How He Loves

I Love Crowder.  That is All.

When I Grow Up...

I want to be like these girls.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghgpz0IWV0E

Highlights from California

so, as most of you know, I spent four days this week in sunny California visiting my very good friend, Wendy.  We had tons of fun and ate a lot of great food and hung out on the beach and relaxed with "mixed beverages".  There isn't enough time to go into a whole lot of detail, but there are a few things I wanted to throw out there.  Mainly new friendships and wonderful restaurants you should eat at if you're in LA or Orange County.

First, as soon as we picked up Michelle "Reeder" Reed from the airport, we went to a Mexican food restaurant, where we met Wendy's friends, the wonderful Shannon, the Fabulous Matt, and her roommate, Javier, for lunch.  (I'll stop and say, something here: yes, Javier is a man.  No, he's not Wendy's boyfriend.  And if you're still worried, don't be.  Three people split the apartment, kind of like the TV show "Three's Company.")  Anyway, the meal was fantastic.  I can't remember the name of the place, but the table we sat at was in a little nook, and over Reeder's shoulder there was this resin bust of Jesus.  Very typical idol-like little statue.  Wendy raised her margarita to it, and I, jokingly raised my water and asked for wine.  Some of you guys may think that's offensive and horrible of me, so I apologize for any offense.  But, honestly, it was a shrine of Jesus in a restaurant.  Kind of ridiculous to begin with.  I had pulled beef tacos and a few margaritas.  Again, don't be alarmed.  We were there for about three hours, so I wasn't trashed, although I did feel very good when we finished.

I didn't have my camera out during the lunch, though I wish I had, because it was outrageously fun. But I did get it out in the parking lot before we went over to the beach, and snapped this fantastic picture of Matty.  After I snapped it, I said, "Now I have a gay picture!" and we all laughed SOOOOOOOOOOO hard.

After lunch we went to the beach.  I won't go into details.  Here are a few really neat pictures.

Wendy's friend Shannon, (And I guess she's my friend now, too) snapped this picture of Wendy, Reeder, and I walking along the beach.

This is one of my favorite shots from the whole vacation.  That's Reeder, walking down the beach, looking for rocks, with her cowboy boots tossed over her shoulder.

Wendy's feet buried in the sand. 

 Rocks on the shore, washed up because of the tsunami

 Wendy's writing in the sand: "Kasidee and Reeder Week"

Day two, we went down to San Clemente for Crepes.  Again, I can't remember the name of the place, but it is literally right across the road from the fishing pier.  So if you're ever there, pop in.  I had a breakfast crepe with applewood bacon, scrambled eggs, and cheese.  Then the three of us split a wonderful berries and creme crepe, stuffed with fresh strawberries and blueberries.  Super yummy.

I don't know why I make the most awkward faces when I take pictures, but, oh well.

After crepes we went down to the end of the pier and watched this adorable man fish off the side.  And then we watched some teenagers who were playing hooky, attempt to surf.  They weren't very good, and weren't following appropriate surfing ettiquite, which was really irritating to another guy out there who was.

Later that afternoon, we went to Irvine, to the mall, and ate at the Yard House.  I had a Mai Tai, and a Margherita pizza.  If you've never had either, I suggest you try both.  (Wait for the Mai Tai until you're 21, though.  I don't want anyone getting arrested for underage drinking.)  But the Margherita pizza was to-die-for.  It was literally the best pizza I've ever eaten in my entire life, and I've eaten good pizza.  Then we went to see Adjustment Bureau with Matt Damon and Emily Blunt.  It was actually a really good movie.  then it was back to the apartment to watch Connie and Carla, and eat gooey butter cake.  YUM!

On day three we went to Hollywood and did a bus tour of LA, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica.  I didn't see anyone famous, or if I did, I didn't recognize them.  But, I did get a couple of great shots.  Breakfast was bagels from Panera, lunch was burritos at Chipotle. But dinner was the highlight of the day. We ate at an Italian Restaurant called Trastavere, and I had the most amazing meal: Ravioli Riccotta e Spinaci. It's hand-stuffed spinach and riccota ravioli, covered in a tomato basil sauce. So good. Wendy got butternut squash ravioli, and couldn't finish her last one, so I ate that, too. And it was heavenly. I don't have any pictures of our dinner, but many thanks go out to our amazing waiter Luis, who took very good care of us, and paired our meals perfectly with wine. (I actually didn't drink any wine because it gives me headaches, but Wendy's muscato was perfect with her meal). Needless to say, Luis got good tips from us.  Here are some pictures from day three


Of course, I had to get a good picture of the Hollywood sign.  It's actually no longer owned by the state because CA is in such debt.  They sold it to a citizen for private upkeep.  Movies have to pay bookoos to use it in film, and tourists are no longer allowed anywhere near the sign.

I can't get this picture to rotate, but this is Billy Graham's star on the walk of fame.  I'm not really sure what I think about that.

 This is a fountain in Beverly Hills.  I thought it was really cool and beautiful.

This is part of the Berlin wall, which went up under JFK and came down under Reagan. 

I thought this was funny...that someone would advertise their STD screening company in such a way.

Day four started early with us getting up at 6 to take Reeder to the airport.  We ate cold pizza and got Starbucks for breakfast after Reeder was on the plane.  Then Wendy and I chilled at her aunt's house, watched Burlesque and part of Chicago, then went to a sandwich shop called Togo, and had turkey and guacamole sandwiches.  Again, very good.  Then it was off to the airport so I could get back home.

All in all, this was a wonderful trip, and I'm ready to go back.  Hopefully I can manage that again soon...and hopefully i can stay longer than four days next time.

funny, funny, funny

Bar-none, Jeff Dunham is my favorite comedian.  Here's a few reasons why.

"It's in my other stick"

"Nnnnnnnyearrrrrrrrrrmmmmm"

"Oh, Jeff-fa-fa, oh, Jeff-fa-fa"

Favorite quotes, clips, and pictures from Little Giants

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Danny O'Shea: Rudy Zoleteck, your friendly neighborhood gasman!


Mr. Zolteck: Gasman? I don't get it.

Mrs. Zolteck: Think about it.
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Spike: Look, you berzerko Barbie doll, when you mess with Spike, you mess with death.


Becky O'Shea: You can talk the talk but can you walk the walk?

Spike: Try me!

Becky O'Shea: I will!

Spike: Let's go!

Becky O'Shea: Right now!

Jake Berman: SOMEBODY CALL 911
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Jake Berman: I CAN'T SEE WITH THIS THING ON!
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Johnny Vennaro: You can't pitch to Johnny! I'm Johnny!


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Becky O'Shea: What a hunk. Wait a minute? What am I saying? I'm the Icebox. Icebox doesn't like boys. Except for that one...

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Mike Hammersmith: What's that cheerleader doing with a helmet on?


Kevin O'Shea: That's no cheerleader, that's my niece Becky. She's pissed
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Sean Murphy: Hey Hanon, do you catch anything ever?


Hanon: Caught a cold yesterday, Murph. Here! Have some!

[sneezes on Murphy]
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Alien - Third Day

This is off their second studio album "Conspiracy No. 5", which I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.

Awake My Soul - Mumford & Sons

Love it.

Playlist Thursday: The First Twenty On iTunes On Shuffle

Audio Adrenaline - Speak to Me
Glee Cast feat. Jonathan Groff - Bohemian Rhapsody
Jeremy Camp - Walk by Faith
Iron & Wine - Carousel
Stryper - The World of You and I
Spring Awakening Cast - The Mirror-Blue Night
Rush - The Color of Right
Dada - California Gold
Glee Cast - What it Feels Like For A Girl
Reba McEntyre - You're the First Time I've Thought About Leaving
Rush - One Little Victory
Chris Tomlin - Glory in the Highest
Cherry Poppin' Daddies - Cherry Poppin' Daddy Strut
Glee Cast feat. KD Lang - You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch
Shaun Groves - Your Renown
BarlowGirl - Grey
Fleetwood Mac - You Make Loving Fun
Shane & Shane - Yearn
Billy Joel - Uptown Girl
Rush - Entre Nous

Best Actors Born 1971 -1980

As promised...a follow up to last week's best actors born 1981-1990, here's my list of the ten best LIVING actors and actresses born between 1971 - 1980.

1980

Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams

This year was a tight fight between the guys, with Jake Gyllenhaal and Ben Foster both also contending for the win.  Everyone knows him because of The Notebook, but ultimately, Ryan's performances in The Believer, Lars and the Real Girl and Half Nelson (for which he received an Oscar nomination), solidified my decision.  Also watch his fantastic work in Remember the Titans, Murder by Numbers, and the upcoming film with Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine.

The only other female contender was Kristen Bell, and while I love her work, she hasn't quite proven to me that she can hang dramatically.  Michelle got her big break as Jennifer on Dawson's Creek.  Everyone knows this, but she has been able to do what the rest of the cast hasn't.  She's thrown off the teenage soapy image, and really shown her acting chops.  She received an Oscar nomination for her role in Brokeback Mountain, and was nominated again this year for Blue Valentine.  She also starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in Shutter Island, as his wife, and did a turn of comedy with Kirsten Dunst in 1999's, Dick, about Nixon and Watergate.

1979

James McAvoy and Claire Danes

There were two other actors I considered here.  The first, obviously, was Heath Ledger, but I decided to make this a list of living actors, so obviously Heath was out of the question.  The other actor was Nick Stahl.  Few people know him; he does lots of Indie movies, but his work has always been fantastic.  However, I chose James because of his wide acting range.  From the hit action movie, Wanted, to dramatic pieces like Atonement, The Last King of Scotland, and The Last Station, to the quirky Penelope, and his role as Tumnus in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, he's shown he's got serious acting chops.  He doesn't have an Oscar nomination yet, but he will.

Claire Danes was pretty much a shoe-in for me.  The only other person I considered was Alison Lohman because of her performances in Matchstick Men and White Oleander.  But I must confess that I am a Clare Danes fan through and through.  From her early work in Little Women, My So-Called Life and Les Miserable to The Hours to Shopgirl, The Family Stone, Stardust and Evening, and now to her Golden Globe-winning performance of Temple Grandin, she's proven she can do just about anything.

1978

Gael Garcia Bernal and Rachel McAdams

I struggled a little with this year.  I thought I'd give the award to James Franco because he did such a wonderful job portraying James Dean in the TV bio-pic, he was hilarious in Date Night, wonderful in Milk and got an Oscar Nomination for 127 Hours.  But I changed my mind, and decided to give it to Gael.  His work in The Motorcycle Diaries is brilliant, he played his role in Letter to Juliet to perfection, and he was also fantastic in Babel.  I've always been pleased and impressed in every role I've seen him in.

Rachel, however, was pretty much a no-brainer from the beginning.  Sure, you have January Jones who is brilliant in Mad Men, and Zoe Saldana who has exploded onto the scene in the last two years with Star Trek and The Losers.  But Zoe's all action and no drama/comedy, and I honestly haven't seen enough of January Jones' work to judge.  Rachel, however, has done comedy (Mean Girls, The Family Stone), thrillers (Red Eye, State of Play), romantic dramas (The Notebook, The Time Travelers Wife), action (Sherlock Holmes and its sequel) and an intimate character piece (The Lucky Ones).  I've never seen a performance from her that I didn't like.

1977

Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Samantha Morton

Jonathan pretty much from the start, was my choice for this year.  There was one contender in Edgar Ramirez, but I only considered him after searching through a list of actors born in 1977.  Jonathan initially grabbed my attention as the coach in Bend It Like Beckham, and then again in Woody Allen's, Match Point.  He won my heart in August Rush, kicked butt in From Paris With Love, won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Elvis in the TV Movie, and has garnered tons of praise for his portrayal of Henry VIII in Showtime's The Tudors.

Samantha Morton is not well-known to most people, but she has been nominated for two Oscars, a SAG award and an Emmy, and won a Golden Globe (among many others).  Her breakthrough performance for US audiences was in Minority Report.  Her work is always spot on.  She starred as Mary, Queen of Scots in Elizabeth: the Golden Age, as an Irish immigrant to America in In America, and as the widowed army wife in The Messenger...which is a brilliant movie.

1976

Ryan Reynold and Reese Witherspoon

Ryan has proven over the years, that while he really excels in comedy, he has the ability to play serious, dramatic roles.  He got his start in the TV show Two Guys and a Girl, shines in comedies like The Proposal, Adventureland, and Just Friends, but has also done action (Blade: Trinity, X-Men: Origins, and The Green Lantern), horror (The Amityville Horror), a thriller (Buried), and the dramatic Fireflies in the Garden.  Plus, he's not hard to look at.

Reese Witherspoon's one of those actresses who, I believe, could do anything.  If you need her to play a tomboy, she can (Man in the Moon).  If you need her to play a British character, she can (Vanity Fair, The Importance of being Earnest). If you need her to play an airhead, she can (Legally Blonde 1&2).  If you need her to play some innocent ingenue, she's can (Cruel Intentions).  If you need her to play someone completely unlikeable, she can (Election).  If you need her to play a moped-riding eccentric, she can (Penelope).  If you need her to play June Carter Cash, she can (Walk the Line), and do it so well she wins an Oscar.

1975

Tobey Maguire and Kate Winslet

Tobey was a pretty easy choice, especially since his performance in last years Brothers.  But I've liked him for years, starting with the Spiderman trilogy, but also for his work in Seabiscuit, Pleasantville, Cider House Rules, and The Wonder Boys.  Bradley Cooper, Hugh Dancy, and Casey Affleck were contenders, but they just don't quite have enough to convince me otherwise.

Kate Winslet, on the other hand had absolutely no challengers.  Sure, there's Charlize Theron (who won and Oscar for Monster) and Marion Cotillard (who won and Oscar for La Vie en Rose).  But Kate his received six Oscar nominations: For Sense and Sensibility, Titanic, Iris, Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind, Little Children, and The Reader).  She won in 2008 for The Reader, and should have been nominated in the same year for Revolutionary Road.  Plus, she did wonderful films like Finding Neverland, and The Holiday.  There is no one born in 1975 who comes close.  She's absolutely brilliant in every role she takes, and I never feel like she's acting.  She's that good.

1974

Leonardo DiCaprio and Hilary Swank

Leo's only competition was Christian Bale, who just won the Oscar this year.  But, I had to give it to Leo.  He's been nominated for 3 Oscars (What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Aviator, Blood Diamond) but he could have easily been nominated for more, including his performances is Gangs of New York, Titanic, Revolutionary Road, and Catch Me If You Can.  He's only made one or two movie missteps in his career, (The Beach, Man in the Iron Mask) and I'm happy to forgive him for them.  I'd just like him to do a comedy...but the man is so serious, I doubt that will happen.

Hilary Swank was someone I almost didn't think about.  She's won two Oscars (Boys Don't Cry, Million Dollar Baby) and they are well-deserved.  But Amy Adams was born in 1976 as well (and has 3 Oscar nominations herself), and I almost gave this slot to her.  But, Hilary eked this one out because of her Oscar wins, and also because of her roles in Amelia, PS I Love You, 11:14, and Freedom Writers.

1973

Neil Patrick Harris and Vera Farmiga

I know what you're thinking.  Why in the world does Doogie Houser, MD get this award instead of, say, Adrien Brody (who has actually won an Oscar).  Well, he gets it because I genuinely feel Neil is better.  The man is openly gay, and yet somehow manages to convince me every week that he is a completely straight, horn-dog on How I Met Your Mother.  Just because he hasn't done the big movies doesn't mean he couldn't.  He's a theater guy, and also, it's rare when an openly gay man actually gets the chance to take on a leading film role...much less a role in a film that has Oscar potential.  Straight men can play gay, but you won't see a gay man play straight.

Vera Farmiga is also not a huge movie star, or well-known...but she's my winner, beating out Juliette Lewis (who's received an Oscar nom) and Kate Beckinsale.  But Vera wins for her fantastic work in Up in the Air, The Boy with the Striped Pajamas, and The Departed.  If you haven't watch any of those films you should.  But be warned, Striped Pajamas will depress you for a full day or longer.

1972

Jude Law and Toni Colette

Jude had only one real contender, and that was Ben Affleck.  I know, there's not really a comparison, and perhaps if Ben had won his Oscar for acting instead of writing a screenplay, I could have given him more credence.  But Jude has received two nominations, (Cold Mountain, The Talented Mr. Ripley).  He's also starred in Closer, AI, Road to Perdition, The Aviator, The Holiday, Sherlock Holmes, and Repo Men, just to name a few.  And he famously stepped in and helped finished The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus after Heath Ledger died in the middle of shooting the film.

Toni Collette almost didn't win this.  I almost gave it to Gwyneth Paltrow, who won an Oscar for Shakespeare In Love.  But I chose Toni for her ability to completely disappear into a role.  She was nominated for an Oscar for her role as Haley Joel Osment's mom in The Sixth Sense, was brilliant in About a Boy, costarred in The Hours, shone in Little Miss Sunshine, was fantastic in Evening, and endearing in In Her Shoes.  Probably her best role, though, is in her TV show The United States of Tara, in which she plays a schizophrenic, and has won an Emmy and Golden Globe for her performance.

1971

Mark Wahlberg and Winona Ryder

This one was difficult as well, because I had to consider Ewan McGregor and Taye Diggs (who, even though he doesn't have much of a movie career, is a brilliant actor nonetheless, especially on the stage).  But Mark got the nod because of his wide variety of roles, including two Oscar nominations for The Departed and The Fighter.  But I would be remiss if I didn't mention his breakthrough work in Fear, as well as his roles in action movies (Three Kings, The Italian Job, Shooter,) and dramas (Invincible, The Lovely Bones, The Perfect Storm,)  and comedies (Date Night, The Other Guys).  (I'm going to completely ignore Boogie Nights.)

Winona was a pretty easy choice, though I considered Emily Mortimer and Sanaa Lathan.  Her work as a child actor, (Beetle Juice, Heathers, Great Balls of Fire) led to good work as a young adult which included two Oscar nominations (The Age of Innocence, Little Women) as well as Edward Scissorhands and How to Make an American Quilt.  Then she starred in Girl, Interrupted, and Autumn in New York.  And more recently has had supporting roles in Star Trek and Black Swan.  Kleptomania aside, she's really fantastic.