Improv Everywhere: Best Game Ever

Improv Everywhere has come out with another brilliant mission - Best Game Ever.

"What we are going to do today is that we picked a random little league game that is taking place here in Hermosa Beach, California and we are going to turn this little league game played by 10 year olds into a major league baseball game."

My favorite part is when the Goodyear blimp arrives!



---------------

In case you missed them, here is a list of my favorite past missions by Improv Everywhere:

Frozen Grand Central - 207 Improv Everywhere Agents suddenly come to a halt in Grand Central Station for 5 minutes - and then resume as if nothing happened.

Best Buy - Almost 100 people identically dressed as Best Buy employees (royal blue shirt, khaki pants, black shoes) enter a Best Buy at the exact same time, pretending to be surprised that anyone else is dressed as they are.

Even Better Than The Real Thing - Improv Everywhere pretending to be U2 holding a free rooftop concert - as U2 did for their "Where The Streets Have No Name" video, which was an homage to the ending of The Beatles's Let It Be movie.

The Moebius - The description from the Improv Everywhere site: "Seven undercover agents meticulously repeated a five-minute slice of time for twelve consecutive repetitions. Starbucks employees and patrons were frightened, confused, and ultimately entertained as they found themselves stuck, without escape, in the middle of a time loop." The YouTube video.

Criminal (A Quick One Revisited)

Following up to my below Justin Nozuka post, here he is performing the song live. (The video to the original version of his song Criminal doesn't seem to be available on YouTube anymore.)

Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer

Taking an idea from Carlos (my boyfriend), here is my summer reading list. As I read these, I'll come back here with comments.

The Film Club - David Gilmore
From the cover: "The true story of a father who let his son drop out of school - if he watched three movies a week."
I finished it last night. Decent, but not great. Easy reading though. It was almost 200 pages and I read it in two sittings.

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make A Big Difference - Malcolm Gladwell
I borrowed this one from my dad a couple of years ago and read it then. The title phrase has worked its way into our common vernacular so I thought I'd read it again.

Pictures At A Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood - Mark Harris
From the dust jacket: "Pictures at a Revolution tracks five movies - the milestones Bonnie and Clyde and The Graduate, the popular hits Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and In the Heat of the Night, and the big-budget disaster Doctor Dolittle - on their five-year journey to Oscar night in the spring of 1968."

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed - Jared Diamond
NPR interviewed the author a month or so ago. The book sounded interesting.

The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World - A.J. Jacobs
From the dust jacket: "Part memoir and part education (or lack thereof), The Know-It-All chronicles NPR contributor A.J. Jacobs' hilarious, enlightening, and seemingly impossible quest to read the Encyclopaedia Britannica from A to Z."
I actually started my summer reading with this one, but put it down at the end of chapter D. I'll try again later this summer.

The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America - David Hajdu
I have hundreds (thousands?) of comic books, collected in my youth, gathering dust and money in my closet. I've always like the E.C. Comics from the 1950's best. The company is reissuing many of them. Damn. More ways to spend my money. ("Beans. Magic Beans." as Carlos would say.)

Perfect from Now On: How Indie Rock Saved My Life - John Sellers

A recommendation from Vincent from a few months back.

Out On The Tiles

A few Saturdays ago, I went to a 40th birthday party of some friends that I have known for over 25 years. I thought it would be interesting to tell the story of the night by describing the people I encountered.

Sue
It was her birthday party. I hadn't seen her in about 10 years. She and I dated for a while in high school. (Yes, I was gay then too.) A few days after the birthday party, she emailed me: "I have only loved 3 men in my life and you were the first." She is now married with three kids. Her husband is currently stationed in Iraq.

Meg
She was the co-birthday girl. Besides Sue and Meg, there were around 10 other girls in their group. Back in high school, their group and my group (totaling about 15) would all hang out together - intermingling and interdating. Whenever I had a party at my house, I would call one of them and it would instantly double the amount of party guests attending. (They always traveled in packs.)

Anne
One of the girls in their group. I hadn't seen her since high school (1985). Back then, she was dating my friend Scott. Scott and I would often double date with Anne and Sue. And then go home and sleep with each other. He and I were together for about a year and a half, longer than he was with Anne.

Scott
He wasn't at the party. He is married with a kid and living in San Francisco. He met his wife about 10 years ago when he was living in Key West, Florida. I still don't know if back in high school he was just experimenting, or he's deep in the closet now. He and I don't discuss our history.

Pegeen
The girl I lost my virginity to. I hadn't seen her since that night! I must have been 16 because I had gotten my driver's license two months prior. Back then, all the Uptown New Orleans kids would hang out at the back of Audubon Park at a spot we called The Fly. (There is a huge concrete building near the edge of the Mississippi River that resembled a Butterfly.) Every Friday and Saturday night, there were hundreds of people there. No one over 19. Everyone would park their cars, turn up their stereos, pull out their alcohol, and just hang out.

The particular night with Pegeen, Scott picked up some girl. (I don't remember who.) I picked up Pegeen. As the four of us were heading from The Fly to go off to some impromptu party, drinking and weaving through the Uptown streets, Pegeen decided to go down on me. I was driving. My first blowjob. I almost wrecked my car! I remember Scott and the girl in the back seat stopping their make out session to inquire where Pegeen's head had gone and why I was smiling. Once they figured it out, they laughed so hard that neither of them was interested in their own make out session, but started rooting Pegeen and me on. Pegeen didn't seem to notice.

The four of us made it to the party and Pegeen pulled me into a room to the side. Apparently she was drunk and horny because, without hesitation, she pulled down my pants in unison with hers and pulled me on top of her. Less than 10 minutes later, we were done.

We all hung out for a while drinking beer until Scott and I decided to leave. Pegeen and Scott's girl stayed at the party.

Scott slept over at my house that night as usual.

---------------

My second most memorable blow job: In a graveyard, right next to a gravestone, in Leesville, Louisiana - by the sister of a guy I had a crush on.

But I'll save the details of that story for another post.

++++

A Quick One

It's been really busy at work so just a quick music post tonight.

My next post will be huge.

Check out Justin Nozuka. I can't remember how I found his music, but I really like it. The song Criminal (below) is one of his best.

He's actually playing here in New Orleans tomorrow night (June 12) at HOB. Here's a link to his web site for more tour dates. If I didn't think I would be the oldest person in the audience by 20 years, I would love to see him live.

Hollywood Connection: His mom is the sister of actress Kyra Sedwick.

Walking On Sunshine

This below question came up as off-handed comment in an email filled with unrelated material, in a Yahoo group that I'm in. It's a group comprised of around 60 people from around the world, none of which besides me live in New Orleans or even the Southeastern United States. The guy who posted the email is from out of the US. (I'd give him and his country credit, but I truly don't remember. I think it's the Netherlands.)

To answer his question, I combined my personal hurricane Katrina story with bits of my friends's stories to try to give a rounder picture of our situtation.

---------------

>>BTW, speaking (earlier) about New Orleans... Today I saw a recap of 2 and a half years later and still, nothing has been done. Is this true? Why?<<

The short answer - No, that is not true. Thousands of people have worked really hard to try to bring New Orleans back. The media reports what it wants to see.

The long answer -

Imagine this situation: You've lived in New Orleans your entire life so you are used to hurricanes. At least once every few hurricane seasons (June 1 through November 30), there is one storm that you evacuate for. (You don't worry about the "minor" ones, only evacuating for the Category 3 or above storms.)

This new hurricane is predicted to hit to the east of New Orleans, but may shift so you call your friends in northern Louisiana and ask to stay for a few days. You pack three days worth of clothes. (That's as long as you've ever evacuated.) You put all your valuables in the attic. (When Betsy, the last major hurricane to hit New Orleans, came through your neighborhood in 1965, your house sustained one foot of water so you figure your stuff will be safe in the attic.)

You leave on Friday, August 26 with a full tank of gas and $500 in your pocket, telling everyone to have a good three day weekend.

Hurricane Katrina hits on Monday, August 29.

The National Guard finally lets you back into your neighborhood on Monday, October 3. You have been gone for over five weeks.

You had left a week's worth of food for your cat. He's been dead for a couple of weeks. Killed by a racoon.

Your house is on a hill six feet above the street, but the water still made it to your gutters and almost to your roof. A total of 17 feet. Remember that your same area received one foot of water during hurricane Betsy - and that water came in and was gone within a day. The water this time sat for over two weeks. Everything in your house is covered with black sludge. Mold is starting to crawl up your walls.

You call your home owners insurance company. They say that the damage to your house was caused by flood water which is not covered by your policy. They offer you $10,000 for the contents of your home. You call your flood insurance company. They tell you that the damage to your house was caused by wind damage not flood water. They offer you nothing.

You apply for a Road Home Loan - that you'll have to pay back in addition to the mortage still outstanding on your home. The Road Home has a nine-month waiting list. In the meantime, you max out your credit cards fixing up your home.

After two years, you're tired of living in a 150-square-foot FEMA trailer next to your house. You're ready to move home. The news reports about the trailers containing nearly toxic level of famaldahyde make you nervous.

Now imagine that situation has happened to EVERYONE you know in YOUR city. Every family member. Everyone on your street. Everyone in your neighborhood. Everyone you work with. Over 250,000 people.

How long would it take you and your city to recover?

Brad Delp RIP

I have a long list of topics I want to cover in my blog, not including the day-to-day events going on here in New Orleans.

One of them is the death of Brad Delp, lead singer of the band Boston. He died on March 9, 2007. (That's how far behind I am!)

From Wikipedia:
On March 9, 2007, Delp was found dead in his home in Atkinson, New Hampshire. Delp, who was only 55, died from the smoke of two charcoal grills he lit inside his sealed bathroom. He was found by his girlfriend Pamela Sullivan lying on a pillow on his bathroom floor with a suicide note pinned to his shirt. The official cause of death was listed as carbon monoxide poisoning. That day, the official web site for the band was taken down and replaced with the statement: "We've just lost the nicest guy in rock and roll."

Rest in Peace, Brad.

Here's the cast of Scrubs doing what I think is Boston's greatest song:

Karen's Reggae

One day, I’ll get into the detailed dynamics of my office.

The Short Version: I work with six other people –
3 women, 3 men;
4 African-Americans, 2 Whities Like Me,
3 under 25, 3 over 45

We have a great mix.

I am the Manager of them. They are all fantastic at their jobs so I’m more of a guidance. (I’ve been there 8 years. The rest were ALL hired post-Katrina. Pre-Katrina, our office had 22 people. After a bit of a post-Katrina shake up, I was the ONLY ONE of the 22 to make it through. That was a really traumatizing year or so. I’ll expound on that experience one day.)

In working in such close quarters with everyone, we all get to know each other quite well. One of the things that I’m known for is my music knowledge – and they know I love a challenge.

Earlier this week, Karen told me that she’d love to be introduced to some songs that “were reggae, but not that old stuff that I know, but not songs that are too fast that don’t sound like reggae, but not too new that they’re on the radio right now.”

I love a challenge.

This is the CD that I compiled for her. I did sneak in some older reggae (Come Back Darling was released in 1970), but I think I accomplished her goal.

Knocking On Heaven’s Door - Peter Tosh & The Wailers
Close My Eyes - Matisyahu
King Without a Crown - Matisyahu
Short Nigun - Matisyahu
Warrior - Matisyahu
Anda Sola (Remix) - Arcangel Ft. Don Omar y Calle 13
Mamacita - Collie Budz
Adios - Don Omar
Angelito Vuela - Don Omar
Ice Cream Love - Johnny Osbourne
No Ice Cream Sound - Johnny Osbourne
Taxi Riddim - Johnny Osbourne
Fally Lover - Johnny Osbourne & The Roots Radics
Come Back Darling - Johnny Osbourne & The Sensations
Candle - Matisyahu
Shalom Salaam - Matisyahu
Wanna Go Home - Nasio Fontaine
Tu Eres Un Sueno - Wisin y Yandel

The Last Mix

Music has always been a huge part of my life.

I have been making mixed tapes (now mixed CD's) since high school. I always give them titles - Dance Til Dawn, Cruisin' 92, Birdman's Best Unplugged, Sykotic Runner, Reinventing The Lake. The reason behind the titles and the songs picked specifically for the compilation could each fill a blog entry.

Over 90% of the compilations have been for myself. I use mixed CD's to express whatever I'm feeling at that time.

The rest I give away to friends, never keeping a copy.

I have made literally hundreds of them.

There is one mixed CD that I have been working on since 1993 called The Last Mix. My only criteria for entry is if I say "Oh My God. That is the best song I have ever heard in my entire life. Ever."

I then add that song to the mix.

I have promised myself that 1) once a song has been added it can not be deleted, and 2) the day that I fill up that compilation, I will never make a mixed CD again.

From 1993 to the present, I have added 10 songs to that compilation. This afternoon, I am adding an 11th song.

It's a 1995 song by the Jayhawks called Blue. I knew the song back then, but heard it again recently and realized how much I still loved it.

Here's the song - audio only:



If you're wondering what the first 10 songs in The Last Mix are, you'll have to wait. The compilation is less than half filled. I'll publish the details once it's done.

Shirtless Sanjaya

Every season* on American Idol, there is at least one contestant that I really root for. Last season, it was Sanjaya Malakar. Yes, his singing got worse and worse almost every week, but I still liked him.






It only took me a year, but I finally found shirtless pictures of Sanjaya.



*To compare: My pick in the first season of American Idol was Jim Verraros. I still follow his career. I'll save shirtless pictures of him for another time.