Tyson and I had dinner at the beach in Santa Monica tonight.  He may be moving to another state soon, which would would be a bummer for me, but I hope he gets the job he wants.  It’s funny, but had I never met Tyson, I wouldn’t have started my Xanga.  The only reason I opened an account here was to comment on his blog.  And had I not first seen Tyson on the reality show Beauty & The Geek, a few years ago, I wouldn’t have ever gotten to know him.  (LOL, I just found out that he was the “Geek of the Week” on this website, geeksugar.com last year.  What a hoot:)


Now that Tyson’s moving away, I guess I need a new reality show friend.  Who should it be?  Danny Noriega or Christian Siriano??  As Jad so artfully illustrates here, they’re both bottoms…which is more than I can say for Tyson.  LOL

Through Tyson, I’ve been lucky enough to meet a
lot of great people in the Cubing
community.  None are more talented however, than
Macky.  We’ve been trying to get
together for some time now, and he was nice enough to head out to the
Hotel Careyfornia today before leaving for Math Camp
for the summer, and then off to Princeton in the fall.  (He
turned down Cambridge and Harvard!)  Over dinner we discussed
everything from Game Theory to Phonetics.  You might think that
would make for dry dinner conversation, but quite the
contrary.  Macky has a unique way of making even the
most black and white subjects explode with color.  He makes
you think about things in ways you never have.  I always feel
so energized after spending time with young people with such drive and
intellect.  It give me a hope for a better tomorrow in this
country.  Thanks Macky!  I’m looking forward to
watching the next few years unfold. 

Screw MIT!!

I may have posted this one before, but he’s just so cute!

Rubik’s Cubism:

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Speaking of American Idol…

It’s down to the wire.  I’m making plans to go to the finale next week.  Incidentally if anyone wants to go to the “American Idol Tonight” show tomorrow, I have 2 tickets, first come first served.  These are NOT tickets to American Idol.  They’re tickets to another show called “American Idol Tonight” that’s hosted by Kimberly Caldwell and Justin Guarini.  It’s pretty “D List” if you ask me, but if you’re a fan of either of these two former contestants, I have the tickets.

Are you wondering why we haven’t heard from Sanjaya lately?  It’s because the poor thing has been doing drag shows in Seattle.  I kid you not.  This is almost painful to look at.  Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you:

“Sanjina”

Bad huh?  They might as well have kicked him out of the closet.  It’s hard to watch…

BUT, not NEARLY as hard to watch as this:  (Warning, hide the children!!!)

I still can’t watch it without screaming.

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And then there were three…

So who do you like?  I’m hoping it comes down to Melinda and Blake (though I don’t think it will).  Although Jordin is a good singer and quite marketable, she’s a bit too polished for me.  She’s only 17 and it feels like she’s been being groomed for this all her life.  She’s already a plus sized model used to being in the public eye.  She just seems a little plastic to me.  I’m sure she’ll be a star no matter what.  A lot of people like her.  Melinda, who I didn’t like much in the beginning, has really grown on me.  She comes across as a person of honesty and integrity.  But has anyone else besides Ryan and me, noticed her resemblance to ‘Ouzzie of The Jeffersons? 

Separated at birth?

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Farewell Falwell – See you in Hell

Jerry Falwell was known for his commitment to right-wing causes of all kinds, and in particular, his hostility to civil rights, feminists and gays.  Remember when he said the purple Teletubby Tinky-Winky was gay? Or when he blamed 9/11 on feminists, gays pagans, and the ACLU? Ah yes.

I tried to reach Tinky Winky the purple Teletubby before this blog posting went to press, but was told by his representatives that he was out celebrating at the local leather bar.

Though I offer Falwell’s family condolences, I’m glad he won’t be spewing his hate laden rhetoric any more. 

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Is Smoking a Civil Liberty?

 

If you saw (if not you should), the movie “Thank Your For Smoking” you know how downright criminal the tobacco industry is.  If you read the New York Times article about tobacco companies actually increasing the amount of nicotine in cigarettes to make people more addicted; then you know how desperate they are.

Drinking is not a crime.  But if you drink and drive and end up hurting or killing someone you go to jail.  Being overweight is not a crime.  You won’t end up hurting or killing someone if you’re overweight, except yourself.  Smoking is not a crime.  Yet every smoker who smokes in public runs the risk of hurting or killing someone through secondhand smoke.  Do I sound alarmist?  Of course I do.  I’m really pissed off though.  The past 3 weekends, I’ve had houseguests staying with me who smoked.  Granted they were all extremely courteous about their habit.  They only smoked on my patio.  They never smoked around me.  We even joked about them exhaling extremely deeply before they came back in the house. 

My mother has always smoked.  She smoked in our house the whole time I lived there, despite me being very asthmatic.  The older I’ve gotten, the more allergic I have become to smoke and the more I’ve resented smokers.  If I even get a whiff of it in a hallway or elevator, I feel my lungs begin to tighten.  That’s how bad it is.  Perhaps some of it’s in my head, but who cares?  I have a physical reaction to smoke.

I understand that tobacco is one of the hardest addictions to curb.  I understand that tobacco lobbyists are still huge political contributors.  I understand that most smokers want to quit.  But the more I have to walk past a building where people are huddled around smoking, the more I begin to hate smokers.  I shouldn’t hate smokers, I should hate smoking.  I know that.  But I’m beginning to hate smokers, and that’s really scary and sad and I have to stop.  It’s going to be something I have to deal with, because I know, like any addiction, people won’t quit until they want to, and I don’t want to hate every smoker I know.

So what is there to do?  Since you’re not allowed to smoke inside any public places, including bars and clubs in California, people have to smoke outside.  This means I am not able to eat outside anywhere.  It means I can’t enjoy the beautiful California sunshine when I go to a park.  When we went to Disneyland a couple of weeks ago, I told my friends that it was all non-smoking, and you should have seen the look of horror on their faces!  Unfortunately I learned that there are a few smoking areas in Disneyland, and you’re allowed to smoke outside in Downtown Disney, which almost ruins the entire experience for me.

So, what to do?  I guess I’m lucky I don’t live overseas.  Although, now that Italy and even Ireland, as well as other notoriously smoke filled countries have gone the way of the U.S., the tide is slowly turning.  Whenever I go overseas, I literally take 3 inhalers with me.  That’s how bad it is.

If you were a smoker, smoking in a public place, and I walked past you fanning my hand in front of my face with a disgusted look; would you be angry at me? Offended? Would you think I was an asshole?  What about if we were both at a restaurant sitting outside where smoking was allowed.  How would you react if  I came over to your table and politely told you that the wind was blowing your smoke towards me and that I’m allergic to smoke and it was really bothering me?  Would you be angry? Offended? Would you think I was an asshole?

One of my best friend’s an I got into an argument recently when the above situation happened (though the big difference was that it was an outdoor restaurant that did not allow smoking).  Instead of me going over to the table and asking them to quit, he wanted to do it.  He thought it would be better coming from him, as he was a smoker.  I think he also feared I would be a bit nasty about it.   By the way, this particular restaurant in Disneyland did NOT allow smoking outside, so they were already breaking the rules, not to mention inconveniencing me.  After my friend asked them to stop, they did.  But they continued to give me dirty looks until they left.  The crux of our argument was why, if I wanted to ask the girls across from us to stop smoking, why didn’t I go to the bar, and ask the people there to stop smoking?  My answer was because I couldn’t smell that smoke, it wasn’t affecting me.  If I did smell it, I would have had the same reaction.  We argued about this for a while and never came to an agreement, which is OK.  Friends don’t always have to agree. 

Now, if I was an “activist” I probably would have gone to the bar and asked people to stop smoking because it wasn’t allowed (even at the outside bar of this restaurant).  I’m not really an activist though.  I think they are an important part of any divisive issue, but I would rather confront me “enemy” when they are directly impacting my rights.  In this case my right to breathe clean air outside.

I’m writing about this because I’m literally at my wit’s end.  It’s getting to the point where I hate going out to public places that allow smoking.  Here in LA, all of the malls are outdoors.  On a Saturday afternoon it’s like being in a wildfire in the Hollywood Hills!    So, back the the original question.  As defined by Wikipedia:

Civil liberties is the name given to freedoms that completely protect the individual from government. Civil liberties set limits for government so that it can not abuse its power and interfere with the lives of its citizens. See also civil rights and human rights.

So, is smoking a civil liberty?  Please weigh in. I’m going to go get my inhaler. 

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Why are all of my favorite bands selling out to big corporations for advertising?  I guess that’s a rhetorical question.

Postal Service           The The            New Order           Oasis

They’ve ruined some of my favorite songs.  Comments?

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Bush Gets Owned by CNN! 

Don’t you love it!  LOL

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ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
“I was going to have Mom come out [to New York] for Mother’s Day. I thought it would be great fun. But she doesn’t have enough Greyhound miles.” — David Letterman

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So much to talk about, where do I begin?

I’ve been getting told a lot that I write way too much for anyone to read.  I find that statement rather funny.  Isn’t it odd how we can read a 300 page book over a weekend, but God forbid a web posting goes more than a page?  LOL  Oh well, I guess we can chalk that up to our short attention span in the over stimulated wired age.  Do know however, that I will always be verbose.  It’s in my blood.  I admire the people who can write “haiku blogs” that are more profound than any of my postings, but I simply can’t.  It’s a stream of consciousness thing, and it always has been.   

That being said, I do need to ration my time at night better.  I tend to be a night owl, and usually don’t post until after 11 PM and write well into the wee hours.  I do have a bunch of things I need to get off my chest tonight, but I’ll save those rants for another day.  I haven’t been getting near enough sleep of late because I’ve had houseguests the past four weekends, and I’ve been staying up much too late entertaining and writing.  I’ve never needed a lot of sleep.  Even when I was a kid and my parents would put me to bed at 7 PM (crazy huh? maybe that’s why I don’t sleep much now, hmmmm), and I would stay up well past midnight in my room; usually entertaining my brother as the emcee of some game show I invented or some fabulous musical production I had concocted (Big finish!).  Again, hmmmmm, very telling.  As a matter of fact, the only time I ever shoplifted is when I was 8 years old and I stole some little toys at the local hobby shop to use as prizes for my brother when he “won” whatever game show I was keeping him up until midnight playing.  (I guess I never realized he was the only contestant, LOL.)  But I digress. (hmmmmm…notice a pattern?)

Why do I need to start getting more sleep you ask?  Last week, I began sleep walking.  It happened twice, though technically the first time I wasn’t really walking, I was just moving in a very agitated way.  But more about that in a second.

Lately I’ve been having very vivid dreams.  Wonderful dreams that are so real that I sometimes can’t remember the next day whether I’d just dreamt something or if it had really happened.  Scary huh?  Last Tuesday night I was dreaming of swimming in a big pool.  It had something to do with work, and I was swimming to get to the finish line.  Sounds clinical enough, right?  When I got to the edge of the pool, the water level was much lower than the deck, so I had to extend my arms to pull myself up onto the concrete pool deck.  As I reached the deck, I rolled on to the concrete, and proceeded to roll out of my bed!  Now, those of you who have been here, know that I have a very high, mission style bed that sits about 3 feet off my hardwood floors.  As I fell out of bed, my head hit my nightstand, and I landed on my shoulder.  Needless to say, a rude awakening. 

Bruised but not battered I managed to go back to sleep.  This time I dreamt of fishing (though I’m hardly a fisherman).  As I was casting my reel, my knuckles scraped the lats of my bedpost, hard enough to make them bleed, which of course caused me to wake up again. 

The second night was even scarier, because that’s when the walking part began.  It went down like this….

Sometime during the night, I woke up to go to the bathroom.  I remember doing this, but for some reason I went to my guest bathroom, not the bathroom in my bedroom.  When I came out, I COULDN’T FIND my bedroom!!??  Try as I might, I wandered around my living room, looking for the stairs.

Here’s the kicker though:  I don’t have stairs!  For some reason, and keep in mind I remember this all, I thought my bedroom was upstairs, and I kept opening the broom closet looking for the stairs!  After wandering around for what seemed like a while, I remember getting angry, and saying to myself “Fuck it”!!  I conceded to sleep on the couch, and I’ll be damned, the next morning, I woke up on the couch.

Now, before you start emailing me to get help immediately, I would like to say that I have not had another “incident” since this happened.  I have been trying to get more sleep, and my stress level may have dropped in the past week or so.  Of course, the other possibility is that I really fell asleep on the couch that night, and dreamt the whole bathroom/stairs incident.  I honestly don’t know what happened, but it was freaky.

Friends have suggested I get some kind of lock for my door so I don’t end up outside, or God forbid, driving.  Although, chances are I’m a better driver asleep than I am awake   LOL  Suffice it to say, I’m more aware of my sleep patterns, and am trying to get more rest!  Case in point: It’s 7:40 PM now, and I’m done for the day (methinks!?).  I will keep you posted….don’t call the loony bin yet! 

 

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Why not print your next rubber ducky from home??

 

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Finally last, but not least:

 Happy Birthday Tyson

In honor of your birthday, I have arranged for the paparazzi not to bother you all day long!! 

So, don’t say I never gave you nothin’!!  LOL

 

 

Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you don’t have “street cred”!  Happy Birthday my friend.

Link to all weekend photos.

 

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I had an interesting email exchange recently with about 16 of my close friends who live in different parts of the world.  It involved the story of someone I met here on Xanga, a Korean woman who subscribed to my posts and commented or sent messages about them frequently.  As is the Xanga custom, I always try to visit the sites and reply to people who leave comments on my site.  When I first visited this woman’s site, I was struck by the beautiful photos of her baby, and said so in my comments.  As the weeks went on, more comments were shared on both ends.  She shared my friend Sabine’s sorrow for the friends she had lost at Virginia Tech.  She even went so far as to tell me that I was like a best friend to her and a beautiful mentoring spirit on Xanga, whose posts were the highlight of her day.

Because this woman was married to a traditional Korean man, he soon became disturbed (not threatened) by the “friendships” his wife was forming with other people online.  Though the husband was well aware of my situation and the fact that this was nothing more (and would never be anything more) than reading and commenting on a blog, he eventually decided to not allow her to communicate with me or anyone else he didn’t know on Xanga.

Though I was certainly flattered to be told that my writing made an impact on someone, I was also well traveled enough to recognize the cultural differences that caused such a reaction by the husband. (Many Americans can even see this clearly illustrated on the television show “Lost”.)  Because I did not have anything personally invested in the situation, I tossed it out to my friends, some Korean, some American and others, mainly as an example, some might even say a humorous example, of the difference between western and eastern cultures.

The responses were varied and telling.  The most interesting and informative response came from my friend David, a German citizen of Korean ancestry living in Germany.  I thought it would be interesting to post in the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings and the discussions in the Korean American community about culture and perceptions of cultures.  It is intended to spark a dialogue of different perspectives, which I hope it will do.

“Hi everybody!

Very interesting to see the reactions on Carey’s [sic] exchanges with the married korean woman.

Not allowing the wife to further [sic] correspond with Carey and his Xanga buddies (though this aspect was “lost in translation”, the reactions of Carey’s original email still remain, and I am referring to these very reactions), Carey’s encounter with the married south-korean woman and the reaction of her husband must undoubtedly look funny and ridiculous in western eyes.

As a Kyopo (a korean born and raised outside of Korea) Id like to give an explanation (or rather the attempt of such), why Carey’s outcome of the encounter may root far from ridicule and fun and give an insight into korean mentality.

South Korea is a very young democracy. Until 1987 it has been consistently characterised by military and/or authoritarian rule, a centralised economy and a high level of racial and cultural homogeneity. Korea’’s rapid economic development since the late 1980s has brought it into contact with new cultures and practises – from the globalisation of its economic structures to the influx of foreign migrant labourers. The [sic] inevitable process of adjusting to distinctly “modern” conditions has taken place, yet its public culture and morality still is deeply anchored in its ancient Confucian roots.

This translates, for example, in South Korea continuing to classify adultery as a criminal offence punishable by up to 2 years  in prison. Not only that, once on criminal record and therefore public record also, the adultery law practically forces the termination of the marriage. And what I hear and read from Korea, the police [sic] are busy arresting cheating husbands or wifes. Most notably a famous korean actress was arrested for adultery 1 or 2 years ago and it subsequently ruined her career and social standing.
Also, the Constitutional Court (equivalent to the US Supreme Court) also declared the adultery law constitutional and necessary on moral grounds when it was appealed in 1990 and 2001.

Public display of affection like kissing or of too much skin like wearing a mini-skirt can carry harsh reactions. 10 years ago, when I studied in Korea, a colleague student of mine (also a Kyopo) went out for shopping wearing a mini-skirt and got slapped in the face and sweared at in public. Another female Kyopo was spit on when she smoked in public. I myself got slapped in the face once for addressing an older person in “simple language” (in Korea an older person always has to be addressed in “high language” as an expression of respect). In my case “older person” meant a difference in age of 4 years.
Another aspect, while studying in Korea I wasn’t able to open a bank account or get a cell phone contract due to the fact that I am a german citizen or “Alien”, how foreigners are still called in korean bureaucracy.

That was 10 years ago and the process of adjusting to distinctly “modern” conditions has of course brought changes. Changes carried mainly by the generations born after 1987. Marrying a non-korean has become socially acceptable, though it is still rare, wearing trendy and sexy outfits or females smoking in public are not uncommon anymore, and foreigners nowadays can open bank accounts or get cell phone contracts – in conjunction with a south korean citizen acting as a guarantor. And even then, foreigners receive different terms and (higher) rates.

Slapping someone for wearing a mini-skirt may not occur anymore, but it is far from being seen as appropriate behaviour by many. So called “Love Houses” are now being frequently monitored by civil groups and pictures of car license plates of visitors taken and posted on the internet. Old generations are striking back.
The adultery law, originally intended to protect the marriage, has now become a common tool to sue the cheating husband/wife for money. And I remember reading in a korean newspaper that the divorce rate in Korea has exploded beyond 50% – mainly young couples.

It is a huge stress field of the generations’ morales and values and it is a fresh one, starting 15-20 years ago.

So external “modern” influences are mainly carried by young people whose roots lie more in global brands a la Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Manchester United and Tokyo Hotel. But the large majority of the korean population is still pre-1987.

So, what does this long intro (sorry guys) have to do with Carey?

Well, Carey is a stranger, a foreigner (an american even), [sic] and he was approached by a married korean woman. Bearing in mind the examples given above giving a glimpse of korean mentality, how does the reaction of her controlling husband look like? I would say pretty modern.

I am pretty sure, there are a lot of korean husbands who would have forbidden their wifes to have any further contact with you, Carey – no offence, buddy.

Plus, a person instantly making friendships with a stranger solely based on being told that her daughter looks beautiful… I would say, the husband has his reasons to be of controlling nature…

David”

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There’s not much I can add to this….it kind of speaks for itself:

Meanwhile in Baghdad:

The everyday life of the Iraqi citizen has been the great untold story of the Iraq war.

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A nice, relaxing dinner at Chin Chin’s on Sunset Blvd.

Ah, the Spearmint Rhino…know it well…know it well

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Sorry ice cream….

If you live anywhere near Southern California, chances are you’ve heard of Pinkberry.  Here in West Hollywood, people have been raving about it for months.  I personally never cared, because I’m not really a frozen yogurt fan, and I’m really not a yogurt fan!  I thought it would be a nice place to take tourists though, so we went after dinner.  I must say, that all of the fuss was warranted.  This stuff is good!  And supposedly it’s quite good for you.  Very low calories, no fat, and the freshest, juiciest fruit I’ve ever tasted.  If you’re ever in this neck of the woods, let me know and we can go.  But be warned, it’s like yogurt heroin!

 

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I have a feeling Sanjaya is going to be with us a long long time.  LOL.  Did anyone see him on Jimmy Kimmel the other night.  Jimmy asked him why, at 17, he denied that he was gay, even though no one asked him the question.  He didn’t miss a beat though, and artfully dodged the question then flashed that smile of his. Celebrity is such a randomly odd phenomenon.  Look at Gary Brolsma, the Numa Numa guy or the Asian Backstreet Boys or even William Hung.  They’re all making more money now than most of us could ever dream of making. 

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Everybody comes to Hollywood, they want to make it in the neighborhood.  They like the smell of it in Hollywood.  How could it hurt you when it looks so good?

 

Christine, Jamie & Tammy continued their invasion of LA yesterday with a fun filled trip to Laguna Beach.  Jennifer & Lisa took them to lunch and they spent the rest of the day lounging at the beach like supermodels.  After my workday ended we all met at Bucca di Beppo and had a family dinner with 25 of us.  Good times.

Today we had lunch at The Ivy, surrounded by the Hollywood elite.  Harvey Weinstein was at a corner table grooming the next Angelina Jolie and negotiating his next blockbuster.  We had dessert at Sprinkle’s Cupcakes in Beverly Hills.  After lunch, I went back to work and Tammy & Christine went to Hollywood & Highland for some Hollywood gifts.  Jamie sat by the pool and soaked up the 90° Los Angeles sunshine (since the temperature in Green Bay today was 39° this morning)

We had tickets to go to Jimmy Kimmel tonight, but the girls opted for dinner & a movie.  Here are some pictures.

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Despite the “fluff factor” I think you have to give American Idol credit. It’s the most popular show in the world, and this week it tried to do some good for the world (at least Africa & the U.S, which I’m sure many people around the world were surprised to learn has squalor and poverty…though maybe not, after Katrina ??)

Though tonight’s show was rather “telethonic” and overwrought with malnourished children, AIDS babies, and heart wrenching stories that made you want to donate all of your earnings to them; the East coast viewing alone brought in more than 30 million dollars.  That is a figure that cannot be undersold.  As long as the money ends up in the right hands, this is a good thing.  I do find it a bit disconcerting that companies like Exxon and News Corp are involved.  They are a huge part of much of the world’s problems, methinks.  But…I guess the giving has to start somewhere, and with participation from folks like Madonna (in Malawi no less)  and Bono to Helen Mirren and The Simpson’s….it can’t be all bad, right?

So…as I mentioned yesterday, we had tickets to the show tonight at the Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles.  Even though we had free “seat filler” tickets, they were excellent!  We were about 50 feet from the stage and we all got to sit together for the full 2 hours.  Last night over 70 million votes were cast for American Idol, and though I won’t reveal the results (until after the show), since many of  you overseas haven’t seen it yet; suffice it to say, it was the most shocking result in Idol history (Ryan’s words, not mine).  Since cameras or cell phones weren’t allowed inside the theater we took a few pictures outside.  While waiting in line, we heard of a “rumored” Michael Jackson appearance.  I was relatively sure that was not happening, but then I remembered that Sanjaya was gone, so they didn’t have to worry about Michael slipping him some Jesus Juice and sleeping with him.   LOL.

The show was broadcast from 2 locations.  The actual idols, with the judges and Ryan Seacrest were in their normal studio at CBS Television City.  The main performances took place where we were at the stunningly beautiful and acoustic Walt Disney Concert Hall, and included:

Ellen DeGeneres as the host.  She was actually quite funny, and was really loved by the crowd.

Kelly Clarkson with Jeff Beck on guitar, which was beautiful.  She’s sure got some pipes.

Annie Lennox on piano, literally brought the house down with Bridge Over Troubled Water.

Josh Groban with the African Children’s Choir singing “You Raise Me Up”  The kids were adorable and with the emotional stories about AIDS in Africa there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

Il Divo, who I wasn’t particulary a fan of, sang “There’s a Place for Us” from West Side Story (one of my favorites), and I must say they sounded, and looked pretty good (since Rosie O’Donnell bought them suits that fit!)

 

Rascal Flats, who I had never even heard of before, probably because they’re a country band.

Earth Wind & Fire opened the show with a medley of their hits.

A couple of other observations.  The crowd in the Disney Concert Hall erupted with laugher when they saw Paula on stage.  Ryan made a joke about her height, but I guarantee you, no one was looking at her height, LOL.

The Jack Black bit was really quite funny and the Simpson’s appearance was great…poor Brian Dunkelman though.  BTW, say what you will about androgynous little Sanjaya, but he’s certainly a good sport.

Not sure what to think of Holographic Elvis.  Not a Celine fan either.  I just wanted to see them hug!  LOL

The Frank Gehry designed Walt Disney Concert Hall

Winter home of the L.A. Philharmonic

After Idol, we went to the Standard Hotel downtown.  They have an amazing rooftop bar.  We went at precisely the right time of day, and the sun was setting and the sky was that deep blue.  This is my favorite time to take pictures!

I think the girls were impressed.

Waterbeds on the roof

Hard to believe they were in Green Bay, Wisconsin this morning!

My Harem

The U.S. Bank Tower at dusk.

I think any city can look beautiful at this time of day.

My favorite picture of the evening.  Not bad huh Matthias? 

Again….the colors.  Wow.

Remember the movie Independence Day?  This got blown up!

The rooftop bar of the downtown LA Standard Hotel

Night time falls.

While we were eating out skewers and mini cheeseburgers on the roof, I got a call from Tyson, asking where I was.  It seems he had been invited to a red carpet premier at Hollywood & Vine.  Though he could care less about that sort of thing, he knows I’m a star f***er, and wanted to invite me…bless his heart.  When I told him I was with 3 girlfriends, he said he would make it work.  He wasn’t even getting paid for this gig (why? because he didn’t run it by ME first!  LOL).  They wanted him to walk the red carpet and solve the Rubik’s Cube in his typical, though no less amazing, 15-20 seconds.  We got to walk the carpet with him, and you would have thought he was Brad Pitt (no offense Tyson) with all the paparazzi screaming his name and the multitude of flashbulbs going off.  Suffice it to say, look for “us” in US Magazine next week.

Tyson doing his thing

The cheese heads on the red carpet

“Tyson, over here”, “Tyson over here”!

The money shot!

Look who got their second wind!

I love this photo. Adorable!

Can you believe the photographers?  And this was a B list event, at BEST!

Their Christmas Card

Our Christmas Card, LOL

The girls in “green screen”

Hoochie Mamas!

They certainly got a kick out of themselves!

These guys were a way cool hip hop band. Check them out at www.fareastmovement.com

Christopher McDonald from a zillion TV shows and movies.

Joey Fatone from Nsync and “Dancing With the Stars“.

Debra Jo Rupp from “That Seventies Show”.

The party was for the movie “Kickin it Old Skool” with Jamie Kennedy, though no one seemed to care!

An odd man with his dog on the dance floor.

Maria Menounos looking far too made up and later scarfing donuts like she hadn’t eaten in a week.

The incomparable Paulie Shore (OK maybe it was D list)

And there we all are pointing to ourselves in the American Idol audience.

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
“While Simon Cowell was in Los Angeles working on ‘American Idol,’ his home in London was robbed. Police say it was the work of professional thieves, but Cowell described them as ‘amateurish and uninspired.’” — Conan O’Brien

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And last, but certainly not least,

Happy Birthday Lindsay

You’re going to have to find a way to get Sabine back on her birthday!! 

UPDATE – Sunday Night/Monday Morning:

The hike up to the Hollywood Sign was a long one.  The dogs got pooped about halfway up.  The event wasn’t very well organized, there were no signs marking the correct path, so a bunch of us inadvertently took the long path instead of the shorter one.  It was great though, and we had a lot of fun.  After the hike, I went home and cleaned the house because Bassam and Mariana were driving down from Santa Barbara.  I made reservations at Yamashiro and invited Amos to go with us.  We had a nice pre-party here at the house, then headed up to the Hollywood Hills for a delicious sushi dinner, with a great view of the city.  After that, I gave them a quick tour of Hollywood then went back to the house, parked the car, and walked up to the Sunset Strip.  We tried to get into the Sky Bar, but apparently Jamie Foxx was there…so we couldn’t get in (he must not have known it was me :)  Mariana was appalled!  Welcome to LA, LOL.  We hung out at The Grafton for a while.  I asked for a “bottle” of water and this is what I got:

 

LOL, it was glass and probably cost $15 (Bassam paid :)

After a while, Amos and I were tired, so walked back to my place. Bassam and Mariana stayed on the strip.  Amos went home and I realized how tired I was from the hike.  I hadn’t had a workout like that in quite some time.  I’m glad I’m dog-sitting this week.  It will give me a chance to exercise more.

Anyway, here are some photos from the day.  It’s 1:00 PM on Sunday now, and Bassam and Mariana are STILL sleeping.  (I was up at 7:30 to walk the dogs.)  It’s a beautiful day here, so I’m sitting out on the patio typing this: 

The picture above is actually from last year, but since Bassam & Mariana are still sleeping there’s no one take one of me now, and I don’t feel like setting up the tripod.  See the tree in the background?  It’s an avocado tree, and a few weeks ago they had to cut it down, because it had some tree disease.    I don’t even like avocados, but I loved that tree!  It had so much character.  When the avocados were in season, people would come early in the morning to pick them up.  Now that the tree is gone, I look out of my office window, and there’s nothing but a mound of dirt.  We’re supposedly having a homeowner’s meeting on Tuesday to decide what to plant there, but that tree was definitely one of a kind. 

At any rate, here are some pictures from the hike and the rest of the weekend.  Hope you all had a good weekend! –Carey

I love this photo of them, notice part of the Hollywood sign on the top.

I think they were over the hike at this point!

Resting after a drink

This is inside the Mondrian Hotel next to my house

Jamie Foxx’s Lamborghini parked outside the Sky Bar.

Downtown LA from outside Yamashiro

A toast to good friends

Garbo and Ruby enjoyed the pre-party

Mariana playing with the dogs at 3 AM

Supermodel

The service at the Hotel Careyfornia is impeccable!

Mariana had a friend from England visiting.

This is my neighbor’s dog Sophie

Jessica & Sophie

I had to pick Tyson up from the airport tonight, and while I was waiting for him I was parked in the Cell Phone Parking Lot at LAX, where landing planes fly directly overhead.  This is an interesting shot of one.  The dogs were fascinated every time one went over us.  I had the moon roof open and they kept looking up and tilting their heads.  It was cute.

Tyson & Ruby (the first dog to ever solve the Rubik’s Cube)

Too pooped to pup…what a weekend they had.  They’re used to going to bed at nine at their house.  They’re always up until 3 or 4 with me!

 

Time for me to go to bed too.  It’s been quite a weekend!  Night all!

Amos and I went on a wild goose chase tonight determined to find a suitable area rug for their living room.  After striking out at Cost Plus World Market, Crate & Barrel and Bed Bath & Beyond, we went for a yummy sushi dinner and headed over to a TJ Maxx which was somewhere in LA I’d never been.  Alas we found the perfect rug.  It looks really nice and the place is coming along well!

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I’ve been asked to repost this, so here it is:

I read an amazing story today.  A friend of mine wrote eloquently about the importance of family and respecting the past, and though he was too young to remember it at the time, how it shaped him.  He posted an emotional email from his father that described a truly incredible, dangerous and life changing journey, fleeing from tyranny and hoping against hope for a better life for his children in America.  Though I knew of my friend’s past, I had never heard it from his father’s perspective, but after reading this account I gained a deep respect for where he came from and the experiences that shaped the man he is today.  It made me think about a couple of strange things that happened last week.

I had to drive to Laguna Thursday, and I was listening to the Dreamgirls soundtrack the whole way down.  It put me in a great mood, and when I met with my some of my business associates I asked if they had seen the movie.  One woman in particular expressed interest.  She’s in her late 40′s or early 50′s I think, and wanted to know more about the film.  I related the whole tale to her about Jennifer Hudson, The Supremes, Florence Ballard and the tragedy behind the real story.  She listened intently, and after I was done she responded “So it’s a black thing?” 

I was taken aback by the question, and didn’t know how to respond.  I asked her what she meant and she told me that while growing up in the 60′s her father never let her listen to “nigger music”, but that she and her sister secretly liked and listened to Diana Ross and the Supremes.  I could tell by the way she was relating the story that she had no idea that it sounded racist. (I don’t know about her father’s past, but I would venture to guess, he was also a product of his circumstances…and so the cycle continued).

We are all a reflection of our parents and our upbringing.  Some who struggled early in life (like my friend) might feel guilty about the sacrifices their parents made to ensure that their children had a better life.  After all, as children, don’t we all want to live up to our parent’s expectations?  When we act in ways that we think will disappoint them, it makes us sad.  That’s what part of growing up is all about.  Eventually you come to the realization that despite their flaws, your parents only want a better life for you.

Later the same day I drove to my aunt and uncle’s house for my regular Thursday spaghetti dinner with them.  They’re 2nd generation Italian Americans who grew up during the Depression.  They’re both in their late 70′s and early 80′s now, and since my Grandma (Nonna) died, they are one of my links to our family’s past.  My uncle served in WWII overseas fighting the Japanese and raised his family in the turbulent 50′s and 60′s.  There wasn’t one African American or Asian person within 100 miles from where he lived.  He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body, but sometimes he makes off the cuff remarks about people of other races which in the modern “PC” world may not be received that well.  He is a product of his past; his upbringing, the war, the race riots of the 60′s.  He raised 3 kids (my cousins) to be decent hard working people like him, and they’re now raising their children and their children’s children the same way.  He is a good man, honest and hard working and has lived a good life.

I recently had a heated discussion with my friend Eva who’s getting her PhD in education at UCSB.  She has a utopian view that everyone has or should have the potential to be whatever their definition of success entails.  For some that might be a doctor or a lawyer.  For others it might be a ditch digger.  But because of the inequities in education, and class and race, she believes our society and our system is incapable of affording everyone the same opportunities.

I argued that with intelligence and hard work, in combination with our upbringing (the morals we learn from our parents and those experiences from our past that shape us), that anyone can be successful.  I used the example of Chris Gardner (the real life man portrayed by Will Smith in the movie “The Pursuit of Happyness”).  Tyson, who with his brother actually taught Will Smith how to solve the Rubik’s Cube for the movie, writes in his blog about how annoying it is when people ask him about “the trick” to solving the cube.  While on the movie’s set he observed people asking the same thing of Chris Gardner:  “What’s the trick of going from rags to riches?”  Chris responds by handing them a copy of his book!  Tyson’s point is well taken.  He worked hard and learned how to solve the Rubik’s cube himself.  It’s not a trick.  He’s smart (he can do it blindfolded), and he figured it out, just like Chris Gardner, who simply wanted a better life for his son.  The pursuit of happiness.

I guess the point I’m trying to make is that we all want what’s best for our children.  My business friend’s father who didn’t want her listening to “nigger music” honestly thought that was what was best for her.  My uncle, who doesn’t trust other ethnicities as much, has deep seated notions that were formed during a world war.  My friend, who got the heartfelt email had a father who overcame unbelievable obstacles to provide a better life for his children.

I’ll end with a movie recommendation I’ve made before.  If you haven’t seen Babel, you should.  It’s out on DVD now and it’s really what the essence of this posting is about.  My favorite three movies last year were: Babel (to appreciate how truly the same we all are, and simply want what’s best for our children by trying to do the right thing); Dreamgirls (to realize how dreams can come true, and also be fleeting) and The Pursuit of Happyness (to recognize the potential in all of us, and that it’s never to late to pursue a good life and ultimately be happy).

For my geeky and non-geeky friends alike, this is worth watching   Pachelbel was the original one hit wonder!

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Oh, and speaking of geeky Tyson sent me a video today that talked about people solving the Rubik’s Cube with, are you ready, chopsticks!

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I LOVE this girl!!

From: Michaela

Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2007 5:39 AM

To: Carey

Subject: Re: Party

thank you soooooooo much carey,

i missed you at the party … but it was good fun !!!

you rememer daniele – mirkos friend – who joined us at the nye party in munich ???!!!!

he is still in london and we got in contact and i invited him to the party and he really showed up – that was sooooooooooooooooooo great and funny and showed me again how small the world is and how nice it is to have someone like you always keeping us conected ))

I love you carey for what a wonderful gorgeous and lovely person you a are – a real god !!!!

besos

mick

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Cool Slideshows

Tyson and I went to Disneyland and California Adventure today.  We couldn’t pass it up, because Darlene got us in for free.  Thanks Dar!!  We were both really tired.  He had been standing on a convention floor for the past two days, and I was out late the night before.  We had a great time though, and he of course was a star with people asking to take photos with him.  The fireworks were never ending and the crowds were crazy.  At one point I told him that a lot of people call Disneyland the “Happiest Place on Earth”.  You can see his reply in the title of this post We also found him a house today.  It’s really close to here and close to his work; and it’s a beautiful home.  All in all a good day (despite the crummy LA traffic.  Grrrrr)