pahty, pahty, pahty!

You know you've got mad skillz when you can slap a company Christmas party together in two days. After our publisher decided his busy schedule couldn't afford him the time to set everything up, Whit and I took over, finding a venue (Ambassador), liquor sponsors (thank you Rico) and even came up with a phenomenally jolly theme for the decorations (um hello, projecting A Christmas Story on the screen overhead? truly fab). Needless to say we're sore from the heavy lifting, exhausted from the bizarrely long week, and in all honesty, still a touch hungover, but I think the end result was brazilliant and we might have an event planning future ahead of us.


tea lights for some ambiance...

we wrapped all the tables to look like Christmas presents.



debauchery in the photo booth upstairs.

current obsession #13:

untitled (london) (street). 2003. jakob kolding

strike a pose.

My good man Leonard invited me to the FORD models holiday party Tuesday and I brought my gal Whitney with me to partake in free libations, niblets, and super skinny people everywhere. It was a blast.


beautiful people.


Leonard and my best model pose.


too cool for school.


models, models, everywhere!


Whit and I attempting to work it. I dare say we were rather successful.


God bless the holidays and the forgiveness for consuming copious amounts of booze on a week night. You know it's a great party when you wake up in last night's makeup and have visions of the good life dancing in your head. And by "dancing" I mean pounding to the point where only a Double Double Animal Style and a Coke from In N Out will silence the pain.

current obsession #12:

the smarmy protest signs from the Viacom walk out.

current obsession #11:

current obsession #10:

Square America
Vintage Snapshots

current obsession #9:

current obsession #8:

"I'm not interested in money, I just want to be wonderful."
-Marilyn Monroe







Marilyn Monroe: The Complete Last Sitting
Bert Stern
1962

current obsession #7:

Opus Jazz

current obsession #6:

A safe but sometimes chilly way of recalling the past is to force open a crammed drawer. If you are searching for anything in particular you don't find it, but something falls out at the back that is often more interesting.

J. M. Barrie
"Dedication"
Peter Pan
1904

R.I.P.

Evil Knievel 1938-2007.

current obsession #5:

My pal N8 dropped my digi cam into his full pint of beer a couple weeks ago. Even though I'm pretty sure it's on the slow crawl towards death, the delayed shutter opening is giving me a great vintage feel to my snapshots.

My boss and her dad at a Sinatra themed party:

current obsession #4:

Movember.

current obsession #3:

"If you think missing me is hard, you should try missing you."

-anonymous quote. already sent it to carines...

current obsession #2:

Helmet Newton, "Self Portrait with Wife June and Models (1981)"

current obsession:

My Lover the Sea

I am that child with the round, dirty face
who on every corner bothers you with his
"can you spare a quarter?"
I am that child with the dirty face
no doubt unwanted
that from far away contemplates coaches
where other children
emit laughter and jump up and down considerably

I am that unlikeable child
definitely unwanted
with the round dirty face
who before the giant street lights or
under the grandames also illuminated
or in front of the little girls that seem to levitate
projects the insult of his dirty face

I am that angry and lonely child of always,
that throws you the insult of that angry child of always
and warns you:
if hypocritically you pat me on the head
I would take that opportunity to steal your wallet.

I am that child of always
before the panorama of imminent terror,
imminent leprosy, imminent fleas,
of offenses and the imminent crime.

I am that repulsive child that improvises a bed
out of an old cardboard box and waits,
certain that you will accompany me.

- Reinaldo Arenas (1943-1990)

Friendo.

No Country For Old Men is one of the creepiest films I've seen in a looooong time, but so god damn good. There's nothing like the saucy Javier Bardem, this time reincarnated as a cattle gun wielding psycho killer with a Prince Valiant hairdo to send a shiver down your spine. Partner that with some brilliant Tommy Lee Jones monologues and you've got yourself a mighty good picture.

Excuse me, are you saying meow?

"The world is getting more and more scruffier, innit?"

7:17pm. On a Saturday. San Francisco.

I'm coming out of Peet's Coffee on Polk, it's raining and I'm looking down to see where I'm walking since I'm in flip flops and have a history of biting it (still doesn't stop me from wearing flip flops in the rain though...). Out of the corner of my eye I see a drunk dude pissing on the cage that covers The Bagelry when it's closed and he turns to zip up just as I'm about to pass him.

drunk dude: "Oh shit. Hey baby! (pause) You like that?"

Really, dude? You're that drunk this early on a Saturday that you need to relieve yourself in public? Cause I'm pretty sure the taco joint next door has a bathroom, and they're open til 9pm.

The humans are dead.

When you're delirious from trying to track down art for 49 different subjects, suddenly a couple of mailing tubes and a mutual appreciation for FOTC (which you share with your co-worker) become the main ingredients for a little thursday am silliness.

becase.

Beware of yellow snow...

I had the pleasure of working the SPIN booth at this year's ICER AIR this past weekend. The urban big air ski and snowboard competition trucks in a bunch of snow every year to create a massive ski jump in the middle of San Francisco's ATT Park. Then, the hottest skiers and snowboarders are brought in to compete against each other while the masses drink stadium beer and reek havoc on the outfield. Thank God it's the off season. Music acts entertain between jumps which is awesome (this year Talib Kweli and Mos Def were the headliners), unless you're a heinous cover band and play Lit's "My Own Worst Enemy" twice in one set. Not cool dudes, not cool.

Downsides:
-It was a bazillion degrees outside (wtf? It's SF AND November!?!?!?!) and our booth was smack dab in the middle of Sun central. Seeing as my people come from a land of overcast skies and cable knit sweaters, I was none too pleased to basque in the glow of the center of our Solar System for a full three hours. Especially since I neglected to apply sunscreen.
-I was exhausted from a long work week and too many Halloween parties, and I just couldn't fathom waiting the 5 hrs between the end of my shift, and Mos Def taking the stage. We had a moment at a dive bar in NY once, let's leave it at that. And no, the "moment" did not involve a restraining order.

Upsides:
-NACHOS!!!!! And I'm kind of an expert when it comes to this particular south of the border delicacy, so you really have to impress me to evoke this kind of enthusiasm. The Nachos Bell Grande from the 2nd floor Promenade were a beautiful blend of cheese, jalapeños, and salsa. I not only wolfed them down with full force, but threw my empty dish high in the air in a complete fit of joy once I was done (read: I so feverishly tried to scrape the last of the nacho cheese out, that I toppled the remaining chips and some salsa onto myself).

Ole!

I'll show you burst pipes...

A notice went up in the lobby of my apartment building the other day stating between 9am and 4pm on Wed. 10/24 tenants won't be able to use the water, and a plumber is coming in to inspect all the units. Apparently, there's a leaky culprit and it's messing with the boiler in the basement. As luck would have it, the apartment above me is the prime suspect and while I was originally told they'd have to knock out the wall behind my sink to check the pipes, I was under the impression that all would be restored to normal by the time I got home. Au contraire. Upon returning to said apartment after work, I was greeted with this lovely sight:



The white wall behind the pipe in the top left corner is my neighbor's kitchen, and if you crouch down you can see straight into her place. Following a borderline sleepless night where I kept imagining rats and/or cockroaches ascending from the depths of the walls to infiltrate my flat and claim their territory, I called the plumber first thing this morning only to learn that my landlord has hired his own contractors to patch everything up. When? No appointment has been scheduled yet.

Ahoy, Matey!

Jessica Simpson aside, John Mayer does have some charming qualities. The video below for one, and I rather enjoy his column "Music Lessons with John Mayer" which appears monthly in Equire.


VH1.com Blog

If I told you you were beautiful, would you date me on the regular?

A friend of one of my co-workers had the pleasure of tailgating the Packers game with Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel and James Van Der Beek. The true gem is JT shotgunning the Miller Lite in the last pic.





mmmmm. Cheeseheads.

Zola is too cool for school.

M's niece Zola on stage in Sweden I think. She's Dweezil's babycakes and is beyond cuteness.

"Sandwich avec...how do you say grilled cheese?"

The best part of Wes Anderson's short film, Hotel Chevalier (prologue to the Darjeeling Limited):

"Where do you go to (my lovely)" by Peter Sarstedt.

oh andy/akiva/jorma.

I was kissin' Valentino by a crystal blue Italian stream.

You know you're having a BAD day when:

-It's 7:30am and you're running late because one of the hounds you're dog sitting won't shit, and you can't keep strolling Cow Hollow in the cold "almost rain" in your flip flops any longer, especially after you slipped-but caught yourself-at the crosswalk.
-You get lost on the way to pick up your free microwave courtesy of L (she had an extra one after moving into new digs) due to the fact that one of the streets Google Maps instructed you to turn on is now sealed off.
-You finally get to the coffee shop, run in and out, only to discover that in your caffeine deprived haze you parked on the wrong side of the street for a whopping 4 min and now have a parking ticket thanks to street cleaning.
-You get back to the boss' apt to tidy up before she returns later today and learn you have locked yourself out. Fortunately, you have a spare in your own apt but it doesn't make it any less annoying to drive across town to get it.

You know you're having a GOOD day when:

-doughnuts mysteriously appear on the third floor and there's one glazed left.
-the weather shifts and it's now going to be sunny with a high of 72.
-the trailer for Grace is Gone is posted and you get super excited because two of your besties not only worked on the film, but one is the Associate Producer.
-you are now 1 degree of separation away from John Cusack.
-you have what will surely be a kick ass story (about B having a conference stalker) waiting for you when she gets home tonight.
-you've decided to make a conscious effort to start incorporating "By the hammer of Thor!" into your vernacular.

Have you seen my baseball?

My pal Jorge in Nueva York gave me two tix to Barry Bonds final SF game last night after he was forced to cancel his trip to Cali, but on two conditions:

1)I had to boo him.
2)If I got my hands on one of his balls (get your mind out of the gutter), I would have to split the proceeds.

Done.

S and I made a beeline for the beer stand the minute we entered the gates (naturally), then headed down to section 140 of the bleachers where we discovered we not only had a fantastic view of left field, but were surrounded by folks quite fond of the chant:

"What's the matter with Barry? HE'S A BUM!!!"

Three beers in, I was shouting "You Suck!" like a true champ, but to avoid confrontation I left it at that in an effort to make Barry lovers believe I was accosting the Padres. We even befriended some wasted old dudes seated to our left. When S asked if they would take our picture, this is the gem that was produced:


Awesome, can't wait to frame that one.

Barry failed to knock one out of the park during his final time at bat in the 6th, and after the 7th Inning Stretch (it's a tradition) we decided it was time to head home. It's not like they were going to win anyway.

Ouch.

"LaToya Jackson. What does it take to be known as the 'crazy' member of the Jackson family? "

TB: Hey, I just met with a client who has this panty line, they're disposable thongs and I wanted to give one to H.
Me: Eew.
TB: No, they're really cool. They have that chemical in them, what's it called? Starts with an "F." You know, it makes you more attractive to other people?
Me: Pheromones?
TB: YES! So will you make sure she gets it and knows it's from me?
Me: Oh I will.

I have my moments.

3:14pm
Office
Everyone is high on halloween candy and eager for the wkd.

K: S, why aren't you coming to Arcade Fire with us tonight?
S: because my husband has been away for a week, so you know...

Me: It's business time.

hysterical laughter ensues at the zinger I just bestowed upon my co-workers, and a couple of folks even chime in with "it's biznass, it's biznass tiiime."

Brazilliant.

For those of you out of the loop:

A Pirate's Life for Me.

I made my way over the Bay Bridge Sunday to soak up some sun and some alt rock at TIMF, which brought back fond memories of the Siren Music Fest at Coney Island, only with less carnies.

Au Revoir Simone was oh so lovely.

photo by Stefanie Michejda

Two Gallants were mayjahly exuberant.


photos by Stefanie Michejda

M. Ward was subtle and sweet while Clap Your Hands Say Yeah went buckwild.

And Spoon made me swoon, or should I say Britt Daniel did, especially when-after a feverish guitar riff-he realized one of his shirt buttons had come undone and flashed the audience a cheeky grin as he remedied the sitch.

Meow.



photos by Stefanie Michejda

Unfortunately, me mates and I had to skip out before Modest Mouse took the stage, since we'd pretty much been standing for 8 hours and our soon to be peglegs were about to give out. Even though it saddened me tremendously to leave Johnny Marr behind, sometimes you have to quit while you're aaaarhead.

brill.

Seth Green Chris Crocker Outtakes

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Fact: Bill Murray is a God.

Tom Skerritt

The office obsession that still hasn't died. Thanks to Kelly we're all walking around calling each other "Betch" and "Deck."

hooray hooray, I'm your silver lining.

Rilo Kiley at the Warfield equals an hour and a half of deliciousness. The only downside was the granola dude who looked like Jesus and sat next to L and I. He felt it completely appropriate to take his shoes off and rest his dirty dogs on the railing in front of him. It wasn't very Holy.

Sidenote: M decided to photoshop a zombie head into the image when I asked him to resize it for me, so there's a nugget of added enjoyment for you.

It's Britney, bitch.

I'm not sure which is scarier, this

OR

this:

I'm not old, just clumsy.

Based on my Walgreens purchase this evening consisting of an ACE bandage and an ice pack, thanks to what I can only guess is a sprained wrist, the lovely drug store computer system thought it was appropriate to spit out a coupon which best profiled me as a consumer. God only knows what I managed to do to myself (this time), and as much as I'd like to admit that denial followed by a House marathon leads to a legitimate medical diagnosis, it does not. Even if you do find yourself oddly attracted to Hugh Laurie as the Vicodin popping, insult spewing, physician incarnation of Sherlock Holmes.

I'm glad to report I'm now eligible for an AARP membership.

I never thought this day would come. Or at least not for a few more years...

I miss Invite Them Up at Rififi for the following reasons:

Demetri Martin



Eugene Mirman


Bobby Tisdale

YAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!

Hawt 20

Photo shoots are notoriously dull. It takes forever to set up and can last for what seems like a lifetime. However, when you get nightlife entrepreneurs with Irish accents, dashing looks and a kick ass dog named Beau, the afternoon seems to move a little quicker. If only K and I had stuck around long enough to consume the adult beverages serving double duty as props.

Ever since I can remember, I've wanted to be clever.

film crush #122: James McAvoy


(at the Venice Film Festival with Keira Knightley)

He's cheeky, he's British and he steals the scenes in all his films whether he's playing Paul Bettany's horny younger bro in Wimbeldon or a fictional Doctor in The Last King of Scotland. A role that proved despite being a slight 5'7", size clearly doesn't matter when you're this good. I'm quite excited for Penelope.

Keep on Truckin' JM...

b-a-n-a-n-a-s...

I saw a brief mention in the news right after it happened, but New York Magazine recently featured this article exploring the suicides of artists Theresa Duncan and Jeremy Blake. The couple blamed their erratic behavior and her career roadblocks on the Church of Scientology.

Stay away from those free stress tests and informational movie screenings...

It's cool, I just have something in both my eyes.

le swoon.

don't fret my pet.

When life's a little lackluster, work demands you coordinate 20 photo shoots in a little over a week, and you discover that as delightful as Peter Krause is, even he couldn't save Sports Night, just breathe. Jemaine and Bret were put on this Earth to show you the light.

so baby come to me. baby, show me who you are...

Manders played a show at the Fillmore last night and since MK would dodge traffic to score tix (sadly, she still can't dodge a ball...), I got a hold of a girl I know and got us in. The minute we arrived I was handed proof that it's a small GD world because I ran smack into one of the marketing girls I worked under when I interned at JANE in college. She's serving as MM's tour manager now and I was immediately propelled into the NY nostalgia I had so successfully shaken.

The show was really great. She's got a new sound, an underestimated voice, and looked like she was having a blast. The highlight was mos def the cover of Rihanna's Umbrella and a silky smooth rendition of her saccharin sweet first single Candy, which sent the crowd into an overdose. Naturally MK and I managed to remember all the words which we belted out like secret shames were the new declarations of cool. I had also just consumed three Sierra Nevadas in about 20 minutes so I was feeling pretty frisky. It probably explains how I didn't realize I was on the incorrect camera function when snapping the pic below. Tho I dare say it came out pretty cool.