PURE DELIGHT

On a much, much lighter note, here's some stuff I like (for those of you who know me, like, not at all):

• Delicious cheeseburgers
• Romantic patios
• Musical comedies
• Awesome choreography and dancing
• Ingenious set design
• Allison Janney
  
• Dolly Parton

So, guess who just had a life-changing cheeseburger on the lovely, secluded Blue Dahlia patio, followed by about 2 and a half hours of PURE DELIGHT watching 9 to 5: The Musical?

Oh, and Mac! I like Mac. Because he not only went with me, but he actually enjoyed the musical, and I don't think he was just saying that, because I heard him laughing the whole way through, and he expressed awe at the truly amazing set design all on his own. I would also like to take this opportunity to note that while it may be fun for some couples to have everything in common, I think Mac & I end up having more fun because of the stuff that we talk each other into. Like Battlestar Galactica, and musicals.

Wait a minute, I just got an idea...

W.T.F.

And I'm back to politics and feeling frustrated with stupidity. These people I've been railing on, the dumb ones who think Sarah Palin is awesome and actually think Barack Obama is a terrorist? They have faces and voices, my friends. Here they are, if you can stand it:



I'm starting to think that people in this country need to not only be 18 in order to vote, they also need to have a high school diploma/GED and a GPA of at least 2.0 in order to vote. Because these people clearly failed history, current events, science, English, and basic math. For example, the sign at the beginning actually says:
BS = B-->S
OBAMA ->
OSAMA !

Also, this is an actual response to the question, "Do you think Obama is a terrorist?":
"He's got the bloodlines."

W.T.F.

A.Maz.Ing.

And now for something completely amazing and not at all political. Many thanks to Ryan for sending this to me--you know me well, my friend.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

A.Maz.Ing.

vacuous sleazebag

My news crush Keith Olbermann did it again. I love that he has the stage, has the facts, and isn't afraid to use them. I love that he can't hold back from showing us how incredulous and angry he is.


The saddest thing of all with all these Sarah Palin shenanigans is that, for some, they're kind of working. You could hear her pandering in the debate, you could hear her sidestepping questions and flinging out buzzwords. You can actually see her saying and doing the things that appeal to Americans that are scared and stupid and racist and narrow-minded, and her Gosh-darnit, heckuva Joe Six-pack, g-droppin' shtick is actually enough to hide her sleazy tactics from some of these people.

This campaign to me feels like high school all over again. On the one hand, you have the smart kid who would really love to make some changes in the school, who gets up at the school assembly and talks about how to make things better. On the other hand, you have the jackass who's running because he sees the whole thing as a popularity contest, and thinks that just being cute/funny/athletic (and calling the other guy a NERD) is enough to win... and when he sees he isn't winning, starts floating rumors that the other guy still wets the bed. It really is this ridiculous, people, and it shocks and saddens me that more people don't see through it.

In fact, I don't know who I feel more sorry for: The Republicans who are committed to voting with their party, and feel like they have to vote the McCain/Palin ticket even though they can see that the VP nominee is a vacuous sleazebag; Or the people who actually believe what she says, and think that she's doing a great job in this campaign. At least people in the first bucket are voting with a set of principles (regardless of how short-sighted and narrow minded I think they are).

The people in the last bucket are just as dumb as Palin is.

Good enough isn't good enough

Listen.

Parents, educators, friends who care about the world. We have a very important job to do, so listen up.

I'll get to it in just a second, but I'm going to start by saying: I can't take Sarah Palin anymore. And it isn't just because I disagree with her politics, and it isn't just because I find the whole, "Yeah but she's a WOMAN" thing completely insulting to intelligent women everywhere (You mean, you have girl parts? I have girl parts! You've got my vote!).

I can't even take the jokes, and believe me, they're everywhere. Check out Mac's blog, for starters.

It's because she's really, really stupid. And she's the Vice Presidential nominee. THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, PEOPLE. She has been chosen to run for the second-highest office in the free world, and she insists that living close to Russia gives her foreign policy experience.

I couldn't even watch the whole Katie Couric interview, you guys, I couldn't take it. If you missed it, find it on You Tube.

The bigger problem in all this, my friends, is that it puts on display, for the whole world to see, just how little we value intelligence and education in the United States. You could argue that W did this for eight years as well, I suppose. But what we're seeing with Palin is a whole lot of Americans who identify with her, and think it's GREAT that she shows us that "anyone can be President."

NO! No, anyone can NOT be President! This is not okay! We're talking about the highest office in our country, the highest honor in our land, one of the hardest jobs in the world! The person who holds that job should, at a bare minimum, be really, really smart! And that person's second-in-command should be able to keep up.

So you see, my problem isn't with Palin as a politician, so much as it's with the fact that she can't even discuss the economy intelligently with Katie Couric, and yet nearly 50% of the country still think she's smart enough to be a capable vice president.

I'm not arguing with those people. I'm sure there are some who'd love to comment back at me about how Obama's whatever, and that's not what this is about. We'll all vote in November and see what happens.

Here's what it is about: Parents, educators, friends who care about the world, this is a giant red flag. We have a job to do, and we need to act now. To quote Tami Taylor on Friday Night Lights, "It's my job to make sure you don't grow up stupid. It's bad for the world."

Today's kids are growing up with philosophies very different from what I experienced as a child. They're hearing, "everyone is a winner," whereas I always thought that the winners were whoever, you know, actually won. Today, kids get encouragement no matter how they perform; they're somehow entitled to gold stars just for trying. I got encouragement when I tried too, sure, but I got gold stars when I got it right. I grew up with the motto, "Good enough isn't good enough," and knew at a very young age that if I wanted to be successful, it would require a lot of hard work and learning and sacrifice. Today's kids can look at someone like Sarah Palin and think, "If she can do it, I can do it," and skate by in a world that rewards mediocrity.

Again, I say: this is not okay! We need to encourage our children to do better, work harder, be smarter. We need to reward Excellence, not whatever they churn out. Teachers, that means not coddling kids who aren't doing their work--give them bad grades, and teach them so they do better next time. Professors, that means actually teaching and encouraging critical thinking--you can't just read from the text during class and give take home/open-book tests (true story, I actually paid for that class). And, yeah, parents, that'll mean turning off the TV and taking away the cell phone and monitoring their Internet use and checking their work and doing all kinds of things that might piss them off or make them dislike us for a little while. TOO BAD. Suck it up. We're the adults, we have to do it. I know my (future) kids won't like me sometimes. That's okay. I can take it, because I know they'll thank me later. They'll thank you, too, trust me.

It is our job to make sure our children don't grow up stupid. It's bad for the world.

if you're here, watch it

I have 5 friends who read this, right?


Wow, I hope there's at least 5. I mean, I know my mom reads it (hi, Mom!) and she's voting. So 5 people besides my mom, who read my blog... Could be a tall order. But if you're here, watch it.

smart, funny nutshell

If you haven't heard of Jay Smooth or the Ill Doctrine before now, you're in for a treat. I subscribe to his videos, and his most recent one hits on the head exactly how I'm feeling about our country's current economic crisis and it's jocks-are-better-than-nerds attitude towards smart people, just in general, all in one smart, funny nutshell.

Spread the word.

Attention: rock stars and ass kickers.

I am hiring an Account Executive at Click Communications. The job is posted on LinkedIn. Here's what we're looking for. If you know someone, by all means send them my way:

• Someone in the LA area. I know, this limits us but we need to be able to send this person to weekly client meetings, so s/he has to be local.
• Someone who really gets PR. Not marketing, advertising, sales, or promotions, but PR. Yeah, there are some similarities, and I'm willing to look at people with backgrounds in related fields, but only if they truly understand what publicity is, and can convince me s/he's a super-quick study.
• Someone who really gets online. We get a lot of publicists that apply to work for us and have no idea how to work with online media. Or, they don't understand the volume of press partners we work with. A hint: it's WAY MORE than you think.
• Someone who is organized and works fast. Because of the volume of press we work with, and the volume of DVD titles we work on, an AE's email inbox can fill up fast. We're known for being super-responsive, so we need someone who isn't going to freak out when the inbox fills up. Everyone at Click manages a crazy email inbox, and gets all kinds of other things done at the same time. We need someone who can Keep Up.
• Someone hungry and committed. Everyone here at Click works their asses off and loves their jobs. It's kind of crazy, but it's also kind of fun when you really believe in what you're doing. We really believe we're the best at what we do, and we're willing to push for Excellence every day in order to make sure we stay that way. Some days are more intense than others. The last month has been crazy busy, I won't lie. BUT when things get nuts, here's what's good: everyone knows that everyone is in the same boat and is carrying their own weight--no slackers. Mac & I are completely approachable and do our best to help anyone who gets overwhelmed. We reward our staff often with Movie Hooky Fridays and various other fun social activities. We believe in personal days and vacations and Balance, and work closely with all of our staff to make sure they stay happy. Oh, and we pay pretty well. We're not Rockafellers over here or anything, but we pay really competitive salaries , at least compared to other PR shops in town (plus we offer medical/dental benefits, FSA & 401k).

As for specifics of what an AE does for us and who that person's clients would be, I can send a job description to interested parties who send fantastic emails info@clickcommunications.com.

Spread the word.

f**k

This was posted last week, but it's just one small reason why I frakking love Battlestar Galactica.

(Other reasons: cute soldier boys, mind-blowing storylines, authentic reactions and relationships, sensational acting, kick-ass battles & action scenes, real emotion, and so much more.)

bullets & updates

Happy Labor Day! Just a couple bullets & updates:

• I cracked the plasma in my Macbook a while ago, and finally got around to getting it fixed (being without a computer, cracks or no, is darn near impossible for me). The Apple stores, even the "unofficial" ones, wanted a stupid amount of cash to repair it. Like, just a couple hundred more and I could have a whole new computer instead of just a new screen. Ridiculous. But I was prepared to pay it because it had to be fixed, and I took it to the Genius Bar, and you know what they introduced me to?

iResQ--they fixed the exact same thing for HALF THE COST and you don't even have to go anywhere. They send you a box, you send them your broken machine, they send back a fixed machine. Genius. I'm telling all my friends. They also repair iPods.

• I saw House Bunny. As tired as I am of this whole, "Oh wait guys who aren't total douche trucks (and even some who are) actually LIKE smart girls who choose to be themselves over dim bulbs trying to be sexy?" message, I mean COME ON. The whole storyline is insulting. That said, get over it, and go see it anyway because it's also ridiculously funny. That Anna Faris is a comic genius. She wins the whole movie. And I can't stop saying people's names like I'm possessed now. (See the movie, you'll get it.) I really hope boob punching doesn't become a thing, though.

• Finally, my sister Matti sent me some fantastic CDs for my birthday, including a Monkey Mix that is brilliant and kicks off with this song, "Did Charlie Make a Monkey out of You?" sung by The Fischers. It is SHOCKING. It's this song, but it's sung by a child and includes an intro with a child pretending to be a snooty, British science professor teaching evolution, and includes a charming refrain of "wackadoo! wackadoo!" that's missing from this version. I don't know how she found this song, and I can appreciate its place on my mix (which is also part of a Darwin project she's working on), but the whole fact that these people are for real just makes me sad for humanity.

• Actual final note. My parents got to go to Invesco Field to see the last day of the DNC and said it was amazing. I am completely jealous.

an Obama/Biden ticket, and a few questions

So I did some research on Barack Obama's running mate, Joe Biden. Here's what I found out:

• He's been a senator since he was 30, which is the youngest you can possibly be a senator. He was actually elected when he was 29.
• He's worked in Washington for 35 years.
• He's voted with Democrats over 96% of the time.
• He authored the Violence Against Women Act.
• He's one of the least wealthy Senators, with a net worth between $59,000 and $366,000, and commutes on the train to work every day.
  
• He's a long-time member of the Judiciary Committee and Foreign Relations Committee, and currently chairs the latter.
• Is considered by many (Democrats) to be a foreign policy expert.
• He originally voted for the War in Iraq, supported it longer than most Democrats, and is now opposed to it.
• His son is being deployed to Iraq this fall.
  
• He says things. Sometimes they are awesome. Sometimes not so much.

There are some that are calling Biden Obama's Dick Cheney: the older, more experienced VP pulling strings behind the scenes of the younger president's administration. Others are just pissed that Obama didn't choose Hillary Clinton.

Personally, I'm hoping we get some answers this week at the convention. I mean, Biden famously said that he didn't think Obama was ready to be Commander in Chief--a concern 42% of the country has as well. What does he say now, and why is he saying it? Will we get some answers behind this choice, or just sales? And what about Hillary? I honestly never expected her to be the choice, was never really convinced that she wanted the VP spot, and think it could have done the ticket more harm than good, in the end. Not that picking up all those votes wouldn't have been valuable, but she was way harder on Obama in the primaries than Biden ever was, and I don't know if some of that damage was reparable enough to put her on the ticket. Plus there's the suck-tastic reality that America just might not be ready for a ticket with both a black man and a woman on it. Which is awful to say, but these are the times and this is the country we live in. And, I mean, Vice President is not the only answer for Hillary Clinton. She is still a badass with a grand future in Washington--Secretary of State, Supreme Court Justice, people are throwing out all kinds of suggestions for her. She's not done kicking butt yet, not by long shot.

In the meantime, Democrats have an Obama/Biden ticket, and a few questions about it. Until we get some more answers/clarification, all we can do is speculate. Based on what I've read, heard and watched, it seems like the right choice for a Vice President is someone who balances the Presidential nominee. Someone whose personality is a good fit, but whose skills might fill in the blanks. I mean, that's what I do when I hire people. I look for experience that matches the job, skills that complement and balance out mine and my team's, and a personality I can get along with. I kind of like finding people that are different from me or the team, or that I might disagree with on different things, because I think it's healthy and ultimately more productive to be surrounded by people who aren't afraid to challenge the status quo. It's the different between George Lucas movies where he's surrounded by a variety of different people who are trusted to be good at what they do even when they don't have the exact same vision as him (original Star Wars trilogy), and George Lucas movies where he's only surrounded by sycophants dedicated to supporting and praising his one, singular vision (Star Wars prequels).

I digress, but the point is, you pick someone who balances you so you can do the best job possible, as a team. Presumably. So, based on preliminary research, a little speculation, and my own hiring practices, it looks like Biden was a pretty good idea.

I guess we'll see, huh?

My sources:
Wikipedia
The Washington Post
The Boston Globe
Official Joe Biden Site
YouTube
My friend kashe

all I know

I owe so many updates. Insanity reigns in my world right now, but I've tasered it and gotten a rope around its neck, and just have to get it all properly wrangled and tamed before I can get back to normal.

In the meantime, I heart Michelle Obama, and I'm watching DNC speeches all week long. That's all I know. Oh! And I don't know that much about Biden, (I'm embarrassed to say) and haven't had a chance to do my own proper research on him yet. Any scoop or suggestions on where to find scoop on him would be much appreciated!



That Obama family really couldn't be cuter.

I LOVE THIS SHOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!

You should know that I started tearing up, yelling, and squealing with glee pretty much at the start of the So You Think You Can Dance finale, and never quite stopped.

Cat did NOT wear a brown train wreck to the finale this year, and instead decided to go with an old stand-by look for her: A MILLION BUCKS. Damn, girl.

Hi Top 20! Hi hi hi! Oh, I missed (some of) you! It's so much fun to see you all together again! And a Shane Sparks routine to boot. Hurray!! And, I mean, did you SEE the thing with Gev, like, wiggling his way under all 10 girls? Holy buckets of awesome Batman!

Nigel's favorite - Bollywood: Well of course he's going to pick this, with his whole, "Oh my show is SO AWESOME and international, didn't you know?" But, whatever, y'all know I can't get enough of these two, and it's a fun routine.

Mary's favorite - Rhumba: Ah, yes. The butt-grabbing dance, I remember it well. That Courtney & Gev are just as sweet & sexy together as ever.

Plus, I mean, you KNOW there's nothing I love better than a dance-off--it's kind of why I love this show so hard. So you know how much I loved the popping battle, right? SO MUCH. Personally, though, I'm with Mia (shocker)--I thought Phillip was better. And, um, if I could get some kind of audio bite of L'il C saying, "That was Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck" that I can play whenever I, like, finish a proposal or report or something, that would be fantastic, thanks.

Adam's favorite - Hip Hop: I loved this one too! Comfort and Twitch should always dance hip hop together, they're way too much fun to watch. That said, I love how Adam gave a big shout out to Step Up 2's John Chu and Adam Sevani (holla!!), and he's doing A 3-D DANCE MOVE STEP UP 3-D WHO'S GOING WITH ME OPENING WEEKEND. Comment here to sign up. We'll dress in head-to-toe Capezio and bedazzle our 3-D glasses and have ever so much fun. (And, yes, probably have cocktails before hand. I know there won't be a plot.)

And YEAH AC/DC totally kicked M&M's dance bootay all over the YouTubes, y'all.

L'il C's favorite - Hip Hop: "It's so hard to choose," he says. Uh, how about picking the two dancers already on stage in costume, and have them do the number they're prepared to do? I kid, I kid! This was the one that sold me on Chelsie & Mark forever, and she just goes and breaks my heart all over again here. It's still so, so good.

OH MY GOD Y'ALL MARY MURPHY'S DANCING! SHE'S DANCING WITH DMITRY AND SHE'S SO AWESOME AND ADORABLE I CAN'T STAND IT! Eeeee! She's having so much fun and she's so fantastic and adorable and I can't deal. This might be the most delightful thing this show has ever done to me. Mary, all over Dmitry, shaking her fringe, flashing that gigawatt smile (it's so much less scary and more fabulous when she's dancing, isn't it?) I might cry, this is so fabulous. Mary, this is for you: WOOOOOOO!

Like I warned you at the top, this recap will be a bunch of crying and yelling. I have to give you an idea of what's going on in my living room, don't I?

Mia's favorite - Pas de Deux: With Katee & Will. Not at all surprisingly, she picked the two most proficient dancers doing the most beautiful, difficult routine. This was one of my top season favorites as well, though. So beautiful, and such a treat to see it again. AND THEY NAIL IT! THEY NAILED THE LIFT THEY MISSED THE FIRST TIME!! Oh, they can't even contain their smiles, they know they nailed it. And everyone is standing up, and Debbie's there for him, oh, I'm choked up again.

You guys!

Adam's favorite - Jazz: Courtney & Mark's funky Sonja routine. It's so weird to watch after the exquisite pas de deux, but it's still fun. This number has really grown on me as well, in repeat viewings. I can appreciate the technique, I think, a little more than I did the first time around too.

3rd runner up: Courtney. No surprise here. I love her, but I think 4th place in this tough competition is an amazing achievement for her. (Those flowers are bigger than she is, dude!) Bless her sweet little heart. Well done, adorable girl.

Five guys named Moe: With the top 5 guys. I loved it the first time, I like it again. These guys are completely adorable and awesome.

We now pause this program to have some creepy Donnie Darko rabbits do a plug for Cirque du Soleil in Vegas. Then again, Cirque + Criss Angel? I think Wade Robson has found the perfect home for his weird, darkly awesome choreography.

2nd runner up: Katee. Oh, honey. I wanted you to get 2nd place, at least. You have been such a sensational joy to watch all season. And $50,000WHAT! That's awesome! Oh, look, she can't even deal! Yay I'm so happy they've done this, what a phenomenal surprise!!! Yay Katee!!!

Oh, and this means I might be right about the "Want it to be Joshua, but it will probably be Twitch" theory. Oh, dear.

That Debbie Allen is just expressing so much of what I love about this show just exquisitly and perfectly. I love her. Even if she is plugging the Debbie Allen Dance Academy. Because lookit! Cute young tappers! Loves it!! They're sensational!! AND NOW NIGEL'S DANCING! NIGEL'S HOOFIN' Y'ALL! Oh, this is so fantastic. and getting all shown up by the young kid, and doing the call-outs. It's so much fun dancing on one stage, I just continue to be awed and delighted.

Debbie: "Everyone on this panel should be required to dance." YYYYYESSSSSSSSS!!!!!!

Mary's favorite - Contemporary: Oh, the door dance. With Katee & Twitch. I liked this, but I still think this number is all about drama, props, Katee being a badass, and Twitch doing a whole lotta standing. I don't get what all the rest of the fuss is about. Emmy for Mia? Sure, love her, she deserves 'em. For this? Eh.

The Jonas Brothers: Fast-forward. Wow, they are really awful, aren't they?

Debbie's favorite - waltz: Oh, the "Touched by an Angel" piece Jean Marc choreographed for his daughter, with Twitchington. I had a feeling we'd be seeing this again. And it's just as lovely as ever. Tears pricking my eyes again. SIGH.

MY favorite: Debbie Allen taking the piss out of L'il C. How are you making me love y'all EVEN MORE? I can't take it.

Nigel's favorite - Hip Hop: "No Air." YES. Yes, I loved this routine. This was from the first Top 20 show. I remember, I fell in love with these two as a couple with this first number, and they kept making me love them over and over again with every subsequent number.

Oh, I so very much want to Josh to win, this is going to break my heart isn't it??

Hi past season people! Look how cute y'all are! Allison, so grown up! Donyelle, as sweet and fab as ever. Hi Travis! Hi Benji! Hi everyone! (WHERE'S SABRA?? Hmm.) But hi hi hi!

And they're going to dance for us! To "Please Don't Stop the Music," a song I bought from iTunes when I first saw them do a dance at the Idol Gives Back thingy. I had to watch that on on YouTube, so yay! Fresh routine in high def on my big-ass TV! Look how much better they've gotten, too! And now they're dancing with the Top 20! Fun fun!

Oh, my heart. I love this show so much. I know, I've said it a gazillion times already, I just. I do! I love it so much!!!

And JOSHUA WINS!!! JOSHUA WINS!!! JOSHUA WINS!!! JOSHUA WINS!!! JOSHUA WINS!!! YYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!! I can't believe it! I'm so stinking happy! Katee got $50k and Joshua won it's the best possible result Eeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!

I LOVE THIS SHOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!

THANK YOU so much to everyone who's been reading my SYTYCD blogs this past season! I can't hardly believe how many of y'all are reading these recaps, and I appreciate all your thoughtful comments and everything. Thank you and goodnight!