And you will know us by our smokers cough

I'm back! Apologies for the looong delay in posts, but life/work got in the way.



The fires were truly crazytown. The fires are mostly out now, but the retro 1970's air quality remains. There's something about fires that scares me more than weather. You cant get away from fire. You cant protect yourself or your home. It is sort of like a tsunami in that sense. The big difference, of course, is most of the people that lost their homes in southern California have resources...they are not the kind of people that cant afford a car to drive out of town when the mandatory evacuations go out like Katrina. In fact, our bookers kept finding fire evacuees holed up in the Ritz-Carlton Downtown San Diego. This does not diminish their loss at all, but it is definitely a different kind of story to cover. Everyone will rebuild their homes and they will all burn down again within the next 5 years. The circle of life continues.



I cant write about work on this blog but this was our biggest field operation since Katrina and it was mental. Take me out for a drink if you want to know more on that.



Went to the LA premiere of CNN's Planet in Peril at Mann's Chinese Theatre and the party after at the Roosevelt Hotel . It was unusually swank for CNN, where parties usually involve an open bar for 15 mins and tacos that run out about 5 mins after the free bar does. Matthew McConaughey winked at me.



Stayed at a cool hotel in Santa Monica called The Oceana. Unfortunately, we were staying there because our flat has been torn to pieces. Apparently they have found traces of black mold and want to get it early. I wont bore with the details but it is driving me INSANE. Anyway, the hotel was fab, really fab.


The Save the Dates on the wedding party are going out soon. I have confirmed that the place I booked did not burn down in the Malibu fire. I thought it had, but apparently had been spared. Check out our website at www.iainandrachel.com and let me know what you think.

Random Living in this City Observations

• Junkie Palace has apparently been cleaned out and the workmen have moved in. Looks like they are gutting the place and planning to sell them as expensive condos. Neighborhood is much quieter too - no more Junkie Hootenannies at 3a. But where will I buy my crack? [ed. note. that was a joke.] Score: LAPD: 1, JUNKIES: 0.

• I am SO OVER living next to the Hollywood Bowl. The traffic in the neighborhood makes me homicidal, and having to watch drunk frat boys stumbling towards the Dave Matthews (sorry Chuck) concerts makes me long for the Apocalypse. And tonight, just to REALLY PISS ME OFF: Genesis. Who pays $250 for Genesis tickets? I can only imagine how irritable I am going to be tonight. Sake is the only answer.

• Choppers. We had crime and traffic in both NY and London and blissfully no helicopters. LA is lousy with em. In the morning as I awake, right before the coyotes drive all the neighborhood dogs insane with rage, I try to listen to the plentiful wildlife living in the trees around my apartment. Then all the morning shows send their choppers up for the traffic report and 4 days out of 5 there is an accident on the Hollywood Fwy and THEN I GO MENTAL. And dont even get me started about the Oscars or the finale of American Idol and the choppers hovering over the Kodak Theatre.... THEN my quiet little Hollywood Heights neighborhood sounds like Fallujah (well, Fallujah before they sent in all the Blackhawks and turned the sand to glass).

Well that little intemperate Friday rant made me feel much better. Off to see Michael Clayton tonight. Hurrah! More on My Own Personal Private Love Affair With Television next week. Happy weekend!

Quinn William Butler

Wincing the weekend away

Saw The Shins in concert on Sunday night, described by a local blog as a BYOVT event (Bring Your Own Vintage TShirt). I have come to the conclusion that it is impossible to see a bad concert in Los Angeles. Sure, most of the venues sell $7 Bud Light and are so airy that you never get that true "fuck yeah" rock feeling that comes from someone accidentally setting your shirt on fire with their cigarette and then using their beer to douse the flames. But sitting outside on a balmy evening listening to jangly indie music on a stage framed by giant pines with the stars flickering above is a lovely, pleasant experience. And The Shins were good too.

A group of us went bowling this weekend. I found that, disturbingly, I'm not that bad at it. We drank beer, ate buffalo wings and some crime against nature called mini mac and cheese bites, and trash talked. Sadly, the place (Lucky Strike in Hollywood) was too annoying for words and we resolved to find a less faux-ironic locale for our next outing.

Laura has promised pictures of Quinn at her earliest convenience. Stand by.

Now I'm just showing off

a gift from The Best Husband In The World.

BREAKING NEWS! It's not green

Iain received his green card late yesterday! His status has now been officially upgraded from Man of Leisure to Officially Unemployed. We are very excited.

I have avoided writing about the immigration process until we got over the first hurdle, and I dont want to jeopardize it going forward because it is far from finished, but let me just say that it has been a nightmare. I am starting to understand why people would sneak through a sewer rather than go through this process. We have tried to do everything properly and hired a $$$ lawyer to help, but even that has been incredibly difficult. Anyway, I think the worst of it should be over and hoping it is all smooth sailing from here (JINX).

TV, and raw fish

An abundance of tv joy to report, but first a mini-review of our Friday night source of joy: Izayoi. We finally got to Little Tokyo and chose this izakaya bar for our social debut. Very modern, clean Japanese decor. Most of the customers Japanese. Our mutual favorite dish was the minced sardines, wrapped in shiso leaf, and deep fried. We also liked the matsutaka (a special mushroom) tempura, sauteed shishito peppers, and shrimp and jalapeno spring roll. Iain also had the buckwheat soba (which rocked) and we shared the above sushi plate. The yellowtail and tuna were not stunning, but the spanish mackerel was so fresh it nearly flopped off the plate. I also had some sake that tasted like the sake I remember from Japan. Lots o fun. And that's not just the sake talking.




Anyway, back to the important thing...TV!!!


I did my tivo homework over the weekend, and am in tv nirvana.


Love Bionic Woman, although Starbuck playing the baddie is so much more interesting than the main actress. I was worried they would kill her off soonish, but they let Sylar stick around on Heroes for awhile so there is hope.


The show after that, Life, was pretty amusing too - like a cross between House and The Closer.


Dirty Sexy Money is (insert Peg's trill here) fabulous! Totally camptastic.


The Reaper is really funny, if not VERY Buffy.


Heroes premiere was fine. Just ok.


Gossip Girl looks good, but I was never into the OC so I think I'll kick it off my tivo.


Chuck must have cost a bomb to make, but kind of spins its wheels.


Moonlight - blech.


This week's highlights: catching up on Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares, Pushing Daisies, and the premiere of Friday Night Lights. Dont call me until December.