I Hate Paying for Parking

Just got back from seeing The Hurt Locker at Westfield Century City (review to follow...). I validated my parking at AMC, which in the past buys an extra two hours over their standard first three hours free. After the movie, I did some leisurely browsing (scored 3 cami tops at Lucy for $6.99 each!) and after about 3.5 hours at the mall total (including 2.5 hours for the movie when you factor in previews, etc.), I headed back to my car.

Westfield has automate pay stations now and this usually entails slipping the parking ticket into the slot, a bit of whirring of the machine which then calculates that I owe no money and spits said ticket out again for me to use when exiting the parking lot.

Imagine my shock when instead of spitting my ticket out, the machine indicated I owed $3 for that extra 30 minutes. WTF?!!! I looked at the parking rates and sure enough, that validation from AMC bought me an up to two hour grace period--for $3.00.

Smart move, Westfield! I mean three hours is barely enough time to see a movie these days when you account for arriving a bit early to buy tickets, popcorn, find a seat plus previews. Forget about getting out of an epic blockbuster like Harry Potter in less than three hours--not gonna happen. So now, instead of seeing a movie and then doing a bit of shopping afterward (I mean, as long as I'm already here!), it behooves the financially conscientious not to linger after the credits roll, but to high tail it out of there before racking up a $3 parking charge!

Way to go, Westfield! In the midst of a recession, you've found the perfect way to drive your customers away from the mall...

Men: Soon to be Superfluous

The Washington Post reported that British scientists claim to have created human sperm.

Reminds me of an old joke: Why does a woman need a man? Because a vibrator can't take out the trash.

[Cue rimshot]

Can you imagine a world without Dick Cheneys? Rush Limbaughs? Bill O'Reillys?

Imagine a drastic reduction in pedophilia, rape and war.

Not to mention that we wouldn't have to ever worry about accidentally landing in the toilet because some moron left the seat up...

Okay, before I get accused of misandry I'm willing to admit that males have not been rendered completely useless by this scientific discovery.

After all, we still need y'all to take out the trash...

I'm Still in Mourning for MJ...

Yeah...not so much. Thought it might make a good excuse for my not blogging consistently for a while now.

Is it too much to hope that after tomorrow's memorial extravaganza that the Michael Jackson updates slow to a trickle?

Sigh. That's what I thought...

Grumpy Old Men Giveaway

I have a copy of Grumpy Old Men on Blu-ray to giveaway! Yay--another contest...

If you have a Blu-ray player and a soft spot for Walter Matthau and/or Jack Lemmon, just post your favorite Walter Matthau and/or Jack Lemmon movie in the comments and you'll be eligible to win the Blu-ray disc.

I'm partial to Walter Matthau in The Bad New Bears--or his turn as Horace Vandergelder in Hello, Dolly!

And for Jack Lemmon, well--is there anything better than his crossdresser on the lam in Some Like it Hot?


Okay, those would be my picks. Let me know yours. One commenter will win the Grumpy Old Men Blu-ray.

Away We Go

I loved this movie.

Sweet, funny, touching--much like lead actor John Krasinski who plays Burt Farlander. Krasinski is adorably annoying--or annoyingly adorable--as the fuzzy Burt. Krasinski's characterization of the goofy optimist provides a nice counterpoint to Maya Rudolph's portrayal of the more practical, introspective Verona. The two have a lovely chemistry together as a young couple expecting their first child.

On a quest to find the perfect place to put down roots and raise the child due in three months, Burt and Verona go on a cross-country journey. Their encounters with other families and relationships lead them to the realization that they aren't "fuck-ups" after all.

The entire cast is first-rate: Catherine O'Hara and Jeff Daniels as Burt's self-absorbed parents, Allison Janney as the loud and crass Lila and Maggie Gyllenhaal as dippy earth mother LN. Sam Mendes direction of the script by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida explores the many variations of family dysfunction.

There are many very funny and over-the-top moments in the film, balanced with the more serious. Although some of the plot is fairly predictable--who couldn't see where the couple's journey would ultimately end?--there's enough whimsy and ingenuity to engage the viewer. The movie explores love and relationships and the meaning of "home." Combining the quirky indie spirit of Management with the hilarity of The Hangover, creating my favorite comedy of the summer (and most likely one of my top ten for the year...).

Go see it!

Nothing Says "Fashion Victim"...

...like a pair of "sandal booties." I saw a woman wearing a pair similar to these in Bed, Bath and Beyond today and my first thought was, "What the @#$%?"

Apparently I am way behind the fashion curve as these were popular LAST Summer. Yeah, not upset at missing THAT trend.

It's a bootie. It's a sandal! It's a bootal!

What was the thought process with this? I want to wear boots but show off my pedicure at the same time? I like wearing sandals, but my ankles get cold?

I don't care if Kate or Giselle have a pair in every color. I have more respect for the dweeb that wears socks with sandals than anyone sporting a pair of these...

Stephen Colbert on Obama Stonewalling

So funny that this bit played after I watched two DVR'd episodes of Queer as Folk (Note to Colleen: Now I know where your Gale Harold and Scott Lowell lust comes from!):

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The Word - Stonewalling
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Mark Sanford

(What is going on with Colbert's right ear anyway?)

So hysterical. Love the the side captions...

Score One for the Twitter-verse

I've been standing in for a co-worker sending out company tweets. I've avoided Twitter up to now but having spent the last week tweeting, retweeting and following, I've come to appreciate the amazing power Twitter has. It's not only an addictive time suck, but makes television look like two tin cans suspended between a piece of string in its ability to spread news.

With the deaths of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson yesterday, Twitter out-scooped CNN, LATimes.com and just about every major news outlet.

It was a strange day indeed. Although I wasn't a huge Farrah fan and MJ devolution into Wacko-ness far outweighed his Thriller days, I admit to being a stunned as most at the news. Why such a sense of loss over two people who never played a major part in my life? I think Shonda Rhimes said it best when she said, "I'm not ready for the icons of my youth to start dying."

Oh yeah--she posted that pithy remark on Twitter...