kubey town

All In The Family of Sexual Violence

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:32:42 -0800

On my flight to NYC, I looked up from my book to see All In The Family on my tv. I saw a not unattractive young man, on top of Edith. He looked like he was going to rape her. I quickly plugged my earphones in and watched the rest of the most disturbing sitcom episode I’ve ever seen. Here is the episode description from tv.com:

Before Edith arrives home, Gloria and Mike teaches Archie the plan for Edith 50th birthday surprise party which will be taken at 6 o’clock at the Stivics house. Edith comes back home while Archie and the Stivics leave to decorate the house for the party. A sudden knock at the door reveals a cop. Edith welcomes the policeman inside the house who claims that there’s a rapist in town but he slips out that it’s him. Edith is held at
gunpoint and pushed on the couch. The rapist slowly strips Edith! Before it can go any longer, the phone rings. The rapist orders Edith to get rid of the caller as soon as possible. When she does, Archie knocks at the door, wondering why the hell the door is locked. The rapist hides himself in the closet and once again orders Edith to get rid of Archie. She does as quickly as possible. Still stranded in the house with the armed man, they suddenly smell something burning. It was the cake which Edith previously started to bake. They rush to the oven where the room is just smoke. When she it pulls, she tosses the hot cake in the rapist’s face and rushes outside the kitchen door, but he stops her. She knees him in the groin and exits as soon as possible out of the front door and interupts the party, running into Archie’s arms.

During the horrible and uncomfortable scenes when Edith is alone with her attacker, they keep cutting back to the hi-jinks that are happening next door as Archie and Meatheat and Gloria prepare for Edith’s surprise party. They literally cut from a man threatening to tie her up and unzipping her dress to Meathead and Archie doing a cheesy tug of war over a punch bowl, complete with HUGE laughs from the laugh track.

After she escapes her attacker and runs next door for safety, the entire room bursts into shouts of, “SURPRISE!!” for her birthday party. She merely runs past them, her dress unzipped down the back, tears streaming down her face, into Archie’s arms. She is bawling, and an arm (Gloria?) reaches into frame and zips her dress. Archie looks down at her and jokes about her crying because of her birthday surprise, and then- IT ENDS. It ends right there. It cuts to the executive producer credits and the BIGGEST closing laugh on the entire fucking laugh track.

davidseger: toddbishop: Belated congratulations to Dave Seger...

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:34:55 -0800

davidseger:

toddbishop:

Belated congratulations to Dave Seger for joining the DGA. Enjoy all the free movies!

Haha. Oh man. Look at all those people. There are so many directors!

Wow! Congrats Dave Seger AND Jeremy Konner!

Photo

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:20:33 -0800

juliasegal: (via hewhocannotbenamed) Carrie Fisher and Paul...

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 11:39:14 -0800

juliasegal:

(via hewhocannotbenamed)

Carrie Fisher and Paul Simon…look at these fucking hipsters.

I just finished Carrie Fisher’s biography, “Wishful Drinking.” She describes how “poor Paul,” had to put up with a lot of her craziness. Here’s an excerpt:

We once had a fight (on our honeymoon) where I said, “Not only do I not like you, I don’t like you personally!“ We tried to keep the argument going after that but we were laughing too hard.

They were together on and off for twelve years. During which time he wrote a lot of songs about her that are sad and moving. Here’s a song lyric:

And I’m afraid that I’ll be taken / Abandoned and forsaken / In her cold coffee eyes…

Carrie Fisher’s response: “Yup, I’m a bitch.”

Photo

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:38:14 -0800

99 Things to Eat in LA Before You Die

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:56:00 -0800

Thanks to erinhill for posting Jonathan Gold’s 99 Things To Eat in LA Before You Die, list. I’ve been eating my way around LA for a while and I still haven’t made my way to a lot of this stuff. We seriously need to start a food club and eat this town up.

Here’s the list, with the things I’ve tried in bold.

101 Noodle Express’ Beef RollGold
Akasha’s Quinoa With Edamame
Ancient Ginger Soup at Noodle Island
Angeli’s Gnocchi
Animal’s Foie Gras & Biscuits and Gravy
Anisette’s Pain au Chocolat
Apple Pan’s Hickoryburger
A-Won’s Al Bap
Banh Mi from Mr. Baguette
Bay Cities’ Godmother
Beverly Soon Tofu
Bigmista’s Pig Candy
Bludso’s Brisket
Bob’s Plain Doughnut
Border Grill’s Green Corn Tamales
Brandt Beef
Brooklyn’s Hearth-Baked Bagel
Bulgarini’s Goat’s Milk Gelato
Campanile’s Grilled Prime Rib
Canary’s Lamb-Tongue Sandwich
Capital’s Hot Almond Milk in Pastry
Casa Bianca’s Sausage-and-Eggplant Pizza
Chantilly’s Sesame Cream Puffs
Chicharrones de Queso
Chichen Itza’s Panuchos
Chili John’s Chili
Chinois’ Sizzling Catfish
Chung King’s Chongqing Fried Chicken
Ciro’s Flautas
Cole’s French Dip
Comme Ca’s Cheeseburger
Cut’s Bone-Marrow Flan
Din Tai Fung’s Soup Dumplings
Donut Man’s Strawberry Doughnut
El Atacor #11’s Potato Tacos
El Parian’s Birria
Euro Pane’s Egg Salad Sandwich
Eva Solo-Brewed Coffee
Eva’s Lechon
Fab L.A.’s Street Dog
Golden Deli’s Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Good Girl Dinette’s Chicken PotPie
Harry’s Seascape Strawberries
Hollenbeck Burrito
Hot Dog on a Stick
Huarache de Cabeza
Huckleberry’s Maple-Bacon Biscuits
Hungry Cat’s Lobster Roll
Ivy’s Corn Chowder
Jitlada’s Fish Kidneys
Kiriko’s Salmon Sashimi
Kiyokawa’s Sashimi
Kogi’s Kalbi Taco
Krakatoa-Blend Coffee
Krua Thai’s Pad Thai
L.A. Galbi
La Brea Bakery’s Country White Bread
Langer’s Hot Pastrami
Lawry’s Prime Rib
Let’s Be Frank’s Hot Dog
Little Dom’s Oyster Po’ Boy
Little Flower’s Sea-Salt Caramels
Ludo’s Fried Chicken
Luna Oysters
Lupe’s #2 Burrito
Mandarin House’s cha chiang mein
Maple Bacon Donut
Matsuhisa’s New-Style Sashimi
MCGrath’s Rainbow Chard
Meals by Genet’s Doro Wot
Michael Cimarusti’s Squid With Piquillo Peppers and Pig’s Ear
Mo-Chica’s Seviche
Mozza Pizza
Musso & Frank’s Welsh Rarebit
Natraliart’s Sprats
Newport Seafood’s Spicy Lobster
Oki Dog
Palate’s Vegetables en Papillote
Paleron With Kumquats and Cream of Wheat
Peruvian Roast Chicken
Philippe’s French Dip
Pho Minh’s Pho Bac
Rajdhani’s Thali
Rivera’s Tortillas
Romanesco
Saffron Silk Ice Cream
San Nak Ji
Sapp Coffee Shop’s Boat Noodles
Shanghai Xiao Chi’s Pork Pump
Shanxi Knife-Cut Noodles
Sherry Yard’s Kaiserschmarrn
Street-Vendor Cheese Enchiladas
The Gorbals’ Dill Fries
THE Grill on the Alley’s Corned Beef Hash
Tito’s Old-School Tacos
Urasawa’s Fugu
Wa Sushi’s Apple Pie and Eel
Whatever Lou Tells You to Drink
Yellow Fish Fried With Hair Seaweed

Also- anyone interested in food in LA should pick up this month’s Saveur magazine. It’s totally dedicated to Los Angeles food.

whetzell: listgenerator: Behind the scenes of Whetzell’s...

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:48:32 -0800

whetzell:

listgenerator:

Behind the scenes of Whetzell’s segment for Everything (Ep. 5)!

“Are you okay? Whetzell?”

davidseger: Overnight (2003) “For anyone interested in pursuing...

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:08:48 -0800

davidseger:

Overnight (2003)

“For anyone interested in pursuing a feature film career, I can’t recommend this documentary enough. It’s the rise and fall of Troy Duffy, a bartender plucked from obscurity by Harvey Weinstein who sold his first script at the age of 25 for $300K; to direct a movie on a budget of $15M with final cut. It turns out he’s a megalomaniac, and ends up destroying everything that was handed to him on a silver platter…” - Keith Schofield

It’s worth watching just to see the gratuitous shots of Troy in denim overalls with only one strap buttoned. Absolutely ridiculous.

GPOYW right now.

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:37:00 -0800

GPOYW right now.

kellyoxford: [nymag.] oh shit.

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:28:39 -0800

kellyoxford:

[nymag.]

oh shit.

feburary 20, 2010

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:24:54 -0800

wake up at 8:17am

mims is not in bed with me. at 7am the had cat jumped on the bed and walked all over us meowing. i assume mims got up then. i blow my nose. still feeling congested.

i say good morning to mims in the kitchen and come sit on the couch to check my email. mims comes and sits next to me and starts reading my blog on his computer. he smiles at me and says,

“your life is so luxurious, but boring and sad.”

“i’m just trying to write everyday,” i say.

i tell him about an online article i read about how depression and unemployment are linked and the helpful steps it recites in the article. the steps are things like: clean your house, run errands, and do household chores you’ve been putting off. underneath there were comments from people that said things like, “how can i clean my house when i can’t get out of bed in the morning?” and “i want to kill myself, not run errands.” we talk about how that’s pretty intense.

mims tries to get me to do the neti pot, but the water comes out my mouth and i choke. after a few chokes, i feel like i’m drowning and start crying. i’m a wuss.

mims makes me eggs while listening to def leopard.

after breakfast i check some blogs. read some recipes. blow my nose. leah im’s me and invites me out.

we go downtown to a prop house that is having a big closing sale. we talk about leah’s “social life” as we peruse old jars, toys, clocks and other crap. the best thing i see there is this directors chair:

I would’ve bought it but it was $125.

we have lunch at Mr. Ramen. not great, but they have veggie options for leah. during lunch, my friend, Jim, calls me. i pick it up because i think maybe he is visiting and nearby. turns out jim was at home in DC, watching Burn Notice. he wanted to call to give me a pep talk because he read my blog about my not getting the job. it was nice to hear from him.

when i get home, mims is still out. i feel tired and worn out. michelle calls to invite me out for a hike or walk, but i feel sick and take a rain check. i blow my nose a bunch and rest.

later mims calls and says he’s on his way home. i go out onto the porch to greet him. he tells me his work meeting was the best meeting he’s ever had. afterwards he went to visit the Ryznars. he shows me a picture of JD, baby Gary and fancy ray.

we sit on the couch and i read the new LA magazine and mims works. there is an unexpected knock and the door and that can only mean one thing: our landlord.

our landlord has set-up a, in his own words, “party for a friend who is getting married,” in the vacant apartment next door. he wants to know if mims can help him fix the stereo. mims goes over there and comes back reporting that there is a strobe light and decorations and a shelf in the vacant apartment. and on that lone shelf, lined up like in a store, are boxes of condoms and lube. some party.

mims forgets to eat. it’s 9pm and we start talking about dinner. we decide to get out of the house and go get some pizza down the street. we walk down the steps.

do you smell burning?

we see they have set up a fire pit on the porch of the apartment, which is a wooden deck overhang, with bamboo shades pulled down around and a corrugated roof. there is smoke billowing out of the cracks. smelly black smoke.

we pray they don’t burn down our house, and leave for the restaurant.

the guys sitting next to us at the restaurant are drinking beers and trying to get psyched up to drive. they are the worst people ever. i hate them. they distract me.

the waitress keeps adjusting her thong. she brings our pizza to our table and asks if it’s ours. we look around. there are 2 other tables and they are both finished. it’s a small place.

when we send our pasta puttenesca back because it’s disgusting, the owner explains that they make it the way they make it in the old country and it’s name mean’s “whore’s pasta” and so that’s why we didn’t like it.

we get home and the party seems to be underway. a dude hears us come up the steps and excitedly pokes his head out at us.

“hey, how’s it goin’?” he enthusiastically greets us, and then seems disappointed when we continue on to our house.

mims and i discuss call girls, strippers and prostitutes and what exactly those dudes are expecting.

we watch some lost, snuggle and go to bed.

Here's the thing about L.A.--

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:35:42 -0800

valeriek:

I just drove past two American Apparels to get to one Starbucks.

Fema Emergency Disaster Relief Zippered Body Bag Cadaver

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:46:07 -0800

Fema Emergency Disaster Relief Zippered Body Bag Cadaver:

It’s a good deal.

feburary 19, 2010

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:18:46 -0800

i wake up sick.

i have whatever mims had.

make myself breakfast of oatmeal with side bowl of cut up banana and blueberries with scoop of peanut butter. trader joe’s valencia peanut butter with roasted flaxseeds and sea salt. orange juice. tea.

watch LOST episodes in my pajamas.

lunch: mims makes my kale and potato puree into some soup. he also gives me a ricotta and chicken taco with arugula.

lots of nose blowing.

i get a call about an art director gig for the following weekend. it sounds awesome, but i’m already booked for a different project next weekend. i take time to decide what to do a decide to go with the big, exciting project because i need it on my resume more. it’s a good project.

all of the back and forth of deciding wears me out. i had to back out of a friend’s project to take the big one. i replace myself and everyone seems happy, but the whole situation makes me feel blah. even though i’m excited about the new project, i feel ambivalent about my art director career. i get like one internet video a month if i’m lucky. i just want a job. i just want a shitty job to hate. there is an LA Metro billboard ad near my house that shows a dude wearing a tie, in a cubicle and it says, “I M (metro symbol) to the daily grind.” I looked at that and thought, yeah, daily grind. that sounds good.

mims tells me he is going out to the new eagle rock brewery with brian. i am pouty because i’m sick and can’t go. he is working in the kitchen on his laptop when i ask about dinner. he says he’s not hungry and leaving in a half hour. i frown. so much for special sick treatment. i get some cheese and bread and go back to watching tv.

mims decides he should make me pasta before he goes after all. we eat and brian comes over. we talk about work and pets and tell him a story about our cat snoring.

they leave and i watch more LOST.

from the living room i see movement in the kitchen. it’s the monkey balloon. it’s casting a shadow. it’s moving across the room. (willy brought over a big balloon that is a monkey wearing boxer shorts with hearts on them. that was weeks ago and it’s still tapping our ceiling.)

mims comes home. he smells like booze. we smooch. we go to bed.

meatcase

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:19:45 -0800

meatcase

abedinthemorning: juliasegal: Morgan Freeman

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 10:50:18 -0800

abedinthemorning:

juliasegal:

Morgan Freeman

Not So Humble Pie: Science Cookies: Containment Suit

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:21:34 -0800

Not So Humble Pie: Science Cookies: Containment Suit:

february 18, 2010

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:15:12 -0800

woke up at 8am.

mims told me i look sleepy and should sleep longer.

woke up at 9:30am.

had coffee and breakfast.

mims wants to get out of the house so we decide to go to the coffee bean in los feliz. while we are there, i see my friend, tammy. she says hello to my husband, then leans into me and asks, “are you pregnant?” i smile, thinking, she’s just asking because I’m a newlywed, not because i’m fat. “not yet,” i say.

i have to make a phone call, so i step outside. i call back the health insurance company. this is the third call we’ve had to make since applying. she starts asking me questions and doesn’t stop for thirty minutes. by the time i step back inside, i’m frustrated and tired.

we drive to Sapp Coffee Shop and talk about how unfair health insurance is in this country. how bad it makes you feel to have people questioning you about every minute detail of your medical history. how unfair it is that we are young and healthy and still unable to get insurance. how do poor people get insurance? how does anyone? we aren’t poor but we are treated like assholes because we freelance. it’s all very draining.

the lady at Sapp reminds me as always to stir my boat noodles. we also order nam pok (pork salad,) and mims gets some glass noodles. i don’t usually eat glass noodles because they look like worms. i know as i’m eating that i will get heartburn later, but i don’t care because their boat noodles are one of the best things in all of los angeles.

i feel tired and spend the rest of the afternoon/evening writing and watching some tv. my stomach hurts. i get an email from a guy who i had a job interview with a week ago. he tells me that he thinks i’m awesome, but can’t hire me because i’m overqualified. i start crying. i go upstairs and crawl into mims’ lap and tell him all about it.

7:40pm. Todd and Sona pick us up for dinner. we go to Palate restaurant in glendale. we eat cheese, a meat platter, pickled turnips, thai snapper crudo, pork belly and lamb top sirloin. we drink great wine and end with espresso and chocolate pudding. it feels like it ends too soon.

we come home and mims puts his head in my lap. we watch the cat play with wrapping paper. we go to bed feeling full and crampy. mims reads his book. i lay my head on his shoulder, breath in and breath out and fall asleep.

february 17, 2010

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:09:00 -0800

wake up at 9am

eat breakfast.

walk to los feliz listening to This American Life, episode 400, Stories Pitched By Our Parents.

i go to nature mart. i buy roastaroma tea. it has a picture of coffee pot over a campfire on the box.

i get a swedish berries iced tea and sit on the patio of coffee bean & tea leaf. i do some writing. behind me a couple drinking coffee, speaks loudly about rehab and it’s rejuvenating effects. they are annoying in a very LA way. then i realize i know them. they are speaking about a friend of mine. i decide to creep away unnoticed.

i walk to the pet store at hillhurst and franklin and look up at the spiny trunked tree in the parking lot. it grows large green pods that look like unripe avocados, but inside them is a cotton like fiber. sometimes you can see wild parrots that have eaten out parts of the pods and are roosting in them like egg chairs full of fluff.

i don’t see any parrots, so i go into the pet store and buy some flea medicine for my cat.

house of pies.

perfectly grilled turkey club with avocado. waitress has red hair and red penciled in eyebrows.

two middle aged men come in from the patio and announce loudly in the near empty restaurant, “I DON’T LIKE THOSE SEATS.”

“hey now, hey now, don’t dream it’s over,” plays over the dining room.

my sandwich is good, but if they had a dish called, french fries and pickles, i would order that instead.

faithfully, by journey comes on. it makes me think about how i used to listen to this song after i met mims and i was living in la while he was in ny. i used to listen to any song about long distance love affairs and get dreamy about him. i had an intense crush on him during that time. good thing it worked out.

i call mims and he decides to meet me at the farmer’s market at barndall park. i walk over there to meet him. the sun is shining. mims shows up but isn’t feeling well so he waits in the car. i buy kale, potatoes, onions, a basket of radishes and some purple flowers. i drop off mims and go to trader joes. i get everything on my list.

when i pull my car up into my driveway, my cat comes running down to meet me. we go upstairs and i start putting away groceries and making dinner. i make roast chicken with roasted veggies, and kale and potato puree.

drew comes over to eat dinner and watch LOST with us. the food is great. the episode is great. we drink a lot of wine and eat chocolates for dessert. mims does the dishes. good times had by all.

Sapp Coffee Shop. Boat Noodles with beef. BEST THING EVER.

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:54:50 -0800

Sapp Coffee Shop. Boat Noodles with beef. BEST THING EVER.