Take Your Sophie to Work Day

Part of my continuing effort to bring Sophie out of her shell, she accompanied me to Take A Kid to Work Day. Poor shy, retiring thing.

(Click on album to see the evidence)

Take Your Sophie To Work Day

My weekend with the moderately-priced stars

An eventful weekend.

Saturday I got my hair cut and who was in the chair next to me? None other than Shia LaBoeuf. He appeared to be entirely sober at the time. Later: X-Files (my review: Meh.) and dinner at Gingergrass Cafe (mmmm love Vietnamese summer rolls)later w my Home Slice. Who should jump in front of us in the queue for a table? None other than John C Reilly. Very cute and fluffy (big hair) in person, but I was really hungry. Jumping was uncool.

Sunday a lovely brunch at Matt and Rachel's - bagels & lox and farmer's market fruit. I brought my hash brown casserole and I'm happy to report that not one ingredient was not from a bag or can.

Sunday night we went w Shana, Peg, and Erica to the Gnarls Barkley concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Shana works there now and scored us front-row middle seats. It might just ruin me for live music forever. Once I've sat there...how can I be content with nosebleed seats anymore? Anyway, both Gnarls and the opening band, a Senegalese singer name Fallou Dieng, were FAB. Pix below.

Dave's Best of 2007 List

My Brooklyn friend Dave puts out a yearly Best-Of music list and I pass 2007's on for your enjoyment. Past lists have run as much as a couple years behind, but iTunes has obviously improved his productivity.

Obsessive? Nahhhhh

THE TOP 40 ALBUMS OF 2007

1. JENS LEKMAN - Night Falls Over Kortedala (Service Sweden/Secretly Canadian)
2. VARIOUS ARTISTS - I’m Not There Original Soundtrack (Sony)
3. AMY WINEHOUSE - Back To Black (Island UK ‘06/Universal Republic)
4. LCD SOUNDSYSTEM - Sound Of Silver (DFA/Capitol)
5. VIC CHESNUTT - North Star Deserter (Constellation)
6. KANYE WEST - Graduation (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam)
7. JARVIS COCKER - Jarvis (Rough Trade)
8. ELLIOTT SMITH - New Moon (Kill Rock Stars)
9. M.I.A. - Kala (XL/Interscope)
10. NEW MODEL ARMY - High (Attack Attack)
11. ELECTRELANE - No Shouts No Calls (Too Pure)
12. GRINDERMAN - Grinderman (Mute/Anti-)
13. EL-P - I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead (Definitive Jux)
14. EMMA POLLOCK - Watch The Fireworks (4AD)
15. DINOSAUR JR. - Beyond (Fat Possum)
16. THE TWILIGHT SAD - Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters (FatCat)
17. KRISTIN HERSH - Learn To Sing Like A Star (Yep Roc)
18. BABYSHAMBLES - Shotter’s Nation (Regal/Parlophone/EMI UK/Astralwerks)
19. BILL CALLAHAN - Woke On A Whaleheart (Drag City)
20. ST. VINCENT - Marry Me (Beggars Banquet)
21. THURSTON MOORE - Trees Outside The Academy (Ecstatic Peace!)
22. ROBERT WYATT - Comicopera (Domino)
23. MAXIMO PARK - Our Earthly Pleasures (Warp)
24. SPOON - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Merge)
25. RICHARD HAWLEY - Lady’s Bridge (Mute)
26. WILCO - Sky Blue Sky (Nonesuch)
27. ARCADE FIRE - Neon Bible (Merge)
28. SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS - 100 Days, 100 Nights (Daptone)
29. RICHARD THOMPSON - Sweet Warrior (Shout Factory)
30. EDWYN COLLINS - Home Again (Heavenly/EMI UK)
31. ELVIS PERKINS - Ash Wednesday (XL)
32. RILO KILEY - Under The Blacklight (Warner)
33. THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS - Challengers (Matador)
34 THE CLIENTELE - God Save The Clientele (Merge)
35. OAKLEY HALL - I’ll Follow You (Merge)
36. MODEST MOUSE - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank (Epic)
37. BLONDE REDHEAD - 23 (4AD)
38. THE WHITE STRIPES - Icky Thump (Third Man/Warner)
39. MARY WEISS - Dangerous Game (Norton)
40. ARTHUR & YU - In Camera (Hardly Art)


THE TOP 100 SONGS OF 2007

1. Paper Planes - M.I.A. Kala (XL/Interscope)
2. Icky Thump - THE WHITE STRIPES Icky Thump (Third Man/Warner)
3. Don’t Let Him Waste Your Time - JARVIS COCKER Jarvis (Rough Trade)
4. Beautiful Girls - SEAN KINGSTON Sean Kingston (Beluga Heights/Koch/Epic)
5. North American Scum - LCD SOUNDSYSTEM Sound Of Silver (DFA/Capitol)
6. Almost Ready - DINOSAUR JR. Beyond (Fat Possum)
7. No Pussy Blues - GRINDERMAN Grinderman (Mute/Anti-)
8. A Postcard To Nina - JENS LEKMAN Night Falls Over Kortedala
(Service Sweden/Secretly Canadian)
9. Rehab - AMY WINEHOUSE Back To Black (Island UK ‘06/Universal Republic)
10. Just As You Are - ROBERT WYATT Comicopera (Domino)
11. If This Ain’t Love (Don’t Know What Is) - NICOLE WILLIS & THE SOUL
INVESTIGATORS Keep Reachin’ Up (Light In the Attic)
12. Someone Great - LCD SOUNDSYSTEM Sound Of Silver (DFA/Capitol)
13. Debriefing - VIC CHESNUTT North Star Deserter (Constellation)
14. The Opposite Of Hallelujah - JENS LEKMAN Night Falls Over Kortedala
(Service Sweden/Secretly Canadian)
15. Stronger - KANYE WEST Graduation (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam)
16. To The East - ELECTRELANE No Shouts No Calls (Too Pure)
17. Sugarbaby - KRISTIN HERSH Learn To Sing Like A Star (Yep Roc)
18. High - NEW MODEL ARMY High (Attack Attack)
19. Budos Rising - THE BUDOS BAND The Budos Band II (Daptone)
20. Keep The Car Running - ARCADE FIRE Neon Bible (Merge)
21. I’m Not There - SONIC YOUTH I’m Not There Original Soundtrack (Sony)
22. Tonight I Have To Leave It - SHOUT OUT LOUDS Our Ill Wills (Bud Fox Sweden/Merge)
23. Myriad Harbour - THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS Challengers (Matador)
24. Young Folks - PETER BJORN AND JOHN Writer’s Block
(V2 Scandinavia ‘06/Almost Gold)
25. Our Velocity - MAXIMO PARK Our Earthly Pleasures (Warp)
26. Grip Like A Vice - THE GO! TEAM Proof Of Youth (Memphis Industries UK/Sub Pop)
27. Fluorescent Adolescent - ARCTIC MONKEYS Favourite Worst Nightmare (Domino)
28. The Underdog - SPOON Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Merge)
29. Can’t Tell Me Nothing - KANYE WEST Graduation (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam)
30. Take Care The Road You Choose - RICHARD THOMPSON Sweet Warrior
(Shout Factory)
31. Tasmanian Pain Coaster - EL-P I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead (Definitive Jux)
32. Shake It Off - WILCO Sky Blue Sky (Nonesuch)
33. Lip Gloss - LIL MAMA 12" single (Jive)
34. Here Comes The Phantom - THE CLIENTELE God Save The Clientele (Merge)
35. 23 - BLONDE REDHEAD 23 (4AD)
36. Goin’ To Acapulco - JIM JAMES & CALEXICO I’m Not There Original Soundtrack (Sony)
37. Take Me To The Riot - STARS In Our Bedroom After The War (Arts & Crafts)
38. He Keeps Me Alive - SALLY SHAPIRO Disco Romance (Diskokaine Austria/Paper Bag)
39. If Silence Means That Much To You - EMMA POLLOCK Watch The Fireworks (4AD)
40. Ex-Guru - THE FIERY FURNACES Widow City (Thrill Jockey)
41. Hatchet - LOW Drums And Guns (Sub Pop)
42. All Cleaned Out - ELLIOTT SMITH New Moon (Kill Rock Stars)
43. Walking For Two Hours - THE TWILIGHT SAD Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters
(FatCat)
44. Diamond Dancer - BILL CALLAHAN Woke On A Whaleheart (Drag City)
45. Valentine - RICHARD HAWLEY Lady’s Bridge (Mute)
46. Tears Dry On Their Own - AMY WINEHOUSE Back To Black
(Island UK ‘06/Universal Republic)
47. Umbrella - RIHANNA FEATURING JAY-Z Good Girl Gone Bad (SRP/Def Jam)
48. Carry On Up the Morning - BABYSHAMBLES Shotter’s Nation
(Regal/Parlophone/EMI UK/Astralwerks)
49. 100 Days, 100 Nights - SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS 100 Days, 100
Nights (Daptone)
50. Earth Intruders - BJORK Volta (Atlantic)
51. Lionkiller - CASS MCCOMBS Dropping The Writ (Domino)
52. Now, Now - ST. VINCENT Marry Me (Beggars Banquet)
53. Familj - DUNGEN Tio Bitar (Subliminal Sounds Sweden/Kemado)
54. Down Boy - YEAH YEAH YEAHS Is Is (Dress Up/Interscope)
55. Frozen Gtr - THURSTON MOORE Trees Outside The Academy (Ecstatic Peace!)
56. Make A Plan To Love Me - BRIGHT EYES Cassadaga (Saddle Creek)
57. The Rhinohead - VON SUDENFED Tromatic Reflexxions (Domino)
58. Nothin No - DAVID VANDERVELDE The Moonstation House Band (Secretly Canadian)
59. Heartbreak - CELEBRATION The Modern Tribe (4AD)
60. Box - TOKYO POLICE CLUB Smith (Paper Bag)
61. Ordinary People - NEIL YOUNG Chrome Dreams II (Reprise)
62. Dashboard - MODEST MOUSE We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank (Epic)
63. An End Has A Start - EDITORS An End Has A Start (Epic/Kitchenware/Fader)
64. Do I Disappoint You - RUFUS WAINWRIGHT Release The Stars (Geffen)
65. Absurd Heroes Manifestos - ARTHUR & YU In Camera (Hardly Art)
66. Melody Day - CARIBOU Andorra (Merge)
67. Kookaburra - JOHN VANDERSLICE Emerald City (Barsuk)
68. White Hole - CHRISTINA ROSENVINGE Continental 62 (Smells Like)
69. Fake Empire - THE NATIONAL Boxer (Beggars Banquet)
70. Mobile Communication - BRAKESBRAKESBRAKES The Beatific Visions (Rough Trade)
71. Phantom Limb - THE SHINS Wincing The Night Away (Sub Pop)
72. For Reverend Green - ANIMAL COLLECTIVE Strawberry Jam (Domino)
73. Walk Around - GHOSTFACE KILLAH The Big Doe Rehab (Def Jam)
74. While You Were Sleeping - ELVIS PERKINS Ash Wednesday (XL)
75. Bomb.Repeat.Bomb. - TED LEO AND THE PHARMACISTS Living With The Living
(Touch And Go)
76. Ruby - KAISER CHIEFS Yours Truly, Angry Mob (B-Unique UK/Universal Motown)
77. 15 Step - RADIOHEAD In Rainbows (self-released)
78. Stop And Think It Over - MARY WEISS Dangerous Game (Norton)
79. Silver Lining - RILO KILEY Under The Blacklight (Warner)
80. Free Radicals Lament - OAKLEY HALL I’ll Follow You (Merge)
81. Livin’ In The Future - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN Magic (Columbia)
82. Home Again - EDWYN COLLINS Home Again (Heavenly/EMI UK)
83. In The Human World - MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO. Sojourner (Secretly Canadian)
84. Wonderlust King - GOGOL BORDELLO Super Taranta! (Side One Dummy)
85. No One - ALICIA KEYS As I Am (J)
86. Civil War - JOE HENRY Civilians (Anti-)
87. The Songs That We Sing - CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG 5:55
(Because Music France/Vice)
88. Threshold Apprehension - BLACK FRANCIS Bluefinger (Cooking Vinyl)
89. Pump Up The Volume - ART BRUT It’s A Bit Complicated
(Banana/Fierce Panda UK/Downtown)
90. Seize The Day - ADAM FRANKLIN Bolts Of Melody (Hi-Speed Soul)
91. Wolves - PHOSPHORESCENT Pride (Dead Oceans)
92. The Past Is A Grotesque Animal - OF MONTREAL Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
(Polyvinyl)
93. Business Time - FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS The Distant Future (Sub Pop)
94. There She Goes Again - RICHARD LLOYD The Radiant Monkey (Parasol)
95. The Dance - P.G. SIX Slightly Sorry (Drag City)
96. Harvest (Within You) - CLINIC Visitations (Domino UK ‘06)
97. Push - PHAROAHE MONCH FEATURING SHOWTYME, MELA MACHINKO &
TOWER OF POWER Desire (SRC/Universal Motown)
98. Green Fields - THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE QUEEN The Good, The Bad And The Queen (Parlophone/EMI UK/Virgin)
99. You Can’t Hold The Hand Of A Rock And Roll Man - OKKERVIL RIVER The Stage Names (Jagjaguwar)
100.1234 - FEIST The Reminder (Cherrytree/Interscope)


The Top 10 EPs Of 2007

1. YEAH YEAH YEAHS - Is Is (Dress Up/Interscope)
2. TOKYO POLICE CLUB - Smith (Paper Bag)
3. FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS - The Distant Future (Sub Pop)
4. BEIRUT - Lon Gisland (Ba Da Bing!)
5. THE WOMBATS - The Wombats (KIDS In America)
6. ARCTIC MONKEYS - Brianstorm (Domino)
7. BRITISH SEA POWER - Krankenhaus? (Rough Trade)
8. MATT POND PA - If You Want Blood (Altitude)
9. LAVENDER DIAMOND - The Cavalry Of Light (Matador)
10. DEERHUNTER - Fluorescent Grey EP (Kranky)

A Surprising Discovery

As previously mentioned, Laura & Co were visiting Los Angeles last week. We had loads of fun. They went to Disneyland and we went to the beach a couple times. Quinn was grumpier than Christina Aguilera without her makeup, but he warmed up a bit as the week went on. I made a surprising discovery about Sophie.

My 5-year old niece is a middle-aged gay man.

The evidence: She is obsessed with Project Runway. We played Project Runway (it is a game, apparently) and tried to find designer creations in my kid-unfriendly closet. She informed me that "I dont wear black" and "I need something with more sparkle". She played Heidi Klum and told me my model-walk was "too hippy". Also, she wants to see "Mamma Mia". I rest my case.

This is what it is like to work in television

Iain used to keep this quote on his bulletin board in London. It is about the film industry, but applies to television as well.

"The film studio of today is really the Palace of the 16th century. There one sees what Shakespeare saw; the absolute power of the tyrant, the courtiers, the flatterers, the jesters, the cunningly ambitious intriguers. There are fantastically beautiful women, there are incompetent favorites. There are great men who are suddenly disgraced. There is the most insane extravagance and unexpected parsimony over a few pence. There is enormous splendor, which is a sham; and also horrible squalor hidden behind the scenery. There are vast schemes, abandoned because of some caprice. There are secrets which everybody knows and no one speaks of. There are even two or three honest advisers. These are the court fools, who speak the deepest wisdom in puns, lest they should be taken seriously. They grimace, and tear their hair privately, and weep"

From Christopher Isherwood’s Prater Violet

The Nippers are In Da House

The Butler Brood has arrived Chez Nous. We have lots of fun activities planned for the kids, like the Knife-Sharpening Challenge, Guess Auntie Rachel's Favorite Swear Word, and Quarters using the leftover Vodka from the Wedding Party. Good times.

Pictures to come.

Pimped-out Smart Car

We came perilously close to buying this car on Saturday. How freaking cute is it?! Its a pimped-out Smart Car, which is too hilarious. We also saw "Wall-E", which was extraordinary. Seriously, see it. To all of you with kids, I'd be interested to hear if you think kids like it and why - whether they are just responding to the cute robot or if they get any part of the message.

Fun with Pomegranates

Pomegranates seem everywhere now. They are like sundried tomatoes were in the 90s. Iain and I went to a new-ish neighborhood restaurant called Melograno ("pomegranate" in Italian) last night. I walk by the place everyday on my way to work and decided to give it a whirl.

The room is lovely! Totally faded-old-Hollywood look. You want a place like this in your neighborhood. One slight problem: beautiful patio butts up against a horrific Mexican bar playing Ashlee Simpson at top volume (yes, I'm mortified I could identify the song) so sitting on the patio is not as wonderful as it could be. Service friendly and seems knowledgeable. Great menu. Want to love this place. Iain starts with the asparagus soup and I start with pasta appetizer of barolo braised hare with pomegranate reduction on angel hair. The soup is dreadful. Iain, who would eat styrofoam if it had redeeming nutritional value, says it lacks "seasoning". Yeah, no shit. The angel hair is an explosion of flavor, but I'm not sure I like it. Actually, I dont dislike it, but its pretty odd - almost Asian-y. I opt for the Salmon special main - the fish is lovely, but the braised japanese eggplant served with it..yep there's that pomegranate again. They sure like the sweet/savory thing here. Iain has the nettle gnocchi. He doesnt like it - it is too distinctive tasting. I like the gnocchi, but I cant imagine eating a whole plate of them. Probably would have been better to mix them with normal gnocchi to soften it a bit. Dessert: vanilla hazelnut panna cotta which I love, Iain is lukewarm.

I really wanted to like this place, but not sure. It is probably a little too expensive to become our neighborhood place we go to on a Friday night. We will definitely try it again because our shabby little neighborhood needs more warm restaurants like this where the servers wear clothes and the clientele isnt off their face on 3 different kinds of intoxicants.

Intoxicants like my world-famous pomegranate punch....

More Adventures with my Imaginary Friends

If Angelina Jolie and I were best friends....

When she can convince Brad to take the kids, she comes with Peg and I to the Mountain Bar in Chinatown for a gay water and a boogie. Most of the time, we have to hang out at her house because of all the nippers. She adores Drew Barrymore movies ("everyone always thinks I'm so serious!"), but if I have to watch "Never Been Kissed" again I'm going to vom. She's trying to convince me to do that hot yoga shit with her, but I tried that with Joanna and nearly passed out. Brad and Iain talk architecture, and Angie asked Iain to design her next tattoo. Good times.