Retox in LA

Watching this gave me goosebumps...call me cheesy, I think it's pretty amazing.

Our favorite Sophia Petrillo lines

Estelle Getty, aka Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls, passed away today.

The Kansas City Star put together this great list of Sophia lines from imdb....

Sophia: Picture it: Sicily…

Dorothy (Sophia’s daughter, played by Beatrice Arthur): Hi, Ma. Where are you going?

Sophia: To the boardwalk. I like to watch the old guys rearrange themselves when they come out of the water.

Blanche (Rue McClanahan): I treat my body like a temple.

Sophia: Yeah, open to everyone, day or night.

Blanche: What do you think of my new dress? Is it me?

Sophia: It’s too tight, it’s too short and shows too much cleavage for a woman your age.

Dorothy: Yes, Blanche. It’s you.

Blanche: We just rented that movie “Aliens.” It scared us half to death.

Sophia: I found it scary, too. That Sigourney Weaver is a sweet girl but she really shouldn’t go without makeup.

Rose (Betty White): Everybody likes me.

Sophia: I don’t!

Rose: Oh, you just say that, Sophia.

Sophia: REPEATEDLY!

Stan (Dorothy’s ex, played by Herbert Edelman): Hello, Sophia, you’re looking younger every day.

Sophia: Hi Stan, and that’s a beautiful toupee you’re wearing. Great, now we’re both liars.

Dorothy: Well, Blanche is certainly taking her sister’s novel better than I would. I would kill my sister Gloria if she ever wrote about my sex life.

Sophia: You would kill your sister over a pamphlet?

Contractor: Do you want it fast or do you want it good?

Sophia: Before you answer that, Blanche, the man’s talking about a guest room.

Miles Webber (one of Rose’s boyfriends): Rose, I’ve never met anyone quite like you.

Sophia: Check the corn field on “Hee-Haw.”

Sophia: Come on, Blanche.

Rose: I’m Rose.

Sophia: Simple mistake. Means nothing.

Dorothy: Ma, Rose isn’t talking to me.

Sophia: Enjoy it while it lasts.

Blanche: Oh girls ... I’m just in ecstasy. My body is tingling all over. You will never guess what just happened.

Sophia: We know what happened. Let us just guess what part of the Middle East he’s from.

Sophia: Ow.

Dorothy: What is it, Ma?

Sophia: Pain.

Dorothy: What kind of pain?

Sophia: The kind that hurts.

Blanche: I have writer’s block. It’s the worst feeling in the world.

Sophia: Try 10 days without a bowel movement sometime.

Rose: Here you are, Sophia. The perfect after-dinner treat, a nice dish of Jell-O.

Sophia: I hate Jell-O. If God wanted peaches suspended in midair, he would have filled them with helium.

Blanche: Sophia, I need you.

Sophia: Blanche, you were strong and independent long before I got here.

Rose: I need you too, Sophia.

Sophia: Rose, you need the Wizard of Oz.

Blanche: I don’t really mind (my brother) Clayton being homosexual, I just don’t like him dating men.

Dorothy: You really haven’t grasped the concept of this gay thing yet, have you, Blanche?

Blanche: Well there must be homosexuals who date women.

Sophia: Yeah. They’re called lesbians.

Sophia: Hey, Sicilians can always recognize two things: when someone is telling the truth, and when they’ve had their fingerprints changed.

Blanche: Well, we have two choices: go and beg Ernie’s forgiveness, or hire another contractor.

Sophia: Or we could use the Sicilian method. We burn down the house, collect the fire insurance money and move to a beautiful beachside house in California. Personally, I vote for choice three.

Check out my phiLAnthropist article on LAist.com. Hopefully this will be the first in a series of upcoming posts for my favorite LA blog...

Since I clearly need more distractions, I found myself exploring twitter. At first I thought it was kind of stupid, but I think I am starting to get it. Anyway, I started "following" (or what in pre-twitter times we might call stalking) Evan Williams, Twitter's co-founder and CFO and his "twitter-feed" lead me to this new site, Trazzler. The site helps user's "answer one question, 'Where should I go?' by recommending trips unique to your location." I've been playing around on it for a little while and have already doubled my list of "things to do". I'm really impressed by the suggestions. While some don't apply (i.e. I'm not going to any 5-star hotels in Laguna Beach), many recommendations include various resources, so it helps to lead you to other ideas.

People I don't know from last years run. (phot0: la08.uncoverthecure.com/)

I recently signed up for City of Hope's The Underwear Affair, a 10-K run (and 5-K walk) to "to raise funds and unleash a voice for devastating yet “hidden” cancers like prostate, colorectal, ovarian, testicular, bladder, cervical, and uterine that may affect you or someone you know". The race takes place on August 2nd and the course begins and ends at the La Brea Tar Pits, taking runners down 6th Street and around Hancock Park. Unlike most runs that begin early in the morning, this race starts at 6pm on Saturday night and participants are encouraged (and do) dress up. So the good cause aside, that right there obviously sold me on the race. Then there is a big party after after, with live music and drinks. So there are three reasons why it sounds super fun. So go sign up or if you are feeling generous you can help me reach my fundraising goal by donating via my personal page.

I am going to see Feist play at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday and coincidentally just came across this video over at the GOOD magazine blog. Sesame Street kicks ass (it's in it's 39th season!), what a cool adaptation of her song and the original video (still one of my favorites). Enjoy.

It's really July?

• Wednesday July 16th
• Twilight at the Club in Griffith Park - Cheap-ish drinks, food and "downtempo 70's beats". All over looking the golf course at Griffith Park. And prizes for the best Caddyshack costume.

• Thursday, July 17th
• The Future at the Silverlake Lounge - 8pm - I saw them play tonight at The Airliner. They were great, and I'm not just saying that because they are my friends. Solid keyboard melodies and vocals. I'm a fan.

• The Duke Spirit and IO Echo at the Hammer - 8pm - I'd like to check this out if I have time. I visited the Hammer a few weeks ago and attended a forum/discussion about current pitfalls in the public education system. While very informative, I left feeling helpless, sort of like "ok, so the system at the elementary - high school level is messed up, and now I'm learning that the higher education system is dominated by corporate interests. So what can we do?" One of the speakers, Sir Ken Robinson, was particularly entertaining and insightful. Anyway, I got to see the space in the middle and its a cool outdoor atrium; definitely a cool place to see a show.

• A Club Called Rhonda - 10pm - Guantelinda's - Every time I read about this weekly party, specifically the part that says "Rhonda likes to party so hard she'll be handing out shots at the door", I think to myself "that sounds amazing, I want to go". So this Thursday it will finally happen, thanks to its extremely close proximity to the Silverlake Lounge. Not to mention they will be celebrating the 2008 LA Bicycle Film Fest. Looks like I'll have to hit the Hammer next week...

• Friday, July 18th
• Skid Row History Museum presents Live From Skid Row - The Lamp Communuty Art Project Gallery - 6-9pm - This exhibit, at The Box Theater, "explores Skid Row through the stories of those who live, work and inspire others there". On Friday, The Lamp Community Art Project Gallery will host "Live from Skid Row" a community discussion with Pete White and Becky Dennison of LA Community Action Network. There will be a live musical performance as well as food and drinks. The actual museum exhibit, which is at The Box Gallery, has been well received by the LA Times amongst others. Speaking of Skid Row, two weeks ago marked the 3rd Anniversary of the monthly Skid Row Walk, a community effort to bring positive change and improvements to the people and neighborhood of Skid Row while increasing awareness. So far, it sounds like the walk has made an impact; walkers have observed a decrease in the number of people sleeping on the streets. Still, it sounds like the walk has a profound effect on both "first-time" and "veteran" walkers. For more, check out Ed Fuentes' coverage of the walks at blogdowtown.
  

• Saturday, July 19th
• Party Favors: Game Day - Bonelli Contemporary - 12 - 5 - I caught this in the Weekly and it sounded cool...an exhibit in Chinatown dedicated to exploring the party as a subject, idea and state of mind. Saturday's theme is Games. It starts with Board games, Bloody Marys and mimosa's at noon and wraps up with the "Name Game" and cocktails around 3:30. Don't worry, cheap wine and beer are on the itinerary as well.
  

• The Taming of the Shrew - The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels - 8pm - After "game day", head downtown to see a modern day adaptation of Shakespeare's play as part of the LA Shakespeare Festival. The best part? Seeing the debut of the fabulous Amy Handleman. Check out what defamer had to say about it...holla!

• GLOW Santa Monica - SM Pier & Beach - 7am-7pm. An all-night/dusk-till-dawn art experience inspired by the Nuit Blanche in Paris. This is the first time they have done this, so I am eager to see how it comes together.
  

I think that's it for now...

retoxinla.muxtape.com

Bringing back the mixtape.

Go make one.

These monkeys were so damn cool. Basically it went like this...there was a DJ in the middle of the monkey wheel, or whatever its called, and he was playing music. Surrounding the base were giant drums. Hippies beat on the drums until there was enough banging to make the monkey wheel start moving...so then the music picked up, the lights got crazy and this paired with the spinning monkey wheel created the illusion that the monkeys were moving...specifically, swinging from branch to branch. It was so cool. I watched with my friend David. It was probably 3am and at the end of every monkey dance song, I kept saying "ok, one more song! I promise this is the last one!" Just call me a hippie.

Rothbury was an incredible event. Amazing on so many levels - the people, the place, the music, the sustainability aspect - the whole vibe just came together so well. I must admit, I'm not usually a huge fan of the jam band scene, but I was loving it this past weekend when I was watching Widespread Panic jam on the 4th of July. Speaking of hippies, best line I heard:
Fan of Widespread Panic during drum solo: "Dude, it's drums. Don't dance man. People will make fun of you."
My friend, another WSP fan, during drum solo: "This is when hippies pass out."
With that, here are a few pictures, for more see my flickr album.

Other highlights include the almost zero-waste and sustainability aspect. Even Snoop took the time to separate out his compost and recyclables and put them in the appropriate bins. Michael Franti led yoga sessions each morning (although I did not make it to them, thanks jager). There was an energy fair, farmers market and some great art...stay tuned for pictures of the monkeys.

Full Rothbury coverage and more at Rolling Stone

If you like any of the following...Television, Supergrass, The Smashing Pumpkins, Joy Division, Suicide, Brian Wilson, Serge Gainsbourg, David Bowie, Juan Atkins, The Beatles, The Pixies, Underground Resistance, Trent Reznor, Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine...you will appreciate the sounds of The Future, playing tonight at the Cat Club on Sunset. Full disclosure: They are my friends but they also kick ass. So go.

I am stuck at LAX right now. My flight on mean-Spirit Airlines was canceled. For no reason. So now I am wishing and hoping and praying that I get on this Northwest flight in an hour. Otherwise, I'm out of luck for the night. Awesome. So I'm going to try and think of what I've done or where I have been lately that I recommend...

most recently...

• The Hammer Museum and Billy Wilder Theater in Westwood
• Little Radio's Summer Camp Downtown (went twice - amazing)
• GoGA bike ride (also went twice for both the Westside Ride and Eastside Ride)
• Nikka Costa @ the El Ray
• Thievery Corp @ Hollywood Bowl
• 3OH!3 pre-Warped Tour show at the Non-Stop Riot Headquaters
• Lucent Dossier @ the Edison Downtown
• Hiko Sushi on National Blvd and Sawtelle (I think...)
• Hollywood Park Racetrack ($1 Beers, $1 Hotdogs Friday night -mmmhmm)

Now I must go face the pleasant airline staff. More later.

Free jello shots (!!!!), champagne and the Standard Downtown...if I were in LA this weekend, I can tell you where I'd be on Saturday

I intended to post about all the great stuff that has been keeping me busy during my first summer in LA, however, I just read this article and feel that it's worth a read. MSF-USA: Special Report: The 10 Most Underreported Humanitarian Crises

Medecine Sans Frontiers/Doctors without borders is always looking for donations and support. Their website offers a tremendous amount of information as well.