Jason Schwartzman

Wish I liked him but I don't! Is there something I'm missing about this guy? I've been watching Bored to Death and it's not great. Watching it is like watching an Encyclopedia Brown "mystery" come to life. Except with adults. Zach Galifianakis & Ted Danson are funny - but even they can't save the show. Jason Schwartzman is playing the same twerpy character that annoyed me so much in Rushmore. People seem to really like that movie but I couldn't finish it. Jason's character was like a less funny Clifford.

He was recently on Fresh Air. You should really listen take a listen. I think we all know that he is cousins with Sofia Coppola and Nicholas Cage. I didn't know that his mom is Francis Ford Coppola's sister, Talia Shire. She was best known for her roles as Connie in the Godfather movies and Adrian in the Rocky movies. Terry Gross tries to pull something - anything! - from him to talk about growing up in the Coppola family. Jason Schwartzman completely dismisses it. I can understand that he wants to be judged on his own merits, but seriously! He got his first audition with Wes Anderson from a family friend. I feel like he can't deny that it helped to be part of a successful Hollywood family. I guess I would like to see him embrace them more because I don't believe he is that talented to begin with. At least if he embraced and thanked them I could understand why he is famous.

Other things to listen for in the interview - Wes Anderson and Jason Schwartzman bonded over their love of an album called Pinkerton from a band called Weezer. CrAzY. He also co-wrote the song for Bored to Death. The song and his describing of "his process" for writing it pretty much sealed the deal that I am not a fan.

Glory Daze

Kate Hudson you are no Courteney Cox! Is that a shirtless Charlie (Dominic Monaghan)?

5 Pic FRIDAY

I'm reading Jane Fonda's autobiography at the moment (why? I don't know either!). Actually it's fascinating how people in Hollywood mingle with everyone legendary and are just like "oh yeah, Jimmy Stewart was over at dinner all the time". It's a good read. In some parts you can tell she's had a bit too much therapy and is a little too insightful on mundane events in her life, but overall I'd recommend it. This 5 Pic Friday is hers.

Warning - this is a book with Daddy issues.

(L-R: Jane, Henry Fonda, Peter Fonda)

with Robert Redford in Barefoot in the Park

One of her kitchens with ex-husband Ted Turner. I'm lovin' the Southwest vibe.

Bad on bad on bad

Bad news, that is! Three of my favorite places in Raleigh are going to be gone within 2 months (max). I'm sad and mad about this.

1. Rockford. Closed suddenly yesterday! Rob and I had dinner there just on Saturday and it was great. I was so thankful for the cozy little second-story space and unpretentious servers and cheap sandwiches and drinks. So thankful, but I guess not thankful enough! CLOSED.

2. Jackpot. I had mixed feelings about this place and occasionally would hem and haw about going there; but like many fun things, I quit my complaining when I got there and would usually stay until closing time. Especially after the smoking ban! Lots of complaints about "hipsters," blah blah, but it was cheap there and you'd always run into someone you knew. And the music was good most of the time. And IHOP is right across the gravel parking lot! Closing "imminently."

3. Get Dressed! If you know Greensboro, it was a little like Design Archives but not as pricey and right across the street from the bead store, Ornamentea...aka perfect! I bought a lot of things there that I now wear weekly or even daily, like my favorite little silver-feathers ring. I hate that this place is closing. It's happening next month though, so there's still time to go. I bet the final sales will be amazing.

This is all sad partly because I enjoyed these places and partly because they gave Raleigh some needed character and community. Community is a "buzzword" these days but I don't know what else to call walking into a bar and knowing everyone in it.

One commenter on the blog where I read all my bad news lately, New Raleigh, wrote this and I have to agree. Well said, "Synaesthesiac":

It is ironic that many of the qualities that make a city a popular new area for growth get bulldozed to support that growth. It occurs because of a major disconnect between developers and the street level of culture. Rarely a developer like Empire bridges the gap. It is the cultural elements that help make the headlines, attracting both good growth as well as soulless capitalists. I always wondered what is the fundamental difference between the Glenwood South scene, Jackpot, and Fayetteville St. scenes. Some casual interviews revealed that the Glenwood South crowd is dominated by very recent relocees, often northerners, whereas the other spots are mostly North Carolinians. The out of towners move here because of the headlines, but aren’t properly sensitized to understand the culture once they arrive. They have no sentimentality about a place like Jackpot, and will pay to move in to some new condo without a wince. It is a sad but inevitable process.

Thirtysomething

Am I crazy for loving this opening sequence as much as I do?? Forget Fireproof: let's watch Thirtysomething! I'm willing to start at the beginning of Season 1 if you guys are into it. IT IS REALLY GOOD.

PS: is it significant that the creator of this video (on youtube) is "tiggstiggstiggs"?

Hey guys, remember this?

"podcast"/zach standup
Originally uploaded by winnietitchener

My flickr page lets me see what people have been viewing (but not who they are--don't worry!--even though i want to know that too) and somebody watched this yesterday. Which made me want to watch it! And it is really sweet. Watch in full-screen for maximum effect.

"There are red ships and blue ships but the best ships are friendships."

Ben Keough

It's crazy to me that Elvis has a 20 year-old grandson...and that he "rocks" "guyliner" (Ben, left). At first, I was like, who is his mother?? Obviously Lisa Marie. Even more crazy is how much he resembles Elvis (center). AND the guy that played Elvis in the TV movie Elvis and Me (Dale Midkiff, right).