Archive for February, 2008

it’s like a free coupon for 24 extra hours of yr life

Published by
Sarah
February 29, 2008 in (extra)ordinary. 7 Comments

HAPPY EXTRA DAY!!!

you guys, it’s leap day! and for some reason, i feel like leap day should feel, i dunno, *special*. cos it’s like a freebie from the universe, a day you should be able to use however you see fit… relaxing, spending time with loved ones, taking a trip, trying something you’ve never tried before. basically, it’s like one of those movies where the main character only has a short time to live, so he/she decides to take amazing risks and fully embrace life. hey, leap day is just like the “bucket list”!!! all right!!!

in spite of its enormous potential for turning lives around and taking air balloon rides and reuniting parents with their estranged children, Leap Day is not considered a national holiday (wha? seriously?). so i’m sitting here at my desk. i don’t know WHAT the government is thinking, but they’re obviously not aware of the fact that they are forcing people to spend their one special extra day they get once every four years at WORK. HOW I AM SUPPOSED TO ACHIEVE MY BUCKET LIST AT WORK?

sigh.

i was talking to a friend about leap day today, and he-who-shall-not-be-named (not because he’s evil, but because you guys will probably agree that his perspective on this issue is dumb and i’d rather not shame him publicly) said, “what’s the big deal? it’s just an extra calendar day.”

NO, IT IS NOT, SIR. leap day totally has a REASON for existing. just ask wikipedia:

Because seasons and astronomical events do not repeat at an exact number of full days, a calendar which had the same number of days in each year would, over time, drift with respect to the event it was supposed to track. By occasionally inserting (or intercalating) an additional day or month into the year, the drift can be corrected. A year which is not a leap year is called a common year.

see? because of leap years, we get to have christmas and thanskgiving, all while staying in tune with the moon’s tides… er, right? right! so, basically, if we didn’t have leap years, christmas would be, like, in june sometimes. and that would suck.

and before you start to argue with me, I HAVE A CHART:

see? christmas would be all over the place. and i don’t know about you, but i need my christmas on the 25th of december. i don’t want no shifty christmases!

also? “The Great Slowdown” sounds really cool and ominous, like something from “never ending story.”

in case you don’t have yr own bucket list, and you need some help celebrating leap day, check out these leap day party tips. my favorite? “want to really make everyone laugh? dress up as a frog prince when you answer the door!” oh HA HA muahaha.

the site also recommends that you greet everyone by saying, “hoppy leap day!” BUT OF COURSE!

even if you don’t end up giving out froggie keychains (they aaaare pretty cute) or climbing the pyramids or racing a porsche down a desert road or telling yr long lost love that you still need them, i hope you enjoy yr extra day from the universe.

HOPPY LEAP DAY!
LINKS

as if i didn’t have enough to worry about, matt reminded me about robot wars.

if you enjoyed that clip of danny mcbride on conan the other day, you’re going to LOVE this clip from his upcoming movie, written by seth rogan and starring owen wilson, called “drillbit taylor.” you guys, this man is a genius.

most made-for-me slideshow ever: celebrity. kids. eating. snacks!!!!! (thanks meredith!)

hilary sent me this fascinating article about marissa mayer, the top lady at google. basically, she has achieved my dream of getting cray rich, living at the four seasons and investing in an amazing cake “gallery”. sigh.

thanks to caroline, i now know the most disgusting thing you can eat from a can.

here’s a (written) preview of the new coldplay album. yay!

so apparently, this lady in india accidentally had her baby on a train… while sitting on the toilet… and the baby ended up on the tracks… and survived for the two hours it took to find her. which is amazing but OMG THE BABY SLID DOWN A TOILET. i know this story is inspiring but… gross.

oooh! tiny albino monkeys!!

there is now a schoolboy cafe in tokyo. finally! a place where i can eat and feel like a dirty old lady at the same time!

how the magic happens

Published by
Sarah
February 28, 2008 in this post will conform to no category!. 11 Comments

travis: writing to reach you

so, a while back, matt asked me if i would like to be in an e-book about blogging. and i was totally flattered, even though i think e-books are kinda… 2001. i mean, who reads e-books?

no offense.

or maybe *most* bloggers read e-books, cos everything they do is on a computer, including ordering pizza (remember how cray it was when sandra bullock ordered pizza via the www in “the net”? oh, no one else saw that movie? cos no one else was obsessed with jeremy northam? ok then). i think maybe i’m a bad blogger sometimes, cos i’m not all entrepreneurial about it and i don’t have ads on my page or magazines requesting interviews with me (although wouldn’t it be cool if you could buy stock in this blog?!! and then we could have shareholders meetings at mugshots and also the park!). plus i actually *have* a full time job.

but guess what? that’s what this e-book is all about! i think? so today, for the purposes of the e-book, i’m writing about how i blog while i’m at work. and i know that sounds really boring, so i’m going to try to spice it up for you As Much As Possible.

but i can’t use any copyrighted images, so my plan of throwing in a few pics of puppies and christian bale isn’t gonna really pan out.

anyway, without further ado, here is how the magic happens.

every morning, i get to work, open up google reader and drink some coffee. this may not sound that connected to my blog entries, but trust me, i’m like amy winehouse when it comes to caffeine. sans the atrocious ballet slippers and incarcerated husband.

i read a LOT of blogs, including jezebel, perez, feministing, austinist (even though i think it’s laaaame), anaka’s diary, various music blogs and of course, the blogs of my friends. whenever i find something particularly interesting, i save it as a link for that day’s blog. usually these things will end up at the end of my entry, but sometimes an article or story will give me actual writing material.

mostly, though, my blog entries come from either stuff i do, like trips and alamo events, or little thoughts and wonderings that have wiggled their way through my subconscious like tiny garden worms. um, gross. unless the worms have little faces. then, yay!

in general, my job is pretty easy and mindless, so i can spend most of the day mulling ideas over in my head. when things are busy, it gets a little tricky, but because i’ve made blogging such a habit, i always keep tossing possibilities around in the back of my mind no matter what’s going on in the office. sometimes, this can smell vaguely of homework, which is *annoying.* but usually, my brain likes the challenge.

although, unlike homework, you don’t get stickers for good blogging. i’m sorry to tell you this, but it’s true. and i’m not talking about, uh, “e-props” even though i *am* writing this for an e-book (sigh). i mean, like, a sticker with a bunch of grapes that says GRAPE JOB! or an “A+!” scratch ‘n’ sniff apple. if anyone wants to look into virtual stickers, that would make a great e-book.

anyway

throughout the day i think about possible entries, and i keep surfing the web and emailing friends and occasionally, i look out of my lovely office window:

i always write my blog at the end of the day, cos i’ve found that i need the PRESSURE to write something that’s actually passable. and there’s nothing that says pressure like “OMG! it’s already 5:00 and ten people will be checking my blog tonight and what if there’s nothing new for them to read? THEY’LL NEVER COME BACK.” i mean, we’re talking high stakes, you guys.

when i start typing up my entry, it’s all about the stream of consciousness. my fingers hear words in my brain and then type-ity type type type pants!!

i wear warmers cos my hands get cold, btw. and also cos they help me feel punk rock while sitting behind a desk.

sometimes i get stuck, and then i make this face.

and then i squish my dwight head stress ball a few times.

and then i eat my afternoon snack, cos afternoon snacks are essential for success.

TASTY BUSINESS!

after i’ve typed up a draft of my entry, i read it over a few times. i like my blog to sound like me, cos, well, it’s easier than sounding like someone else.

and then i hit this button that says “publish.”

and then sometimes my blog suddenly disappears into the void of the internet which REALLY MAKES ME ANGRY and then i have no more snack left and usually i hammer out a brief I AM REALLY ANGRY post and call it a day.

but usually, *usually*, the blog is published and then the next morning, i get to read everyone’s responses! and since i have such incredibly intelligent and pithy friends, the comments are pretty much my favorite part of blogging.

hmm… did i leave anything out? oh yeah.

so now you know the truth about how my blog is made. not as exciting as orange crayons, but hey, what is?

LINKS

first, major E-PROPS to becky for sending me that photo of the puppy with a cast.

OMG!!! just when i thought “step up 2″ was the perfect movie… they’re making “step up 3″… in 3D!!!!!!! SWEET CRACKER SANDWICH.

anyone want to knit me a cozy for my french press? i’m serious. i will pay you. and then my fp will be all warm and snuggly!

josh posted this link on his blog, but it’s just so awesome, that i have to post it here also. imagine garfield… without garfield. therefore, imagine awesome.

did anyone catch the perez post about scarjo’s album, which david bowie called “twice cool”? dude. only david bowie could get away with that phrase. it’s, like, the new “double true”!

life is a reality show, starring YOU

Published by
Sarah
February 27, 2008 in culturelux. 10 Comments

the streets: when you wasn’t famous

hey guys, since it’s wednesday, that means it’s the day when i have less time for blogging and therefore place the burden of awesomeness on YOU.

i think you can handle it.

so today i saw the preview for the new season of “the hills,” and of course it made me think about the vapidity and absolute inaneness of all of the girls on the show and how UNFAIR it is that they get to go to paris and eat at fancy restaurants and have (hired) french men flirt with them when there are WAY MORE interesting people in the world who *totally deserve* to get free trips and fancy wardrobes and morning blow-outs.

and i’m not just referring to myself here.

cos my immediate next thought was, “so many of my friends would totally rock their own reality shows!”

and then i kind of got excited at the prospect of a camera following randy around as he attempts to pastor cray cray junior high kids or meredith living downtown and dealing with super rich snobby museum trustees or amber working with tons of international people and jet-setting on the weekends or erica handling insanely ridiculous guests at her hotel.

you guys, i would totally watch these shows! and they wouldn’t even have to be fake most of the time! unless you wanted them to be… like, say, christian bale meeting you and totally falling in love with you. i wouldn’t mind if it was totally a faked relationship. not at all.

so… say a studio approached you about doing a reality show. assuming you said yes (which i realize most of you would not do, cos you’re classy like that) what would it be about? what would it focus on?

i have a couple ideas for mine.

1) a “bachelorette” type show where christian bale, mark ruffalo, justin timberlake, scott speedman and timothy olyphant are all competing for my hand in marriage.

2) a nancy drew show where i get to try to solve real (not too scary) mysteries, cos i’ve always wanted to be nancy drew! and i kind of have the hair color for it.

3) a cooking show where i invite famous people (actors, writers, chefs) to cook my favorite recipes with me and my mom, and then we get to eat all of the food we make. and my dad can guest star whenever beer biscuits or pancakes are involved.

4) a travel show where i, while wearing fabulous hats, visit famous bakeries and sample their tasty business.

5) i don’t know if this counts as a “reality show,” but i would SO be the host of a new edition of “reading rainbow.” cos that show was so great, and i’d get to talk about books and hang out with kids. four words: “miss nelson is missing” HOLLA!

seriously, though, tell me about yr show. you know it’s gonna be PRIME TIME!

LINKS

have you guys seen this barackula movie musical? wow (thanks, john, for the link).

i haven’t mentioned here yet that I GOT A SXSW WRISTBAND!! and so did everyone else who applied… cos they didn’t even sell out? wha?

these retro black hairstyles are fantastic.remember my blog about “the foot fist way”? well, fred simmons, the master of the demo, was on conan! and it was a total DISPLAY OF POWER. check it:

come on back, cos it’s all still here

Published by
Sarah
February 26, 2008 in pantship and voyages. 9 Comments

spoon: anything you want

lately, for various reasons, i’ve been feeling a little bit… flimsy. sort of like a plastic bag in the wind, but not in that “i filmed this because it is so beautiful” way. more like… i’m being lightly tossed around in the breeze and possibly in danger of getting caught by the ragged branches of a tree but my mind is la la-ing over the clouds. and you know, it’s not so bad being up in the air, but my toes are starting to miss the solidness of the ground.

so i decided to go in search of a few anchors in houston this weekend. even though i love austin and the people here, i’ve got deep roots in h-town and even deeper friendships. i think, out of all places, this city lays claim to the most of me (so far), and maybe i needed a little reminding about that part of myself, a sweet “oh hi! it’s you!” flicker of recognition.

friday night, meredith and i indulged in a girlie sleep-over, just the two of us! here are the ingredients for the perfect slumber party:

1) yr bestie (yes we both have food with faces t-shirts, surprise)

2) champers (see above photo)

3) homemade cookie dough, courtesy of the amazing matt (even though we kicked him out, he still made us martinis too!!)

4) classic cinematic masterpieces:

it was seriously the BEST NIGHT EVER!!!!!!! meredith and i kept pausing the movie to GAB GAB GAB, and then we watched the final dance scene in “center stage” *twice* cos it is soooooo amazing and we wish we could recreate it in, like, our daily lives.

matt was lucky enough to pop in right before the second viewing, so he was able to experience the dazzling choreography for himself. also, his hair got a bath courtesy of mia:

have you ever seen a cat do that to someone? maybe mia thinks of matt as her over-sized kitten.

seriously, though? a slumber party truly wields massive medicinal powers. as i fell asleep (during the end of “bring it on,” of course), i felt sooo happy and cozy and just… really lucky with my life.

on saturday, we had breakfast at cafe artiste, where i used to spend many, many hours studying in college. then, cos the weather was so lovely, we sauntered down 19th street and poked around the various shops and boutiques. my parents, my aunt margaret and i spent many a saturday afternoon there (i was always looking for dance cards, and aunt margaret was forever searching for food pushers). true to my memories, this saturday was another beautiful day with beautiful people:

one of the things you take for granted, when you live in the same town as a friend, is that it’s easy to spend time together without boyfriends or girlfriends or husbands or other friends or whatever. so during the weekend, i decided to spoil myself with lots of one-on-one time. and it was absolutely LUXURIOUS.

i caught up with erik, aka rock star pants, at empire cafe, my all-time favorite coffee place in houston. i know i’ve talked about it many times before, but i could write a BOOK about my history with this restaurant (and it would be a super tasty book). i went there for homecoming in high school… i spent every monday night there for a year chatting over cake with olivia… customer of the month (for two months!) with ellen… and echoes of a thousand conversations.

so yeah, it felt good to be back, especially with erik.

then i drove over to tapatia on richmond to have dinner with ray. just ray! i can’t tell you the last time we hung out, just the two of us. which is so weird, cos i have a ton of memories of us in houston… hanging out in my room on the third floor of wiess, drinking wine at agora, watching “donnie darko” at 1912 marshall, waxing philosophical at the gingerman.

every time i see ray, i realize how much i’ve changed since we met, cos i can see how much *he’s* changed. it’s always easier to see the “growing up” in other people, you know?

ok, well, some things never change. but you know what i mean.

after a yummy dinner and lots of convo involving the theme, “CAN YOU BELIEVE WE ARE THIS OLD?” it was time to meet up with the other folks at warren’s. cos it turns out to be impossible to go to houston without hitting up warren’s, i.e. i’m pretty sure this is newtown’s fourth law.

talena arrived with william, her newish boyfriend, and man was she RADIANT. she’s had a lot of life changes recently, and they’ve all been for the better. that makes me happy.

erin showed up, looking all glam, and was rewarded by getting hit on by a guy who was cute on the *outside* but apparently very judge-y on the inside. who lectures someone they’re trying to hit on? oh yeah, THIS GUY. but erin didn’t let him ruin her evening in the slightest bit, cos she is awesome.

and kc came!! yay!!! kc chopped off her hair for locks of love, which is totally great and totally something she would do. i was so glad to see her face!! i swear, this girl emits sunshine.

here’s the lovely juliet with frank, kc’s boyfriend. fortunately, the beer mug only covers his face when a flash goes off (so don’t worry, if you meet him in person, there won’t be a mug attached to his head).

i think juliet is such a lovely, smart and classy person. plus she’s really good at making this face, which is a skill you need when you’re dating ray.

besides getting to love on all of my favorite people, i also squeed over the fact that they were all together! like, talena, from sixth grade, hanging out with kc, one of my first friends in austin! it’s like, a melting pot of pants! fantastic, super great pants! it’s like heaven, except i don’t have to be dead!

i can’t tell you how many flickr sets i have from warren’s. well, i probably *could*, but i’d rather just say: there’s a LOT. but if you look through them, you’ll notice one thing in common (besides the dim, slightly shabby background): ray is in almost ALL of the pictures. that’s because, as erin once noted, when you pull out the camera, it’s “like a moth to a flame.”

i give you, exhibit a: i thought i was just taking a picture of matt, but ray knew otherwise.

exhibit b: ray has *perfected* the “sly slide” into the frame. seriously. no one can do it like this guy.

exhibit c: note the patented “ray photo stare”

but, you know, i love ray so much, i even find his camera stalking adorable. i mean, just look at this pantser!

it’s still so strange to me that meredith and kc, my first two girlfriends in austin, now live in houston, where i came from. but i guess, you know, absence makes the heart grow fonder, blah blah blah JUST MOVE BACK ALREADY! GAH.

ok, seriously though, i was so glad to be reunited with my HV’s.

and i can’t tell you what HV means. i’m sorry. but trust me, it means that we are totally awesome womminz.

sunday morning, matt made monkey bread!!!! have you guys ever had monkey bread? well, it’s just as FUN as it sounds! it’s basically yeast roll buns squished into a pan and baked with butterscotch and sugar and butter and nuts and NOM NOM NOM. monkeys love this bread! and so do i! i mock you with my monkey pants!

see?!!! gah meredith is so lucky to have her own in-house monkey bread baker.

after a leisurely brunch, it was time for me to head out… but not before making a stop to see sofia!

whenever i meet up with sofia, it’s like, my heart sees her heart, and then the hearts kinda squeal and hug each other and do a little heart dance. i think of it as the powersuite jig. and since sofia is moving to atlanta this summer, my heart wants to do this jig as much as it possibly can before she leaves texas.

as i drove down 290 towards austin, i started listening to one of my old seasonal mixes from the houston days. and even though i was leaving this city, a place that still feels like home, i didn’t feel sad. cos the memories of late nights at house of pies and long walks around rice campus and car washes on my birthday and my grand old duplex with wooden floors began to mingle with the faces i’d just seen, the food i’d just tasted, the conversations i’d just shared, the laughter i’d just laughed, and they all spotted each other, even from across the room, and rushed over with words tumbling out. there wasn’t even a moment’s pause or hint of awkwardness or sigh of regret.

see, it turns out that the old memories and the moments that just passed a second ago… they all know each other. cos they live in the same place: me.

dear academy awards, i have a few things to get off my chest

Published by
Sarah
February 25, 2008 in culturelux. 13 Comments

so, the academy awards were on last night, and of COURSE i watched them.

when i was a kid (”kid” meaning ages 7-19), i LIVED for the oscars. i remember dressing up and drinking sparkling cider (cos, you know, we were kids) and ooohing and ahhing over all of the stars as they glimmered and glowed down the red carpet. i think i actually *felt* the suspense of the night as i wondered if my favorites would win.

even though i’m still a celeb gossip addict, i kinda miss those days of feeling, well, *inspired* by the academy awards.

last night wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t amazing, and i have to wonder– is it just me, getting older (WAAHH)? or are the awards going the way of most television programming, that way being in a southern direction through the toilet?

so, there were definitely some good parts. jon stewart, a.k.a. my handsome life partner, can do no wrong. his jokes about super delegates and “gaydolf titler” were pretty great. and there’s still some pretty compelling moments when people win and actually *value* it. like, did anyone else tear up when the couple from “once” won the award and then the girl got to come back on stage cos she got cut off? OMGG!!!!! as if their performance wasn’t magical enough:

and when javier bardem won his oscar and spoke to his mom, in the front row, in spanish? HEART MELTING. but also weird, cos this is the same guy who kills people with air pressure. i realize that’s just a character he plays, but come on. would you ever agree to a coin toss with him? even though he loves his mom? yeah. exactly.
maybe the show would’ve been better if there had actually been some GLAMOR. where were all of the mountains of fabric and sequins and jewels?! like, i think i just saw a glorious dress on the back of a milk carton!  it seems that the women in hollywood have suddenly become v. v. afraid of ending up on go fug yrself and so they’re just sticking with what’s safe. i found myself missing cher for goodness sake, and that’s RIDICULOUS.

ok, i liked *some* of the dresses, but none of them were anything to write home about. with that being said, my favorite hands down was the white mermaid number on marion cotillard:

it’s gaultier, so of COURSE it’s fabulous.

i also really dug helen mirren’s dress, in spite of the fact that i usually think of satin as fashion insta-shame (hello? you sit down for two seconds and it gets all wrinkled and then the wrinkles fall in really embarrassing places. WHY WOULD THAT BE A GOOD IDEA?). but helen mirren is such a powerful goddess that she even reigns over the plague of satin.

jewelry-wise, i ADORED nicole kidman’s necklace, which totally reminds me of all of the glitter garlands i like to hang in my apartment that are supposed to be “for christmas” but hello, glitter is NOT seasonal.

i’ll never understand why nicole won’t go back to red hair, though. she looks like such a zombie with the blond.

ok, so those dresses were all nice. nothing that WOWED me into pursuing an acting/studio exec dating career so that i could be a walking billboard for, say, betsey johnson, but still. not bad.

but what was UP with all of the weird boob-compressing dresses last night? like, i get up to go to the bathroom, and hollywood decides to reverse its entire boob ideology?

henri was the first to point this out (surprise), but i have to agree with him. i’m not a fan of boob-hating dresses. so many times last night i found myself saying: “ooh, look how classy! that dress is so elega-AAHHH!! what is it doing to her boobs?!!!!

check out this stylish green number that decided to declare war on amy adam’s chest:

like, what is HAPPENING there?

even the normally flawless and entirely fascinating keri russell has let herself fall victim to this terrible conflict:

keri, you don’t even have boobs, really, so why are you letting this crime of hate happen in yr own neighborhood? ok but just to be clear I STILL LOVE YOU.

jennifer garner’s dress was totally glam and retro-barbie (seriously, is that not the same dress worn by the vintage nightclub barbie? look!).

and while i always applaud barbie-inspired fashions, especially when done by de la renta, WHY does the dress have to squish her boobs like that?!! i don’t think that *ever* happened to barbie, FYI. then again, i found out last night that jennifer’s stylist is rachel zoe, which pretty much convinced me that the world is ending and i should probably be focusing on more important matters than the hollywood war on boobs.

but i can’t stop! cos even penelope cruz, who i believe to be the most beautiful woman on earth, decided that the *perfect* accessory for her lovely feminine curves was some kind of feather/fur combination, which, i’m sorry, can only serve to inspire thoughts of overflowing chest hair.

even worse, penelope made the same fashion mistake as JESSICA ALBA.

and that’s just embarassing.

come on, hollywood! just cos the writer’s strike ended doesn’t mean you should go pick a fight with the next major player in the film industry. cleavage was just minding its own business, doing its thing on TMZ, appearing monthly on maxim, etc. there is no need for this kind of fashion abuse.

don’t even get me started on rebecca miller’s “you will NEVER BELIEVE what i scored at the garage sale” outfit de la horror:

i just… sigh.

in addition to better fashion, maybe the oscars should loosen up a little and invite more of the crayzees. like, did you guys see what happened on the red carpet between ryan seacrest, gary busey and poor jennifer garner? gary busey needs to freaking HOST THE SHOW. and then jack nicholson could sit in the audience with a microphone and talk whenever he felt like it. and there should be more puppies involved.

also? this SNL skit *really* should have been part of the ceremony.

and then everyone in the audience could get a milkshake and straws and then everyone would be happy and stop squishing their boobs and maybe there would be babies laughing and then the oscars could go back to be really really awesome.

but you know, that’s just my opinion.

so… you work at a club?

Published by
Sarah
February 22, 2008 in alamoing and poli not sci. 2 Comments

last night, two awesome things happened.

first, when i was waiting for the bus to go downtown, a homeless guy struck up a conversation with me.

guy: hey, who you votin’ for?!

me: uh, obama?

guy: no way! me too! (smiling)

me: awesome.

guy: that guy…. that guy is gonna bring some change. that guy is gonna change things.

me: i hope so.

guy: yeah, yeah he needs to win. cos otherwise that guy’s wife is gonna win. the president’s wife is gonna win. i don’t like the president, and i think his wife being president is a bad idea.

me (unsure if he was talking about hilary or laura bush): hmm.

guy: that guy, he’s done some bad stuff. and if she gets elected, they’re gonna start the war, and it’s just gonna be bad for the country.

me: yeah, more war would be bad.

guy: obama, he’s got hope. i got hope for obama.

me: me too.

guy: so… you work at a club?

me: uh, no.

THE END

i guess i wasn’t kidding when i said that *everyone* is talking politics these days.

the other awesome thing that happened last night is that i saw the movie that won the “rewind kindly” filmmaking frenzy. it’s a remake of “beastmaster,” and it features the CUTEST little boy in the universe and an amazing dog. seriously. watch it right now, and you’ll know why this movie managed to beat out the favorites i showcased the other day.

henri actually interviewed the beastmaster on stage last night, which was great, and he told us that he does not currently have an “upcoming projects.” which is shame (i’m thinking maybe he and pearl should make a movie together). and then he wasn’t around to see his team win the prize. he had to go home and go to sleep, cos he had a math test today. i’m sure math is no match for the BEASTMASTER.HAPPY FRIDAY PANTS!

LINKS

there’s a new extended sex & the city trailer out.

does anyone else think the new UT supercomputer is kinda… sexy?

looks like maybe i should pursue a career in las vegas doormanship.

step up 2 my pants!

Published by
Sarah
February 21, 2008 in culturelux. 4 Comments

first of all, major props (e-props? i-props? PANTS PROPS!) for everyone who felt like sharing their opinion on the presidential race. i’d like to try to do that more often– you know, so i can slack off and just let you guys take it away.

seriously, though, ALL OF YOU GUYS ARE SO SMART!!!!! i love you!!!! and i’m excited to hear yr thoughts and perspectives! so i really will do more entries where i ask for yr response, cos i think everyone has something valuable to say. plus, it’s nice to see poshdeluxe.com becoming sort of a community, you know? like, it’s all cozy up in here! lend me some sugar!

continuing the theme of “serious political issues,” i’d like to draw yr attention to today to a film that all of you need to see. it’s compelling, it’s exciting, and it will basically change yr lives forever. kinda like “an inconvenient truth,” but less depressing. and also waaaay hotter.

check out the trailer, which will probably mesmerize you within ten seconds.

that’s right! STEP UP 2: THE STREETS!!!!!!!

for some of you, that trailer is all you need to head to yr local theater and/or hip hop dance lesson.

but for all you haters out there, here are some reasons to see this film:

1) THE DANCING IS INCREDIBLE.

that’s it! that’s all the reasons you need! i’m serious. THE DANCING IN THIS MOVIE WILL BLOW YR MIND. i took dessiree, my little sister, to see it, and she was totally impressed within the first five minutes. it takes a LOT to impress dessiree, especially when you’re talking about “street” music and dancing, subjects in which she is V. well-versed. when we left the theater, all she could say was, “that was THROW!”

which means awesome, btw.

honestly, i have NEVER seen moves like the ones in this film. the closing scene is pretty much the coolest dance i have EVER seen, COUNTING “thriller,” that scene from “she’s all that” and “smooth criminal.” i am not kidding around. just check out this mash-up of dance scenes from the film:

now imagine all of that, but longer, and on the big screen. INSAAAAAANE.

i had previously taken dessiree to see “how she move,” which is also a step movie about a girl struggling to believe in herself and fighting for her rightful place in the step dance world. here’s the poster for that one:

and here’s the poster for step up 2:

what’s the key difference between the two? uh, maybe that HOT GUY on the left of the step up 2 poster?!!!!!

his name is robert hoffman, and not only is he totally attractive, but he can DANCE HIS PANTS OFF! and i wish he would! ha ha ok anyway. there’s also a kid named “moose” played by adam sevani who, and i am seriously not joking, can dance Just Like Michael Jackson. and the best part is that he totally looks super skinny and dorky… until he starts to dance. and then, WOW.

dessiree and i liked “how she move,” but then we saw “step up 2″ and it was like… going from snickers to reese’s peanut butter cups. sure, i like snickers, and if someone gives me one, i’ll probably eat it. snickers is satisfying. but REESE’S? i CRAVE reese’s. i take one bite and i CANNOT STOP MYSELF cos it is SO FREAKING TASTY.

that’s how you’ll feel when you see “step up 2.” the movie immediately grabs you with an incredible “youtube” subway dance prank and then IT DOESN’T LET UP. at all. plus all of the dancers can actually kinda act, unlike “center stage,” which i obviously LOVE but come one, some of those ballerinas weren’t too good with the whole facial expression thing.

anyway, i’ve listed all of the reasons that this movie is awesome, and so, if you are a logical and rational person, you are probably on yr way to the theater right now. and then you can leave me a comment and thank me. and then we can sign up for hip hop dance lessons together!!! cos i totally want to be able to dance like that! or at least, a white person approximation.

i give this movie four out of four pants!!!!

LINKS

meredith sent me a great slideshow of grown-up (or growing?) child stars. preeeetty crazy.

fabsearch: googling for vacation info, posh deluxe style.

i read today about this program you can put on yr iphone to make it like a piano. and then matt sent me this video of an iphone BAND. still, i think i’m gonna wait it out for the chanel phone (bling bling!).

do you have yr political pants on?

Published by
Sarah
February 20, 2008 in poli not sci. 20 Comments

i don’t have much time to write today (i’m gonna be a busy bee on wednesdays for the rest of the semester cos of my class), but i thought this might be a good opportunity for YOU to share today, instead of me.

i haven’t talked much about the presidential race on this blog, but obvs it’s been on my mind… and all over the tvs at the gym… and all over the internets… and now, definitely now, all over austin. and something crazy is happening. a LOT of my friends are actually, like, EXCITED about the race. some people, like meredith and eric, are actually *volunteering* for campaigns, which is pretty amazing and, well, unprecedented. as a poli sci major, i have to say that it’s pretty nifty to see people who aren’t normally “political” get their activist pants on.

it reminds me of when i was working on the city council campaign in houston and recruited (sometimes with force) my friends to help me out by working at the polls or marching in parades or attending events to “fluff up” the crowd. it meant a lot to me, on a personal level, that my friends would be willing to give their time and energy towards something they wouldn’t normally care about, simply on my behalf. but then something even cooler happened– my friends started to actually *care* about the city council race. once they got involved and learned about some of the issues (and also got to know the superjerk we were running against), they *wanted* to participate in the process, cos they realized that, hey, this makes a difference!

and sure, we’re all a little jaded in our own ways, but you have to admit that whatever is happening right now seems preeeetty exciting.

so tell me, how do YOU feel about the presidential campaigns? are you inspired? do you care? do you think this race is a different animal than all of the others we’ve experienced? pull on yr best pair of commenting pants and lemme know!

LINKS

“woman’s world” is the coolest looking book i have ever seen. also, the author has waaaay more patience than i do.

edward gorey + board games = gloom. AWESOME.

if you want to real scoop on the philosophy of sxsw (and the new wristband policy), check out louis black’s column. pretty informative, actually!

this sex exhibit in paris sounds really fun and educational. also, fyi, NEVER HAPPENING in the united states. sigh.

john stewart is getting ready for the oscars, and, as usual, he’s being the coolest guy in the world.

the american apparel trial is starting! ooh i wonder if the courtroom audience will be hipper than usual.

swedes: not just an ikea thing

Published by
Sarah
February 19, 2008 in alamoing and culturelux. 10 Comments

when you were a kid, did you ever try to make yr own version of yr favorite movie?

we didn’t have a video camera until i was in junior high, but as soon as we got one (which was huge, btw), i was all upon the spielberg. my friends and i never copied just one movie, though… it was usually a mishmash of our favorites. take, for example, “murder mystery space commandos,” a brilliant fusion of “clue” and “mighty morphin power rangers” featuring a detective, a southern belle and a maid who magically turned into their sparkly space alien selves by shouting a certain line (i can’t for the life of me remember what it was) and doing mysterious hand motions which strangely resembled the moves of the marching band drum major.

why no one in hollywood has ever thought to create this kind of masterpiece, i don’t know.

ha ha i just remembered we made that movie in HIGH SCHOOL, not junior high. riiight.

and then there was “superpig,” which followed the exciting adventures of a plastic pig (with a cape and mask) as he attempted to rescue a hawaiian finger puppet doll from the clutches of a green plastic snake. the film had amazing cinematography, courtesy of my white board.

and how could anyone forget the alt-comedy, “hello bob!” about a group of high schoolers getting bored on a saturday afternoon and ordering pizza. the whole “the characters talk a lot and nothing really happens” thing apparently inspired a number of filmmakers in the subsequent years, including tarantino and linklater.

and yes, i wish i had clips of these cinematic gems to show you, but they are all living on VHS tapes right now. which, you know, is so retro, it’s bound to be cool in the next two years.

the reason i’ve been thinking about my IMDB profile is due to the current film making contest going on at the alamo– “rewind kindly.” the competition is all about remaking yr own version of a movie, just like jack back and mos def in the upcoming “be kind, rewind.” apparently, the new term for these remakes is “swede.” ya’ll, i don’t know why. i’m sure i could google it and find out, but uh, i guess i don’t care that much.

last night, i went to the theater to check out some of the movies on the big screen. to be honest, i was figured i was in for a cringetastic evening. but OMG!! some of the movies were actually good! and beyond good, as in, awesome!!!

i want to share with you my favorites from the screening, cos they are seriously too fantastic for you to miss. WATCH THEM!!!

first, my top favorite: labyrinth. this remake stands out for several reasons:

1) the david bowie character is PERFECT

2) there are puppets

3) the recreation of the hand/tunnel scene is totally imaginative and great.

labyrinth

ok, so there are a loooot of jurassic park films on the competition website. but this one that i saw last night? incredible. the team managed to include every single pivotal scene/memorable shot and NAIL it. you know a re-make is good when you find yrself thinking, “whoah!! i totally forgot about this scene in the movie! but it was awesome!!” finally, i have to include “big” on this list. i admit, i loved watching this swede cos “big” has a v. special place in my heart. but this team was all about the little touches of creativity, like the piano playing scene (aaawesome) and josh baskin shrinking in his suit at the end. gaahh now i want to watch “big” again! shimmy shimmy cocoa pop… who wants to remake “amelie” with me?! anyone? we’ll need to fly to paris… and eat lots of creme brulee… so yeah, it’s gonna be tough.
LINKS

you can see the full group picture from our semi-pro screening here, and more pictures here. i*highly* recommend checking out the massive group pictures, cos it’s totally like a senior class picture with 70s basketball uniforms instead of college sweatshirts.

yesterday, henri sent me a link to this blog, stuff white people like. and it’s awesome. because it’s true. seriously, read it and Know that you are white (unless you aren’t white, and then you can just read it and laugh at white people).

daniel radcliffe and emma watson spent valentine’s day together!! OMGGG!!!! i hope ron’s gonna be ok…

you guys. have you SEEN the chanel phone?! SWEET CRACKER SANDWICH. forget about the iphone. i’m all about the coco.

FYI: if you get thrown out of a space shuttle without any oxygen, you won’t die right away. it will take at least two minutes. gah, all those sci fi movies were WRONG! i feel so mislead.

check out this list of the world’s deadliest delicacies. out of all of them, i would choose… um, none. GROSS!!

kiersten sent me this link about a project on girls having pink stuff and boys having blue stuff. i’m sure it’s supposed to be all about how this is wrong, but OMG the pink pictures are so cute!!!

from semi pro to a-list pants

Published by
Sarah
February 18, 2008 in (extra)ordinary, alamoing and culturelux. 4 Comments

you guys, i am totally an A-lister now.

two weeks ago, i wasn’t even on the D list… and then fred savage met me and fell in love with me. BUT fred savage isn’t really on the A-list anymore, so TMZ wasn’t bothering to follow me around. even though i dine at the ivy, like, every day.

all of this changed on friday night, when i stood IN THE SAME ROOM as a total A-list celebrity.

not only did we hang out in the same place, but we TOOK A PICTURE TOGETHER! and… I ASKED HIM A QUESTION!

who, you ask, is my new best friend?

IT’S WILL EFFING FERRELL!!!!!

no, that’s not me, it’s heid klum. but i can see why you might get us confused with each other.

so the alamo invited will ferrell to come to the south lamar theater for a sneak preview of his new movie, “semi-pro.” to be honest, i kiiiinda thought the movie was going to be bad. but hello? will ferrell was gonna be there!!! as in, the dude who got to hang out with pearl! the guy from elf! the really good alex trebek impersonator! frequenter of the weshley arms! anchor man, for goodness sake!

and, as if i needed even more reasons to be excited (I DIDN’T!), the entire audience for the show was *required* to wear the flint tropics basketball uniform (the team in the movie). you can see the official uniform in the first picture up there.

i soon discovered that all you really needed for this costume was the actual jersey (available at the alamo) and a trip to american apparel. i hadn’t been inside an american apparel store in a while, except when i went there to purchase a t-shirt for matt cos he is super metro. but i learned, on this recent excursion, that american apparel is basically all about 70s athlete/aerobics clothing. like, that’s all there is to it. oh except for the fact that underwear there costs like $22. WHAAAAAAAA. i felt like a granny when i noticed the price on the underwear.

me (LOUDLY WHISPERING): “HENRI. THIS UNDERWEAR COSTS $22.”

henri: “yeah, that sounds about right.”

me: “no, like, THERE IS ONLY ONE PAIR IN THIS BAG. FOR $22.”

henri: “yep.”

me: “THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!!! WHO BUYS UNDERWEAR HERE?”

answer: lots and lots of people who want to dress like jazzercise instructors from the 70s.

anyway, we got our outfits together, and i was pretty excited about how incredibly ridiculous/fantastic (depending on yr preference for 70s athletics) everyone was going to look.

here’s henri, modeling his uniform:

i swear american apparel could take this picture and blow it up in their store and people would think henri was the new King Hipster. but doesn’t he look awesome?

here’s me, puttin’ on my GAME FACE!!!!

i suddenly felt connected to all of the kids in the early 80s health videos we were subjected to in junior high.

the best part was watching people start to fill up the lobby. the other movie-goers had noooo idea what was going on (but they knew they were missing out).

the alamo even set up a basketball hoop so people could get their game on before the movie. i didn’t try, cos playing sports increases the probability of me hurting myself, and i like to keep that probability as low as possible.

here’s henri with tim, who even has on knee guards! ahhh, two guys in short shorts.

finally, it was 7:00 and time for will ferrell to show up!!! OMG!!! he came in and thanked us for being there, and i could tell he was toootally impressed with our outfits. also? will ferrell is tall! he promised he would come back for a Q&A after the movie, and then the film began.

and you know what? it’s actually a funny movie!!! i really enjoyed it!!! it’s got some of the strange humor from “anchorman,” but it also has the “go team!!” inspirational angle of a sports movie (i was totally pumping my first in the air at the end and cheering). there are a couple scenes that are REALLY hilarious, and the cast is great (hellooo GOB!!!). i definitely give this film a high pants rating, and that’s not just cos i was excited to see will ferrell.

after the movie ended, will ferrell and the director came up to take questions from the audience. some people asked really laaaame questions, like, “where do you get the inspirations for yr characters from?” like, WHO ASKS THAT?! but other questions were pretty cool, my favorite being the guy who asked will to lead the entire audience in the chorus from his song in the movie, “love me sexy.” will replied that he would do it, but only if the guy took his shirt off. so, of course, he stood up on the table and took his jersey off while the music played and will tried to remember the lyrics to the song (he did pretty well). overall, will ferrell just seemed like such a funny, professional guy. he was nice even to the people who asked dumb questions.

i kept waiting for someone to ask about the most PRESSING issue that was SURELY on everyone’s mind, but no one did! finally, i decided i just had to take a stand and ask the question myself.

so i stood up and asked, “can you tell us how pearl is doing?”

will was obviously waiting for someone to ask this question so he could vent all about how pearl doesn’t return his calls or accept any playdates less than two months in advance. he told us that the success has reeeally gone to her head, and she won’t even share a sandbox with anyone. it’s really a shame, esp. cos she’s already been to toddler rehab. oh pearl! don’t go all britney on us! don’t drown yr talent in juiceboxes!!!

after the Q&A, the entire audience came to the front of the stage to take a group picture. it was a pretty amazing sight– a sea of yellow sweatbands and short shorts. here’s tim, commanding his tropics army:

and look! here’s will ferrell!!! i know it’s dark, but my flash doesn’t go that far. but you can tell it’s him!

he was such a nice guy about the whole thing, esp. cos he had to kneel (like i said, he’s tall) for almost ten minutes while the photographer took a bazillion pictures.

by the time we were done, everyone wearing the same outfit was starting to feel normal. which is weird.

a few folks even had the nerve to WHINE about the photographer taking too long. fortunately, caitlin was there to set them straight. and by that i mean, she yelled out, “WE’RE TAKING A PICTURE WITH WILL FERRELL, PEOPLE. LIGHTEN THE EFF UP.”

don’t be misled by that sweet, demure face. this girl is In Control.

all in all, it was a super fun night, and now i can add another notch to my Celebrity Friends belt. since i’ve officially breached the A-list, the sky is the limit!!! keri russell… violet affleck… allison janey… nothing is impossible!

cos i am a champion. as you can see.

LINKS

check out this slideshow, which will in fact make you go, “OMG. i can’t believe they dated!”

the lost postcard rescue department = coolest thing ever. i wonder if they’re accepting applications?

i love balloons! and kids! and indie music! which makes this the BEST VIDEO EVER.

did you know they filmed scenes from “there will be blood” near marfa? hmm. i would love to see a showdown between daniel day lewis and mona (thanks, talena, for the link).

 

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