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives, Lois and Clark), and accomplished musicians Chris Kelley, Barry Sarna, Jon Sarna, Chris Mostert and child-star turned bass player Brad Savage (The Apple Dumpling Gang). The usual band was joined for the evening by Hugh Laurie (House), Hayden Panettiere (Heroes), Zach Levi (Chuck), Adrian Pasdar (Heroes) and Jorge Garcia (Lost).

Here they are, pre-show - can you spot Greg Grunberg in a black tee in the middle?

Oh, and in the crowd? Hayden's boyfriend/costar, Milo Ventimiglia, snapping pictures like the best of the paparazzi. Not gonna lie - I was totally starstruck, watching him and Hayden - my favorite Heroes - as they chatted to the side of the stage. They were too cute!

I have to say, I was pretty impressed with Band from TV, too - they were actually great! Lucky for you, some fellow audience members uploaded footage to YouTube. Now you can check out the Band from TV goodness from the concert. Let's start with the official footage of the opening number:



Oh, and here's my pic from that number - yep, I ran up and was that close!

Man, they rocked! Jesse Spencer can play the fiddle like none other. His rendition of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" was spectacular - listen for yourself!




Did you see the blurry white line to the right of the big screen behind the band? They hung a little Hollywood sign that would look natural on camera as Netflix filmed. I had to laugh - the real deal is on the other side of the mountain, and anyone who knows L.A. would know you can't see it from this side of Griffith Park!

At one point, James Denton slipped out of his white oxford and busted out "Papa Loves Mama," showing off his bulging biceps in a grey tank. Yah. Hot.

Here's a "The Letter" with Bob Guiney and Zach Levi, who both have impressively great voices - and can you spot Adrian Pasdar playing bass on the left?



Wow, and can Hugh Laurie ever play piano?! Here he is on "Such a Night":



The only star who was a bit of a low note was Teri. Props to her for making the time to be part of the band - but, besides wearing a scandalously short dress... well... let me put it this way: when Bob Guiney, who did most of the emceeing, remarked "What can't that woman do?" - Laura and I, in unison, responded "Sing?" Yeah. Judge for yourself:



She wasn't too bad on fast songs like "Before He Cheats," but oh - no more ballads for Teri. Don't quit your day job, hon.

After the show, Netflix aired several classic TV episodes on a huge inflatable screen - School House Rocks election bits played between episodes of The Cosby Show, Mary Tyler Moore and a few other shows. It was such a fun night!!!

Many thanks to Laura, who came along for the fun on a perfect summer night (and provided cameras, since mine's battery was dead). Seriously, it's great happenings like that (and the weather, too) that make me so, so glad I live in SoCal!

"Pip"pin It

My, how the Pips have changed!



And, for the record - how is RD, Jr., so much hotter in his 40s than he was in his 20s or 30s? Sobriety has been goooood to him! Ow ow!

Hamlet - Facebook style

A friend of mine posted the link to this on Facebook, and I thought it was pretty hilarious. It might be too small to view, but if you click on the pic, it'll open to full size.

What can I say? Facebook just does make everything simpler! If you're not a member yet, you really should join. And add me as a friend, of course! :)

It's Time for... Animaniacs!

On my way home from work tonight, I ducked into Costco to pick up some prescriptions and, as always, I found myself browsing through their DVD section, checking for a good deal. DVDs are my weakness, big time!

Much to my delight, I spotted an amazing find: volumes 2 and 3 of Animaniacs for almost half their Amazon discounted price, and less than half of their suggested retail price! I couldn't resist and HAD to pick them up. I'm sure Volume 1 will appreciate the company in my DVD rack.

Animaniacs was, hands down, my favorite show as a kid. I guess I was a sucker for savvy, snarky pop culture references even in my youth! My love for the show has only grown over the years, too. I seriously appreciate the show's biting, self-aware humor. It's so fresh in contrast to the typical child-focused offerings. The subversive poking fun at the medium is soooo a la Warner - but I'll save my Warner-vs.-Disney analysis for my soon-to-be, up-and-coming classic cinema (and more!) blog, debuting this weekend (but more on that later).

In honor of that delightful show, here are some of my favorite bits - thanks, YouTube!

Let's start with a compilation of great quotes:


And then there's always the incomparable "Wheel of Morality" segments:


Now, one of the best things about the show was that it taught academic subjects in such an entertaining, spoonful-of-sugar kind of way. Like, who wouldn't want to learn the U.S. presidents...


or the 50 states and their capitals...


or the countries of the world...


Their brilliance extends to lessons in history (ie Einstein):

... nutrition (we totally used this song in a project in college!):


... Shakespeare:


... math:


... and manners:


... not to mention fantastic parodies of famous (and often high-brow) songs:


and good ol' pop culture like Gilligan's Island:

Of course, my favorite clips were always Pinky and the Brain. This one isn't one of the usual taking-over-the-world clips, but they meet The Beatles (and mock Yoko!). Enjoy!!!

Cinema Studies Lesson #2: So Bad It's Good

Kenny Ortega, you've come a long way.

Ortega, the choreographer/director dynamo behind the High School Musical powerhouse, has quite the list of talent with whom he's worked. Zac Efron, Miley Cyrus et. al. are great and all, but before the tween scene, Ortega set the footwork for a pre-Batman Christian Bale (Newsies, anyone?) and headed choreography for essential '80s flicks like Pretty in Pink, Dirty Dancing and, yes, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. That dance scene in the street parade? Classic!
And to think, all of Ortega's choreographic goodness may not have happened without the film that started his Hollywood career: Xanadu.


Ah, yes, Xanadu. Who can forget this infamous 1980 roller disco extravaganza starring Olivia Newton John, coming off of her Grease success, and the incomparable Gene Kelly?

With such talent, you'd think the film would be a hit, right?

Wrong!


Xanadu is one of two films that were so awful, they sparked the creation of the Golden Raspberry Awards, or "Razzies," honoring the worst films of the year. (Trivia: the other film was You Can't Stop the Music, a film starring the Village People, of "YMCA" and "Macho Men" fame.)
Xanadu tells the tale of Sonny Malone, a frustrated artist who falls in love with the muse sent to inspire him - the same muse who had visited retired musician-turned-real-estate-tycoon Danny McGuire in his heyday. McGuire has dreamed of opening a nightclub since his closed in the 1950s, and he teams with Malone to make it a reality.

On a recent Costco trip, one of my roomies spotted the newly released, "magic musical" edition of Xanadu for a mere $10 - and that included a CD of the film's hit soundtrack plus a free ticket to Mamma Mia!, a $10.50 value itself (and worth every penny!!!). A steal, right? And, after all, I had fond memories of the film. We'd watched it in the 8th grade drama class I loooooved, and so, feeling a little nostalgic, I forked over the $10 for the film, eagerly listening to the delightful Electric Light Orchestra-filled soundtrack.


We finally sat down to watch Xanadu last night, and... well... now I understand Esquire Magazine's famous review of the film: "In a word: Xana-don't."


The film was supposed to launch Michael Beck's film career - "Michael who," right? Olivia Newton-John returned to her music career, Gene Kelly never made another musical... but, on the bright side, he took a liking to 20-something Kenny Ortega and taught him the art of choreographing for the camera. Considering the amazing body of work that's come out of Ortega's career (like it or not, HSM helped revived the movie musical), I'd say that's a good thing!


Xanadu was on a list of the top 10 best bad movies ever, and I have to agree - it's so bad, it's good.

The film had serious potential, but apparently two roller disco films were released around the same time, so the filmmakers scrambled to revise the plot into more of a timeless love story. Apparently shooting with an incomplete script is a bad idea - the acting is painfully bad (except for Newton-John and Kelly, who shine despite the milquetoast material) and the film requires such a suspension of disbelief, it's like watching a live-action Salvador Dali painting! It's so surreal... but, on the other hand, that gives the film a bit of an ephemeral quality.

It's kitschy, the music's catchy, the effects are ridiculous (mostly due to putting all of this magic in the "real world" of 1980s Santa Monica and Venice Beach) - and I can totally see why it's become a cult classic (and is now a hit off-Broadway stage musical!).


For your viewing pleasure - drum roll, please! - here's the film's finale:



Apparently they kept coming up with different genres for the nine muses to dance until they ran out of time and money, hence the bizarre amalgam of styles there at the end. The finale set alone cost $1,000,000 - crazy, huh?

If nothing else, Xanadu is a fun time capsule into the trends of the early '80s - I didn't realize zoot suit pants were all the rage around then, in addition to the stereotypical legwarmers and spandex. It's weird to see how some of the hairstyles are quite de la mode today, too. I looooove Olivia Newton-John's hair at the end (which is also the same 'do from the film's beginning), ribbon barrettes and all!

Soooooo Excited...

Thanks, Heather, for posting this! I can't believe we have to wait until December... torture, man!

At least Breaking Dawn comes out in a mere two weeks. These books are addictive!!! If you thought Twilight was good, you have to read Midnight Sun, the story from Edward's perspective.

Oh, wait, that's not out yet... unless you're cool like me and have a sneak copy of the first 12 chapters! Thanks again, Aubri!!!

Family Ties to South Coast Medical Center

Last week I broke a story about South Coast Medical Center closing its ocean-view maternity ward (sad day, huh?). The hospital CEO's reasoning is that Laguna Beach and Dana Point have aging populations, since the cost of living is so high - it makes more sense to channel resources toward cancer care, cardiologists, etc.

Anyways, each week I have to cull together the comments left by readers on my stories into a print-only feature, "From the Web Files." It's to encourage our readers to become part of an active dialogue (and go to the Web site, so we get more page views). Lo and behold, guess who commented on my story?

Tina Yothers!

I know, hardly anyone else would know that name off the bat - I'm such a pop culture encyclopedia, it's ridiculous. Tina played Jennifer, the youngest daughter on the 80s classic, Family Ties. How appropriate that she was commenting on her experience as a mother at SCMC - gives the words "family ties" a whole new meaning, huh?

To read Tina's comment (along with my *brilliant* story, haha), click here.

(Haha, now I have the Growing Pains theme song in my head - the two go together somehow, you know?)