May 18, 2007

• OLD friends, Ginkgo Baloba, Cystic Fibrosis & Idol Scandal?

   

  Mike drove up from San Diego today and we had lunch together.  I was reminded how humbling it is to walk down the street with that bitch.  We haven’t seen each since he helped me spend half of my $500 gift certificate at AOC, which was after he convinced me to buy two houses in f**king Oklahoma City! (Where the wind comes sweeping down the plain…what was I thinking!?)  I still love ya Mikey, YVQ!!!  Anyway, the guy who plays Lloyd (who is hilarious BTW), Ari’s flaming assistant on HBO’s Entourage was there, so Mike, starfuc*er that he is, had to have a picture with Lloyd (Rex Lee) to put in his scrapbook.  LOL.  I think Rex was a bit more excited than Mike. 

  

  Don’t they make a cute couple? 

  A few other pics from lunch:

  

  

  

  This was a pissed off Woody Harrelson in his Jaguar.  He gave us a dirty look for taking the picture, but I took it even before we knew it was him, because he was completely vertical on Santa Monica Blvd. instead of horizontal (like all the other cars)!  I guess he really is a pot head!

  

  and finally….

  

  Apparently Mike thought he was trying out for America’s Next Top Model, in front of my house.

  What the neighbors must have thought.  Ugh! 

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  Now for something completely different and less provocative…a few days ago, I posted about the avocado tree in front of my home office window, which had to be cut down because it was diseased:

  

  Well, this morning they delivered our new tree.  It’s a beautiful new Ginkgo, about 15 feet in height.  They apparently grow fairly quickly, and look like this when they’re mature:

  

  The name “Ginkgo” was a phonetic note for its (older) Chinese name “银果” ( pinyin: yínguo) meaning “silver fruit”. The most well known names today are either “白果” ( pinyin: bái guǒ) as “white fruit” or “銀杏” (銀杏, pinyin: yínxìng) as “silver apricot“.

  I also found this fascinating little tidbit in Wikipedia:

  Extreme examples of the Ginkgo’s tenacity may be seen in Hiroshima, Japan, where four trees growing between 1–2 km from the 1945 atom bomb explosion were among the few living things in the area to survive the blast (photos & details). While almost all other plants (and animals) in the area were destroyed, the ginkgos, though charred, survived and were healthy. The trees are alive to this day. Ginkgo nuts are used in congee, and are often served at special occasions such as weddings and the Chinese New Year (as part of the vegetarian dish called Buddha’s delight). In Chinese culture, they are believed to have health benefits; some also consider them to have aphrodisiac qualities.  WOO HOO!

  Here are some photos I took this morning at 7 AM of them delivering “my” new tree. 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  They’re coming tomorrow to plant it!

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  My cousin Dave has Cystic Fibrosis.  He’s already lived with it far longer than most people ever do:

  There is no cure for CF, and most individuals with cystic fibrosis die young — many in their 20s and 30s from lung failure although with many new treatments being introduced the life expectancy of a person with CF is increasing. Ultimately, lung transplantation is often necessary as CF worsens.

  Dave is now in his 50′s and on kidney dialysis and oxygen.  Yet he still attends every one of our family functions and most of our weekly dinners.  I’ve never heard him complain once.

  Last weekend the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, held a “Great Strides” walk to raise money to find a cure.  If you would like to contribute to my cousin’s fund, you can do so by CLICKING HERE.  All money will go towards resarch and care.  Here are some photos from last weeks fundraiser.

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  One last Idol mention as we here in Hollywood, prepare for the finale. (I went by the Kodak Theater tonight, and they’re already putting up barriers and starting to lay the red carpet.)

  Could American Idol be rigged?  The notion is ridiculous to fans, but a boon for cynics; a contestant shuttled in by American Idol’s biggest sponsor, Coke, innocently recognized for her famous heritage (a football star’s daughter), and now the reveal that she actually met the American Idol judges in advance of the competition.  Suspicious bloggers are putting Jordin Sparks under the same microscope Tom Lowe was examined with when it was revealed he was a backup singer that frequented Simon Cowell’s record label.  There is no doubt that Jordin is phenomenally talented, but was her spot in the competition earned by nefarious means?  Read More…

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  Song of the day

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  • 8:40 pm
  • 3 Comments