| Magic Moments |
[Jul. 17th, 2011|11:26 pm] |
My friend had a huge birthday surprise today, in FRENCH! He has a total boner for cycling - the Lance Armstrong kind. He follows the Tour de France which is going on right now. He proposed to his wife in France, and as neither of them are afraid to say in front of their own parents, one of their kids was a souvenir Uhohohoh! (laughing in French).
So today's his birthday, and she surprises him with probably the most awesome thing you could do for a guy like that: She's taking him TO France on Wednesday to watch the tour from his favorite mountain climb (which sounds horribly difficult for the athletes). Then his mom bought them tickets to watch the finish, on the Champs-Elysees! Come on!
Naturally, he was emotionally moved. It was a great moment. My girlfriend points out - and I agree - that this sort of thing should happen more often. She's a pro at magic moments. Among other things, she threw me an excellent surprise birthday party at a silly Mexican restaurant last year. We stacked sombreros on my head and drank margaritas. They were very heavy. See, we don't need to start collectively taking one another to France, but could you imagine the world doing little favors for each other? Little magic moments.
Sometimes it's not about making them, but just recognizing them. Last month I attended the opening night of a soccer stadium in Kansas City. At one point, amid the crowd and the fireworks and the music at this awesome new stadium with an overflow crowd of like 20,000 who's creating this amazing atmosphere, I turned to my friend - a guy who had often suffered with me through watching this team play to 11,000 semi-interested fans in the 80,000 seat Arrowhead Stadium and I just blurt out, "We are going to remember this for the REST of our LIVES!" And I really meant it, and he agreed. It's not just about making those moments, but recognizing them when they happen, and telling your friends and family how much they mean to you.
And sometimes we're not directly IN the moment at all. Two weeks ago we were at "Pea Soup Andersen's, a restaurant in the mountains of Southern California that for some reason looks Danish and serves pea soup. The guy at the table next to us is doing the all-you-can eat (drink?) pea soup thing. And he's loving it. Just happy as a dog smelling a million butts. My lady starts vicariously enjoying the whole scene and kind of spreading the good vibes all around. It's really good soup, I'll say that. But to see a guy enjoy it that much is really fulfilling just to watch. That sort of happiness can influence our own perspective.
As often as we lose sight of it, there's a lot of good out there in the simplest things, or in the very thoughtful and complex things. But whether it's pea soup or a trip to your most favorite country to see your most favorite thing ever (aside from your wife and kids), that's what it's really all about. If you can't afford a trip to the Super Bowl or whatever your thing is, you can at least appreciate having a good meal with friends, or the weather, or some funny thing you heard on the radio. My girlfriend summed it up: You go through daily nonsense at your job, you plan, you save money, and maybe every day isn't the easiest, but THAT is the pay off. The moment where you do the thing you've always wanted to do, even better: to give that experience to someone you really love. It's magic. That's what I saw. |
|
|
| Bagel Holes |
[Nov. 17th, 2009|11:21 am] |
Sam's Bagels on Larchmont Sunday morning: Kids running wild while their dipshit parents drone on about the troubles of being a self-centered yuppie a-holes.
Sure, it's crowded, but let's let our kids use FOUR CHAIRS to make a table for their dolls! Someone leaves and a lady wearing too much fleece asks me "Are you waiting for this table?" I say, ... Read Morewithout humor, "No, I'm just waiting to get out of here."
Then some guy (my companion likened to a female body part) actually said this regarding his kids: We come home from work and say, "I just don't know how Sylvia does it five days a week!" Know what? Since Sylvia is raising your kids I hope she teaches them SPANISH, just for grins. (I'm making a big assumption here).
That is a thing that I dislike so much that I love watching it.
 |
|
|
| Las Vegas, Las Vegas |
[Oct. 12th, 2009|10:28 pm] |
I want to start a hotel/casino called "Las Vegas, Las Vegas". It would have a diorama of the Vegas strip inside, and the food court would be themed after downtown. We would constantly evolve with each addition. Sure, you've seen the Vegas version of Paris, France at Paris, Las Vegas but have you seen Las Vegas, Las Vegas version of Paris, Las Vegas? Yeah...that's right. |
|
|
| Half Baked Directives |
[Jul. 22nd, 2008|09:35 pm] |
Backstory: I write/produce things for a large kids' television network. We have a standards department here at work who reviews our content - promos, shorts, music videos. Being large, there's a sense of responsibility to our viewers. This is a good thing that can get out of hand when things are overly scrutinized. Today for a promo, I strung together a bunch of clips of one character doing loud obnoxious things. It's funny. One shot though, has the character drinking coffee with his tongue and going "la la la la la" as he does it. It's silly. I got a note that says to change that shot because it's "pretty gross". So here's the e-mail inquiry I posed to my boss:
Obviously, I'm not going to start a fight with standards over this.
But to take out a shot because one person calls it "pretty gross" is arbitrary. We need to DEFINE gross. Does it remind them of cunnilingus? Is it gross to drink coffee improperly? The tongue is a body part used to taste food. That's it. (Male Character) doesn't seem remotely aroused. If he's tonguing the side of a roast beef sandwich while exhaling loudly...THEN we have a case. Are we supposed to believe that kids and parents are watching (Television Show) and saying (Character) drinking coffee with his tongue seems sexual?
Are we still allowed to show CATS drinking MILK? Because I can think of at least 2 more sexual-innuendos on that one. If we don't say WHY it's "gross", it's just one half-baked opinion.
I'll fix the shot. That's not an issue.
What.
Ever.
My boss said, "I can't believe you used cunnilingus in a work e-mail." and called it my "filthiest rant yet" and said he forwarded it to his boyfriend. I felt like the roast beef sandwich was my vilest part. I did it for a reason though, well several reasons...
1. It's fun to be gross.
2. The definition needs to be articulated, not just randomly defined. If you say something is gross, you should say WHY, not just let us all come up with our own ideas. (and ladies, you can use this one, the next time a guy at a party says "Wanna get out of here?" say to him, "And do what?". Persist until you get a specific answer. Have fun with that.)
3. My boss is terrified of vaginas. I knew what I was doing. |
|
|
| Writer's Block: Whose part would you play? |
[May. 22nd, 2008|01:21 am] |
I would be Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington on "Welcome Back Kotter" because I am black. Also, I would put a rubber hose up Travolta's nose, which would be ironic.
My current favorite person on TV is Special Agent Dale Cooper because he distills his surreal life into these tidy little truths about life. |
|
|
| Isn't this more of a Friday thing? |
[Apr. 6th, 2006|05:08 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  silly | ] |
So today is Judgement Day at The WB. If you don't know, The WB and UPN Networks are merging to form The CW. Here at The WB we're learning who stays on at the new network and who is released to the world to explore new opportunities or reinvent themselves. That means "look for a new job". While the process is a pain in the ass, it usually ends good. These are talented people who can create other options and we have five months to look.
How am I preparing? Gambling Futures Odds. Hiding under my mousepad is a list of everyone who works here with the current odds. Without giving boring details, I'm at 15:1.
One issue: it's Thursday. And it's LATE on a Thursday, like almost time to go home. I know we're not getting "fired" or asked to leave TODAY but aren't they supposed to do this on a Friday? |
|
|
| Everybody Wants to Rule the World (another damn football post) |
[Jan. 22nd, 2006|10:19 pm] |
Next...Dancing With the Stars.
But first: Apparently there is a "Seahawks Nation". This dubious claim is made on the Seattle Seahawks football team's website. Seattle invented coffee, grunge music and rain. This is not the point.
It's a new trend with NFL teams to sound bigger than life by calling their fan base "(team name) nation". It was started, apparently, by the infamous Oakland Raiders. If there's one team not to emulate, it's the Raiders. "Raider Nation" is strong in Los Angeles, with idiotic fans who follow a team that left their city with the misplaced loyalty of a stalker.
Most of the citizens of the fictional country are criminals, puppy-rapists or just assholes with car decals displaying Raiders logos modified to have more psychotic imagery and classy slogans like "Fuck The Rest". Many Raiders fans want to be tough and associate with the intimidating color scheme, bad neighborhood and thug fans. Their evil kingpin owner, Al Davis, not only looks like he sells diamonds out of the trunk of a Buick, but also says he'd "rather be feared than respected" IN HIS OWN ORGANIZATION. Take any bad boss you've ever had and multiply him by "Crime Boss", you have Al Davis.
My opinions aside, the Raiders can claim a strong nationwide fan base. Saying "Raider Nation" is not a stretch. They are legendary. I'd say the same for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys and even the Green Bay Packers - whose hometown is smaller than Burbank, CA.
Now every damn team wants claim a nation, even if they're the size of Luxemburg. Like when the Roman warriors left behind oversized spears so future archealogists would say, "These guys were HUGE!". The criteria for a "nation" is much looser than the pervious requirement of a broad national fan base. Got a Bronco fan club in Wyoming? Poof! Bronco Nation! There's a Seahawks fan living in Atlanta! Seahawks Nation! A Minnesota Vikings fan once drove through Nebraska wearing a Vikings hat. Must mean...Vikings Nation!
In the national transplant pool called Los Angeles, many NFL teams have a representative bar in the city. The Steelers have an entire list separated by region. Check this out: http://www.post-gazette.com/steelers/steelerbars.asp.
On a related note, I propose an "Awesome Helicopter Ninjas Nation" for my kickball team. |
|
|
| Kurt Vonnegut's Favorite Pizza |
[Jan. 5th, 2006|01:46 pm] |
Here's another review of a pizza place for pizza club. If you want to read a non-pizza review, skip this. However, if you like old man beards and allusions to the Great Depression, read on!
Numero Uno Pizza was my least favorite pie so far but it may be my own fault.
OK, if you name a pizza the "Slaughterhouse Five" it should have a lot of meat on it or at least taste like Kurt Vonnegut's beard. Numero Uno's pizza was topped with vegetables, tons of them! As a customer it is your responsibility to read the menu and I did a poor job so my unexpected near-meatless experience is my own fault.
The King of Pizza Club, Michael, judges pizza restaurants by their cheeze pizza, so that was my only other option. Pizza without enough meat and sodium is gross and unsatisfying to me. So, fine, I stacked the deck against myself. Slaughterhouse Five still an inappropriate name.
Let's get on with it. Numero Uno is the first properly lit pizza restaurant we've eaten at. One one hand, that means the atmosphere is warmer and more comfortable. Yet, since this is an actual sit down restaurant and not a pizza dive, it puts Uno in a different weight class from LaMonica's or Joe Peeps. Apples and oranges. The floor was ugly and the place looked like it was converted from a Mexican restaurant. Nice dim lighting though.
Uno serves Chicago style. It's cooked in a pan with a thicker crust which is a change from the floppier New York style we've been eating. The Chicago style pizza and experience is slightly classier but the thick crust blands up the pizza as it tilts the bread to topping ratio.
Based on it's food, Chicago is a city that knows how to survive. Their hot dogs are the best, a poppy seed roll and tons of vegetables. Spicy peppers too! Anyway, their complex hot dogs were created during the depression so that people could cheaply eat a full meal. The pizza is the same, loaded with bread so you get plenty to eat.
Salad was good. Bread was too sweet. Pizza was well done but a little bland and the crust was, again, too sweet. The mini pizzas are too small.
Taste - Great cheese, average crust. - 634 (of 900)
Toppings - Great quality. Just named incorrectly. 192 (of 200).
Atmosphere - Nicer than all the dives we've eaten at but in a different class. As far as sit-down places go, generic and bland. 470 (of 680).
Value - 451 (of 500) - Good price for the whole experience but the mini is too small.
Digestability - 400 (of 400) - This seems to no longer be an issue. Plus I took a Lactaid, dulling the point here.
Total - 2147 of 2680 - 80% |
|
|
| President Nixon vs. Ronnie James Dio |
[Jan. 4th, 2006|10:39 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | coconut rum/cherry creme soda | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | The sound of silence. Not the song either | ] |
I saw funny hand signs today while I ate pizza.
First of all, my friend Michael has invented Pizza Club. We meet bi-weekly to eat pizza at different places, talk about it and fill out worksheets reviewing each restaurant. Some day we hope to do delivery.
Anyway, on the TVs, USC played Texas for the National College Football Championship in the Rose Bowl. The Rose Bowl is right down the street, my friend said we should camp out in Pasedena by stores we like in case of rioting. I figure college educated fans are less likely to riot but still said it might be wise to sit outside of "Sur La Table" and maybe pick up a spatula in the chaos.
So, the Longhorns of Texas hold their first and pinkie fingers up to make "longhorns" which actually looks like the devil sign heavy metal acts like to throw. Ronnie James Dio apparently invented this. He said his grandma used to hold up the devil horns or evil eye or something to protect him against evil. They look like a fraternity / sorrority party listening to Megadeth.
Across the field, the USC Trojans hold up "victory" signs (though they did the opposite today). This is a "V" made with the index and middle fingers. Like a peace sign. They also have a gentleman dressed as a Trojan. So, ignoring the colorful sports attire, they basically look like dirty hippies taking on Metallica fans. Neither of which are typical football followers.
Marching bands are dorky as hell. Texas' outfits are the worst ever. Long orange pants with some kind of shoelace pattern up the sides. White vests and lame cowboy hats. College sports tend to have longstanding traditions. Unfortunately, lame slogans and ugly outfits come along for the ride. USC's band did a rendition of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" for the halftime show. As it started I thought, unless Eddie Van Halen plays the guitar parts, we're on the fast track to Lame City (the town where I picked up that last phrase, coincidentally). But the marching band even did the punching stuff on each other! And then they grabed their crotches, then held their arms out and yelled "Hoooo!!" So it was actually great. |
|
|
| Arguing About Geography |
[Jan. 3rd, 2006|05:07 pm] |
A tiny Armenian man tried to fight me a few weeks ago. This is because he was an idiot who enjoyed "talking trash" while watching a televised sporting event. I'm pretty much against this behavior in relation to anything all the way down to Mario Kart.
At the Burbank Bar and Grill, the few tables of Chiefs fans (and Cowboys fans, since that is who we were playing) had to endure THREE HOURS of unprovoked taunting from an unruly Cowboys fan who does not represent all Dallas Cowboy fans. I'd bet $286 he jumped on the Cowboy bandwagon around 1994. I sat with my sisters, my roommate's 6 foot tall Australian prison guard boyfriend and Rick, who is a Dallas fan (yes, originally from Dallas) when he's not cheering for the Chiefs. Several fans from both teams coexisted amicably as they do most weeks at the Burbank Bar and Grill. Everyone knows how to behave except the little Armenian gentleman drinking, almost coincidentally, White Russians.
Rick finally had enough of this fellow boasting that we're "all going home disappointed" and we "suck" etc... He declared - at 50 dB, since he's a professional announcer - that everyone should cheer for their own team and respect other fans. Meanwhile, I told the bar owner to "Turn the TV up and turn this asshole down." The small man didn't like that. So I made another friendly comment that made his friend stand up and invite me to fight him. I asked, "Why, are you his boyfriend?" He says "Fuck you." so I say, "Why don't you two fuck each other?" (problem solved, right?)
Of course, this is a family place and it was 99% on my side including the prison guard, restaurant owner, and my crazy 50 year-old friend who's not even afraid of Raider fans. Rumplestiltskin continues raving for our benefit, about how awesome "his" team played. I reply, "You played a marvelous game from your table." (the antethesis of "smack talk", since it points out the absurdity of being proud of a sports-entertainment event you had nothing to do with.)
Like I said, this is a family place, so I pantomime felatio on a giant penis (a two-hander!) and make a disgusting noise over and over. The guy gets furious, as do his friends (and I've barely said one logical thing!). Of course, they never even take a step toward my table they just ask me to come outside with them.
Needless to say, I don't. They leave. And for some reason, on his way out the door, the l'il guy slams his check down on the table and yells "You can put that shit on the HOUSE!" Nobody knows what that meant, because he did pay. Everyone applauded his leaving which I'm sure was interpreted by him as validation for his awesome "on the house" comment.
We haven't seen the guy at the Burbank Bar and Grill since. |
|
|
| navigation |
| [ |
viewing |
| |
most recent entries |
] |
| [ |
go |
| |
earlier |
] |
| |
|
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92.2){kind=small}
freenachos's journal
bouncy