tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68833063288558610682024-03-20T04:34:01.502-07:00acerbic bubblegumCaitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.comBlogger143125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-35870907516630551112010-06-29T10:46:00.000-07:002010-06-29T17:28:06.149-07:00Blogger is just so five years ago, don't you think?I was having a quarterlife crisis in anticipation of my 25th birthday and decided to cope by switching to a trendier blogging platform.<br /><br /><a href="http://caitlinpodiak.tumblr.com/">Read my new blog, please.</a> It's much shinier than this stupid old thing. There's a picture of me in a bikini, if that sounds at all enticing.Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-46646387535005790262010-04-27T23:05:00.000-07:002013-12-02T22:10:32.525-08:00Apparently I have more things to say about The Hills.I guess it makes sense that the end of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Hills</span> would be similar to the end of <span style="font-style: italic;">The O.C.</span>, if you lump it together with <span style="font-style: italic;">Laguna Beach</span> as a single entity. They both lose their leading ladies, then the focus bounces around erratically for a while, with a final season of balls to the wall insanity that introduces an entirely new tone. <a href="http://acerbicbubblegum.blogspot.com/2008/09/notes-on-gossip-girl-and-reflections-on.html">I loved the fourth season of <span style="font-style: italic;">The O.C.</span></a> for being so campy and self-referential. I'll be much more enthusiastic about a similarly self-aware and farcical final season of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Hills</span>, as opposed to watching it continue to drift aimlessly toward oblivion.<br />
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However, revolutionary as it may be, I'm not sure I can stomach the turn Heidi and Spencer have taken toward developing a new reality genre: horror docu-soap. I feel guilty for <a href="http://acerbicbubblegum.blogspot.com/2008/04/why.html">comparing Heidi to Frankenstein's monster</a> back when it felt moderately insightful, rather than obvious and cruel. It looks like Speidi's descending trajectory may be fascinatingly tragic, which is tragic, but, you know, fascinating.<br />
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Oh, also, <span style="font-style: italic;">The City</span> is garbage but I love Erin and she should have her own show.Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-66664138477813732912010-04-19T11:45:00.000-07:002013-12-02T22:09:14.444-08:00My new favorite reality show about the trashiness of the state in which I grew up.<span style="font-style: italic;">The New York Times</span> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/20/arts/television/20licious.html">thinks</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">Jerseylicious</span> would be "mildly entertaining if it weren't so blatantly trying to horn in on the now-faded "Jersey" mania of [<span style="font-style: italic;">Jersey Shore</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Real Housewives of New Jersey</span>]."<br />
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My disagreement with this critique is based on the belief that relishing in the absurdity and unabashed trashiness of some New Jersey denizens is not, as the <span style="font-style: italic;">Times</span> asserts, a "tired shtick," "flogged over and over again by lazy television executives." I contend that New Jersey is, in fact, deeply hilarious and sociologically fascinating, and that it is logical, appropriate, and necessary for television executives to capitalize on this wellspring of entertainment potential.<br />
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While I certainly appreciate the entertainment value provided by <span style="font-style: italic;">Jersey Shore</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Real Housewives of New Jersey</span>, these two programs barely scratch the surface of what New Jersey has to offer. Only one member of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Jersey Shore</span> cast (Sammi, ugh) is actually from New Jersey. (Pauly D is from Rhode Island and the rest live in New York.) And while <span style="font-style: italic;">Real Housewives of New Jersey</span> is amazing, it provides a limited glimpse at the range of outrageous personalities one is likely to encounter in the Garden State.<br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Jerseylicious</span> takes place at Gatsby Salon on Route 22 in Green Brooke, New Jersey. When I was in high school, and occasionally during the summers when I was in college, I worked as a receptionist at Fine Lines & Artistic Nails, in Chatham, New Jersey, a mere sixteen miles from Gatsby Salon. So naturally, I was intrigued by the concept of the show, but I didn't necessarily have high expectations for a "comedy docu-soap" on the Style Network. But, I swear to you guys, it is seriously compelling. Until the most recent episode, I was uncertain as to whether the show's appeal would translate to wider audiences that lack a thorough understanding of regional culture and customs, and as such, I was hesitant to blog about it. Now, though, I can confidently endorse <span style="font-style: italic;">Jerseylicious</span>.<br />
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What brought on this onslaught of enthusiasm, you might ask? Well, last night, one of my television yearnings was fulfilled when two of the most stereotypically Jersey girls I have ever seen received a rather harsh makeunder from Edward Tricomi himself at <a href="http://www.warrentricomi.com/">Warren-Tricomi Salon</a> in Manhattan. I could attempt to describe it, but no matter how many superlatives I used, I'm not sure that you'd completely believe me. So I have to show you:<br />
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That is just one of the more satisfying segments of last night's episode, which was almost entirely focused on the deconstruction of these girls' self-caricaturization.<br />
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In anticipation of your arguments, I will point out that, yes Olivia bears a strong similarity to <span style="font-style: italic;">Jersey Shore</span>'s Snooki. HOWEVER, Snooki, amusing and endearing as she is, is from MARLBORO, New York. In other words, <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl">not anywhere near New Jersey</a>! Whereas Olivia is a real deal Jersey girl, through and through. <span style="font-style: italic;">Jersey Shore</span> may have aired first, but really, Snooki is biting Olivia's style (indirectly, obvs).<br />
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Although <span style="font-style: italic;">Jerseylicious</span> is by no means a comprehensive examination of what it means to be, well, Jerseylicious, it does uncover a few more layers of the amazingness that is New Jersey.<br />
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P.S. Just for the record, at this point in my life I would sooner cut my own hair than go to any salon in New Jersey, because I am a humongous snob.Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-44368955040622567612010-03-21T22:06:00.000-07:002013-12-02T22:09:56.252-08:00Dear diary.Occasionally, I find it necessary to attempt to interact with other human beings without relying on my extrovert boyfriend as a social navigator and small talk safety net. My best friend Jess is currently on a business trip in Los Angeles, and she invited me to fly down for the weekend to partake of her free hotel room at the Viceroy in Santa Monica. In June, we went to Cameo Bar at the Viceroy for my birthday, because I really wanted to lounge amongst Kelly Wearstler's decor. And the space did feel as fun and sexy and glamorous as I imagined it would. I was so excited to spend a few nights there for free, but seeing the space in daylight seriously dampened my enthusiasm. It's still cool and fun, but everything looks much cheaper and crappier and tackier when you can actually see it clearly. On Thursday night we had happy hour drinks at Cameo Bar with our friend Trey, and then dinner at Dominick's with Jess's coworkers. Everyone ordered the chicken, which was highly recommended, and did in fact turn out to be pretty great. The appetizers and cocktails were also good. And the ambiance was nice on the back patio, with exposed brick walls covered in foliage, and a fireplace. On Friday, while Jess was working, I walked around Santa Monica all morning, bought a pair of knit shorts from American Apparel because I had forgotten to pack pajamas, and spent the afternoon reading by the pool at the Viceroy, wearing a hooded sweatshirt over my bikini because it was so breezy and overcast. At night, Jess and I had dinner at Ma'Kai Lounge. The food was not bad, and from the patio we could see the sun setting over the ocean. But the service was kind of weird. The waitstaff seemed confused about the table numbers, and throughout the meal, they kept trying to give us various things that we hadn't ordered. Also, the waiter, who was kind of a ridiculous bimbo, made a comment about <span style="font-style: italic;">Jersey Shore</span> when he checked Jess's ID, and asked if she gets that all the time, and we both sort of felt pissy at him after that. It was fine, though. I can never really be unhappy as long as I have edamame to nibble. After dinner we wandered up and down the Third Street Promenade, on a quest for black ballet flats for Jess. Once she found a pair she liked, we went to Bar Chloe, where the bartender told us all about her problems finding a boyfriend who won't insist on hanging out more than one night a week, and served us sugary, weak cocktails. Trey met up with us after a while and then so did my friend Ken and his boyfriend Saul, after a misunderstanding that involved them driving to Cameo Bar and wondering why they couldn't find us. Toward the end of the night, Jess and Trey disapprovingly observed that I, the girl with the alcohol tolerance of a six year old, was barely tipsy after several drinks. But the space was cozy, and it was nice to not be hungover on Saturday morning. Jess and I had a lackluster brunch at the Georgian Hotel. After a huffy, hush-voiced conversation about the terrible service, we very seriously decided that we would only tip 15%. It was warm and sunny at that point, so we walked to the pier, bought thin, ugly towels for $8 each, went to the beach, lay down in the sand for approximately fifteen minutes, observed one another's goosebumps, put our jeans and sweatshirts back on and went to the promenade. Jess bought a pomelo at the farmers market. At Barnes and Noble, I bought <span style="font-style: italic;">Shoplifting from American Apparel</span> by Tao Lin, and Jess bought a book of short stories by Tolstoy. Then Jess got Pinkberry while I commented effusively about how much I fail to understand the appeal of frozen yogurt and oddly segregated toppings. We went back to the Viceroy and tried to read by the pool, but even in jeans and sweatshirts it was so cold we gave up and went up to the room. I was reading and Jess was in the shower when a siren started blaring, interspersed with a noisy announcement that there had been an "event" in the hotel and that we should stand by and await further instruction while they verified the event. The siren and the scary announcement repeated over and over while I threw my book, jewelry, contact lens case, glasses, and birth control pills in my purse, and paced around outside the bathroom, trying to decide whether to tell Jess to get out of the shower or not. Eventually, the siren stopped and a new announcement assured us that everything was "all clear." I spent about an hour applying "a shitload" of eye makeup, striving for sort of a Jenny Humphrey effect, and then Trey picked us up and drove us to Hollywood Boulevard, where we ate sandwiches at Cafe Audrey and then had a couple drinks at Essex Public House, where the waiter was cartoonishly energetic. Jess wondered aloud whether he was an actor or a writer. I guessed both and was right. He told us a little bit about his acting career and the six screenplays he's written, and asked us about our jobs (well, <span style="font-style: italic;">their</span> jobs) and favorite movies. I said <span style="font-style: italic;">Funny Face</span>. He told us his favorite movie is <span style="font-style: italic;">The Princess Bride</span>. We all agreed that was a good one. Then we went to Bar Marmont and felt glamorous. The bartender was wearing a fun top hat. There was nowhere to sit, but then we found a random, awesome, empty back room with a decoupaged ceiling and decided to make ourselves at home and risk getting yelled at. Once we did, a couple other guys followed our lead and we said hi. They said they were from DC, graduated from Georgetown and George Washington in '08, and had flown to LA for the weekend to look at apartments, because they were thinking of giving up their finance/consulting jobs to become producers. Then we left to meet our friend Eric, who went to high school with us, and Trey brought us to his friend's birthday party at a gorgeous house in the Hollywood Hills. Mostly everyone at the party knew each other from Harvard, usually the <span style="font-style: italic;">Harvard Lampoon</span>, except for Eric and me. Everyone was so friendly and funny and welcoming. I talked to BJ Novak for a few minutes, and asked him about the time his character on <span style="font-style: italic;">The Office</span> was reading <span style="font-style: italic;">I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell</span>. He said it was Mindy Kaling's idea, to underline how douchey Ryan is, and that they had considered the possibility that some people might misinterpret it as a more positive reference to Tucker Max, but those people are dumb, so whatever. While I was talking to him, it didn't even occur to me that I had the "Subtle Sexuality" music video on my iPod in my purse. But it's probably for the best that I didn't think to mention that, because I would have told him how much I love the part where he says, "My rhymes bite like piranha," and I was already struggling to not give the impression that I wanted to have sex with him. (I have watched "<a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/105338/the-office-subtle-sexuality-the-music-video">Subtle Sexuality</a>" at least a hundred times, and when Ryan grabs his crotch at the end of his rap it always made me feel kind of squirmy and uncomfortable. I think from now on it might make me feel slightly aroused. (The word "slightly" is used here in an attempt to be considerate of Ed's feelings.)) He is a lot cuter and cooler-looking in person than on <span style="font-style: italic;">The Office</span>. He was wearing hipsterish glasses that really worked for him. Writing this now, I'm second-guessing whether I actually hallucinated the entire experience, because I was drunk and it seems like something that I would make up. Assuming that this was not a dream, which I'm pretty sure it wasn't, but I need to reconfirm with Jess and Trey, I then announced, awkwardly, I'm sure, that I have a boyfriend, and stopped bothering him. Later on, I attempted to demonstrate my still-in-progress yoga headstand in this little indoor/outdoor exercise room next to the pool. Unfortunately, my super drunk strength was canceled out by my lack of any balancing ability whatsoever. Also, I may have accidentally flashed a boob in the process. Then we went back to the hotel so I could finish packing for my crack of dawn JetBlue flight from Long Beach to San Francisco. I was the only passenger on my $50 SuperShuttle ride (versus $100 for a taxi), which arrived at the Viceroy at 4:25 AM. I was very, very, very sleepy and disoriented at the airport, which I found unpleasantly reminiscent of the type of airports that Jess and I wound up at whenever we flew RyanAir to or from Scotland when we were abroad junior year. (The cold, early morning mist, in particular, reminded me of the time that the shack of an airport two hours outside Paris completely shut down due to fog, stranding us with several flights' worth of passengers in a middle of nowhere town with only two taxis for 24 hours or so.) Anyway, I had booked such an early flight because I wanted to get back to San Francisco in time to go the the Vintage Expo at the Concourse Exhibition Center, which turned out to suck and be a waste of $20 for admission. ($10 each, but I paid for Ed.) I was hoping to find some cool vintage costume jewelry like I bought for Jess and my mom and my sister at the "Deco the Halls" expo in December. But all the jewelry was from later decades and tackier and uglier and more expensive and behind glass, so I couldn't try lots of things on without it being a hassle. The fact that I hadn't slept for longer than 45 minutes or so on the plane may have accounted for some bias, but still I think it actually did kind of suck. We went to Whole Foods and I got some triple cream cheese and Ed got real food that more closely resembles meals and then we came home and watched <span style="font-style: italic;">The Office</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">30 Rock</span> and napped and vegged out for the rest of the day.<br />
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So I had fun in Los Angeles. It was awesome to spend time with Jess and Trey, and I especially liked how everyone treated me as if I am cool and interesting and not stupid and annoying, which is how I usually feel. (I guess I should wear high heels more often.) I could never live there, though, because I can't really drive and thus am limited to cities with adequate public transportation.Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-54212781643103826652010-03-12T11:42:00.000-08:002013-12-02T22:06:58.008-08:00No such thing as too much Wonderland.I can't remember a time when I wasn't fascinated by the idea of falling down a rabbit hole and landing in an absurd and whimsical world full of nonsense and riddles and talking animals.<br />
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I have read <span style="font-style: italic;">Alice in Wonderland</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Through the Looking-Glass</span> more times than I could possibly begin to calculate. When I was little, I yearned for blond hair and blue eyes because I wanted to be Alice, and was only somewhat mollified when I learned that Alice Liddell, who inspired the character, had been a brunette, and that John Tenniel's iconic illustrations were based on a different girl. When I was 10 or 11, I wrote a one-act play of <span style="font-style: italic;">Alice in Wonderland</span>, cajoled my neighbors and sister into divvying up all the bit parts so that I could play Alice, and directed a backyard performance for our parents. In high school, I sometimes read the "Mad Tea-Party" chapter of <span style="font-style: italic;">Alice in Wonderland</span> for the "Humorous Interpretation" category at Forensics competitions. (My other HI piece was one of the Oompa-Loompas' songs from <span style="font-style: italic;">Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator</span>.)<br />
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I recently <a href="http://acerbicbubblegum.blogspot.com/2010/02/alice-in-wonderland-in-three-dimensions.html">decoupaged my coffee table</a> with pages from the books. I have several pieces of Wonderland-inspired artwork (not including the coffee table) decorating my apartment. I have a pet rabbit who blogs under the pseudonym <a href="http://iamthewhiterabbit.tumblr.com/">The White Rabbit</a>. And my most deeply cherished ambition is to one day write a fantasy novel that could be deemed a classic, worthy of being shelved alongside the <span style="font-style: italic;">Alice</span> books, as well as <span style="font-style: italic;">The Chronicles of Narnia</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">A Wrinkle in Time</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">A Wind in the Door</span>, and the <span style="font-style: italic;">Harry Potter</span> series.<br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Alice in Wonderland</span> was one of the only animated Disney movies that my family did not own on VHS. I first saw some portions of the movie at IKEA's in-store daycare center. I missed the beginning and didn't even know what I was watching, but the images of Alice, the caterpillar, and the Cheshire Cat were indelibly etched in my mind. This fleeting snippet of a memory is one of the earliest that I am able to recall. I can remember how desperately I wanted to see the entire movie, and when I finally did, I was baffled by my friends' complaints that it was "weird" and "creepy." I loved it, of course. I bought the DVD a couple of years ago and have watched it a few times since then. I also remember a live-action series on the Disney Channel, <a href="http://iamthewhiterabbit.tumblr.com/post/433259557/adventures-in-wonderland"><span style="font-style: italic;">Adventures in Wonderland</span></a>, being one of my favorite television shows at the time. And this past December, I very much enjoyed SyFy's <span style="font-style: italic;">Alice</span> mini-series.<br />
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So it should probably not come as a surprise when I say that I loved Tim Burton's <span style="font-style: italic;">Alice in Wonderland</span>. It is my favorite interpretation of the books that I have seen so far.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiryx0H09JZTATaJU1e5K4jP5RsQxmzWxVxcESIxyyDLDVvciyOr7I3dlYHs9B5Q0wXbjXKhwsajQ8bFSWjYe8O9ffzN0WQisJGQEu2bLvoZ0VvXNxwaqvyDAwAow4hFTqxVmcMpkLm0Dg/s1600/MottsPurse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiryx0H09JZTATaJU1e5K4jP5RsQxmzWxVxcESIxyyDLDVvciyOr7I3dlYHs9B5Q0wXbjXKhwsajQ8bFSWjYe8O9ffzN0WQisJGQEu2bLvoZ0VvXNxwaqvyDAwAow4hFTqxVmcMpkLm0Dg/s320/MottsPurse.JPG" width="211" /></a>Ed, <a href="http://acerbicbubblegum.blogspot.com/2009/03/motts-wants-to-say-hello-to-internet.html">Motts</a>, and I saw it last Friday at the <a href="http://www.sundancecinemas.com/kabuki.html">Kabuki</a>, which is the only theater where I will watch a movie that has just opened, because you can choose your seats online. I bought tickets a month ahead of time, counting out the seats to make sure that we would be in the exact center of the row. I was tempted to dress up in my most Alicey outfit, but thought it would be wiser not to draw attention to myself, since I was smuggling a <a href="http://iamthewhiterabbit.tumblr.com/post/435639897/alice-in-wonderland-in-3d-on-shrooms-also-how-to">'shrooming rabbit</a> in my purse. I did wear my black and white striped fingerless gloves that I got for $5 at the Marc by Marc Jacobs store a couple of weeks ago, because Ed said they looked sort of Tim Burton-ish. And then, approximately .5 seconds before it was time to show the hostess my ID (we went to a 21+ screening), I realized that she couldn't stamp my hand if I was wearing gloves, and I had to step out of the line to pull them off and I was flustered because of being nervous about getting caught sneaking Motts into the movie. The bar was serving "Mad Hatter" cocktails with absinthe and triple sec, which resulted in a generally nauseous audience once the 3D got going. Several people had to sprint for the bathroom after Alice fell down the rabbit hole, and I was pleasantly surprised that nobody actually vomited in the theater. The girls from <a href="http://hatworksbypaul.wordpress.com/2010/03/07/and-all-that-jazz/">Paul's Hat Works</a> were there, dressed in adorable Mad Hatter costumes with tutus and face paint and, obviously, top hats. I ran into them in the bathroom after the movie and attempted to take a picture with my cell phone, but for some reason it was determined only to record video, so I ended up with a couple of blurry, two-second video clips instead of a still photo. (Maybe Motts had been messing with it in my purse?)<br />
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I tried to avoid reading any reviews until after I had seen it, and when I got home, I immediately went online, to <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10009599-alice_in_wonderland/">Rotten Tomatoes</a>, and was shocked to find that it only had a 53%. It seems that many critics were underwhelmed due to high expectations, found the 3D distracting, wanted a more faithful adaptation of the book, thought the characters too flat, or condemned the narrative as either too straightforward or not cohesive enough. Not that anyone cares what I think, but just for the record, I completely disagree with all of these complaints.<br />
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I loved the 3D. I found it wonderful and decadently gorgeous and thoroughly immersive, far more so than <span style="font-style: italic;">Avatar</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">Up</span>.<br />
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I thought most of the characters were fantastic. I liked Mia Wasikowska's Alice, Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter, and Helena Bonham Carter's Red Queen the best, but Anne Hathaway's White Queen was also good, aside from her makeup, which I thought could have been better. I tend to dislike most interpretations of Tweedledee and Tweedledum, but they were all right here. I thought the caterpillar was slightly disappointing, and the White Rabbit should have been either cuter or handsomer. The March Hare was fine, but nothing special. I thought the Cheshire Cat was phenomenal, the most perfect illustration of the character that I could have ever imagined.<br />
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The story is a fairly standard Hollywood narrative, especially in comparison to the books, which have almost no narrative structure whatsoever. But I'm not sure how it could have been anything else. It's a big budget Disney movie, and I doubt that it could have ever gotten made without an emphasis on external conflict and a more typical story arc. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see a more faithful version of the books, with their meandering, nonsensical plot lines and emphasis on wordplay, riddles, and poetry. But that sort of interpretation would most likely have to be an independent film, or, since that phrase seems to have lost all meaning at this point, it would at least have to be more "indie" than this movie, with a considerably smaller budget.<br />
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(If I were writing a film adaptation of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Alice</span> books, mine would be a surreal, episodic version. I'd do <span style="font-style: italic;">Though the Looking-Glass</span> and have the plot follow the book as closely as possible, with an emphasis on scenes and characters that audiences haven't seen before. Alice's kittens, the mirror that melts at her touch, the backwards looking-glass house full of living chess pieces, the countryside marked out like an enormous chessboard, the Gnat with his odd, mournful jokes and the other looking-glass insects, the forest that makes you forget who you are, the practice of punishing criminals before the crime has been committed, the Sheep in her dark, mysterious shop that transforms into a little boat gliding along a stream full of scented rushes and then back into a shop, Humpty Dumpty, the White King with his ridiculous Anglo-Saxon Messengers Haigha and Hatta and their ham sandwiches and hay, the Lion and the Unicorn fighting for the crown and the Unicorn's deal with Alice that he will believe in her if she will believe in him, the White Knight and all his inventions, Alice's transformation from a pawn to a queen at the Eighth Square, her dinner-party where the various courses introduce themselves and refuse to be eaten, and the explosion of chaos at the end, when everything turns into everything else and Alice shakes the Red Queen back into a kitten. It would be a screenplay full of fresh, cinematic, potentially iconic imagery and linguistic playfulness and nobody would ever buy it because it wouldn't follow the rules about structure and stakes and plot points and pacing.)<br />
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That's the thing about <span style="font-style: italic;">Alice in Wonderland</span>, though. It's so full of resonant imagery and characters and ideas, there's really no limit to the number of film adaptations that could be made. I would have been sad if Tim Burton's version had sucked, but I didn't expect it to be the <span style="font-style: italic;">definitive</span> version, because the <span style="font-style: italic;">books</span> are and will always be the definitive version. I would watch a new <span style="font-style: italic;">Alice in Wonderland</span> once every six months or so for the rest of my life, if filmmakers continued to churn them out. All I required to be happy with this particular <span style="font-style: italic;">Alice in Wonderland</span> was for it to be gloriously Tim Burton-esque, dark and twisted and indulgent and visually overwhelming. And it was, and I was happy. I will probably go see it again in a couple of weeks, but in IMAX this time, to see how it compares with Dolby Digital 3D.Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-27579614975697457992010-03-02T16:05:00.000-08:002010-03-02T16:13:53.662-08:00In the future: Pod peopleIn the future, there will be three kinds of people: pod people, city people, and land people. But most people will be pod people.<br /><br />Pod people will live in pod colonies. There will be many pod colonies all over the world. Most will be built facing the ocean, with a few in other geographically desirable areas. Each pod colony will consist of a single massive structure, designed to house several thousand pod people as comfortably, efficiently, and stylishly as possible. The architectural designs of the pod colonies will vary wildly, but functionally, they will be nearly identical. Pod colonies will provide spaces for pod people to sleep, eat, work, learn, and play.<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><br />The defining element of the pod colony will be the pod itself. Within each colony, pods will share an identical core structure, but will be endlessly customizable to the most precise and eccentric specifications of the inhabitant. Pods will be extremely compact, but the size will be more than adequate because they will be so perfectly calibrated to the inhabitant's needs. All pods will be constructed using materials of the highest quality, and will be arranged with the utmost attention to ergonomics and aesthetic appeal.<br /><br />All pods will be equipped with an array of sophisticated technology. Pods will be self-cleaning, thanks to automated systems that require no effort on the part of the inhabitant, aside from occasional straightening up and putting away of personal items. Beds will make themselves with the flick of a switch, and the entire pod will routinely sterilize itself while the inhabitant is elsewhere, ensuring that the air is always fresh, dust is never permitted to accumulate, carpets are always vacuumed, and bathrooms always sparkle. Garbage shoots will instantly whisk all waste away to be sorted and either discarded or reused as appropriate, and laundry shoots will similarly remove soiled clothing to be cleaned in a central location.<br /><br />Built-in computers will serve as communication and entertainment systems, offering inhabitants on demand access to any type of media at any time. These machines will include large screens with a small ticker visible in one corner at all times, regardless of what else is being displayed on the screen. The ticker will track the user's media consumption and virtual communication habits in an easily digestible format, broken down into various categories and subcategories. Pod technology will be sleek, sexy, and intuitive: all the most seductive Apple products rolled into one flawless device.<br /><br />There will be pods for singles, pods for couples, and pods for families with up to two children. Single pods will include one computer, one desk, one desk chair, one bed, one bedside table, one wardrobe/chest of drawers, one toilet, one bathroom sink, one shower, a small refrigerator, a small kitchen sink, a small counter for very basic food preparation, a single burner for very basic food preparation, a small love seat, a coffee table, and one additional chair of the inhabitant's choice: either a simple upholstered chair, a recliner, or a chaise lounge. Couples pods will be similar, but each inhabitant will have his or her own computer, desk, desk chair, bedside table, wardrobe/chest of drawers, bathroom sink, and additional chair. The bed, sofa, and refrigerator will be slightly larger than in single pods. Single and individual pods will consist of two rooms: a living/sleeping space, and a bathroom. Family pods will be divided into five rooms, for the sake of privacy: a shared living space, one bedroom for the parents, one bedroom for the children, one bathroom for the parents, and one bathroom for the children. Each child will have his or her own computer, desk, desk chair, bedside table, wardrobe/chest of drawers, bathroom sink, and additional chair. The sofa, refrigerator, kitchen sink, and kitchen counter will be slightly larger than in couples pods, and a second burner will be provided. Couples and families will be limited to one chaise lounge per pod. All pods will include adequate lighting.<br /><br />In essence, each pod will resemble a small but luxurious room (or suite, in the case of family pods) in a fashionable boutique hotel, but with expressive customization options reminiscent of a MySpace profile, communication and entertainment systems reminiscent of an enormous iPad, and a robotic maintenance system reminiscent of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Jetsons</span>.<br /><br />In addition to thousands of private pods, each pod colony will contain cafeterias, fitness centers, offices, classrooms, libraries, and socialization areas. All pod people will be considered members of the pod colony in which they live, and will have equal access to all community spaces.<br /><br />The cafeterias will serve healthy and delicious food in correct portion sizes. Snacks and desserts will be provided in moderation, and gorging will not be facilitated. Pod food will be simple and natural, and all food will be made from fresh, raw, organic ingredients on the premises. Most ingredients will be grown on the roof of the pod colony, or on small farms on the land immediately surrounding the pod colony. Pod colonies will sometimes trade with other pod colonies for specialty items. Some ingredients, meat in particular, will be procured from land people. However, before agreeing to accept meat or other animal products from land people, pod colonies will thoroughly verify that animals were raised humanely and sustainably, without hormones, antibiotics, or unnatural feeds. Any pod person who prefers to prepare his or her own food will be welcome to do so in the communal kitchen of any cafeteria, where plenty of natural ingredients and the highest caliber tools and equipment will be made available.<br /><br />Fitness centers will be open twenty-two hours per day. Once every twelve hours, the fitness center will close for one hour to sterilize itself. There will be a wide variety of machines, equipment, and classes, and pod people will be encouraged to explore different types of exercise. Personal trainers will be available for support and motivation, and to ensure that pod people are performing exercises safely and correctly. Personal trainers will be warm, welcoming people who do not judge or intimidate. Yoga will be quite popular among the pod people, and in many pod colonies, some of the most attractive spaces with the most beautiful views will be designated for the practice of yoga.<br /><br />Pod people will have access to a myriad of therapists and analysts who will be happy to discuss anything at all, from the most trifling neurosis to the most debilitating trauma. There will be matchmakers to help pod people find the perfect mate and dermatologists to help pod people perfect their skin. All pod people will have equal access to health care, which will be easy to provide, since pod colonies will be quite safe and there will be few accidents, and since everyone will have the necessary resources and education to remain as healthy as possible. There will be design consultants, aesthetic experts who will offer their assistance in order to maintain the overall attractiveness of the pod colony and its inhabitants.<br /><br />Every pod person will receive an education that exalts and encourages empathy, intellectual curiosity, analytical ability, personal expression, and imagination. This education will endorse no theology, but will instead foster a combination of healthy skepticism and nurtured spirituality. Pod teachers will not promote notions of separatism, elitism, or nationalism.<br /><br />Since all pod people will have access to all media electronically, print will become impractical and unnecessary. However, some pod people will still prefer to read words printed on paper at times, and each pod colony will contain an extensive library of physical books and magazines for this purpose.<br /><br />Socialization areas will be tailored to a staggeringly wide range of interests. There will be spaces for people who like kittens, spaces for people who like trance music, spaces for people who like classical music, spaces for people who play video games, spaces for people who want to have sex, spaces for people who take various drugs. (All recreational drugs will be legal and freely available to any pod person over the age of eighteen who passes a brief educational course and exam.) These socialization areas will be easy to navigate and open to any pod person at any time, with the exception of a few spaces which will be off limits to pod people under the age of eighteen.<br /><br />Pod colonies will have no currency. All colony members will have all their basic needs provided for, and will have access to unlimited media and communication, for free, for as long as they choose to live in pods. Anyone who wishes to become a member of a pod colony may join freely, and will be assigned his or her own private pod. However, all perspective members must agree to fulfill the following requirements:<br /><br />1. All pod people must contribute to the colony. All community roles will be performed on a voluntary basis. Teachers, chefs, personal trainers, yoga instructors, engineers, therapists, design consultants, and so on, will do their jobs because they find them interesting and satisfying, and because they wish to contribute to their colony. Their only additional reward will be personal pride and, if they are good at their jobs, recognition from the community. Those who are not drawn to a particular role will be assisted in discovering a passion, and those who are uninterested in pursuing a community role out of passion or interest will be encouraged to take on more menial tasks. These jobs, though rote and not particularly fulfilling, will be fairly easy, since the true drudgery will be handled by robots. There will be no specific requirements for what "contributing to the community" entails, and pod people will always be free to devote a day or several to leisure and relaxation. However, if a pod person routinely refuses to make any sort of contribution, it will eventually be brought to the attention of the community, and appropriate, considered measures will be taken on a case by case basis.<br /><br />2. Hatred and cruelty will not be permitted. Acts of violence will be strictly prohibited, outside of a few designated socialization pods. No pod person will be allowed to inflict suffering on another pod person. Disagreements must be resolved through logical, articulate discussion, and if that is not possible, a conflict resolution specialist will be called upon to facilitate harmony. If a pod person cannot resolve a disagreement peacefully, he or she may be put into temporary isolation or even ejected from the colony.<br /><br />3. Pod people must be committed to sustainability, in all forms. Unnecessary consumption, destruction, and waste will be discouraged. Each couple will be permitted to produce a maximum of two children. Single parenthood will be socially accepted, and a single parent will be assured of having all the resources necessary for her or himself and her or his child. However, single parents will be limited to one child per individual. (A single mother may have two children as long as the father or fathers do not have additional children with other women. Paternity tests will be administered when there is any doubt.)<br /><br />Birth control will be provided to all pod people, and most pregnancies will be planned. The very few accidental pregnancies that do occur will be discovered almost immediately, and a quick, safe, painless abortion will be an easily available, socially acceptable option. Adoption will also be an easily available, socially acceptable option. Same-sex couples and infertile opposite-sex couples who wish to raise one or two children will be encouraged to adopt from among the few unwanted, orphaned, or abandoned children, or children who have been removed from unfit parents. (Parents who find themselves unsuited to parenthood will have the option of giving their child to a same-sex or infertile couple who have applied, and they will be free to visit that child throughout his or her life, should the child agree to continue such a relationship.)<br /><br />Once a woman has given birth to her second child, she must either: A. agree to be sterilized, B. agree to take birth control and abort any accidental pregnancies, C. agree to adopt out any future children to a qualified couple who cannot have children of their own, D. file for a special dispensation to exceed the two child limit and convince a committee that she is uniquely suited to raising well adjusted members of the community, or E. agree to take all of her children and leave the pod colony if she does become pregnant with a third child and subsequently refuse to abort it or give it up for adoption. In the event that a woman becomes pregnant with twins, triplets, etc., exceptions to the limits can be made.<br /><br />4. In order to partake of the infinite cornucopia of media, pod people must provide feedback. In some cases, they will simply be prompted to click a button indicating whether they "like," "dislike," or are "unsure" about any post, video, or image. At other times, required feedback may consist of a somewhat but not unreasonably extensive survey. Usually, there will be an option to include a written comment, but comments must adhere to basic grammatical structure, capitalization and punctuation. Comments that do not meet this standard will be rejected by the comment filter. As long as the commenter displays a functional command of his or her native language, though, the comment will be read and considered by a qualified party. Feedback will be used for the continued enhancement of the media and technology available to all pod people.<br /><br />In the future, this is how the pod people will live.Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-49335769671153379672010-02-24T12:35:00.000-08:002010-02-24T17:01:30.405-08:00I'm probably judging you.I'm pretty judgmental, I think. Here are some ways that I judge people, roughly in order of importance:<br /><ol><li>Do you smell bad?</li><li>Are you rude or inconsiderate?</li><li>Are you overbearing?</li><li>Are you arrogant or egotistical?</li><li>Do you chew loudly, or with your mouth open?</li><li>Are you wearing unflattering shoes?</li><li>Do your posture or mannerisms cause you to invade my personal space?</li><li>Do you carry yourself as though in a position of power?</li><li>Do you lack self-awareness?</li><li>Are you smart?</li><li>Are you smug?<br /></li><li>Do you have interesting things to say?</li><li>Do you actively listen to other people, or do you prefer to hear yourself talk? Do you play with your phone while others are speaking to you?<br /></li><li>Are you fixed and rigid in your opinions?</li><li>Are you a Republican?</li><li>Are you conservative?</li><li>Do you like <span style="font-style: italic;">Lost</span>? If not, do you actively dislike it, or have you just never watched it? Or are you a lapsed <span style="font-style: italic;">Lost</span> fan?</li><li>Are you good at banter and/or picking up on sarcasm? Can you distinguish between sarcasm, sincerity, and facetiousness?<br /></li><li>Do you enjoy making cynical, negative, dismissive comments about hipsters, hippies, Twitter, bikes, or Lady Gaga?<br /></li><li>Do you read?<br /></li><li>Do you like animals?</li><li>Do we have similar taste in movies or television?</li><li>Are you empathetic?</li><li>Do you seem to harbor any biases against predefined groups of people?</li><li>Are you tense or high-strung, or do you have a relaxed, comforting presence?<br /></li><li>Do you smoke weed?</li><li>Do you disapprove of drugs in general? Do you support legalization?</li><li>Are you outdoorsy?</li><li>Are you boring?</li><li>Do you drink? What kind of drinker are you?</li><li>Do you "work out" regularly?</li><li>Are you fun?</li><li>Are you a "foodie" and/or do you enjoy wine tasting? What about cheese?<br /></li><li>Are you religious? If so, how religious?</li><li>Is your vocabulary noticeably limited?<br /></li><li>Do you tend to take things/people for granted?</li><li>Do you drive frequently, even when other forms of transportation are readily available?</li><li>Is your vehicle large or ostentatious?</li><li>Do you appreciate art?</li><li>What about tasteful design? Do you have a developed aesthetic sensibility, particularly with regards to fashion and home decor?<br /></li><li>Do you endeavor to present yourself in a contrived manner?</li><li>Do you enjoy whimsy?</li><li>Is your lifestyle more indulgent or ascetic?</li><li>Do you use, or at least attempt to use, correct spelling and punctuation in your online communications? What about capitalization? How do you feel about the Oxford comma?<br /></li><li>Do you prefer to text message or talk on the phone?</li><li>Do you litter?</li><li>Do you routinely disparage or condescend to others in order to cultivate a sense of your own superiority?</li><li>Are you thoughtful?</li><li>Are you unusually sheltered for your age?</li><li>Which is more important to you, being nice or being honest?<br /></li></ol>Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-65768284838009126132010-02-16T17:40:00.000-08:002013-12-02T22:08:42.314-08:00Alice in Wonderland in three dimensions.Over the weekend, I decoupaged our $20 IKEA coffee table with pages from <span style="font-style: italic;">Alice in Wonderland</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Through the Looking-Glass</span>. Of course, I didn't tear up my own beloved book that I've had since I was little. I ordered a used copy from <a href="http://www.abebooks.com/">AbeBooks</a>. Unfortunately, I wasn't quite finished when I ran out of pages, so I guess I need to order one more.<br />
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Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-81500314203916927222010-02-14T22:05:00.000-08:002010-02-15T12:01:27.908-08:00Happy Valentine's Day.I made this for you.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S3j4Idxj8WI/AAAAAAAAAuU/iRm5e-IzVdU/s1600-h/Valentine%27s+Day.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S3j4Idxj8WI/AAAAAAAAAuU/iRm5e-IzVdU/s400/Valentine%27s+Day.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438369374365020514" border="0" /></a><br />I hope you had a nice and loving weekend. I did. Ed took me to <a href="http://sporksf.com/">Spork</a>, in the Mission, and everything was perfect and delicious. He also bought me some miniature cupcakes and salted caramels from <a href="http://www.sweetsweetsweet.com/">Sweet</a>. I love salted caramels and I had actually never eaten a red velvet cupcake before tonight, so that was cool. I wore a dress and high heels and lipstick and a necklace and a thong and a frilly bra, and usually I won't wear any of those things, so for me to wear them all at once is a pretty special occasion, indeed. I realized tonight that before I met Ed, which was a little over six years ago, I had never had a boyfriend or even a date on Valentine's Day, so he is my first and only Valentine. I love him.Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-33904501015279172122010-01-29T19:16:00.000-08:002010-03-06T05:00:44.050-08:00Pulling a Ginsberg?Shortly after moving to San Francisco, I went to the <a href="http://www.thebeatmuseum.org/">Beat Museum</a>, and then to <a href="http://www.citylights.com/bookstore/">City Lights</a>, where I bought <span style="font-style: italic;">The Dharma Bums</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Naked Lunch</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Howl and Other Poems</span>. I liked <span style="font-style: italic;">The Dharma Bums</span>, but I didn't find it particularly earthshaking. I only got through the first third of <span style="font-style: italic;">Naked Lunch</span> before giving up in disgust. But "Howl" resonated pretty strongly with me.<br /><br />So when I heard that there was going to be a movie about "Howl," I was excited. And when I discovered that there would be a special screening at the Sundance Kabuki Cinema here in San Francisco, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers, I bought tickets immediately.<br /><br />Ed and I saw the movie last night, and we both enjoyed it very much. It is not a traditional feature film nor a documentary, and some might be underwhelmed by the unusual juxtaposition of courtroom drama, direct narration pulled from interviews, a reading of the poem itself, and animated sequences. But it worked for me. I wished there had been more hand-drawn animation and less computer animation, but I understand that that would have been prohibitively expensive and time-consuming. It would have been nice if the computer animation could have at least been made to resemble traditional animation more, because I found certain parts of the animated sequences too cold and slick. But that is my only complaint. James Franco is obviously much too attractive to portray Allen Ginsberg convincingly, but he managed to be the perfect movie star version of Ginsberg. And while I'm on the subject, I'll say that I find Jon Hamm far more attractive when he's portraying a lawyer defending artistic freedom than a womanizing advertising executive. Anyway, the movie is good, I liked it and recommend it.<br /><br />But also, I'd like to share some facts about Allen Ginsberg's life. He graduated from Columbia with a BA in literature, and then lived in Manhattan for a little while before getting arrested as an accessory to crimes that his friends had committed. Instead of jail, he was sent to a psychiatric institute, and when he got out, he moved back into his father's house in New Jersey for a while. Then he moved to San Francisco. He had a nice apartment in Nob Hill and a job doing market research. He was gratified to find that he could handle a nine to five office job, but he felt stifled and creatively blocked. He was miserable and began seeing a therapist, who asked him what he wanted to do. He told his therapist that he wanted to quit his job, get rid of his nice apartment in Nob Hill, and just move into a small apartment with his boyfriend and write and read and fuck and smoke pot and just do whatever he wanted. So his therapist said, "Why don't you do it, then?" So that's what Ginsberg did, he quit his job and moved into a one room apartment with his boyfriend, and that's when he wrote "Howl."<br /><br />Now, if you'll indulge me, (and if you're not willing to indulge me, maybe you shouldn't read my indulgent blog where I write about myself all the time) I'd like to share some facts about my life. I graduated from Middlebury with a BA in English, and then lived in Manhattan for a few months. (I lived at 208 East 7th Street. Later in his life, Allen Ginsberg lived at 206 East 7th Street.) But I couldn't find a job and I was very lonely, so I moved back into my parents' house in New Jersey for a while. Then I moved to San Francisco, to be with Ed. We lived near Alamo Square at first, and then we moved into a nice apartment in the Marina. I did an account management internship at an advertising agency, and then I worked as a content producer for a website, reviewing various Internet services. I was gratified to find that I could handle a nine to five office job, but I felt stifled and creatively blocked and lately, I have been kind of miserable. So Ed and I moved out of the Marina and into a studio apartment, and I quit my job.<br /><br />Today was my last day. Now I am going to take some time off to read and write and just do whatever I want.Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-88591714467531795402010-01-28T16:34:00.000-08:002010-02-24T12:42:06.802-08:00Dining in the dark.On Friday, Ed and I "dined in the dark" at <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/24/FDQ611DO9J.DTL">Opaque</a>. My best friend Jess went to the Opaque in Los Angeles and raved about the experience, so when <a href="http://www.groupon.com/">Groupon</a>'s deal of the day was 50% off dinner for two at the one here in San Francisco, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to try it.<br /><br />As the reviews accurately reflect, the food at Opaque is not amazing. It isn't bad at all, it's just simple and basic and nothing special, especially considering the price. There's a choice of two salads, then either chicken, fish, beef, or pasta, and a choice of two desserts. If we hadn't gotten the 50% discount this might have bothered me more. But the experience is so cool, I think it's probably worth the full price even though the food is just adequate.<br /><br />The restaurant is literally pitch black. I was prepared for this, but I guess Ed didn't realize that we would be completely blind for the duration of the meal, so he was considerably more disoriented. But personally, I loved it, and actually found it pretty easy to adjust. I think that it was easier for me because I used to be very into theater, and so I've done a lot of acting exercises that involve visualizing things that aren't there. And just in general, I spend a lot of time in my own imagination, so it wasn't uncomfortable for me to be forced to imagine my surroundings. Ed suggested that maybe this is why I prefer to keep the lights dim in our apartment at night, while he tends to keep more lights turned on, which makes sense. The downside to that is that I guess I am pretty tuned into my other senses normally, so I didn't experience the dramatic heightening of sensation that Ed did. The wine did taste wonderful, but I think that's mostly because Ed surprised me with a particularly nice bottle.<br /><br />There are other restaurants that try to replicate the "dining in the dark" experience with blindfolds, but for me, the darkness itself was the essential element. It felt so tangible and velvety, like we had been dipped into a dreamworld. I found it surreal and stimulating and exciting, which is how I feel about almost anything that causes you to perceive the world in a completely new and different way than you are used to. It definitely reminded me of dreaming, but also of "<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/28/dining/28flavor.html">flavor tripping</a>." (When we moved into our last apartment in the Marina, we had a housewarming party, and at the party we had miracle fruit, or Synsepalum dulcificum, which are berries that make other foods taste sweet for the next hour or two. So everyone eats one berry and then tries various foods and excitedly discusses how crazy everything tastes.)<br /><br />I loved the way that the darkness wraps you up like a blanket, hiding you from everyone and hiding everyone from you. I also enjoyed eavesdropping on other peoples' conversations. There was a couple sitting very close to us who seemed to be having a very awkward second or third date. The man had a thick European accent that I couldn't quite place, and he was being fairly rude to the woman he was with, who was having more trouble functioning in the dark. They were pretty entertaining. But of course, I was very aware that other people could easily eavesdrop on our conversation, so I felt compelled to speak as quietly as possible and to hush Ed when he raised his voice. And of course the main thing I wanted to talk about was blindness, and what it would be like to be blind, but the waitstaff are all blind and for all you know they could be standing right next to you the whole time, so it's this constant struggle to not say anything that could potentially be deemed insensitive.<br /><br />I think it would be good for society if people were occasionally deprived of one sense at a time. It would keep us from feeling too powerful.<br /><br />I'd want to go back to Opaque if the food were better. According to Jess, the food at the one in Los Angeles is similar. I looked at reviews of a restaurant in Paris that also serves food in the dark, but it sounds like even there the food is lackluster. I so wish there was a restaurant like this with really great food, and a more extensive menu. If such a place existed, I would go as frequently as I could afford to.Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-17634511205718992352010-01-21T09:43:00.000-08:002010-01-21T09:49:21.193-08:00Go away, spambots!Leave my blog alone! I'm tired of getting ten spam comments for every real comment, and I delete all the spam immediately, anyway. Go bother someone who gets more than fifteen visitors in a day.Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-35169993028514160432010-01-13T21:55:00.000-08:002010-01-15T09:36:01.182-08:00I quit.I feel like the word "quit" has an abrupt and forceful connotation that's kind of outdated in most contemporary quitting scenarios. But I guess it is technically correct to say that I quit my job today? "I gave my two weeks notice" sounds so anticlimactic. And "I gave my two weeks plus two additional days notice" sounds even more anticlimactic.<br /><br />Anyway. As of February 1st, my official job title will be Trophy Girlfriend/Starving Artist. For a few months, my time will be spent reading, writing, and doing yoga. After that...who knows? A talent agent once suggested that I could potentially make a living as a foot model, so there's always that.Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-73107421164651094002010-01-07T23:20:00.000-08:002010-03-22T12:37:39.523-07:00This is what I think of the Jersey Shore cast.I adore <span style="font-weight: bold;">Snooki</span>. Sometimes I worry that she's beginning to grate, but she wins me back over almost immediately. I do wish she would allow herself to be groomed more flatteringly.<br /><br />At first, I found <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Situation</span> amusing and almost charming, but he has gradually revealed himself to be a deeply tragic figure, which was an interesting development, but it's becoming a downer.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ronnie </span>is extremely sensitive, extremely shallow, and extremely silly, which turns out to be an endearing combination.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sammi </span>is an hysterical drama queen who tries very hard to come across as sweet and laid back.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">JWOWW </span>is basically awesome, but it's a confusing, slightly uncomfortable kind of awesome.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">DJ Pauly D</span> looks like such a tool at first glance, but upon closer examination, he's funny and charismatic in an authentic sort of way. That kid's going places, mark my words.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vinny </span>is too much of a normal human being to be a good television character, but he does occasionally contribute unexpectedly entertaining commentary.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Angelina </span>has an appallingly inflated opinion of herself, and would not tolerate having her delusions challenged.Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-56971001195871696082010-01-06T22:40:00.000-08:002010-01-08T10:57:46.371-08:00This is where I live.<div style="text-align: center;">Welcome to our apartment.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S0QerVXhqAI/AAAAAAAAAsY/Ayo5BUhzmVk/s1600-h/IMG_2595.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S0QerVXhqAI/AAAAAAAAAsY/Ayo5BUhzmVk/s400/IMG_2595.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423493581079947266" border="0" /></a><br />This is Ed's closet.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S0QehVQRzWI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/k-_maniIin4/s1600-h/IMG_2599.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S0QehVQRzWI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/k-_maniIin4/s400/IMG_2599.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423493409250856290" border="0" /></a><br />This is my closet.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S0QeZEcEnWI/AAAAAAAAAsI/_3W3GpfgAB0/s1600-h/IMG_2605.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S0QeZEcEnWI/AAAAAAAAAsI/_3W3GpfgAB0/s400/IMG_2605.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423493267297967458" border="0" /></a><br />This is the bathroom.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S0QeQtm00QI/AAAAAAAAAsA/2nnP4MnwCGs/s1600-h/IMG_2608.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S0QeQtm00QI/AAAAAAAAAsA/2nnP4MnwCGs/s400/IMG_2608.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423493123730100482" border="0" /></a><br />(The bathroom is inside my closet.)<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S0QeD7No4NI/AAAAAAAAAr4/2GL1FmERJRI/s1600-h/IMG_2610.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S0QeD7No4NI/AAAAAAAAAr4/2GL1FmERJRI/s400/IMG_2610.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423492904044257490" border="0" /></a><br />This is the bedroom.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S0Qd6HfjvUI/AAAAAAAAArw/QgNrTx2vDyQ/s1600-h/IMG_2616.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S0Qd6HfjvUI/AAAAAAAAArw/QgNrTx2vDyQ/s400/IMG_2616.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423492735541951810" border="0" /></a><br />And this is the living room. (It's the same room.)<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S0QdtqjlJmI/AAAAAAAAAro/OHM0fBzFfJw/s1600-h/IMG_2622.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S0QdtqjlJmI/AAAAAAAAAro/OHM0fBzFfJw/s400/IMG_2622.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423492521615763042" border="0" /></a><br />We need a new TV stand. (It's hard to find a TV stand! They are so expensive and yet they almost always look cheap.)<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S0QdgOTKbdI/AAAAAAAAArg/4WrJUaGyd6E/s1600-h/IMG_2623.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S0QdgOTKbdI/AAAAAAAAArg/4WrJUaGyd6E/s400/IMG_2623.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423492290692410834" border="0" /></a><br />This is our bookshelf and our Motts.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S0QdXa2zDTI/AAAAAAAAArY/siwpUBxuwRc/s1600-h/IMG_2631.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S0QdXa2zDTI/AAAAAAAAArY/siwpUBxuwRc/s400/IMG_2631.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423492139444276530" border="0" /></a><br />This is the kitchen.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S0QdJRAibRI/AAAAAAAAArQ/ZTLVedoU1SM/s1600-h/IMG_2639.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S0QdJRAibRI/AAAAAAAAArQ/ZTLVedoU1SM/s400/IMG_2639.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423491896282606866" border="0" /></a><br />This is our breakfast nook. (Right now it is bike storage.)<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S0Qc_GP6WpI/AAAAAAAAArI/l1iwTjV_ZuQ/s1600-h/IMG_2649.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZyG6bRWfK7I/S0Qc_GP6WpI/AAAAAAAAArI/l1iwTjV_ZuQ/s400/IMG_2649.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423491721595607698" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">That's all.<br /></div>Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-91295505751143668112010-01-05T14:19:00.000-08:002010-01-05T14:27:26.428-08:00Questions?If I blogged in more of a cutesy baby voice would that be endearing or annoying? Would it help me go viral, like Carles's distinctive writing voice on Hipster Runoff? Would it help if I posted cute pictures of myself to verify that I am authentically cutesy and not a poser?<br /><br />Should I start blogging entirely in rhyme? I bought a rhyming dictionary several years ago and I have barely used it. Maybe I should write television recaps that are also poems?<br /><br />Does the Internet need more television recaps? I feel like, no. But also, I like reading several different recaps of the same show, because it's interesting to be reminded of how many different ways people can perceive and interpret the same thing. Or "consume" it, as we said in my American Cultural Studies class.<br /><br />I feel like everything worth blogging about has already been blogged about extensively, and nothing new is happening, and when new stuff does happen, too many other people blog about it before I even have time to process what happened. What should I blog about? Does anyone care what I have to say about anything? Are blogs over in 2010? Should I switch to Tumblr?<br /><br />I got a Flip camera for Christmas, but what should I do with it? Should I vlog?<br /><br />How can I become prolific, glamorous, and bohemian?<br /><br />I have thoughts. I'm just not sure what to do with them. Do you have any suggestions?Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-26646294779790280982010-01-01T22:38:00.000-08:002010-01-04T11:43:03.114-08:00This is going to be my decade.I made a list of twenty-two new year's resolutions last night, and one new decade resolution. I'm not going to post the entire list, because some resolutions are too personal. But they range from the banal to the grandiose, including: (1.) go to yoga 2-3 times per week, (8.) paint, (6.) don't bite or pick at your cuticles, (22.) be more social, (2.) eat less candy/cookies/chips, (3.) eat more vegetables/fruit. Another resolution is to devote more effort and attention to my appearance, and to develop a personal style that is more expressive of my taste and personality. (Rather than a lazy mishmash of t-shirts, American Apparel hoodies, and remnants of a time when my parents still paid for my clothes and my primary sartorial objective was blending in on a preppy college campus.) Several resolutions involve writing projects or other artistic endeavors. I have also resolved to rededicate myself to this blog, with a goal of two or three new posts each week.<br /><br />My resolutions are more ambitious than usual this year, but the turn of a decade seems conducive to dramatic changes, and I feel optimistic. I had been stagnating lately, but now I am full of ideas and intentions. This is going to be my decade, during which I plan to become prolific, glamorous, and bohemian.<br /><br />Oh, this is a little odd, but <a href="http://acerbicbubblegum.blogspot.com/2009/03/motts-wants-to-say-hello-to-internet.html">Motts</a> made a resolution to start <a href="http://rabbitblog.tumblr.com/">his own blog</a>.Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-87696197071932429382009-12-03T17:43:00.000-08:002009-12-04T19:10:34.132-08:00Hello, Deco Ghetto.As much as Ed and I have enjoyed living in the Marina for the past year, it was time for a change. <a href="http://acerbicbubblegum.blogspot.com/2009/06/i-love-marina.html">The Marina is lovely</a>, but it feels more like a cross between a sleepy beach town and a preppy college campus than a neighborhood in a major city. It's a bit isolated from the rest of San Francisco, particularly if one is inclined to be lazy and reclusive, which I am. Plus, it's built on landfill, which tends to get all jiggly in an earthquake.<br /><br />So, over Thanksgiving weekend, Ed and I moved out of our spacious one bedroom apartment in the Marina and into a studio overlooking Market Street, on the cusp of Hayes Valley and the Mission. Our new building, which was built in 1931 and converted from a hotel to apartments in the 1950s, is not as well-maintained as our old building, but it has so much character, I don't mind. Instead of a view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the sound of foghorns, we have vintage streetcars running outside our windows all day and all night. And instead of a fifteen minute bike ride along the water, my commute is now forty minutes on two buses. We don't have a garage anymore, so Ed is back to parking on the street. Oh, and our rent is exactly $1000 cheaper.<br /><br />We haven't finished unpacking yet, and I've had a terrible cold for the past few days, so I haven't really had a chance to explore our new neighborhood at all. But I'm excited.Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-32117975867090604582009-11-17T11:45:00.000-08:002009-11-17T14:39:26.064-08:00I've got nothing.I haven't been blogging lately because I haven't had anything fun or interesting to write about. For the past couple of months, I've mostly been moping about my job and consoling myself with television and candy. It's bad enough that Ed has to put up with my constant whining about how boring my job is and how worthless it makes me feel. I don't think there's any reason to inflict it on the rest of the world.<br /><br />However. Steps are being taken. I'm working on becoming more fun and interesting, but it's a process. I plan to have some thoughts that are worth writing down in the near to near-ish future.Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-70935448885618821372009-10-09T11:53:00.000-07:002013-12-02T22:14:55.373-08:00I would like to recommend a fun thing!Ed and I have frequently discussed the possibility of going to Burning Man, which I find really appealing in theory, but not so much once I consider the logistics and expense and <strike>dirt</strike> dust and wind and lack of plumbing. Burning Man seems so interesting and also so uncomfortable, I can't determine whether it would be a thing that is fun or a thing that is not fun.<br />
On Wednesday night Ed and I went to see <a href="http://www.burningopera.com/home/about/" style="font-style: italic;">How to Survive the Apocalypse: A Burning Opera</a>, which was very interesting and not at all uncomfortable, and so, so, so fun. It's a musical about Burning Man, so of course it's crazy and absurd and ridiculous. But it's also executed surprisingly well. It could easily devolve into a mess, but it doesn't, which is awesome and impressive. Plus it's in <a href="http://love.zinzanni.org/">Teatro ZinZanni</a>'s antique Belgian cabaret tent, which is one of the most magical settings I have ever experienced. Out of a group of six people, five of us have never been to Burning Man. It didn't take long for us to be seduced by the performance. By intermission, we were planning our costumes. Since Wednesday night, I have managed to convince myself that I can handle the logistics and expense and <strike>dirt</strike> dust and wind and, most importantly, the lack of plumbing.<br />
<br />
If you are in San Francisco and you enjoy things that are fun or cool or interesting, you should definitely go see <span style="font-style: italic;">A Burning Opera</span>. As of right this second, there are <a href="http://tzsf-tickets.zinzanni.org/eventperformances.asp?evt=6">tickets available</a> for the last two performances, on Monday, October 19 and Tuesday, October 20. But since they have been selling out pretty quickly, maybe they will keep extending the run. And there are plans to take the show on the road, starting in Los Angeles, so if don't live in San Francisco you may still have a chance to see this show, which, have I mentioned, is really fun?Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-42597011066085755572009-10-07T12:04:00.001-07:002009-10-07T12:13:52.526-07:00I changed my mind.I tried so hard to convince myself that <span style="font-style: italic;">The Hills</span> could still be magical, but it just isn't anymore. If the protagonist and narrator of the show can't even bother to pretend to care about anything that happens, neither can I. I'll still watch, but I'm not going to write about <span style="font-style: italic;">The Hills</span> anymore.<br /><br />And I'm never, ever going to write about <span style="font-style: italic;">The City</span> because it's terrible.Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-9970799435681076932009-09-30T19:42:00.000-07:002009-10-12T10:34:45.085-07:00The Hills, post-Lauren.After much contemplation, I have decided to continue to watch <span style="font-style: italic;">The Hills</span>, post-Lauren, although I feel certain that without Lauren as the centerpiece, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Hills</span> will lose those fleeting, poignant moments of truth and poetry and genuine emotion that I so enjoyed.<br /><br />Obviously, the world of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Hills</span> has always existed within its own strange, artificial bubble, but Lauren's uncalculated authenticity set a tone that allowed the occasional genuine moment to occur. Lauren was the anchor that tethered the show to reality, the mutual friend or frenemy who provided the plausible, if tenuous, ties that bound the rest of the cast to one another. Now that Kristin has stepped in to take over as narrator, the show must inevitably twist and warp into an entirely new shape. I feel no affection toward Kristin, but I do find it serendipitous that she and Lauren happen to be perfect foils for one another. Lauren, the perpetual victim, took everything personally, and insisted, "The show is not fake and this is really my life." Kristin, "the bitch," <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2009/09/the-hills-new-star-kristin-cavallari-is-ready-to-put-on-a-show.html">says</a>, "I pretty much do anything they have me do because I don't care. I mean, we're filming a TV show. Let's make it interesting. Let's have a good time with it."<br /><br />Based on last night's season premiere, I think there's a palpable sense of relief to be rid of Lauren, although it is obscured by the more readily apparent apprehension and resentment toward the newly appointed narrator. As far as I can tell, the cast prefers not to be tethered to reality, and without Lauren, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Hills</span> is free to float up and away, into a universe that's entirely free of substance or meaning or consequences. Now they can all collude to create as much drama as possible, without being hampered by any lingering concerns about cruelty or embarrassment or shattered relationships.<br /><br />I think that <span style="font-style: italic;">The Hills</span>, post-Lauren, still has the potential to be interesting, but it will be interesting in an entirely different way. The poetic banality will be replaced by surrealism, as the various cast members attempt to define this brave new world of pure artifice.<br /><br />Audrina, Lo, and Stephanie are striving to create some form out of the nothingness by establishing the easy camaraderie of camp friends. At camp, you leave behind your real life and your real friends and, if you so choose, your real self. You make camp friends, who are different and separate from your regular friends. Camp friendships exist within an imposed, confined environment. Within that environment they may be imbued with meaning and power, but they tend not to translate well once removed from their original context. Audrina, Lo, and Stephanie are friends because it's more fun and convenient to be friends with one's bunkmates. Heidi is also free to transition into their klatch, now that Lauren is out of the way. But Kristin hasn't agreed to this unspoken arrangement. Just because she's moving into Lauren's old bunk doesn't mean she's ready to accept these girls as automatic friends.<br /><br />Kristin, like most people who appear on reality television, isn't here to make friends. Her job is to be the bitch, and she has every intention of earning that paycheck. This attitude sets an entirely new tone for the show, highlighting its seams and its self-enclosed nature. She has two predetermined love interests to choose from: Brody, her ex-boyfriend, or Justin Bobby. (Of course, she <span style="font-style: italic;">could</span> make a play for Spencer, but if she possessed that level of commitment to drama, she'd probably be a <span style="font-style: italic;">real</span> actress by now.) Flitting from one to the other and back again is the most logical choice from her perspective, that of a confident, flirty actress who has been hired to instigate drama. It violates the girl code espoused by her new bunkmates, but at this point, Kristin has no incentive to commit herself to these girls or their code.<br /><br />We'll see how it goes.Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-66927768355536907942009-09-25T19:06:00.000-07:002013-12-02T22:17:48.180-08:00Books!!!All I want to do is read. I want to quit my job so I can stay home and read all day. I wish that, as a (free) alternative to grad school, I could just move to some kind of hybrid of a library and a monastery. I'd take a vow of silence and dedicate myself to nothing but reading for one or two years. Lately, I am so overwhelmed with the desire to read everything all at once, I am finding it impossible to focus on one thing at a time.<br />
<br />
I started reading a series of lectures on character archetypes. (Kindly provided to me by Scott, of <a href="http://www.gointothestory.com/">Go Into The Story</a>.) But thinking about character archetypes reminded me that I had been meaning to read <span style="font-style: italic;">The Portable Jung</span>, which had been sitting on my bookshelf for a couple of months at that point. So I decided to read <span style="font-style: italic;">The Portable Jung</span> before I finished reading Scott's lectures. But it's taking me forever because I keep getting lost in my own thoughts while I'm trying to read. So I decided to take a break from that and read <span style="font-style: italic;">The Journeybook</span> instead. Since <span style="font-style: italic;">The Journeybook</span> is a collection of fairly short essays and interviews, I managed to get through it without getting sidetracked. And then, before I could get back into <span style="font-style: italic;">The Portable Jung</span>, I started reading "<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/magazine/20jung-t.html">The Holy Grail of the Unconscious</a>," from this past Sunday's <span style="font-style: italic;">New York Times Magazine</span>. But for several days I was unable to get past the first couple of pages, because I kept getting the sense that I shouldn't read it until I was able to really give it my full attention. Last night I finally got a chance to finish reading the article and now, of course, I am frantic to read the Red Book. But it won't be available until December 4th and I probably won't actually get my hands on it until Christmas, so in the meantime I have renewed motivation to finish <span style="font-style: italic;">The Portable Jung</span>.<br />
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Anyway, BOOKS, you know? This article about the Red Book sent my mind reeling in a hundred directions, but one thing I keep thinking about is how much I love books as physical objects. I am not completely opposed to the idea of e-readers, by which I mean, they're fine for other people but I don't have any interest in owning a Kindle or a Sony Reader. <a href="http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2009/08/funny-thing-happened-on-way-to-kindle.html">Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent</a> blogged very enticingly about reading on his iPhone, which only intensified my iPhone lust. But I can't justify the monthly cost of an iPhone now or anytime in the foreseeable future, and even if I did get one at some point, I would definitely still buy a lot of paper books. Because I just love books. I love buying books and I love holding books and I love looking at them on my shelf. I love the way they smell. I have seen the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Kells">Book of Kells</a> at Trinity College in Dublin on five different occasions, and I'd gladly go see it again if I had the opportunity. The Red Book is going to be on display at the <a href="http://www.rmanyc.org/nav/exhibitions/view/308">Rubin Museum of Art</a> from October through January, which is so coincidentally perfect because Ed and I were already planning to go to the Rubin when we're home for Christmas, to see an exhibition of <a href="http://www.rmanyc.org/nav/exhibitions/view/444">mandalas</a>. Until a few days ago I had never even heard of this book but now I am beyond excited to go see it in person and then read my own copy immediately afterward.<br />
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To conclude this gushy, unfocused, maybe slightly insane blog post, here are some of my favorite books. Not my favorite literary works, but the books that I count among my most treasured possessions.<br />
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Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-32731030591557755282009-09-16T21:31:00.000-07:002009-09-16T21:41:58.271-07:00Aldous Huxley says..."<span style="font-style: italic;">To be shaken out of the ruts of ordinary perception, to be shown for a few timeless hours the outer and inner world, not as they appear to an animal obsessed with survival or to a human being obsessed with words and notions, but as they are apprehended, directly and unconditionally, by Mind at Large</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">—</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> this is an experience of inestimable value to everyone and especially to the intellectual.</span>"Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883306328855861068.post-39262077076841677232009-09-09T20:53:00.000-07:002009-09-18T11:41:43.645-07:00Crazy shit.In the past couple of months, nearly one hundred people have ended up at my blog after Googling some variation of the phrase "crazy shit." I find this kind of hilarious. What are these people expecting to find? Is my post about <a href="http://acerbicbubblegum.blogspot.com/2009/06/salvia-divinorum-is-some-crazy-shit.html">Salvia divinorum</a> satisfying their yearning for some crazy shit? Apparently there is a CrazyShit.com, which hosts mostly pornographic video clips, as well as other video clips which, based on a glance at the thumbnail screenshots, seem gross and disturbing to me.<br /><br />But if you are looking for some crazy shit that is neither pornographic nor gross and disturbing, I guess I can make a few suggestions.<br /><br />Lately I have been reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Jung-Viking-Library/dp/0140150706"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Portable Jung</span></a>. I haven't been reading it very quickly, because every time I encounter a new concept, I get all excited and inspired and distracted and overwhelmed with ideas of my own, and I have to make a concerted effort to drag my attention back to the text. So far it seems like a pretty good introduction to Jungian psychology. I would say that it qualifies as crazy shit.<br /><br />I would also recommend Daniel Pinchbeck's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Open-Head-Psychedelic-Contemporary/dp/0767907434/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252536337&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism</span></a><span> to any casual reader looking for some crazy shit</span>. Of all the books that I have read recently about psychedelic shamanism, I would say that this one is the breeziest and most entertaining.<br /><br />Last month, Ed and I went to the San Francisco launch of <a href="http://www.thejourneybook.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Journeybook</span></a>, which is an exploration of consciousness, spirituality, and psychedelic culture through essays, interviews, and artwork. So far I have only flipped through it briefly, but I am certain that it contains a plenitude of crazy shit.<br /><br />The other unread book lingering on my bookshelf is <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/3.06/teilhard_pr.html">The Phenomenon of Man</a>. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a French philosopher and Jesuit priest, wrote it in the 1930s, but the Roman Catholic Church prohibited its publication until his death in 1955. Teilhard's ideas about the evolution of consciousness sound totally crazy and also very appealing and exciting.<br /><br />If you don't want a whole book's worth of crazy shit, you might be interested in the essays at <a href="http://realitysandwich.com/">Reality Sandwich</a>. Some of them are a little too crazy, even for me.<br /><br />Or, if you want some cinematic crazy shit, Ed and I have been getting into Hayao Miyazaki lately. We actually haven't seen <span style="font-style: italic;">Ponyo</span> yet. But <span style="font-style: italic;">Spirited Away</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Princess Mononoke</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Kiki's Delivery Service</span><span>, </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Howl's Moving Castle</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Laputa: Castle in the Sky</span><span> </span><span>are</span> all very crazy and trippy and wonderful.<br /><br />I think that's pretty much all the crazy shit I have to offer at the moment. If that wasn't what you were looking for...too bad.Caitlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05488370321502631986noreply@blogger.com1