Sightings and Celeb Scoop

Ashley Simpson caught in traffic on Sunset Boulevard. She was with a friend in a run-down Honda. Note to celebs: if you want to stay on the DL, go out in a regular car as opposed to your usual digs. I hardly noticed her in the passenger seat, but she seemed to be having fun laughing and singing a lot.

I was hoping that she would be with that eyeliner-wearing freak show of a boyfriend though. I would just really like to see that in person!

Sightings and Celeb Scoop

Natasha Richardson on the Pacific Beach Pier with two boys in San Diego this past weekend. She had a short, cute hair cut and looked like she was taking a well-deserved break from Hollywood. They were standing outside of one of those really quaint houses that you can actually rent for the night on the pier. Maybe a weekend family vacation? Seemed sort of strange though since Pacific Beach is one of the craziest (booze allowed on beach) surf scenes and was just below.

That Hollywood Sign

Did you know that it is possible to change the Hollywood sign? It was only done once, by FOX, when the studio first opened. They changed HOLLYWOOD to read FOX for two weeks. The amount has not been disclosed as to how much it costs to do this, but it must cost a fortune.

Also, individual members of Hollywood own the letters in the HOLLYWOOD sign. The letters were originally purchased for $27,000. Can you guess who owns the H? It's none other than Hugh Hefner.

They have arrived!

Well, it's the talk of the town. David, Victoria, and the rest of the Beckham's have finally arrived. Here is what we know far after their recent arrival to LA. The party to be at this past Sunday was held for the Beckham's by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith. Invitations were sent out on red velvet invitations with gold lettering. If you were not invited, it means that you are falling quickly on the social ladder. Also, inside reports have revealed that Paris Hilton extended a warm invitation to Posh to start a friendship over lunch. Victoria declined.

Goya's Ghosts

OK, well Yosemite was a bit EXTREME to say the least. We hiked on Saturday for 7 hours, about the equivalent to 15 miles. 5 of those miles were completely vertical. This was the decision of the other people that I was with, and I was pretty much just along for the ride. I would say that at least 10 times during this particular hike, the words "hell.....HELL!!!" were running through my head. The weekend was worth it though, and I sent out pictures to most of you showing the spectacular views and sights.

On another note, below is a link to a film that I saw last month. My editor chopped this down from 400 words to 130 words, which I'm not happy about, but I guess they needed the space for advertising. Figures. This film was good, but I would wait until it comes out on DVD to see it:

http://www.campuscircle.net/review.cfm?r=3695

Destination: Yosemite

This weekend, I'll be taking a 3 day trip to Yosemite to camp out with friends and escape city life. This is something that I've been waiting for since day one in LA, so I'm really excited for this adventure. I'm actually on assignment too, as I'll be writing an article about visiting Yosemite and talking about all it has to offer for visitors: the best places to check out in the park, eat, drink, hike, etc.

That being said, there will be much more to come about this trip. But in the meantime, here is a lovely picture just to tease you with how I'll be spending my weekend.

Happy Anniversary!!

To Me! It's been exactly one whole year since I arrived in Los Angeles. And what a year it has been (please see prior months if you are just tuning in...)

365 of the best days of my life, wouldn't have wanted it any other way!

And see, it does snow in the mountains. Check it out in the picture above.

Pasadena, The Rose Bowl, and The World's Greatest Flea Market

This week, I made two trips out to Pasadena. Whoa, what took me so long?!? That place is fantastic. Old Town has a lot of character, and today I went to the huge Flea Market that is held once a month at the Rose Bowl. This is by far one of the country's hidden gems. This Flea Market was unreal. I love old, antique furniture and I was in heaven. I bought two great pieces, as well as some discounted clothing -- but I could have spent so much more money! If ever in LA on the second Sunday of the month, you must do this!!!

Hopefully, the next time I visit the Rose Bowl, Penn State will be there :)

Destination: San Diego

Well, it only took me a year, but I finally made it down to San Diego. It's my second visit now to the 'little' city in California, and I just can't say enough about it. It's such a low-key, down to earth city -- very much my style. Downtown is blowing up right now in the gas lamp district, and nothing beats bonfires on the beach in PB. I had so much fun, I might even go back this upcoming weekend!

SICKO and the US Healthcare System

Michael Moore's latest film SICKO will be released this upcoming weekend to nationwide audiences. I'm not a huge fan of Michael Moore and his antics, but I have been anxiously awaiting the release of this film. Today, I want to encourage everyone to see it because the issue of health care in this country is affecting millions of Americans on a daily basis. I take a lot of interest now in the subject because this topic has personally impacted my own family to a huge extent, costing us thousands upon thousands of dollars. Whether you are a Democrat or Republican, this is a huge issue that will likely impact you at some point in your life. The costs of health care, and the unbelievable amounts of money that are needed to get prescription drugs in this country are absurd. Now, I don't want to rant too much about the drug aspect because I know that I will offend all of my friends back East that work for major pharmaceutical companies. But I will say that I think they are partly to blame as well (yes, I know that they are a great place to work, I know, I know. I'm not saying that). I just think that it's very wrong to push drugs on people the way that they do at times, because I know from personal experience that many times the drugs are not needed and cause more damage than good. Drugs can obviously be a good thing, but there is a fine line between what people really need and what sales reps are pushing and/or what doctors are prescribing on a daily basis.

I just hope that people will learn about the issues at hand for the upcoming 2008 election. For example, did you know that because I now have a pre-existing condition that most insurance companies will not even cover me? I have to pay almost $500/month for health insurance, only for myself. Think about that. That's $6,000/year. I've had to go through enough already, is this really what I should have to deal with now? This is only one example of how so many people are impacted by the corruption of our countries health care system. All I'm asking is that you take note, and learn about the issue. It may not affect you now, but it could in the future. I'm worried about our future. There are so many good people in this country that are unfortunate enough to deal with illness, they should not have to worry about astronomical medical payments on top of everything else.

And if the policy doesn't change in 2008? Well, maybe I'll just find a nice Swedish boy to marry.

Evening

I took a lot of interest in this film because it was written by one of the same writers that worked on The Hours. Since I worked on The Hours with Scott Rudin in 2000 during the filming, I knew that this would have a similar feel to it. And it did. A chick flick for sure -- well worth seeing.

http://www.campuscircle.net/review.cfm?r=3626

The Naked News

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Music and More

This month, I'm focusing on music. For work and for play. I love the music scene in creative LA. It's the best in our great nation, with Nashville close behind. Los Angeles has the most ridiculous radio stations (no need for Satellite out here, there are too many to count) and the best part about it is that all the famous DJ's that you think only do weekend shows on the East Coast... well, they are all actually the morning talents out here. Ryan Seacrest, Rick Dees, Leeza Gibbons, etc. On-air interviews with celebs and rock stars happen at least 4-5 times a day, and celebrity news that you read in US Weekly breaks on-air (sometimes with celebs calling in) at least 2-3 days before it hits the national circuit. There's even an Indie station that lets celebs guest DJ. My favorite time to tune in is when John Cusack is spinning on Saturday afternoons on 103.1.

One of my favorite things to tune into are the album release shows that LA stations host on a frequent basis. The bands come in, and play their albums the week of their release. The bands typically explain what they were doing when writing each song, and you get to know them a little bit better. Today on the radio, for example, I got to hear Lifehouse's album release show, which I'll let you know was damn good. If you liked The Fray's last album (which I loved dearly before it went mainstream), I suggest you check out Who We Are later in the week.

I'll be posting a few music articles soon, but in the meantime, there are a few things about music that have crossed my mind in the past few weeks. First, has anyone heard the new Bone, Thugs and Harmony song? It's fantastic. My friends and I used to love them in high school, and they are back with vengence. Way to go guys. I guess I don't have to listen to First of the Month anymore to get my fill of you when in withdrawal. Second, I want Carrie Underwood to be my best friend. Seriously. That song where she keys the car because he cheats is unreal. She has come a long way from Idol, and I want to hang out with her on a daily basis. I must say that I appreciate girls who aren't afraid to be a bitch. Third, I freaking love country music now. I don't know if it's because I'm older and I long for a more simple lifestyle, but modern country is great. There, I said it.

And lastly, I just found out that we have a karaoke machine at school. It was like the day that I found out Santa wasn't real. Nothing will be the same ever again. I think that there is no better way to teach my students English than with a little Bone, Thugs and Harmony, no? Well, maybe not BT&H, but some Journey certainly can't hurt. You SO wish that you had me as a teacher. Trust me on this.

Happy Father's Day!

June is time for Dads and Grads... And I have officially found the best Father's Day gift! There are just a few small steps to follow in getting the perfect gift for Dad:

1. Become a writer of some sort.
2. Get a job with a ridiculously cool publication that will give you the liberty to write something for Father's Day.
3. Write a tribute to your Dad, and then have it published in real live ink for 90,000 people in Los Angeles to read.
4. Frame article.

Apparently, I made my editor cry with this piece (below). I had no intention to do so, but hope that you like it too. To all the Dad's of the world, Happy Father's Day.

http://www.campuscircle.net/review.cfm?r=3545

GREEK

So ABC Family is coming out with a new show this upcoming summer called GREEK. I will admit, I actually really like ABC Family. They aren't as family oriented as you might imagine, the name is kind of deceiving. I wish that I had Tivo because I would definitely tape this show. I think it looks great, but maybe because I still have Peter Pan syndrome. Anyway, if you long for your college days, check it out.

MySpace en Español

I've decided to teach myself Spanish. Classes? No. Lessons on tape? No. I have decided instead to learn a new language by converting my MySpace page into Spanish. I figure that each day, when I log on, I'll learn at least one new vocabulary word... Like "Christina tienes 220 amigos." See, it's easy.

Yes, I realize that sooner or later I will run out of new vocabulary words, but that's when I will decide that it's time to learn German instead. So don't hate the plan stan.

God MySpace, you really are changing the world. What's next?

The Laundry Bandit

My apartment building is great. Similar to Melrose place, it's a LA community full of life and scandal. I've come to realize in the past few weeks, however, that there is one big deterrent from living in a communal space: sharing the laundry facility. Sure, it's problematic when everything is in use, but what I find to be most annoying is the guy that lives on the first floor who likes to move everyone else's clothes around. He's the guy that times everything, and if you aren't there to get your clothes when the buzzer goes off, he is. Before you know it, your wet underwear are thrown all over the laundry room so that he can be the next one to claim his stake on a washer. I find this to be one of the most unappealing habits of a neighbor. And I have decided to give him a name, The Laundry Bandit. The Laundry Bandit and I have had 2 run-ins this past week, and to sum it up, we don't like each other. Every time that I see him, I hear the old Western showdown music in my head and draw my fabric softener to get ready for the impending confrontation.

To all of the laundry bandits in the world, RELAX. And please stop touching my underwear.

Long Plane Rides = SICK.

I had strep throat a bunch of times when I was little...and I just got it again after coming back to LA. This time it has wiped me out BIG TIME though. I went back to the doctor today and he is making me take a second Z Pack. Is that even allowed? Yikes.
My apologies for not posting anything this week, but I will do so when I am back to my normal self. Promise.

This one is for My Meez.

I told RJK that he was my inspiration for this one - all those nights watching Entourage, and of course the summer with the viking helmet. One of the perks of living in LA: figuring out where the show is filmed, and then trying out the venues yourself (and writing about them). Life's tough, I know.

This new hot spot, Caffe Primo, is awesome. If ever in LA, please check it out. Here is the link to my review:

http://www.campuscircle.net/review.cfm?r=3506

LAX > NEW > NYC > PHL > PIT > CLE > LAX

Well, I'm back. My trip back to the East Coast was a successful 10 day vacation (which actually felt like a month because I did more in 10 days then most people do in a month, I'm pooped). I can confidently say that it was one of the best weeks of my life. I know, it's a bold statement, but it's true. I got to hang out with my roommates from Sydney again, take over a karaoke bar in New York with 8 of my closest friends, spend mucho quality time with my entire family, and catch up with all of my high school friends.

And let's not forget that my 10 year high school reunion was also this past weekend, which I was in charge of helping to plan. We had no idea how it would turn out, but we counted over 100 people that showed up! My cousin-in-law (is that a real relationship?) told me that I should pretend to have all of these crazy professions when talking to people that I haven't seen in a while. He told everyone at his reunion that he was a male stripper. So I did tell one person that I moved out to LA to work in the porn industry, but as soon as I said it, I realized that this joking comment would somehow come back to humiliate my mother in a grocery store shopping line. So I decided that I better just shut up. And the truth of the matter is, that now I have one of the coolest jobs on the planet, so why lie about it, right?

"Family, Faith and Friends" -- one time a priest at my cousin's confirmation said that these are the only 3 things that are important in life. And now it's my family's cheesy motto. But this week, I realized it more than ever. That priest sure did know what he was talking about...