Why Living in LA Sometimes Doesn't Suck

There are very few things that are truly cool about my dad being a teamster for ABC(i.e. one of the guys in the trucks who drives all the shit needed for the show from one place to the set) (AKA, that asshole who just cut you off when you were getting on the freeway because he's bigger and stronger than you. You know you've seen him). Honestly, the production of a TV show is REALLY boring and tedious, followed by about 20 minutes of actual action. It involves sitting around waiting to do your part on the show, whether it's decorate the set, set up the lights, or do the actual performing/directing/acting, and then waiting some more to do the next part of your job. Trust me, even if you are a tourist and someone takes you backstage to see your fave show, you're getting the put-your-best-face-on-and-make-it-look-interesting version of how it all actually works.

That being said, one of the best things about my dad being a teamster is that he works on Jimmy Kimmel Live sometimes, and therefore knows everyone that works there, including the security guards. Therefore, when someone I really want to see is going to be performing, I can not only get in to see the show, I can get in to see the sound check.(And they don't say anything about my expired ID) (Did I forget to mention that I sometimes work as a teamster? My bad) Well yesterday, one of my favorite groups was performing. You may have heard of them...The Black Eyed Peas. (Insert envy here.)

The best thing about seeing the sound checks is getting to see what the performers are really like. Not the "performance" part of the person, but the "professional" part of the person. When I saw Maroon 5 do their sound check, it was more entertaining than the actual show because they were just jamming, playing everything from Metallica to the Beatles. They were all having a good time and seemed like a cohesive group. Usher was the most professional person I've ever seen. He was insitent on doing all the choreography and making sure that everyone was singing on pitch and that the drums weren't too loud. Jay-Z was scary because there were "security" guys on the roof guns. BEP was a different story.

Not to say they didn't get along, but you could see that Will.I.Am is kind of a diva, Fergie was, well, confused and had obviously not rehersed much, Taboo couldn't say focused for more than 2 seconds and apl.de.ap was a bit, um, out of place. (The backup dancers, who had been going over the routine before the band came on stage, looked like they'd been doing it for years, even though 2 of them had just learned it.) Will was running around and saying hi to everyone and not doing any of the choreography, instead choosing make inappropriate hand gestures with his mic. And yes, I laughed at each one. Fergie just looked baffled. She couldn't get all the moves and couldn't remember the lyrics a few time through. Taboo kept looking around and talking to anyone within a foot of him. I can't tell you how many times the manager had to yell "Tab!" during the sound check to get him back into place. Apl kept bouncing from working on the choreography to leaning on one of the giant blow up robots, to messing with his mic and, my favorite, standing there like the kid at a party who doesn't really know where to go so stares at the ground instead.

Through all of this, they still put on a good show. "Boom Boom Pow" wasn't as good as I thought it would be, but I think it's becuase this was their first time performing it and they, obviously, didn't go over it enough. They did a few of their other songs and that's when it was really entertaining. They looked like they knew what they were doing and were really into it, making the crowd get into it.

I did catch a quick glimpse of Fergie when she was walking back from the stage and I got a nod and a smile. She is MUCH prettier in person. Being the professional that I am, I refused to turn into a screaming fan so I just smiled at her and tried not to tell her she looked like the alien version of Princess Leia with those wierd green things on her ears.

Didn't your mother ever teach you to use your words not your fists? (Or some other form of a "deadly weapon")

I’m not going to pretend like I know everything that is going on because I don’t. I, just like everyone else, only knows what EVERY SINGLE NEW STATION, SITE, OUTLET, WHATEVER is reporting. Chris Brown “assaulted” Rihanna with a “deadly weapon.” Way to live up to the stereotype, dumbass.

Even if the charges end up being dropped, the fact that she had to go to the police in first place is suspect. Something had to happen for her to go the police and even if he never gets convicted and it ends up being just another argument that the media blew way out of proportion, she still needed to go to the police and the police found enough plausibility in her story to bring charges against him. He will always be known as just another hip-hop artist who beat up his girlfriend.

I will say this, though. He gets mad props for turning himself in instead of going to the Grammys or running. By turning himself in, it shows a level maturity and a bit of remorse for what he did. I can respect that, even if I think there is never an excuse for beating another human being.

On the up side, I am really glad that Rihanna went to the police. There are a lot of women who let violence against them go unnoticed. By seeing someone like Rihanna step forward against a man that everyone has watched grow up and who many love as if they knew him personally, I hope that many more women will find the strength they need to get out of harmful relationships.

Reading is sexy...so is putting Xmas music on your iPod

I realize that it’s been awhile since I’ve written about books, despite the fact that I’ve been reading quite a bit, so I figure now is as good a time as any.

The last book I finished was by Dawn Powell called The Wicked Pavilion. It’s about all these different people who frequent the Café Julien, all of whom end up being connected in some way at some point in the novel. It’s a really great story and so well written, I can’t believe that I have never heard of Dawn Powell. I really love Jerry Dulaine, a woman on the rise of the social scene who has been taken in by Elsie Hookley, a Bostonian socialite with all the wrong ideas. The craziness of these two women is so entertaining, yet sad at the same time. I love it.

One of the other main plots in the book is that of two artists, Dalzell Sloane and Ben Forrester, who decide to fake the works of their late friend in order to pay bills. This plot is so good because it’s like watching a car crash about to happen. You know it’s going to end badly but you can’t help but watch anyway. The way this plot drives the novel without completely taking it over is so brilliant, I couldn’t help but fall in love!

I am really going to have to pick up more of Dawn Powell’s books. She wrote like a dozen novels yet she was never a success. Her writing is so witty and so real that it’s truly a shame she didn’t get more credit than she did. But at the very least, I’m going to help her estate by buying more of her books! I do what I can…

Another book that I recently re-read is called Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster. It’s a nonfiction book about her struggle to lose weight, despite loving food and herself. It’s hilarious! She’s so funny because she’s completely honest with herself and realistic in her goals. She tries all the fads, plus Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers, all with hilarious results. It’s kind of inspiring in a not-trying-to-inspire-just-trying-to-tell-you-my-story-and-if-it-inspires-you-then-yay kind of way. Plus, I’m always a big fan of a fat girl trying to get thin while not really wanting to.

Right now, I’m reading a book by Robert Handler called Adverbs. I picked it up at the same bookstore I picked up the Dawn Powell book. It’s a small bookstore off of Los Feliz that I found via Yelp and am officially in love with. I bought these books because of the “staff recommends” tags on the shelves, which is my favorite way to find new books. Even though I haven’t gotten too far into Adverbs, I feel like Skylight Books is going to be 2-for-2!

I’m also reading the new Toni Morrison book, A Mercy. After taking a semester long course on just Toni Morrison, I decided that I think she is my favorite author, or at least in my top 5. Her last book, Love, was my favorite of hers, and since it was only written a few years ago, I figure she’s still got it. Also, I read a review of it in Sunday’s New York Times that praised it, so I definitely had to pick it up. Even though I hate hardcover books. Thank you Amazon.com for selling it for 10 bucks cheaper than the cover price.

On another subject, I am officially starting off my holiday season tonight. I usually wait until after my sister's bday on the 10th, but since we have already started with the cheesy Xmas music at work, I have to get my playlist going. Curious as to what it will consist of? Here's a few highlights:

"Little Saint Nick" by the Beach Boys
"Santa Baby" by Eartha Kitt
"The 12 Days of Christmas" by John Denver and the Muppets
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Kermit the Frog
"Feliz Navidad" by Jose Feliciano
"Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" by *NSYNC; and of course
"All I Want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey and the version from Love Actually

Whoever said Christmas music sucks obviously doesn't have any fun with it!