Employment 2010

This should be the last Christmas I write poems for people. My brother will be happy to hear that. Hopefully by next time this year, I'll be employed. :) Sigh, employed. Employed means giving real Christmas gifts. Can't wait to be employed. One more quarter of making fake ads before I make real ones. How soothing that word is, 'employed.' How comfy. How grown-up. I know I'm ready. Hope they're ready to hire me. (By the end of March-beginning of April, that is.)

Blind date

A loud-talker. Sounds like a Seinfeld episode, no? Anyway, he was. And I felt bad because how do you tell someone who you just met to use an indoor voice? It's impossible. I schemed of ways of doing so and failed. The bar filled up and still his voice reigned king. The bartender turned up the music to no avail. People gave me looks to shush up my husband. My husband? Instead, I rudely ate the delicious tuna tartare he paid for, and sipped my wine with a lowered gaze. Poor guy. On paper, we had a lot in common; a love for literature, art and food. But he greeted me with a brazen kiss and seemed to think my knee was a perfect resting spot for his palm during our two hour conversation. I smiled nervously and thanked him kindly when the bill arrived. Shrug. That tuna tartare was damn good.

Weird date

This one happened in NY. I don't recall how I met him. I think I was impressed by his Habitat for Humanity deeds, so I agreed to go out with him. I remember I wore stiletto heels and spent an inordinate time getting ready. I think I was just bored. Anyway, I remember we took the train to what seemed like North Carolina. It was close to an hour and I was under the scrutiny of homeless men. "I don't know why I'm dressed like a tramp, either," I wanted to tell them. When we got off the train, I looked around and knew I had left Kansas. I hobbled on my heels behind him, still with positive thoughts that I wouldn't end up dead in an alley. Long story short, he took me to a Walmart. Or was it a Target? I hope it was Target. "I just have to pick up a toothbrush, " he said. A 45 minute train ride to pick up a toothbrush that he could have bought at the Duane Reade (NY's version of CVS) on my block. Alas, there we stood in aisle 3, under glaring lights, staring at rows and rows of Oral B. I haven't worn those stilettos since.

Linda

Randolph, MA movie theater, circa high school (1999?) I have the memory of a gnat. Anyway, my friend Mel drove a few of us to the movies. I sat in the backseat. The parking lot was jam-packed, cars on top of each other. I'm pretty oblivious and swung the door open wide, hitting the car beside us. It left a scratch (I think), so I ran away because I suck at life. But the driver was apparently in his car and got out to confront me. When he asked for my info, my nerves took over and I blurted out, "Linda. My name is Linda." Then I proceeded to give him the right phone number. (Idiot) Later that evening, the house phone rang and I heard my groggy father saying, "No, wrong number. Linda doesn't live here." I stormed into my parents' bedroom and said, "Um, Dad. Linda lives here." For the next few weeks while we settled this dude's non-existent "ding," my father looked at me with total disgust/amusement.

Revamp

Hey all. :) Thanks for following and thanks for commenting. (Clears throat) It has recently come to my attention that my blog is suffering. In my friend's signature no-hold-back, barbed-wired critique, my blog is lacking a central theme (i.e. the glue that holds it all together). I told him that it's a hodgepodge of my many interests. You know, humans aren't one-dimensional. But still, he is disappointed with my entries. He thinks I'm funnier in person and that my blogs aren't living up to their full potential. I just don't think I'm making him laugh enough. (Clears throat) It's an effing blog. Such a love/hate relationship with him, if there ever were one. So it is my task over Christmas to re-energize a few entries. Not for his sake, but... well, for his sake. I don't like disappointing people, after all. Merry Christmas, Nick Chen. The next few are for you. :)

Louis CK

Xmas

In addition to the iPhone, I would like this for Christmas. I'm always cold. "But how can that be when you're from New England?!" Shush, I'm tired of hearing it.

Thxgivin'

I thought I'd be able to get home for turkey and stuffing, but flights, school, and overall life interfered. So... here are my options. Help me pick one.

1. Dinner in the Georgia mountains in front of a roaring fireplace with an Italian mutt perched on my lap. (I'm pretty sure my friend invited me. If not, then I just made myself look like an ass.)

2. Pantless Potluck -- What more can you ask for on America's official day of gluttony? Everybody sheds their pants. And adds the lbs.

3. A nice quiet Thanksgiving with a sweet little family. But is it odd to impose as Orphan Annie?

I'm thankful for all the invites, but I've decided to spend Thanksgiving in Athens, GA (option d) with Margaret and her family. I get to see the house she grew up in and explore her little town. :) Happy Thanksgiving, all!

Mr. M.

I was first introduced to singer-songwriter, M. Ward, in 2006 by an old boyfriend in New York City. We were cooking a Cornish hen in his kitchen to the lovely sounds of, 'Transfiguration of Vincent.' Since then, I've been nothing short of a fan. It's tough to describe M. Ward. Wikipedia says his favorite piece of musical equipment is the Tascam 4-Track Recorder, which he uses to start every song he writes. This could be why I like him. His voice is unique; a little hoarse, a little melancholy, and a lot of lyrical. He's just cool. And he thinks, 'Amazing Grace,' might be his favorite song. Love him.

She & Him

Vol. 2! Vol. 2! When will it ever come out? I love this duo. They're adorable and make the sweetest retro music I've ever heard. Some people (mostly men) find it sentimental and cutesy, but it makes me smile. I never get tired of their album, Vol. 1. And I think Zooey is a better singer than an actress. Thoughts?

I tend to write about happy things.

I don't know, this could be a clear indication why I mostly write about film, music and art. Rape seldom gets a shout-out in my posts. Just sayin'. World, (sigh) why are you so messed up?

7th person arrested in gang rape

(CNN) -- A seventh person has been arrested in a gang rape on a high school campus in northern California, police said Tuesday. Richmond Police Lt. Mark Gagan did not identify the suspect. Of those arrested so far, one was released for lack of evidence.

Police say as many as 10 people were involved in the rape October 24 in a dimly lit alley outside Richmond High School, where a homecoming dance was taking place. Another 10 people watched the attack without calling 911, police say.

Authorities say the attack lasted for more than two hours. The victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition, and was released Wednesday. Read local coverage of story from CNN affiliate KTVU

The victim's parents issued a statement that urged those in the community to work to ensure that such an attack never happens again. "If you need to express your outrage, please channel your anger through positive action," they said, according to the Rev. Jim Wheeler, who said he was the family's pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Richmond.

Bored to Death

I loved him in Rushmore. Didn't everybody? Quirky bastard. HBO's, 'Bored to Death,' starring Jason Schwartzman is a gem I recently unearthed. And I love his counterpart, Zach Galifianakis. He feels like someone I knew in high school. Strangely familiar and flat-out hysterical. Check out his little web videos on funnyordie.com. I laughed out loud. By myself. But the show's simple premise works. Recently dumped, white-wine sipper and pot-smoker Jonathan (Schwartzman), posts an ad on Craig's List as an unlicensed private detective. Comedy ensues. Check it out. It's smart. Check it out. It's clever. Check it out. He's Jason Schwartzman.

Wild Things

My brother owned this book and I'm pretty sure my Mom read it to him. Over and over again. But if the book were written like today's screenplay, my brother would have been wailing. This seemingly inconspicuous little childhood story hits you hard on the big screen. Loneliness, confusion, pain; these are are all themes that director Spike Jonze doesn't shy away from. I thought it was beautifully done but could have used more moments of relief. Too sad to take the little ones. If you got 'em.

Plath

Two-three weeks is a long time to go without a computer in ad school. Long time. Oh man, school. I'm still in school. I'm trying to stay positive and tell myself it's just 6 more months. Not a long time. But when it rains like today, I feel like Sylvia Plath. Minus the oven. Anyway, I'm without a computer until Best Buy's Geekity Geek squad fixes it. What happened to it, you ask? I, um, dropped it. I've never considered myself to be a clumsy person, but the laptop slipped from my (gasp!) lap. Good ol' human error. Lucky for me, I saved all my work on an external hard-drive and flash drive. Things could be a lot worse, folks.

I've been checking my email and working in the school's computer lab. Probably catching swine flu while I'm at it. Ha, man. Plath, I tell you, Plath. Things'll get better. They just have to.

Put some clothes on.

I'm working on an outdoor Playboy ad campaign that doesn't focus on the magazine's nudity. Rather, it's headline driven and shifts the reader's focus to the articles. I wish the magazine (I'm not a subscriber by any means) still had these traditional vintage covers. In my opinion, they are much sexier when they add a touch of the mystique. I love vintage.

From F to M

It's been an interesting week. A good friend of mine, Roman, from Sarah Lawrence, paid me a visit in Atlanta along with his friend, Micah. Together they are touring the southeast and doing community outreach for people at Christian based colleges and universities currently lacking LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi, transsexual) programs. Roman and Micah are hoping to recruit and attract interest in building support networks in not just the south, but ultimately all over the country. I can't say how much I admire the courage and compassion in this endeavor. Just from the friends Micah has made in the past, the two of them have successfully couchsurfed, received rides, or hitchhiked (safely) to cities on their map. I'm also biased because I have known Roman for a while now. We met in a comedy class in college and his name was Delia. We also roomed together for a week during a theater tour of London. Today, I've never seen him more comfortable in his own skin. I am happy to advocate both his personal change and the changes he's hoping to inspire in others. I find Roman to be an incredibly shy soul with a brave spirit. He lives in Brooklyn, NY and has been doing long-form improv for almost 4 years in addition to stand-up comedy. I imagine his recent one-man show was rich with humor about his experiences along with his witty everyday musings. He's an incredibly sensitive, funny and smart individual. Everyone should know him.

Ramble on

Weird dreams last night. People from my past. I dreamt I was in a house owned by a guy who I performed with in a sketch comedy troupe in NYC. In the dream, he and another dude from the troupe were lounging on hills of grass and rambling about life. In the dream, I told them I'd join them, but I got lost in a pink bathroom. I stood there, puzzled. Why was the bathroom so pink?

Before The Circus, I wrote theatre/film reviews for an online 'zine, called www.newyorkcool.com, and blogs for an entertainment website, based on my accounts of being an actor in NY. I was paid for the blogs. :) I wrote while I temped at various desk jobs and while standing at the host stand during slow nights at the steak house. The door was always open and I got bronchitis in the winter months.

It felt like I was always struggling, always hustling, but I met a lot of interesting people in NY.

Mad Men

I finally watched Season One over break. And I have to say, it's very engaging. Sexist, but engaging. And to think it was only 50 years ago that men could publicly slap a woman's behind in the workforce, or run to their mistresses and still be home in time for dinner. It blows my mind. Anyway, like any good drama, it's the characters that draw you in, more than the actual story. Aside from Sterling Cooper being an advertising agency on Madision Avenue, there's little to learn about advertising. Their smoke-filled meetings typically last 5-10 minutes and end with gulps of whiskey. Hard to believe that anyone's actually working! And their ads look stodgy and outdated. More corporate, than creative. But stylistically, the show is on par. The outfits, the hair and the lipstick are high notes. I was a theater major and can't help but notice these things. But when you get down to it, it's the Don Drapers and Joan Holloways and Peggy Olsens that pull me in. Peggy Olsen went from being Mr. Draper's secretary to copywriter in one episode. It reminds me of the time I applied for a receptionist position at Modernista! (before I decided to come to The Circus) with the secret hopes of slowly moving my way up to copywriter. Well that didn't happen and it was all for the better. I would have been stalling my life answering phones instead of coming to school and learning a craft. Oh, and the HR person's name was Sunshine. Yes, I guess you could say everything turned out just fine for me in the end.

Cooking

I'm getting better. The foods I make no longer make me sick. I'm getting more adventurous. I'm buying things like dill and putting it on things like salmon. Impressive. For a student, I mean. Tonight I made a rosemary chicken. But does anyone care? I feel like I should be writing about health care or something. Something a little more pressing. I'll get to that. But for now, I'm experimenting more in the kitchen. It's turning out to be fun. And surprisingly easy.

Books

In search for a good book (I know I won't even have time, but my bedstand looks naked without one). The last few good ones I've read are Still Life with Woodpecker, Tom Robbins and White Girl, Kate Manning. Trying to read another of Tom Robbins but it's work to get through. I'm just craving a good story.

Cameos

This one is just funny. Hi Abe.

I love cameos. I love how old fashioned and elegant they are. I just read that they're made from Queen conch shells from the Bahamas and West Indies, and arrived in Europe in the mid 18th century. I know, I'm a nerd. But I love them, I just think they’re classy. I’m already thinking about how they’ll play into the branding of my portfolio. I feel a connection with them. Is that weird? They’re special. My mom gave me an antique ring for my college graduation. And I wear it almost everyday. (Not the one shown.)

Regina

Regina Spektor might be my favorite musician. At least up there with John Lennon. They're both poets. Her music is innovative, original, touching and inspiring. Beautiful melodies coupled with quirky, often funny lyrics. She sang all of my favorites along with melancholy tracks from her new album. Another bonus? I got to see her perform live at The Tabernacle in Atlanta. Very cool venue. Old church turned into funky, arty concert hall. Original organ can still be seen.

Hi.

I'm an old soul in a digital age. Twitter and blogging and status updates all still seem a little self-indulgent to me. Not entirely sure what to post here, but I'll give it a shot. I'm currently in my last 6 months of ad school and am honing my work for my portfolio. URL will follow. As of now, I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, school-wise. Just had 2 blissful weeks off. Now I'm learning how to write banner ads and overall, figure out assignments for next week.

Shitz and giggles

Michael Cera is funny. Ever watch him on Arrested Development?

NBC's The Office (I'm a fan.)

Concepted by copywriter Mehgan Levesque and myself. Art direction: Lola Sizemore