The movie theater is NOT your living room.

I guess enough said. It drives me so crazy though. Really. Do you really need that giant tub of popcorn and a tray of hotdogs? Oh yeah, don't forget the mega soda. And don't forget to slurp on it during the quietest part of the movie, you know, the part with only important dialogue and no music. I know it's an outing people, but come on. Years ago, I went to that small theater over on La Brea and a guy actually had the nerve to plop in a seat behind me, open a (loud) styrofoam container of (smelly) wings and chow down. Sigh. A long time ago I remember thinking the DGA was so snooty to not allow food or drinks during screenings. Now I totally get it. Nothing like being taken out of a movie going experience by the girl next to you struggling to get that last piece of caramel popcorn. How about this foreign idea - eat before you leave your house? Or maybe even better yet, how about just staying home.

RIP Patrick

He sure had a sense of humor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgEVUWIwNLw


and so does the guy who is walking around with this tattoo...

The government can't run anything!

who says the government can't run anything successfully?  take a peek at this person's entry.. fantastic.

http://humidcity.com/?p=2429&cpage=1#comment-254679

You can see a death panel from Alaska!

Yep - thanks Howard Dean for trying to break it down - at least a little. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/howard-dean/the-medias-treatment-of-p_b_255878.html

It's what's NOT for Dinner

Wow. Leave it to my hometown paper to run a recipe like this.   Thanks to my "research department" back East (AKA, my mom!) for continuing to provide me with quality news clippings for the past, oh, 15 years!

Bon Appetit!

bliss

Isn't it funny when, for a small moment, you realize that everything is okay. When the chaos you think you see isn't really chaos- when the noises you think you hear don't really sound that bad - when you tear out a page and realize it's great to start anew - when all the travelers on this ship read the same menu as you - when you can smile, nod, not say a word and start over.

EarthBox fun...

I have always loved the tomatoes from my dad's garden.  Living in the city surrounded mainly by concrete, I've grown to believe that I could never have my own garden. As an apartment dweller, I often miss the large backyard I grew up with as a kid.  People living below, above and beside me make me feel like a rodent at times.   But after a little research, I realized not only could I have my own little "garden" sanctuary, but I could also plant and enjoy some yummy vegetables too.

I began by researching different types of container growing.  There are many, trust me.  I ultimately decided on the EarthBox.  I couldn't seem to find any stores on the west coast that carried it. Although I'm sure you could make one yourself if you wanted to, I ended up buying mine on Amazon for about $50 bucks.  I wanted to try to grow some vegetables without a proper garden, and so far, it's working.  It's very easy and I just ordered my second Earthbox.  

The Earthbox's design helps reduce water evaporation (you place a plastic cover over the box throughout the entire growing season). The bottom of the box contains a reservoir which lets plants consume only the water they need.  And even better, with the reservoir, the plants cannot be over-watered or under-watered. This overflow system is key to growing healthy plants.  You can find out more info at Earthbox's website www.earthbox.com

Here's what I did so far:

Since I'm starting with tomoates and they need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day, I found the sunniest spot on my patio. The Earthbox comes with wheels so you can wheel it around to the sunniest spots during the day (great for the unemployed).

Earthbox's website explains how many seedlings you should plant per box.  Since tomato plants can grow a little larger and their roots can spread, they suggest only 2 seedlings.  On my dad's suggestion, I've decided to plant Early Girl tomatoes (the growing time is a little shorter than other tomatoes and the yield is usually good) and Better Bush tomatoes. 

First, select a potting mix.  I decided to try an organic mix I found at Lowe's. The Earthbox comes with a special fertilizer so you only need the mix.  Be prepared to mix it with water to create a moist mixture.  I just mixed a bit at a time in a bucket.  


Place the plastic reservoir system at the bottom of the Earthbox and the watering pipe in the hole - very easy stuff.

Next,  pack the two rear corner cutouts in the screen (top left and right) with moist potting mix.  Make sure it's potting mix and not potting soil.

Once the two back corners are filled pour water through the fill tube until it runs out of the bottom overflow hole .  You will water your plants through this tube throughout the whole growing season. 

Now it's time to start adding the moist potting mix on top of the screen until the Earthbox is half way full.  It is fine if some of the mix falls through the screen.  Sprinkle the mix with water and pat down, particularly above the 2 rear corners you first filled.

Now fill potting mix completely to the top.  Since I am going to plant tomatoes, it instructs to mix 2 cups of dolomite or hydrated lime into the top 3-4 inches of potting mix and resmooth (the Earthbox comes with a package of dolomite, which is great).  If yours did not, check the website for suggestions. 

Now it's time to add the fertilizer.  Placement of the fertilizer depends on what you are planting.  Since I'm planting tomatoes, I am to dig a small trench towards the front of the box and add the fertilizer.  Many Earthboxes come with a dry granular fertilizer.  If yours doesn't, read the instructions on the site.  It recommends that you don't use a fertilizer that requires mixing with water or any other water-soluble brands.  

Next, I placed more potting mix over the fertilizer.  Now it is time to cover the Earthbox.   The Earthbox comes with 2 fitted plastic covers. You only need one. The other is an extra.  The cover fits the box just like a shower cap.  There is a black side and a white side. Keep the black side up to attract heat and lock in moisture.  Keep the white side up only if you are in desert climates. After placing on the cover, cut 3-inch X's in the cover to plant the plants.  Make sure you cut as far away from the fertilizer strip as you can.   

Next, through the X's cut, dig 2-3 inch holes to plant your seedlings or seeds.  Place one plant per hole.  Just this one time, you will pull back the "X" flaps in the cover in order to water the plants.  Put the cover back in place and then water through the fill tube.

Water once every other day while the plants are small and then once a day when they begin to grow.  Again, the great thing is you can't over-water them.  I tend to over-water everything so this is one reason why I love the Earthbox so much.

After about a week and a half, I noticed that the plants were starting to grow - and pretty quickly.  Here's a week and 1/2 after planting.  

Early Girls:

Better Bushes:

Here we are at exactly 3 weeks.  The Early Girls have grown so much.  I staked both plants (even though I read that bushier tomato plants don't necessarily require stakes).  The EarthBox does sell a staking system. It is sort of pricey and according to many reviews not too sturdy or even worth it.  I bought two dowels from Lowe's for 99 cents each and used an old t-shirt to tie for support.  As you can see, I already have some yellow flowers that will soon (and hopefully) grow into yummy tomatoes.  I will prune the Early Girl in a bit (to remove the "suckers," the stems and leaves that aren't producing any flowers).  So far everything is looking good!

Early Girls:

Better Bush:

I'll check back in in a few weeks.

Ok - I'm back. Thought I'd do an update since it has been awhile.  (May to be exact)  - My plants have been thriving.  A few weeks after my last post I noticed the flowers beginning to fall off and tiny tomato buds were appearing. Pretty exciting stuff (I know, sounds sad that that is exciting to me, but it was!)

Here they were a few weeks after the above post:

My parents kept telling me that I would have some tomatoes by the 4th of July - and turns out they were right.  Here are the plants just before the 4th of July.

And here we are - The 4th of July. We made veggie burgers and were able to use one of the tomatoes. Unfortunately, it was one of the smaller ones but bigger tomatoes were on the way!

And finally - here we are on July 5th... Many more tomatoes on the way too. Looking forward to it. Again, don't be discouraged if you don't have a backyard - I was initially, and then I discovered the world of container gardening. Tomorrow I'm planting lettuce, parsley and anaheim peppers - and all in containers! Enjoy !






August 1, 2009
Well, I went out of town for a little over a week. I didn't water my tomato plant - came home to a plant with a little brown foliage but LOTS of tomatoes. I picked 40 tomatoes this morning! Overall, I think I will end up with almost 100 tomatoes! (maybe 70-80, but there are still a few more on the way) - I can't say enough about the Earth Box. Now is the fun part where I get to call some folks and try to do a trade with veggies.

Bud Bowl Commercial

Here's a Super Bowl spot I worked on ...

Bud Bowl Commercial

and another one...

How I love The Onion...

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

Organizing for America

"This victory is not the change we seek, it is just the opportunity to fight for that change."

The work is just beginning...  

Oh yes we can and did.

thank you, thank you.

 Jan 20th 2009 will be a special day for everyone I'm sure.  In the meantime, check out the new www.whitehouse.gov. Including the blog.  Turns out Obama is going to post weekly videos (coming out every Saturday)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/change_has_come_to_whitehouse-gov/

Black and Blue Friday

I plan to not leave my place today. You would think that after a brutal economic year (well, later part of the year) some people would not be enticed by prices ending in .99. 

 I'm sure you all heard about the 34 year old Walmart employee in a suburban NY store who got trampled to death this morning due to the early AM crowds looking for marked down, imported crap from China.   So sad.  Someone wrote me back, "How could someone actually be trampled to death?" Well, with that said, I give you a video from last year's Black Friday @ a Walmart.  Need I say more?  

God Bless America.

Happy Thanksgiving from Sarah Palin

How can this even happen?? The producer and/or camera person must have been a Democrat.  And the jokes go on...

A letter from Sarah Palin!

Wow - What a lovely surprise! I picked up my mail the other day and found a letter from America's most popular Governor (Arnold step aside!) 

 A letter from Sarah Palin!  How appropriate on election day...

Yes, of course, it was your regular run of the mill letter looking for money, but I was still tickled to think that somehow, I ended up on this list.  I read the letter which stressed how the "Republicans reject the Democrats' fearful and pessimistic mentality." And strongly noted that when they are able to get their "message past the liberal mainstream media filter" and directly to voters, that the vast majority of American people agree with their "confident, optimistic view of principled, conservative government and opportunity for all."

Confident? Oh yes... Optimistic and opportunity FOR ALL? Please... 

Too bad they didn't allow Sarah to go 'rogue' and write her own letter. This entry would prove to be much more interesting and humorous.  But then again, there is nothing humorous about this woman in any real position of power... If so, get ready to move backwards.

Please everyone get out and vote today!!  

A friend of mine had this to say:

"I voted early for Obama. I think he's our chance. He'll attract the best and the brightest again. And since one man can't do it, and it can't be done in a year, or a decade, smart people with real human values are what we need. I'm even hopeful that he might usher in an era which will laugh at the Art and Cinema worlds as we know them, and encourage some real work, from the heart, from the interior, from the energy centers. We've been operating from the head too long. Time to delve deeper.

If you think McCain might have something, think about Sarah Palin. It takes a lot of cynicism to imagine that we would fall for her. And he has plenty of that, under an affable, but awkward and repressed exterior.

I urge you to vote for Obama. There may be a better candidate, but he's not running. This is the real world. Let's live in it."

Well said - now get out and vote!

Free coffee if you vote...

Well, I guess whatever it takes it get you in there I guess... 

If you vote, Starbucks buys your coffee

On November 4, 2008, Starbucks will give voters a free tall brewed coffee at participating U.S. stores. 

After voting, voters must go to a Starbucks store, where they’ll be given a tall (12 oz) cup of brewed coffee at no charge (limit one per customer).  Just tell them you voted...

This is an extension of Starbucks commitment to community through Starbucks™ Shared Planet™. It lets us immediately support customers who care about the same things we do and who want to make a difference.

Enjoy!

Help me come up with a caption...

Hey all - 

A la Anderson  360, let's hear who can come up with the best caption for this picture...It's priceless.  Leave a comment with your attempt at a caption and win my respect! (and maybe even win 3 one of a kind Obama buttons) - WOW ! 

Have fun!

Palin as President

Thanks to my friend, Laura, for sharing this with me. Have fun! - but not too much fun...

http://palinaspresident.com/

Say it ain't so Joe

The debate last night was, if anything, an exercise in memorization and cramming.  It was so crucial for the "gotcha" media "attacked" Palin to redeem herself after her last appearances to the public.  Both the Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric interviews were beginning to cause even the most moose-eatin', you go girl! types to waver.  Cram cram cram - key talking points and words- "government back on the side of the people" - "maverick" - "small town folks, like me and my family" -"maverick" - "Washington outsider"-"maverick" - "lower taxes" - "lower taxes" - and oh yeah, "maverick"   

Some pundits are claiming that the most recent television interviews were orchestrated and intended to paint Palin as somewhat uninformed and hesitant.  Supposedly, they think, it was all a ploy (a la Karl Rove?) to get even more people to watch the debate to really see her tank - but wait! by that point, she will have memorized key talking points and names (well sort of, she flubbed the US commander in Afghanistans name).  Palin was reserved and held back in her one on one interviews only to surprise everyone during the debates that she is not that dumb afterall... Dumb, maybe not totally, but fed key lines and phrases for memorization, yes.  Not sure if that so-called strategy worked (or if that is even true) but it did make for not to miss TV.  I felt like I was watching a Nascar race - just waiting for the ultimate crash and burn.

Palin was mediocre.  She made it through the debate.  That's all I can make of it. I'm afraid that her folksy attitude and phrasing - with all of her "heck of a lots," "gosh darn its" might have resonated with the rest of the American public that actually want to have a mooseburger with this woman.  And to that, I have to say, we get what we deserve.  If that's the place where most American's are voting from (their feelings about a person's likability and not their core values and judgement) well then we are lost, doomed - and maybe need to look into that little patch of land in a country that is truly READY for progressive change (or already there).  

And of course, there was that very scary moment - when she agreed with Dick Cheney's idea to increase VP power even more.  Joe Biden succinctly summed up Cheney as "the most dangerous vice president we've  had probably in American history."  All the more reason to think that Cheney and Rove are pulling the strings to this former sportscaster/beauty queen.  

On a note of the debate as a whole, Biden did a much better job of actually answering the questions put forth by the moderator.  I think he did a good job of speaking to the American people - small town and all in between.  He had very real moments in talking about the loss of his wife; in aligning McCain with Bush; and in stripping McCain of his  "maverick" title.   And, he answered the questions.  Even Palin herself said, "I may not answer the questions that either the moderator or you want to hear, but I'm going to talk straight to the American people."  Um, okay. You are excused - yet again. You are allowed to cut the line - we will allow you to avoid a real answer - because you winked at us, because you 'are like us' because, as Amy Pohler said in her wacky depiction of Katie Couric, "when you are cornered, you seem to get increasingly adorable." 

What a joke that she is painting herself as an agent of change- she and her 72 year old running mate.  She is trying to take the steam out of Obama's engine of looming change.  The decision to place Palin in this role was, ultimately, a smart one.  McCain could not go up against the force of Obama and his decree for change.  So, select someone even younger, even more 'inexperienced' so to say - and gosh darn it, make it a woman... let's throw them totally off.  It will backfire, if not slowly.  And it won't be through horrible media interviews (although they might help).  It will be (hopefully) when the enlightened American (wherever he or she may be hiding) looks at both McCain and Obama, side by side, closes her eyes and thinks about the future - I mean, really thinks about the future.  

If the last 8 years are any indication what a Republican government can do for the "Amercian people" then anyone with any conscience at all, must vote against the Republican machine.  Dressed in Reformers garb won't do the trick - we can see through the disguises.  At least I hope so.  

Please vote on Nov. 4th.  Unless you are voting for McCain, then you can stay home.

Thanks to Michael Moore and his website www.michaelmoore.com for the above picture.  

Finally - Joe Six Pack gets a, burp, voice!