sasparella says--the world tour

On a rendez-vous

2010-01-21T12:44:00.000-08:00

Andy Warhol

Greetings earthlings. So, I haven't abandoned this here blog, I've just been on a rendez-vous with my other website/blog. Check it out at gabrielalopezdedennis.com. Au revoir!

I always come back to the one I love.

-sasparella says!

2010...let's DO THIS!

2009-12-31T10:45:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! Have fun tonight, be careful. Use taxis or designated drivers if you have too much champagne, or remember, the Metro is free all night tonight 'till the wee hours. I wish you all the best in 2010! See ya on the flip side.

XOXO
-sasparella says!

Merry Christmas everybody!

2009-12-23T19:32:00.001-08:00

DIANE ARBUS (1923-1971)

Santas at the Santa Claus School, Albion, N.Y. 1964

Merry Christmas to you and yours! I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I will be busy tomorrow making vegan red velvet cupcakes, Rice Krispie squares and frijoles negros cubanos. I'll let you know how it goes...

See ya on the flip side!
-sasparella says!

Celebritosity! - When things go bad

2009-12-22T21:19:00.001-08:00

Courtney Love

Today's color: tan
Today's mood: sleepy
Today's drink: San Pellegrino with a twist of lime, yum
Today's music: Frank Sinatra Christmas music

Meow meow meow in Celebritosity land. Here we are on Tabloid Tuesday again, what can I say. Everyone is still shocked and sad about the death of Britney Murphy. Tough times. And the notorious Courtney Love is at it again with her loosing custody of her daughter Frances Bean. Not only that, but Bean filed a restraining order against Courtney. Although she is only 17 so it may very well just be teen angst. I guess we always knew it would end bad with Miss Courtney. And we were all rootin' for her...

Anyway, ho hum. No inspiring celebrities to report on today. It's crazy windy outside tonight! Lucky for us, cat and I are cuddled up near the heater. Nighty night.

Rock music all night long.
-sasparella says!

Farewell Britney Murphy

2009-12-21T11:43:00.001-08:00

Today's color: black
Today's mood: bleh
Today's drink: instant coffee (I know, I know...)
Today's music: KCRW MBE

Terrible news about actress Britney Murphy. It makes me sad when young, beautiful, talented women like her pass away so soon. If it was indeed prescription drugs, it just makes me angry how prescription drugs are killing more people than street drugs. She was memorable in Clueless, as if! And in Girl, Interrupted, "a walk-in chicken." May she rest in peace.

Remember to honor your bodies because they are gold.
-sasparella says!

Adios! Au Revoir! Good bye...for now!

2009-06-23T00:23:00.000-07:00

I will be sure to tell you about all my travels upon my return. Have a great summer! K.I.T.!! :-D

Celebritosity!

2009-06-16T22:37:00.000-07:00

Amy Winehouse

Welcome to Tabloid Tuesdays...or, what I have coined as Celebritosity! Formerly Celebutants, but I got SO over that term. It is too played out, kinda like bling bling and swagger. And you knows I likes to be on the forefront, hence, Celebritosity bitchessss! Today's topic is the memory that is Amy Winehouse. I dunno. I listened to her first album again today "Frank," and I guess I was nostalgic about miss beehive thang. What do you think? Will she make a big comeback? Or will she hang up her beehive for good? Seeing other Winehouse wanna be's like Adele for instance, and some other chick Gabriella who also sounds like her, it makes me think of her. Of course Adele is the less exciting, er um, less edgy version of Amy...come on Amy! Get yo' shit togetha'! It's tough, I guess. I know, it's tough, process is tough, and product, mmmm no mames, fuggedaboudit. Genius takes time, I understand Amy. And I will be waiting patiently for your healthy and prolific return.

The right kind (and amount) of black eyeliner, will land you any good job you go for, guaranteed.
-sasparella says!

Music Mondays! The E.N.D.

2009-06-15T19:07:00.000-07:00

"The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies) by Black Eyed Peas

Happy Music Mondays! Next time somebody asks you if you have a bad case of the "Mondays" you can say hells yeah! 'Cause it's all about the music baby! And "I gotta feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night!" This new installment by the kings (and queen) of the pop charts took off with a "boom" with their first hit single "Boom Boom Pow." They played that shit on heavy rotation! Great song, great energy and I love when Fergie says "I'm so 3008. You're 2000 and late!" Makes me smile every time. Their second single off this album is "I Gotta Feeling" and I am feelin' it! Very happy-go-lucky-getting-ready-for-the-party-or-club type of song.

Overall, I thought this album had high tempo, fun, party type of themes. Again, much like other artists nowadays who are relying on live shows more than record sales to make the mula, this album is completely catered for music that will make a stunning and energetic live performance. All the songs are about the good times and a couple where Fergie talks about how tipsy she is. Funny actually. In one song she "forgets the hook" because "she drank too much." "Meet Me Halfway" I thought was a good song too. I enjoyed all of the songs on this album except song two, "Rock That Body." I thought it was okay, I didn't like how they sampled and butchered Rob Base. You just don't do that to a classic.

The Black Eyes Peas have been around for a minute, but this is their third album with Miss Fergie and quite frankly, this band did not take off the way it has until she rolled up on the scene. So you know, she carries this band really. Her and Will.I.Am are a great team. And whether they put out more BEP albums, unless this is the "E.N.D.", or more solo albums again, I got a feeling that these music artists will be around for a while.

Pair some well-seasoned black eyed peas with some collard greens and mac and cheese, and you've got yourself an overstimulated palate.
-sasparella says!

Celebrate

2009-06-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

Photo by http://en.gamers.com/news/view_1615_1.html

Not a pic from tonight's WIN, but still cute how he had his darling daughters and hot wife there. Plus I love how Vanessa is rockin' the big hoops. Yes for "hoops" tonight :-) Yeay for Lakers win! Boooo for stupid fans causing raucous!!

Let's splash some champagne on us everybody!!
-sasparella says!

Oh my Vanity

2009-06-10T21:01:00.000-07:00

Gloria Swanson by Steichen

So earlier this year, LACMA had this Vanity Fair Portraits: Photographs
1913–2008 exhibit of photographs past from this magazine. From back in the day when it was the original, and not the reincarnation that it is today. It was quite a while ago, but I do remember that there were some great photographs in this exhibit. I thought it was a comprehensive and inspiring exhibit documenting photographs all the way through today. I really enjoyed it. I remember this fabulous Gloria Swanson portrait. I remember a great photograph of Charlie Chaplin sans all the costume and how hot he was. And I remember a great shot of J-Lo's butt. I also remember we went upstairs after this exhibit to another one that was just bad. Bad contemporary photography work. Bad. Subjectively speaking of course. Of course!

Oh but let's not forget my favorite part of these fu-fu-rufu exhibits, the unsophisticated things that people say around me as I am trying to enjoy some sophisticated art. Peeps think I'm taking notes but I'm just laughing inside. Our Vanity Fair exhibit patrons enlightened us with this:

"Frida Kahlo. Wow! That's what Diego Rivera looked like?! Not very handsome."

"Georgia O'Keeffe. Look at her neck!"

Very old lady #1: "That's Lance Armstrong naked."
Very old lady #2: "Shame on you!"

Shame on this!

Remember to never take your crying infant stroller to the museum. It is in poor taste and gives motherhood a bad name. Period!
-sasparella says!

I Love Frescos!

2009-06-09T23:00:00.000-07:00

Fresco of a Roman woman from Pompeii, c. 50 CE

Today's color: purple
Today's mood: happy
Today's drink: Chardonnay
Today's music: Black Eyed Peas
Word of the day: amazing

So damn tired of this June gloom already but whatevs! Went to LACMA today to catch the current exhibit Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture around the Bay of Naples. Pretty good exhibit I guess. I loved seeing all the frescos, my fav. And the penises on the statues...wait, did I say that?? So immature! But basically in a nutshell, the Romans conquered the Greeks in 146 BC and coveted all their art, and jocked them and shit and tried to replicate them and sell them as originals. Tu sabes, all gangsta. I was inspired though, just seeing art, filling the well, and seeing people doing eet, you know. Even if it was like, thousands of years ago. I absolutely loved this scultpure of Aphrodite! She looks so darn badass!

But you know what I love most about going to these fu-fu-rufu exhibits, is the silly things I catch the non-artist peeps say around me. It's hilarious! Which reminds me! I never documented my quotes from the Vanity Fair exhibit I went to see at LACMA a few months back. So this will be a double wammy for ya'll between today and tomorrow...I hate LACMA.

Here is what I heard patrons at the Pompeii exhibit enlighten us with:

(while we were in line to get in to this exhibit. ticket holders, mind you)
"So what is Pompeii? I mean I know it's the title, but is Pompeii a movie, an exhibit, a person..."

"Now, take a look at this stance right here."

"Now we're gonna look at this young woman over here. I want you to tell me what you think her age is."

"My father went to Greece and brought a print for the wall, so I've always been partial to The Three Graces I guess."

(re: an Alexander the Great bronze)
"Look at his skirt, or his gilt, or whatever it was called"

"You wanna be out in the garden with the fresh breeze and one slave handing you grapes and the other handing you wine..."

"Are you an art person?"

Remember to continue to fill the well or you'll end up thirsty.
-sasparella says!

Music Mondays!

2009-06-08T21:44:00.000-07:00

Billie Holiday

Today's color: tan
Today's mood: very sore back
Today's drink: A Diddy
Today's music: Jermaine Dupri
Word of the day: crispy

Happy Music Mondays! ya'll. I am struggling to do anything right now with this extreme sore back. It's an all over pain. Hope it goes away soon. Guess I've been trying to do it all again these days. So today I don't really have any new music that I like that I wish to review, so instead I will speak on Billie Holiday. The savior of all bad days. I love her so and I've been listening to her a lot lately. So today I dedicate my entry to this beautiful, talented, all time Jazz queen.

Vintage 1940s-50s Jazz is what I've been feeling again lately, and you know, I realized yesterday that 1940s swing and jazz is truly my all time favorite type of music. Tomorrow I shall pop in some good music like that to listen to. Oh and today, I learned about this fabulous place to stay in Las Vegas, the MGM Mansion. What the...? It's this amazing hotel that's all muy fancy and shit.

This exclusive spot is only like what, $5,000 a night. We can swing that right? Man, at that rate, it makes me wanna just buy my own mansion. Ah well, someday. Today...today...today we just dance.

Remember to put the needle on the record slowly, so as to not scratch the vinyl.
-sasparella says!

Good Food, cause I loves to eat!

2009-06-06T18:47:00.000-07:00

Al & Bea's on 1st Street in Boyle Heights

Today's color: black
Today's mood: meh
Today's drink: water, the nectar of life
Today's music: the sounds of the sunset breeze

It's been so darn gloomy today, I'm surprised I was able to get anything done around here, sheesh! This morning, on my way to my Turbo Kickboxing class (yesssss!) I heard food critic Jonathan Gold on KCRW's Good Food show hosted by Evan Kleiman, name Al & Bea's one of the two best places to get a good burrito in L.A. Nice! Al & Bea's is a staple for the teatro folks over at CASA 0101 Theatre, since it is about, what, three doors down? I know I have consumed the delicious bean and cheese burritos with green sauce during a rehearsal or two, or three, myself. Mmm so yummy. I love their thin tortillas, that's my favorite part. Easy on the carbs for us Angelenos. I think next time I'm in the area, I must induldge yet again.

Okay, now off to my friend's birthday party in the 'hood. My lil' sis is also having a birthday party tonight. Um yeah, I think I'll spare her the embarrasment of her (much) older, less cool sister showing up, and skip that one tonight. Plus, I wasn't really invited.

Youth is wasted on the young.
-sasparella says!

"Run, bitch!"

2009-05-17T20:37:00.000-07:00

Miriam Peniche Moses, Josefina Lopez and April Ibarra in CASA 0101's P.M.S.
Photo by Shane Sato.

Just got back from checking out these crazy dirty girls from PMS and OH SHIT THERE IS AN EARTHQUAKE GOING ON RIGHT NOW AS I TYPE!! Oh how life is...my motion sickness is still making the room spin... Okay...I'm okay! Anyway, I guess PMS was so good it made the urth move. Nice. AND, they even got a standing ovation. I will be looking forward to these chicas' return with their smashing show. Oh and yes, my cat is still freaked out from the earthquake. Must go comfort him...

I feel the earth, move, under my feet...
Carole King and sasparella says!

A Saturday in Los Feliz...

2009-05-16T00:20:00.000-07:00

Aaah Los Feliz...Los Feliz is where I escaped to, Los Feliz is where I found myself, Los Feliz is where I will someday return, and come full circle. It's a most happy place. Especially when you spend an afternoon at Home Resturant eating their ever so glorious waffle fries. You have not had fries, until you've had Home's waffle cut, seasoned fries with ranch dressing. There is truly, no place like home. These fries are a little, tiny, mini oral orgasm. No lie. Met up with some friends at "hipster wake-up time" which is 1:30pm for lunch. We had laughs, we had good times, we had food, we had first couple from our "couples" circle of friends to have a little bambino (cutest 7 1/2 month year-old!), we had more food, we had Long Island Iced teas and Bloody Marys, we had good conversation, we had even more food, and we had waffle cut fries....need I say more? All in all a great Saturday afternoon followed by a good nap and a trip to TeAda Production's Healing Aloud performance. I laughed, I cried, I got a t-shirt, but most importantly...I was inspired.

Happy is a state of mind.
-sasparella says!

Film Fridays! - Is Anybody There?

2009-05-15T23:30:00.001-07:00

TGIFilm Fridays! Today we shall discuss this charming film I had the opportunity to see this past March on my third year wedding anniversary. Yeah, I guess we are artsy this way since this film is a "foreign film." Either that or it was your typical miserable husband getting dragged to see a, well, foreign film or god forbid, a chick flick. Is Anybody There is a beautiful film I highly recommend if you ever want to reflect on the fragility of life. It is set in seaside England in the 1980s...ah that already sounds divine. It tells the story of Edward, a ten-year old who lives in a retirement home, which is his parent's home that they have converted into a retirement home. Isssuuuues, I know! This poor kid has to grow up in this environment, has to fight for his mother's attention, who spends 24/7 caring for these seniors, and his father's attention who is having a mid-life crisis and is chasing the tail of some 18-year old who works there. I know, men! Being so close to the last years of our lives as human, and seeing one resident after another cross over, Edward becomes very obsessed with ghosts, the after-life, spirits who come back after they have passed, and what happens to us when we die.

All this until Clarence, a retired magician and grieving widow moves in to the home reluctantly, as he is still fighting with the fact that he has gotten so old, and also shows sublte signs of early dementia. The film is a beautiful journey of these two people from completely different walks of life, with one in the beginnings of his life and the other in the last days of his life, and what they hate about eachother, what they don't understand about eachother, but most importantly, what they learn from eachother. Oh and yeah, Clarence is a retired magician who of course, gets to enlighten us with one more magic show which will, how should I put this, shock you just a bit.

Michael Caine stars as Clarence and yes, as you would expect, he is inspiringly amazing! We had the pleasure to have a Q & A with Caine which was awesome! I was star-struck from afar for sure. Bill Milner also stars as Edward in this debut performance and he is simply flawless and real. Reminded me a lot of young Henry Thomas in E.T. I think we shall be seeing a lot of little Bill, no doubt. Oh, and for the record, my husband did enjoy this film very much and we spent the rest of the evening reflecting on well, the fragility of life. A great makes-you-think-film fo'sho! It took me so damn long to write this review that it's probably out on DVD by now. So Netflix that shit!

Life will continue to enthrall you and dissapoint you, sometimes on the same day.
-sasparella says!

Theatre Thursdays! - The Dirty Girls

2009-05-14T00:39:00.001-07:00

Theatre Thursdays! is back! Not that theatre in L.A. was MIA....just me :-( Sorry folks. But I will spare you the woe is me drama and instead tell you that the ladies of P.M.S. (Pinche Mentirosa Sisters) are back at CASA 0101! This weekend only, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, you can come check out their newest installment "Blind, Deaf & Dumb Dating." Three powerful and plump Chicanas take a punch at dating! And you know I will be there for the sex toy party...so I hear! Hope to see ya'll there!

Written and performed by
Josefina López, April Ibarra, Miriam Peniche Moses
Directed by Hector Rodriguez
Special guest appearance by Luke Lizalde

**NO ONE UNDER 18 WILL BE ALLOWED**

One weekend only!
May 15–17, 2009
Friday & Saturday at 8 pm; Sunday at3 pm

$15 Gen; $12 Senior/Students; $10 Boyle Heights Residents
Groups - 5+ ($12/ea), 10+ ($11/ea), 20+ ($10/ea)

For tickets:
Casa0101.org
(323) 263-7684
Tickets@casa0101.org

CASA 0101 Theatre
2009 East First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033

Casa0101.org • Facebook: CASA 0101 • Twitter.com/CASA0101 • Myspace.com/casa_0101

CASA 0101 is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization

You can pick-yourself-up-dust-it-off out of anything.
-sasparella says!

Theatre Thursdays! - The Up & Comings

2009-01-29T07:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Theatre Thursdays! everybody! Lots going on right now with Los Angeles theatre don't you know. The up and coming production at our favorite theatre CASA 0101 is by the critically acclaimed Tongue in Chic*ana. Their second production since the birth of these sexy, sultry, intelligent divas (Ramona Pilar G, Selene S and Michelle Z) and their theatre troupe

opens next Friday...and we can't wait. Blending dance, music and puppetry, Heart on a Wire explores tri-chromatic Love—Black, Red and White—via three vignettes. Opening night gala is next Friday, February 6th and you know I'll be there, cause that's how I roll. Hope you will join me in such festivities.

February 6-22, 2009
Fri/Sat/Sun @ 8pm
CASA 0101 Theatre, 2009 E. 1st St. , L.A., CA 90033

Love comes in all colors.
-sasparella says!

Oh Betty

2009-01-01T22:49:00.000-08:00

R.I.P. Miss Betty Page. We love you por vida!!

Film Fridays! - Nothing Like the Holidays

2008-12-05T20:24:00.000-08:00

Film Fridays! is back everybody! Today's movie review is of the much anticipated Nothing Like the Holidays. Great movie, great cast, good times...I have nothing but the the best to say about this movie. The huge, star-studded cast includes Alfred Molina, Elizabeth Peña, Freddy Rodriguez, Luis Guzmán, Jay Hernandez, John Leguizamo, Debra Messing, Vanessa Ferlito, oh boy believe me when I say there's more! It's not your typical holiday movie, and that's a good thing! It tells the story of a Puerto Rican family living in the area of Humboldt Park in west Chicago coming home for the holidays, and well dealing with the heavy issues that all families face. Except this one has a Puerto Rican flair to it. John Leguizamo and Debra Messing play high powered attorneys coming down from Manhattan. While Luis Guzmán plays a hilarious role as the brother who is ambiguously gay. Alfred Molina delivers a superb performance as only one would expect. And Elizabeth Peña's role topped it all for me. I was really inspired by this movie as a writer mostly. It is so well written, each scene flows perfectly, one after the other. The story unfolds, takes creative twists, and takes you on a journy and experience the whole time. It's wonderful. I am actually looking forward to seeing it again. It's also great to see more and more diverse stories and faces on the big screen. So kudos to Alison Swan, Rick Najera (screenwriters), Alfredo De Villa (director) and Overture Films for making this film happen. Opens next Friday, December 12.

Happy Christmas shopping everyone!
-sasparella says

Theatre Thursdays - The Newbies

2008-12-04T22:37:00.000-08:00

Well since these people have been blowing up Facebook for the past several days...okay I already! We'll go to your darn new play festival already!! No but seriously, in all seriousness, this is a festival of new play readings, which is always exciting. I personally LOVE staged readings. I love the rawness of it, I love the "process", I love theatre, what can I say. I don't love the name, I'll be real. Visions of Dystopia?? Like that is so negative. But whatevs. Your conscious, not mine. I'm just thrilled to see new theatre works out there. And I hope you are too. This coming Sat from 10 AM – 6 PM. At the most haunted location in Los Angeles...if you dare:

COMPANY OF ANGELS presents....

The 1st Inaugural Festival of New Plays
Visions of Dystopia

The Age of Bees by Tira Palmquist
Lost and Found in the Underground by Brett Webster
The Interrogation Room by Lilly Thomassian

One day Festival Saturday, December 6th 2008
Company of Angels proudly presents the 1st Inaugural New Plays Festival of Company of Angels at The historic Alexandria Hotel on December 6th 2008, commencing at 10 AM – 6PM Written by the Playwrights Group very own Tira Palmquist, Brett Webster and Lilly Thomassian. Directed by Company of Angels Associate Artistic Tina Sanchez, Kila Kitu and Jonathon Levit

On Saturday, December 6th, 2008, Company of Angels will unveil three brave new plays written by members of its Playwrights Group. These plays will be presented as staged readings and one winning play, chosen by audience members, will receive in workshop production in 2009.

The Festival will begin at 10am and last till 6pm with the following schedule:

10.30am – AGE OF BEES by Tira Palmquist
1.00pm – LOST AND FOUND IN THE UNDERGROUND by Brett Webster
3.30pm – THE INTERROGATION by Lilly Thomassian

United under the theme of VISIONS OF DYSTOPIA, these three plays, looking at the world we live in and what it is becoming, present us with visions of a world gone wrong, and confronting us with the question of the kind of world we want to inherit. In turn provocative, scary and surprising, this Festival of New Plays opens a little window into the darker side of human nature.

AGE OF BEES by Tira Palmquist
It’s one hundred years in the future, and the world is approaching ruin. A young girl has found sanctuary in an agricultural compound off the grid. When a stranger arrives at the compound in search of scientific specimens, he finds more than he bargained for. The choices each must make are both redemptive and damning. For where do you find salvation when there’s no hope left?.

LOST AND FOUND IN THE UNDERGROUND by Brett Webster
In a dark and cynical world, an oppressed people live underground and serve their masters who rule an America that is a strangely familiar and corrupt parallel of our own.

THE INTERROGATION by Lilly Thomassian
Two childhood friends find themselves on opposite sides of a revolution in an unnamed Eastern European country, as they confront each other during an interrogation session, while the woman they both love is caught between them.

AGE OF BEES is directed by Tina Sanchez; LOST AND FOUND IN THE UNDERGROUND is directed by Jonathan Levit; and THE INTERROGATION is directed by Kila Kitu.

Playwrights’ Biographies

Tira Palmquist
Tira’s full-length plays include COYOTE RISING, LOST NATION and AGE OF BEES, all of which have received staged readings across the country in the past year. COYOTE RISING was recently part of the Gallimaufry Arts Center’s Festival of New Plays in Laguna Beach. LOST NATION was a finalist for the 2007 John Gassner New Play Festival and the Coe College Playwriting Festival, and received readings at Theatricum Botanicum's Seedlings series, Interact Theatre Company (LA) and City Attic (NYC). Her short plays have recently been produced in Florida, Chicago, North Carolina, Orange County and LA.

Brett Webster
Brett's plays have been seen at Atlanta's Horizon Theatre, Austin's Hyde Park Theatre and The Hideout, and LA's Company of Angels, Theatre-Theater, Avery Schreiber, Powerhouse, and Unknown Theater. He has been featured in New South for the New Century, FronteraFest, Botanicum Seedlings, Within the Unknown, and was a recent finalist for PlayLabs in Minneapolis. His play COLD COFFEE AND TURTLE SOUP was just nominated for the Valley Theatre League ADA Award for Original Comedy.

Lilly Thomassian
Lilly is probably best known for her play LET THE ROCKS SPEAK, which won the 2001 Catawba College Peterson Award, as well as Honorable Mention in the Plays for the 21st Century Contest, and Finalist in the David Mark Cohen National Playwriting Competition. LET THE ROCKS SPEAK was produced by ShapeShifter Productions at the Fountain Theatre. Her play NADIA recently won the 2008 William Saroyan Prize for Playwriting and THE INTERROGATION, inspired by the Iranian
revolution, was a finalist in the Ashland New Plays Festival and the Senachai Festival in Chicago

Company of Angels’ Festival of New Plays is a production of its Playwrights Group.

Company of Angels, Los Angeles’s oldest non-profit theater company, is dedicated to revitalizing and celebrating the full potential of Los Angeles-based theater--through deep connections to L.A. artists and communities. CoA has been the recipient of an LA Drama Critics Circle Award, the Drama-Logue Award, the LA Weekly Award, and an Ovation Award.

Dates: Saturday, December 5th, 2008 / 10:30am – 6:30pm
Venue: The Alexandria Hotel 501 South Spring Street, Third Floor,
Downtown Los Angeles, CA 90013
Tickets: $12 Full Festival / $ can be purchased on-line or at the box office.
(323) 883-1717 www.companyofangels.org / www.brownpapertickets.com

Say hi to the ghosts of Christmas past for me will ya?
-sasparella says!

So chaotic

2008-12-03T22:42:00.000-08:00

Art by the incomparable Barbara Kruger.

"I feel like the paparazzi has taken
the cool slang away from me." -Britney Spears

Today's color: deep blue black
Today's mood: sad
Today's drink: cheap red wine
Today's music: Britney Spears

Maybe as I look forward to poppin' champagne and making it rain at 12 am on January 1, 2009, and never looking back. Ever. Is the change I need right now. If I may...

Celebutants: For the Record

2008-12-02T22:45:00.000-08:00

Britney Spears from the new album Circus.

Happy Tabloid Tuesdays! everyone! Today's inspiring celeb...er, um, well, maybe? Sort of? I mean, her Britney: For the record documentary this past Sunday on MTV was pretty good. It was very good actually for three reasons: 1) It was very well produced/directed (directed by Phil Griffin. You know, she has some funny skills as an actor yo, she could do something with that if she took it more seriously. her skit on the make-up chair was great) 2) It revealed what a creep-o her dad is so you feel for the poor child ("nice stripper shoes baby"--yeah, that was her dad saying that to her and not in a condescending way but in a hey, those ARE nice, way) and 3) If Britney can come back from the fiasco that was her life and be welcomed with a warm hug ("I go through life like a karate kid [now]") ...so can YOU. And ME. How 'bout that. Well, minus the help of the daily hair and make-up, entourage, nannys at hand, and millions, but otherwise, we're good. No but seriously, it was a great documentary. And I kept thinking, if she does more of these personal-documentaries-let-me-set-the-record-straight-even-though-it's-not-completely-straight-since-this-is-show-biz type of thingies, and remain focused on her pop star career, she could be the next Madonna. The Madonna of the next generation. Because seriously, did you SEE Madonna making a cameo in this documentary?? Oh lord she needs to tone it down with the plastic surgery, botox, and who knows whats it. She looks horrendous. Madge, you're 50, just accept and love yo' self girl!

But you know what, I wasn't too happy about Britney saying her life is controlled, the same, and there is not much excitement in her life. What?! Are you f****ng kidding me! You get paid to travel the world doing what you love and you think your life is monotonous! Don't make me get out of my cubicle and whip yo' ass! 'Ta loca! Taking her life for granted? Maybe. So yeah, Britney and her (second) comeback. Album Circus in stores today and you know I will be reviewing it come Monday. The doc aired two days before her birthday (which is today) and everyone tuned in. Why? Because she has "it" is all. Face it. If you don't know what "it" is, consult Clara Bow.

In other news....well, you know what, the media has been so harsh on Britney for the past couple years for no apparent reason, so let's just give it all to Brit Brit. And Clara Bow. And oh okay Madonna. Because they all have "it."

Remember to appreciate all the blessings in your life.
-sasparella says!

Music Mondays! - 808s & Heartbreak

2008-12-01T21:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Music Mondays! Today's review is of hip hop's best emo boy, Kanye West. His new album 808s & Hearbreak hit stores last Monday. A big change for Kanye compared to his previous albums. He's trying to sing more than rap, he uses a lot of techy effects like the infamous Audio-Tune made popular by T-Pain, and his lyrics are more heartfelt, or heartbroken...i.e. emo. And you know what, I'm not mad at that. It's also very 80s which was cool, and his get-up these days goes along with that concept. It's always nice to see artists shake up things for themselves, evolve and progress or just try new things. So kudos to Kanye on taking risks. Some people love the album, some people hate it. Me? I appreciate him trying new things, I think it's great. He remains one of my favs. I also appreciate how he poured his heart and soul into this album, by expressing everything he was feeling, whether people would get it or not. This year was tough for Kanye having lost his mother and breaking up with his fianceé. We all know art changes lives, art heals lives, and art is the best way to mend your he[art]...get it. Okay just added a little bit of the cheese the album does have in regards to heartbreaks, and love lost and all that, but focus...he's emo remember.

Highlights on the 12 track disk for me were, well of course the first single, Love Lockdown. I fell in love with this song since I first heard him perform/debut it as the closing performer at the VMAs. I just wish I knew what it (and the video) is about, but hey, I'm not one to ask an artist to explain his/her work. The opening track Say You Will is nice, muy dramatico. Welcome to Heartbreak has cool lyrics about finding the important things in life. Heartless is good (and obviously about his ex-fianceé) but too much T-Pain you know, with the Audio-Tune. It's been done. And done. And done yet again. Bad News stood out as well. Coldest Winter was great, it was very 80s power ballads, but with beats! Nice. This song was also about his late mother. Aah it's all just so heartbreaking! But given the title of the album, and his whole concept, I think that was the point. And I have a feeling it helped him heal, if only just a little.

Remember we must always love eachother.
-sasparella says!

Deep Blue Black

2008-11-30T18:55:00.000-08:00

"In no fashion have I lost my passion for the pen, it's just that lately life has been less inspiring. To tell you the truth, trials and tribulations are truly tiring." -unknown

And oh yeah, I died my hair deep blue black today. Maybe that'll give me super powers. I'll keep you posted. Have a fab December!

It's the end of 2008...make it count.
-sasparella says!

Music Mondays! - I'm a Diva!

2008-11-17T22:55:00.000-08:00

Sasha Fierce

Cause a diva is a female version of a hustler! Whaaaat? Thas right. Ladies, ladies, I could not wait to blog about Beyoncé's...oh wait, sorry, Sasha Fierce's new album, I Am, Sasha Fierce. I had a problem with that title for a minute there, but I get it, I get it now that I listened to this "fierce" new album! And after she broke it down for me on Oprah this past Thursday. It is so apparent when you see her interviewed and how nerdy and quiet she is, but then you see her performing on stage and you're like daaaang girl! She is definitely channeling something and she has really grown as a performer and gets better and better, performance wise, and vocally too. It all makes sense now, and I realized that we all have a Sasha Fierce within us. And just how this R&B/pop diva let her alter-ego Sasha Fierce out of her cage on this double-disc, so must we let the fiercer version of ourselves be unleashed into the world. The world needs her!!

So yeah, I am excited about this new music in my little ears. It's a fabulous album. Am I being bias? Am I partial to Beyoncé? Probably. I love her, she can do no wrong. She is one fierce mo'fo. But, but, in all professionality, this album is hot. Seriously. It makes me think, how the F does she do it?? I guess she has a lot of help...mangers, co-writers, stylists, producers, and what not, but she does write most of her songs/lyrics, so I cannot be mad at this woman. She inspires me cause she's a do-er and does not stop. Did I mention she also has a movie coming out next month AND in February. Yeah, she's a bit of an all around diva.

Okay, so back to basics, album: the I Am side is the Beyoncé side. The real Beyoncé when the cameras aren't on, when she's herself and introspective and hello, kickin' it with the hip hop mogul husband Jay-Z!! (Do you hate her yet??) So there are a lot of pretty ballads like "If I Were A Boy" and "Disappear" which I love. "Halo" is great and this and a few other songs sound like they might have been produced and co-written by the Dream. AND, get this, she does a rendition of "Ave Maria." Yeah, the uber-Catolica angelic song, yeah, that one. And it is fabulously beautiful. Then on the "Sasha Fierce" side of this double-disc, she has the fierce dance tracks like "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)" and the crazy dope track "Diva." You had me at "Hello" is good and "Video Phone" is just naughty naughty Beyoncé. But then, THEN, she throws in a mid-tempo ballad on this side of the album "Scared of Lonely." It's introspective Sasha Fierce?? Que que queee? Yeah, it's just all out of this world. I am happy this week that I get to indulge in this album. Well, until next Tuesday when Kanye West makes his long awaited reappearance in my cd track. Oh boy, can you handle it!

The fierce side of us is always down for good times!
-sasparella says!

Work Hard, Party Hard

2008-11-15T23:24:00.000-08:00

"I don't think I've ever drunk champagne before breakfast before.

With breakfast on several occasions, but never before, before."
–"Breakfast at Tiffany's"

Today's color: pink
Today's mood: congested
Today's drink: Margarita
Today's music: Asia, Air Supply and the likes...

Hey all, I'm feeling very down today from all these fires burning in Southern Cali. So not cool. And the air is so bad isn't it? I feel sick, I can hardly breathe. I mean it is bad, it is a cloud of smoke outside and now inside my place. My eyes burn. What can we do though right? The forces of nature. Just pray for the best for all those out there in the middle of the chaos. The Red Cross could use financial contributions so visit their site if you want to help out. Every little bit counts.

Aside from all that, weekend has been cool so far. Just watched Beyoncé perform "If I Were a Boy" on SNL. My latest favorite song. She has really grown as a performer, seriously she has taken it to the next level. Now I'm just waiting for her to perform her second song on SNL which I'm thinking will be "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)". Love it.

And speaking of good times, last night was the opening night of Tamales de Puerco at CASA 0101 Theatre. Review to come on Theatre Thursdays! The after party was held two doors down from CASA, which is the new art space of Abel Salas' new fabulous magazine Brooklyn y Boyle and Josefina Lopez/CASA 0101. We had a blast celebrating Mercedes Floresislas' new play and the launch of this art space/magazine. We laughed, we drank, we learned a little sign language, we mingled, we toasted with champagne and all in all were happy with the successful first night of a very special play for CASA 0101.

Remember to work hard at that which is your passion, and party even harder.
-sasparella says!

Celebutants! – All Hail the Queen

2008-11-11T20:10:00.000-08:00

Queen Diva herself, Queen Latifah.

Inspiring celebs my friends, that's what Tabloid Tuesdays! is all about up in this joint. This weekend I saw this movie Last Holiday with the one and only Queen Latifah. Boy this woman is amazing. She is an all around performer, artist, entertainer and betty if I may say so. I loves her. And I'm talking from way back in the days of her rap career in the 80s. Aaah, good times. I have enjoyed watching this woman evolve and transform and grow and simply kick ass in this industry. I was really touched by this movie Last Holiday. When it came out I didn't give it much attention, but I'm very glad I stumbled across it this weekend because I am forever inspired. It's a beautiful story of a woman who finds out she has a terminal illness and only three weeks to live. So what does she do? Live those last three weeks hard and with 'stilo. Not to mention, it also stars the yummy LL Cool J. Another great from the 80s as well. The film really gives you that push to go full force and chase your dreams, no matter what it takes. Oh and look, she's a Hoop Girl too! Love her even more.

"Who you callin' a bitch!"
-sasparella says!

Music Mondays! – Keeps Gettin' Better

2008-11-10T23:37:00.000-08:00

Or not...Hey everybody! It's Music Mondays! Da-da-daaang, I barely made it today huh? Long day, what can I say. So, Christina Aguilera yo, new album out tomorrow November 11. Well, sort of. She's reached that point in her career, where she's gotten to her fifth album in her five album deal, which is usually the "best of" hits album. Then after this, she'll either retire and start a family, or she'll sign a new five album deal like Janet and Madonna did, and keep on hustling...we shall see. For now, we get Keeps Gettin' Better-a Decade of Hits. Yeah, not so much. And it's not 'cause I'm all PMS-y and shit, it's just, Christina Aguilera. What can I say? This album showcases what is supposed to be her greatest hits since god knows when, but when I listened to it, I was like hm...yeah...

Her track record isn't all that impresive to me. I mean I appreciate her, she's a well-to-do pop star, you know, doing her thang, keeping her integrity, not all runnin' amuck. But I guess her songs have just never done it for me. I respected her as a pop artist, but none of her songs really caught my fancy. She just had those cheesy songs, like was it rock? Alternative? Pop? "Dirrty," "Stronger," "Candy Man"?? Aside from "Genie in a Bottle" which was well, a classic, come on! The ultimate cheese, kitche, pop but it worked cause it was overtly well, cheese, kitche, pop, everything else is just trying too hard to be something else. She also has some remixes of "Genie in a Bottle" and "Beautiful" on this album that are just well, bad. Bad because they just are, they don't really add anything to the original, they don't make it better, and quite possibly make it worse. Awh, but I'm being so harsh on Aguilera I know. I just...I'm just trying to understand is all. Maybe it's just not for me to understand. Her new song, I will say, is kinda cool. She says "somedays I'm a super bitch!" and well, we can all relate to that can't we? So kudos to Christina and her collabo with Linda Perry on that one.

Remember to control your moodswings so they don't run amuck and end up on TMZ.
-sasparella says!

Sexy Procrastinator

2008-11-08T13:05:00.000-08:00

Vixen Salma Hayek poses for Timothy White's Hollywood Pinups.

When asked how to get ahead in Hollywood
one star replied, "Take Fountain."
Still holds true today. Mostly.

Today's color: ruby red
Today's mood: sleepy
Today's drink: cinnamon coffee
Today's music: Leona Naess

So I've done everything today I could possibly do to avoid working on my writing projects. 'Cause that's what us procrastinators do. Le sigh. I cleaned, I washed dishes, I did my nails (ruby red thanks for asking) and I surfed the net. And now I'm hungry and it's lunch time, so there goes another thirty minutes to an hour preparing and eating lunch and of course, washing the dishes right after I eat. Who does that? Who washes and cleans up right after they eat or cook?? Procrastinators my friends!

Upon my wandering into the depths of the internet today, I stumbled on these pics from a new Timothy White book titled Hollywood Pinups. He convinced big stars like Salma Hayek, Cindy Crawford, Susan Sarandon (?), Gina Gershon, the Olsen Twins? Yeah and many more to pose near nude a la vintage pin up style, when sexy pics where well, um, sexy. Dolled up, make-up, hair, clothes...and not all giving it away like daaaang, I don't need to see all that! Why did such stars bear it all for this dude? Charity of course. (Yeah, good excuse ladies, good excuse). All proceeds from the sale of this book go to Oxfam. Sex being a billion dollar industry, I'm sure they'll make lots of mula for this international organization. And now I am off to go procrastinate, eh hem...I mean, eat lunch. Happy writing everyone!

Remember to rock that classic, dark red lipstick only if you can pull it off.
-sasparella says!

Theatre Thursdays! – The Up & Comings

2008-11-06T17:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Theatre Thursdays! everybody! Been kind of a gloomy day for me. But I am happy to report that I will be seeing theatre tonight! All is well with the world. I'm gonna go check out For All Time, produced by Cornerstone Theatre and presented at Shakespeare Festival/LA. I'll let you know how it goes, opening night is tonight.

Next week marks the premiere of a workshop of a new trilingual play, Tamales de Puerco (Pork Tamales) at CASA 0101 Theatre. I am very excited to see this show. Great story with a, not to give it away but, a Sweeney Todd edge if you know what I mean. The play is performed in English, Spanish and (ASL) American Sign Language with actors from the deaf community. It also stars the thespian of the hour, Miriam Moses, so you know it's gonna be good! Good stuff folks. Opens next Friday, November 14 at 8pm followed by an opening night reception. You know I'll be there 'cause that's how I roll.

Tamales de Puerco
Written by Mercedes Floresislas
Directed by Corky Dominguez
Runs Nov 14 – Dec 7
Fri & Sat @ 8pm / Sun @ 7pm
For tickets: tickets@casa0101.org, 323-263-7684, or casa0101.org

Overstimulated

2008-11-05T22:33:00.000-08:00

Um, yeah, I've been extremely overstimulated these past few days. Rightly so yeah?? I am hopeful, I am inspired, I am confused, I am enraged, I am in tears, I am at my lowest, I am at my highest, and most of all, I am moved. Better than being stagnant right? So yeah, just trying to make sense of the craziness and excitement that has been this historic week. The old me screams to come out and rock out and run the streets and do all the naughty things bad girls do when they are tickled. But for now, I just write. Write it all down. Find my safe haven in that which as never let me down, and has always, only given me, the sweetest hangover. Sans the guilt, sans the headache, and sans the corn vomit. Yeah...had to get graphic on yo' ass, 'cause that's the kinda week it's been for us all.

Remember, as homegirl Laurel Thatcher Ulrich once said, "Well-behaved women seldom make history."
-sasparella says!

Splishy Splashy

2008-11-01T13:36:00.000-07:00

The rain woke me up this morning with it's splishy splashy, crashing droplets sliding down my window, trying desperately to get my attention. To bring me down with it so I too may fall in liquid limber. Surrender. My dreams dwindled to nothing but ephemeral droplets that dissolve upon hitting concrete, disseminating into the unknown. If I should be so weak still, I would of let myself be carried away in such sorrow, in such despair that even the clouds shed tears. Into the darkness yet again, of a past that troubles for attention, and a future that knows nothing yet. Running in circles in my mind, crawling deeper into black, shutting it all away, drenched in cowardness. But, on a day like today, when nothing could seem more powerful than this moment, than this here day as I lay in bed, right now, and hear the tear drops crash but refuse to listen. Refuse to be swept away. Refuse to relinquish my power. On this morning that is, life is filled with so many possibilities. Today the rain, it makes me smile. The cold breeze that comes in through my window that I refuse to close and instead take control of the situation. That cold breeze it warms my heart, like rain breeze has never done before. Like warm fire that was waiting to be unleashed. The crashing waves pass right through me, like water is supposed to. It's translucent. It's no longer powerful over me but delicate like a whisper that I myself blow away. Today, those tears of rain filled with contempt, crash and fall against my soul. Are nothing against my fierce body, and my mind does not even bother. Because on a day like today, I won't be sucked away in compulsive mind nonsense, but instead stand tall against the violent waves of this morning rain, impervious. Like a huge, solid, strong rock. The rain droplets slide off of me left and right. My surface is too smooth to hold on to them too long and I simply watch them fall, hit the ground, and crash. Vanishing into nothing and this time, I am not coming along. I stand. Unmoved, amused, empowered, and only ever so slightly wet.

Film Fridays! – It's Halloween, witches!

2008-10-31T17:01:00.002-07:00

Michael Myers from Halloween

It's just a classic right?! A movie titled Halloween that was also a great, scary flick. Yeah, good times. Happy Film Fridays! everybody! AND, happy Halloween!! Halloween is a favorite scary movie that stands out to me as a kid, when I used to like scary movies. I mean, I like psychological thrillers like Silence of the Lambs for instance, but when it's just horror gore aaah slashing woman running half naked evil killers demons blood blood blood, yeah, not so much. I think maybe because there was a story behind Michael Myers and how you were always wanting to know more and what happened to him as a kid and all that, it was interesting as well as scary. I tried doing the horror movie thing again when I went to see the first Saw movie a few years back. It just didn't do it for me, and I was like yeah this movie's going nowhere. And what? Now we're at Saw V?? Wow, what do I know. There must be a big audience for movies like that though, because they keep making them! Guess it's all those crazy teens like I once was.

Enjoy the rest of your night! I'm gonna go eat some individually wrapped, bite size chocolate bars.

Remember to save some of that delicious candy for the crazy kids out there.
-sasparella says!

Theatre Thursdays! – The Up & Comings

2008-10-30T21:20:00.000-07:00

It's Theatre Thursdays! everybody! And lemme tell you, theatre in L.A. is alive, okay!! Tonight marked the beginning of previews for the upcoming show at Cornerstone Theatre For All Time. I know, I know, that title is so poetic and beautiful. Feelin' it. It's their new play written by KJ Sanchez and directed by Laurie Woolery, and it stars THE thespian of the hour...Ramona Pilar Gonzales...need I say more?! I will SO be there next Thursday for the official opening night, 'cuase that's how I roll. For All Time speaks on the social, familial, and economic impact of criminal actions, the process of judgement and the system of incarceration. Created in collaboration with prisoners, formerly incarcerated victims, family members, public defenders, prosecutors, activists, and advocates, For All Time "brings stories of crime and punishment to life and raises the questions about the nature of retribution and the endless cycle of violence. As blood cries for blood, what role does forgiveness play in silencing the rage?? Fijate, mira que deep! That's some serious shit yo. And forgiveness is a big part of my life and my beliefs, so I am really looking forward to seeing this play. Be sure to check it out and tell me what you think.

Runs Oct 30–Nov 23, 2009
Thursdays–Saturdays at 8 pm
Sundays at 3 pm
(plus Wed, Nove 12 & 19 at 8 pm)

Shakespeare Festival/LA
1238 W. 1st Street
LA, CA 90026
(between Glendale Blvd and the 110 fwy)

Okay, I feel I must lighten the mood, so I bring you bad Latino comedy (okay, bad in a good way, okay am I dating myself with the 80s lingo???), but this weekend, Friday (Halloween night!) and Saturday only, CASA 0101 Theatre brings us "The Funny of (Latin) Dance", written and performed by Bill Santiago. Check it out, 8pm. Well, unless you're hitting up West-Ho for the Halloween dabauchery, then you can go on Saturday. Well, after you get over the cruda.

And well, reporting live to you from the wonderful city of La La Land, I'm outsky. Happy Halloween everybody!! Please, please, post your fabulous Halloween pics. Wait...can you do that on Blogger?? Well, post it on your blog and send me a link to where I can view. You know I'll be doing the same.

Remember, if you wish hard enough, on the ghosts of thespians past, all your dreams will come true!
-sasparella says!

Celebutants! – I Refuse!

2008-10-28T21:38:00.000-07:00

It's Tabloid Tuesdays! everyone! I have some great news ya'll...Morrissey is back!! Well, almost. He has a new album coming out in February. Oh dear must we wait so loooong!! As soon as I hear the sneak peak on his first single, I will be the first to report to you. This image above is supposed to be his new album's cover, which is titled Year of Refusal. ¡Ay que dramático! We love it! Rumor has it, this album is his best album yet. Que, que, queeee! He is already the best ever, can he top himself. We shall see. I am patiently and eagerly awaiting his arrival yet again. He is also slated to release an autobiography to clear up some of the "very annoying" and "silly" stories that have been written about him over the years. Whatever he puts out, seriously, I am listening.

In other news, well, it's new music Tuesday today. The coming ups, if you will. I am super excited about, well Morrissey of course, and then Beyoncé's new album I Am...Sasha Fierce coming out on November 18. I hate the name of her album, but the two singles I've heard so far are great, so I guess I can deal. And then of course, the much anticipated Kanye West's new album 808s and Heartbreak. Definitely looking forward to that one. And finally, the Brit Brit is back, yes my dears, Britney Spears' album Circus is due out on December 2, for your listening pleasures. And speaking of all-American pop stars, I'm feeling very bummed about Jennifer Hudson yo. My heart goes out to her truly. No one should have to go through what she and her family are going through. I know she's a strong woman and she will pull through with grace. My prayers go out to her.

Remember to always stand your ground, no matter what they tell you.
-sasparella says!

Music Mondays!—I wanna start a fight!!

2008-10-27T22:25:00.000-07:00

Hello my friends! It's time for Music Mondays! I know, I know, you love it so...as do I! This week's music review is Pink's new album. Now, I haven't been a huge fan of Pink, I mean I've never bought any of her albums, and I've simply just appreciated the hits she's put on the radio over the years, but this new album, Funhouse I must say is pretty good...relatively speaking that is. I really like her first single, "So What", I especially love when she screams "I wanna start a fight!!" It's that Pink edge we like. And I like the second song on the album, "Sober." The title track "Funhouse" is also good (we would hope right?) and I also very much enjoyed "Bad Influence." I think overall, the album sounded very good, heartfelt, and mature to me. Pink and her husband, or shall I say ex-husband Carey Hart recently went through a tough divorce, so you can hear her angst and how she expressed her woes through her art. That's beautiful. It's sad when bad things happen, but it also yields very deep and lovely art.

The rest of the album is overall mature Pink like I mentioned. But it's still a pop album, and that's what I find the most endearing about Pink—she doesn't think of herself as a pop singer, she thinks of herself as a rock singer or indie singer, but she's so not. All her songs are such catchy pop tunes! She's always talking shit about other pop stars like Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, etc. and I'm thinking, maybe she's just being a hater. Maybe she secretly desires to be as mainstream as them. We'll see how Pink's Funhouse matches up to Britney Spears' forthcoming album Circus...hmmm slight similarity there? I'm just saying.

Remember that, like Mr. Colton once said, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
-sasparella says!

Theatre Thursdays! - I Drove You Home in Echo Park

2008-10-23T21:45:00.000-07:00

Hoop Girls model Dana Kruse at opening night, CASA 0101 Theatre.

Welcome to Theatre Thursdays! 'urbody! No theatre review today, haven't seen anything since Chalk Boy unfortunately. And I think I forgot about Anthony Aguilar's Go-Go Girls from Hell tonight. Darn! Will have to catch it next time. Too many events to hit around town, too little time. Today I was very excited to see an event post online for the Hoop Girls performance at Rutgers University in New Jersey! We're hittin' up the east coast yo'! Mad love. The performance is being produced by Latino Flavored Productions in New York City, and is being presented by the lovely ladies of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Incorporated at Rutgers. Yeah, need I say more?? It's gonna be awesome! They are all totally gonna rock it!

While continuing my surf online today (in my dreams I surf on the waves of Hawaii), I saw this post by a chick on MySpace to some guy on MySpace, and she was all hey remember me?? I gave you a ride home to Echo Park one time. This reminded me how one time, about a couple years ago...dang has it been two years already?! Time flies. But anyway, so I was at a theatre performance at Highways in Santa Monica. A nice, sunny, Sunday afternoon, I think it was Summer or Spring, with the after show generously catered by Trader Joe's (Trader Joe's loves theatre folks yo'!) and this guy, your average L.A. artist with too long of hair, was a little too happy on the vino. I was on my way home to Los Feliz (and yes I do know how to handle my vino, it comes with years of practice), and he needed a ride to Echo Park. So I gave my little drunken, theatre-going, new friend a ride, and on the way there (a nice drive on the 10 freeway with no traffic on a Sunday afternoon!) we talked art, we talked theatre, we talked writing, we talked performance art, and we talked the Silverlake Lounge...heeey, this isn't a home! Well, maybe for him it was. I'm not one to judge. Apparently a friend of his had invited some select folks to a private screening of his new performance art piece for feedback. Yeahhh, friends don't let friends come see their bad art don't you know?

So anyway, having seen that chick on MySpace remind this other guy that she too gave him a ride to Echo Park one day, which he probably doesn't remember cause of the Trader Joe's vino (when we say Trader Joe's vino we mean one buck chucks....when we say one buck chucks we mean Charles Shaw...stay with us). I started wondering if my drunken friend who I gave a ride to Echo Park to remembered me?? I sure don't remember his name and I was sober, so I'm thinking he really doesn't remember mine. Although I know if I saw him, I would remember his face, cause I'm a visual and written person, not a memory person. But I know he wouldn't remember my face. Unless my face looked like a Charles Shaw bottle. But then, get this, as my mind wandered as it always does, it dawned on me that I too gave that other guy that the chick on MySpace gave a ride home to, a ride home too one time!! Dang, what the heck is wrong with me and all these rides?? Okay and incidentally, I don't pick up random strangers to give rides too, they were both theatre folks that I had seen around town so I know indirectly, know what I mean? The theatre community, the point of my story? Theatre guy #2 was also a theatre folk (small world), and we were leaving a writing workshop and he wasn't drunk, he just didn't have a ride so I offered him one since he was on my way. I tell ya' man, life is a trip.

Bottom line, we theatre folks have some good times yo'. We work very, extremely, sleepless nights hard to put up work we are proud of, and we party, very, extremely, sleepless nights hard too. Guess it's all in honor of the god of wine, theatre and good times, Dionysus. And I ain't mad at that.

Remember to always unleash your thespian as your gift to the gods and the world.
-sasparella says!

Feeling Poetry

2008-10-19T15:32:00.000-07:00

©Photo by Keila Lopez

House on the Hill

Since we spoke,
I’ve moved to a little old house on the hill...yeah, that hill.
It’s perfectly perpendicular to the one you live on now.
And you know, if I stand, in the perfect spot,
By my perfect window, at the perfect time,
I can hear you breathing.
Occasionally you’re singing,
But mostly breathing.
You’re calling me on the phone,
Inviting me to public functions like the friend you are.
But I’m on my hill, I won’t be seeing you,
It’s complicated here.
The view from my window,
Is that of other pretty houses and periwinkle.
Quite frankly, I’m miserable,
But at least I have a pretty lawn.
I am now spoken for, in more ways than one.
But constantly I lay and wonder,
What could’ve been with you.
This cardigan girl met a cardigan boy.
My memory of you is quite blurry, actually.
You always did have penis envy,
But you had a penis...go figure.
I remember vaguely what your cardigan looked like,
But wait, I gave it to you.
Now you have my sweater, and you have my love,
You have my life, and you said you’d share,
But where are you now?
In my house on the hill,
I am perpendicular to you,
And can still hear you singing.
You’re a little off key.

("House on the Hill" was first published in Coloring Book: An Eclectic
Anthology of Fiction & Poetry by Multicultural Writers.)

Gay Purr-ee. Meow!

2008-10-18T17:05:00.001-07:00

"Champagne? That must be what they
call catnip in Paris. How nice!"
–Mewsette in Gay Purr-ee

Today's color: red
Today's mood: sleepy
Today's drink: chardonnay
Today's music: Orb

So today I discovered that my cat Luke is a performance artist. Who knew! Yup, so it's like two in the afternoon, and he's already had what, five small bowls of food, 'cause you know he's always hungry. Whenever I ask him "oh, are you hungry?", it's always a joke, because he is always hungry! Come on now, he's a cat. But around 2 p.m. I guess he was really hungry again, and he kept asking for food. Me being the concerned mama that I am, I have to watch his eating and feed him in small portions 'cause he's, er hem, a little too curvy. He keeps meowing and rubbing on my leg (or trying to trip me actually as he dodges for my feet while I'm walking), but me the strict mama I ignore him. It's not time for meal number six yet. So suddenly I see him under my small couch, which is a french style wood couch with high wooden legs, and he's under it eating pieces off the bottom of the couch! All dramatic and shit, like on his back and struggling to bite and chew god knows what off. And I'm like, seriously!? Okay, okay I get it! You are really hungry. And this artistic demonstration on the perils of having a mean owner who doesn't feed you and being so hungry you could eat a couch is your way of expressing your thespian. Fine, point taken. !Ay que dramático! So of course I had to give in and feed him yet again, and even threw in a little more as extra points for his artistic expression.

I tell ya man, that Luke. There's a whole lotta madness where that came from. But all this talk about cats made me think of a movie I remember watching as a kid on lazy Saturday afternoons like today, Gay Purr-ee. Man I loved that movie. It was such a sweet and pretty looking cartoon. I mean that movie had everything! It had cats, it had Paris, it had Judy Garland...need I say more! I gotta rent that flick again and watch it one of these days, for good ol' times sake.

Remember, artists are always welcome here.
-sasparella says!

Film Fridays! - Short Films

2008-10-17T18:27:00.000-07:00

Filmmaker/Actor/Puppeteer Michelle Zamora

Happy Film Fridays! everybody! Today's film review is more of a preview of an upcoming screening in a short film competition that's currently going on, the PAH-FEST: Hollywood 2008 presented by Christoper Coppola. Filmmaker/Actor/Puppeteer extraordinaire, and one-third of the theatre troupe Tongue in Chíc*ana, Michelle Zamora, is featured in this short film competition with her film POET vs PUPPET which will air on their site tomorrow Saturday, October 18th. Please, please support this local Los Angeles artist and VOTE for her film tomorrow! Well, if you like it of course, which I'm sure you will! This woman's got skills yo'!

The PAH-FEST, or Project Accessible Hollywood's philosophy is that "every human being has a story to tell: a memory, a dream, a legend, whether factual or fiction." This festival which features mobiflicks, cell phone art, digiportraits, circus vision and tone poem projects, has been traveling across the United States and overseas as a groundbreaking digital media festival that celebrates the stories and voices of everyday people.

Wanna see how it all unfolds? The competition's screening/awards gala is this Sunday, October 19th at 7:00 pm at LA Film School Auditorium and is open to the public. For more information visit their site at pahnation.com. And don't forget to vote for Michelle Zamora's film PUPPET vs POET tomorrow!!

Remember that we all have a story to tell, and yours matters too.
-sasparella says!

Theatre Thursdays! - The Chalk Boy

2008-10-16T12:28:00.001-07:00

Happy Theatre Thursday! everybody! Today's Los Angeles theatre review is of The Chalk Boy which just closed at the Company of Angels Theatre in Downtown L.A. this past Sunday. Written by Joshua Conkel and directed by Courtney Sale, The Chalk Boy was a wonderful production starring four very talented actresses. The story takes us on the journey of four small town girls, in the fictional town of Clear Creek, Washington as they deal with their everyday angst of belonging, boredom and high school, while struggling with faith, friendship, paranoia, and sex, and finding escape in the occult, isolation, and in the town's concern over the missing boy, "Chalk Boy" and what could have possibly happened to him. It's a very dark comedy and very well written play with strong character development. A simple, day in the life of story that had lots of depth and weight, but was also fun and was really a treat to watch.

I was especially inspired by actress Amy Golden who really carried the show quite well. I think we'll be seeing a lot of of this young actress in the near future in theatre and hopefully in film as well. Sarah Rosenberg did a wonderful job of portraying the "weird" chick Penny who's into Wicca and thinks she's carrying the missing boy's baby. Claire Bocking was a strong actress portraying the gossiper Trisha, as well as the haunting images of Chalk Boy that appear in Penny's dreams. When I saw the production, Sonora Chase was replaced by an understudy that I thought did a great job at portraying the unassuming, sexually ambivalent Breanna who's attraction and obssesion with Penny becomes more intense by the end of the play.

The show was performed at the new home of Company of Angels Theatre, the historic Alexandria Hotel. I've seen a couple of great productions there in the past few months, but I'm still not sure how I feel about their location. I also wonder if the mock Wicca spells in the play conjured up any ghosts at the Alexandria, the most haunted place in Los Angeles. I enjoyed Chalk Boy along with Monapily and this cool chic Yolanda who are starring in the upcoming production of For All Time at Cornerstone Theatre opening on Thursday, October 30. I will be there, will you?

Remember to always pay respect to the four cardinal directions.
-sasparella says!

Celebutants – Curves Ahead!

2008-10-14T00:42:00.000-07:00

Eva Longoria Parker in this month's Allure magazine.

Hey everyone, happy Tabloid (Celebutant) Tuesday! Okay first off, seriously?! Eva Longoria? Come on now. In the new issue of Allure, Eva Longoria Parker, star of Desperate Housewives, is supposedly showing off her new "curvy body" and how she "stopped" working out...what? You call those curves?! Somebody give that waif a sandwich and school her on some curves. She could use some lessons from miss Beyoncé or Jennifer Hudson. Now those are some real curves. Didn't she hear when Josefina Lopez said Real Women Have Curves? Curves motha fo' curves! Those ain't curves. Ah poor thing, but you know, in her mind she's curvy and that's all that matters. We just humor her and turn the page.

In other news, Jamie Lynn Spears is NOT having another baby okay. Don't let the rumors fool ya'...Okay that was a joke, 'cause nobody cares! Lastly, yesterday I posted some news on Beyoncé's new album, and it looks like the title is "I Am...". We shall see. It may or not be released in November, but we are just excited there is new music from her coming right? In the meantime, I recommend you listen to her remake of "Kissing You." It gets me all choked up every time I hear it. Beautiful song.

Remember to flaunt your curves at any opportunity you get to look sexy.
-sasparella says!

Music Mondays! - Put a Ring On It!

2008-10-13T15:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Music Mondays! 'urbody! Today's music review is of our favorite Hoop Girl Beyoncé's new singles! Sheeee's baaaack. Her hot new singles which have been leaked, If I Were a Boy and Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) are quintessential Beyoncé and are already the talk of the internet town. Her new album supposedly titled Virtuoso Sasha (gosh I hope not!) was slated to be released on November 18, but it looks like that may not happen. The busy "B" is off working on two new films, Cadillac Records set to be released this coming December 5th, about the rise and fall of R&B record label Chess Records; and Obsessed, set to be released late February of '09, where she stars along side Idris Elba in a story about a successful man and his wife who find their lives threatened by a temp in his office who reveals herself as a stalker. Mm hmm, good stuff. She's workin' workin' hard to get that Oscar this time! Maybe? But this busy schedule may be the reason her album is rumored to be pushed back. It should be finished by November, but the release date may not be until the start of the new year. I mean, can you imagine trying to release and promote a record, during the same months she will be releasing and promoting two new films?! Yeah. So we may have to wait for the full album (unless it gets leaked on the internet which it probably will!) and just enjoy these two new singles which are getting plenty radio play.

If I Were A Boy is a beautiful ballad about infidelity and putting yourself in someone else's shoes so as to gain understanding. Oh, and she plays a sexy cop, not for Halloween no, in the music video. This song had to grow on me 'cause I'm loving all the up-tempo hot dance tracks Beyoncé has released over the years so I was like WTF!? But you really have to appreciate the softer side of her music and her voice. Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) is that hot up-tempo dance track we love so much. She is dancin', lookin' good and having a good ol' time with her robot hand in the music video. You must check this one out. It is being premiered tonight all over cable, so I'm sure you can catch both videos on MTV, E! or VH1 at some point tonight.

Remember to always look sexy when you are fighting crime!
-sasparella says!

Music Mondays!

2008-09-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Music Monday! everybody! Speaking of music, did ya'll watch the VMAs last night?? Blog on that coming tomorrow. Today we discuss Terrence Howard's new album Shine Through It. Okay, not only is this man a yummy piece of delicious fine art, and a wonderful, talented actor...he can also sing. And not only that...he wrote and produced all the songs on this wonderful album. Fijate. I really enjoyed this album. Him and his band sat in the recording studio as a whole, and just jammed together and recorded the album live, as they played along, while he sang and played the guitar. Yeah, I'm a great actor, I look good, I play the guitar, and sing like an angel...don't hate.

I didn't love all the songs this is true, but I appreciated them. I loved a lot of them though, in particular the ballads. The album sounds like an actor made a music album, just as it was, because of the drama, the passion and emotion and wonderful storytelling in these song. Love Makes You Beautiful tugged at my heart and gave me a tiny tear. I can't get tired of listening to that song. The title cut, Shine Through It is also wonderful. Mr. Johnson's Lawn is, interesting, and also very nostalgic. Which a lot of these songs are, nostalgic and soulful, with an old-school vibe. If I could add some comparisons to give you an idea of his music and voice—somewhat Al Green, Ben Harper maybe. No. 1 Fan is so intense, oh my gosh all the tragic drama, straight through the heart. Love it. Unlike Scarlett Johansson's tragic attempt at recording that terrible album Anywhere I Lay My Head back in May, this actor, Mr. Howard, you fine piece of work you, could have a future in both acting and music just fine.

Remember, don't try to multi-task if you can't handle it!

-sasparella says!

Theatre Thursdays!

2008-08-21T16:52:00.000-07:00

Poetry is being...Being here...

Being home...Boyle Heights...
My beautiful little Barrio.
-excerpt from Boyle Heights

Hi everyone! Happy Theatre Thursdays! No theatre review today, but a MUST SEE! Next up at the always exciting CASA 0101 is the opening of Boyle Heights written by Josefina Lopez and directed by Hector Rodriguez! This production is the return of Josefina's play (founder of CASA 0101) by audience demand and it is perfect timing given all the buzz and growth currently going on in Boyle Heights.

The play tells the story of Dalia, a 26 year old college educated poet and dreamer, who must confront making a living and staying true to herself, when she is forced to move back in with her old fashioned Mexican parents. It stars a strong group of talented actors Belinda Arredondo, Yolie Cortez, Eddie Diaz, Yolanda Gonzalez, Eric Neil Gutierrez, Mario Valdez Juarez, Nicole Ortega, Charlie Romero, Ron Trejo. Josefina and Hector should be very proud of this piece which promises to be a huge hit once again.

It opens tomorrow night, August 22 at 8pm
and runs through September 14.

Fri & Sat @ 8pm / Sun @ 7pm
$15 Gen, $12 Students/Seniors,
$10 Boyle Heights residents
Discounts for groups of 10+!

CASA 0101 Theatre
2009 E. First Street
Los Angeles, CA 90033

For tickets:
tickets@casa0101.org
or 323-263-7684

casa0101.org
myspace.com/casa_0101

Reserve your seats today! I know I'll be there tomorrow night enjoying another fabulous opening at CASA 0101!
-sasparella says!

Film Fridays!

2008-07-25T12:02:00.001-07:00

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson

Today's quote:
"I WANT TO BELIEVE"
-X-Files

Today's color: gold

Today's mood: overstimulated

Today's drink: water

Today's music: pop tunes

Happy Film Fridays! everybody! No movie review today, only my excitement for the new X-Files move I Want To Believe. Going to check out this film tonight and I can't wait! I hope it's good, but I'm sure it will be. Mulder and Scully are back yo! I also heard that movie #3 is in the works. Yes! The aliens are back. Good timing too, because last week on Larry King Live there were some dudes talking about how aliens exist and they have proof of them intercepting U.S. military planes in the 60s or something. All's I know, is that the X-Files are back, and I my friends, want to believe!

Remember to always look up at the sky, you just might finding something other than the stars.
-sasparella says!

Music Mondays!

2008-07-21T07:03:00.000-07:00

Donkey by CSS

Happy Music Monday! everybody! Today we will be discussing CSS' sophomore album Donkey. Led by cutey, catsuit-wearing singer Lovefoxxx, this follow-up to the Brazilian band's 2006 debut Cansei de Ser Sexy (I got tired of being sexy), Donkey is not bad at all. It's more tamed than the first album, less cursing and less crazy-sounding-all-over-the-place electro beats. This album sounds sophisticated funky, radio-ready punchy rock 'n' roll tunes, which I'm guessing is what they were going for since their first album didn't gain them much airplay. They consider themselves more of a live rock band though, and I've never seen them live but I hear they are a great live show.

All around Donkey was good times for me, all the songs were fun and I just listened straight through. The tempo was always upbeat, just like I like it. Their sound is very 1980s dance rock, still a touch of electronica, maybe Pixies-like as well. Definitely an 80s influence though. We like that. Musicians always get the pressure from their labels to release that second album as quickly as possible when they make it big with their debut album and oftentimes the sophomore album is the curse. It's the dud and doesn't do as well as the debut album does, maybe because they are forced to rush the music and get 'er done. Um yeah, you can't rush creativity...or can you...? Which is why CSS decided to name this their second album Donkey. Recently interviewed by the Daily Star, drummer Adriano Cintra revealed that "In Portuguese if you say: 'Look at this stupid thing I did,' you’d call it a 'donkey' thing." Well there you go! It's not a "stupid thing" though to me. I think this album is a piece of work they should be very proud of. In stores mañana, Tuesday, July 22.

Walking on Faith

2008-07-20T14:10:00.000-07:00

Today's quote:
"'Cause if I find my way, how much will I find?"
-Joseph Arthur

Today's color: yellow

Today's mood: under the weather

Today's drink: cafe con leche

Today's music: Joseph Arthur

With the potential of a loaded gun,
Infused with wisdom and the morning sun.

I walk my path in search of truth,
The power of a hopeful youth.

He comes disguised as my infirmity,
But my true spirit knows its absurdity.

Refreshed, enlightened, power within,
Recollections of where my soul has been.

My purpose empowered to where it's truly lead,
On one great road that's been placed ahead.

The Beach Diaries

2008-07-19T16:33:00.000-07:00

Today's quote:
"For every minute you are angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness."
-Anonymous

Today's color: pink

Today's mood: relaxed

Today's drink: white wine

Today's music: 40's jazz

I finally finally, after like all year, got ma' ass to the beach for my beach walks on Saturday mornings. And as soon as I pulled up and saw the beautiful crashing waves and the overcast sky, I thought to myself damn, I'm so glad I got ma' ass up and came today! Made a stop at Starbucks before though, sadly yes thinking about how there will be a day in my life when there won't be Starbucks. Yes, I'm one of those loyal customers who are sad that some of the Starbucks chains are closing. I don't mind good coffee at every corner readily available for me. Don't hate, congratulate. But anyways, my walk was good, and I found two beach rocks to add to my collection. Got a really good work out and had a strange craving for seafood, or for a vacation somewhere off the coast of somewhere fabulous. The United States doesn't count though. Maybe Bora Bora or St. Tropez where I can go nude. Hm, would I? Maybe.

Moving on. Last night I finally finally saw my Netflix movie which had been sitting on my TV for weeks, I Am Legend with the incomparable Will Smith. Oh-my-goodness. This movie is SO good! Very good. A little bit, too good. Seriously, it was one of the best movies I've seen recently. Maybe because it was kind of sci-fi-ish, and that is my genre. For reals. It holds a special place in my heart. One day, I will write a sci-fi film that will star Will Smith and Angelina Jolie. What, it can happen. Someday soon I do hope.

What else? Been spending some days at the gym finally! As you can see, there are a lot of finallys in my life these days. All kinds of goodness. Let's see, on my way to the gym, which is located in the heart of Hollywood, I saw this actress who I cannot remember her name right now but I will one day I just know it. She's really petite, black pixie cut, cute face...NO it was not Winona Ryder. Isn't she in jail or something? And I also saw Teri Hatcher from Desperate Housewives which incidentally just got cancelled. Yeah, it got a little weird there in the last season finale. As did Nip/Tuck which sadly, has also been cancelled. No more of Christian's butt??? Daaaang, all the good shows are being cancelled! What is Sasparella gonna watch now?? Oh well, it's not the end of the world. I'm sure there will soon be another guilty pleasure for me to watch, as it's always been.

Remember to wear Wonder Bra push up bras for good cleavage...they even work with A-cups.
-sasparella says!

Music Mondays! – Time for Some Action

2008-07-14T07:56:00.000-07:00

Seeing Sounds by N.E.R.D.

Happy Music Mondays! everybody! We're back with a review of the much anticipated third album by N.E.R.D. This album is, well, quintessential N.E.R.D. The production trio which consists of Grammy Award-winning hip-hop producer/songwriter duo Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, a.k.a. The Neptunes; and their rapping partner Shae Haley come back with a great, high energy, live sounding album. The album's title and concept, Seeing Sounds, was inspired by a TV show the band watched about synaesthesia—the neurological disorder that causes people to experience sounds as colors or objects in their minds. A lot of the songs on this album sound live or contain live sounding instruments and that party, concert energy, which makes it a perfect jumping off point for the band to continue touring and playing live shows successfully. In this day and age of internet and MP3s, and bands making money off of record sales a dying concept, the best way for musicians to make money these days, is to tour. Perform. Have live shows, just like the good old days. Not a bad thing I guess. So it sounds to me, that the band was smart in making an energetic album that will translate beautifully to a live show.

Some of the highlights for me were Everyone Nose (All the Girls Standing in the Line for the Bathroom). I first heard this song a few months ago on Jason Bentley's Metropolis on KCRW and was like what the heck is this? So weird, so fun, so upbeat. Very cool song. Time for Some Action is a good song to start the album off with. Spaz is an awesome song with some dope, interesting sounds, and was their fist single off this album. Other highlights are Anti Matter, Yeah You, Love Bomb, and You Know What. What I really appreciate and respect about N.E.R.D. is that they've managed to continue to stay on the top of the charts by always doing it their way. Creating their own sound, with diverse albums, writing stronger, more off-beat and poetic lyrics than "I got all this money" and "we're all up in da' club" kinda stuff. Tired. And even high profile artists, like Madonna recently, have approached these guys to bless their albums with productions by Pharrell and The Neptunes. It just goes to show you that if you are committed to your work, and believe in your work, and are excited about it no matter what others tell you, everyone else will eventually listen and believe too.

Remember to always write between the lines.
–sasparella says!

Film Fridays!

2008-07-11T18:40:00.000-07:00

the Sophia Loren

Today's quote:
“Don't spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door.”
-Coco Chanel

Today's color: red

Today's mood: hopeful

Today's drink: pink wine

Today's music: new N.E.R.D. album (stay tuned for the review on Monday!!)

Sophia, Sophia, oh Sophia! Happy Film Fridays! everybody! So there are no films to review today actually. Not much out there these days huh? Well except for the upcoming X-Files I Want to Believe movie! Uh, uh? You in? Am I alone on this one? Am I totally dating myself?? Being an X-Files fan and sci-fi buff, I'll be the first to admit I am excited about this movie. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are dusting off their roles as Fox Mulder and Dana Scully for this sequel to Chris Carter's movie/TV series opening on July 25. Psssh don't hate, I'mma go see it so what? Film review y todo I ain't apologizin' for my nerdiness.

But anyways, so I had a dream about Sophia Loren and yours truly last night. I won't get into details 'cause it's kinda risqué...eeeh, just kidding. The part about Sophia is true though, so I thought today I would focus on Sophia movies. I love that name Sophia, it's my favorite. I even wrote about it recently. Sophia Loren, Sofia wine, Sofia Coppola, yeah...

Sofia Loren is one of my all time favs. She's so dope, sexy, talented, beautiful...a true icon. So do yourself a favor and rent one of her classic movies tonight, I mean there are too many too list. And trust me, you'll be having dreams about her too. AND, she's so fabulous, she even has another movie coming out next year! Yup. "Nine", written by Federico Fellini and Ennio Flaiano and starring Sophia, Nicole Kidman, Daniel Day-Lewis, Penélope Cruz, Judi Dench and Marion Cotillard (hello?? La Vie en Rose star!). Although I don't know, it stars Penélope Cruz though, and we all know her movies are um, questionable? We'll see.

Remember, Rosé wine has less alcohol by volume than any other wine!
-sasparella says!

Theatre Thursdays!

2008-07-10T07:20:00.000-07:00

"Hoop Girls" at CASA 0101. (photo by Keila Lopez)

Today's quote:
"If you want to make it 'rain in the club'
people don't appreciate it when you choose
nickels, dimes and expired quarters."
–Jemir Johnson

Today's color: blue

Today's mood: sleepy

Today's drink: Kagome juice

Today's music: vintage De La Soul

Time flies when you're having fun. So they say. Guess that's why I haven't written anything since January what?! Can you believe that shit? Was I having too much fun? Maybe. All's I know is that Sasparella is back and is feeling inspired to blog and silly enough to write in third person. What better way to kick off the blogging than on Theatre Thursdays! since I just came down from a wild ride immersed in theatre. No review for today, just a reiteration of how much I love theatre. It's magic it's wonderful it's live and because of it, is generous to all of our mistakes.

I will give you a coming up in Los Angeles theatre though. Tonight kicks off the closing weekend of Touched in the Head of Elizabeth Otero at The Complex 6470 Theatre in Hollywood. It closes this Saturday, July 12. Go see this show and learn how touched Miss Otero really is. This Thur-Sat @ 8pm.

Up next at CASA 0101 Theatre (if you haven't been there you must) is Anthony Aguilar and Alejandra Cisneros' sketch comedy play El Verde vs La Quinceañera. This show is a hoot if you're looking for a night of good laughs and good times. Seeing La Quince and her hot chambelanes is worth it. As is Aguilar's charming performance. Runs August 1-10.

That's it for now!
Remember, loose change is not always the best choice.
-sasparella says!

Descending...

2008-01-23T23:26:00.000-08:00

And slowly, ever so slowly, coming to land. A friend of mine just got his pilot license today. And as he rides the clouds in joy looking down on us with contempt, I walk the earth finally and snap back to reality. Slowly, ever so slowly.

Film Fridays!

2007-11-09T12:38:00.000-08:00

El Orfanato (The Orphanage) 2007

Hi my friends! Film Fridays! is back woo hoo! Today's review is the stunning new Oscar Nominee Guillermo Del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth) project El Orfanato (The Orphange). He doesn't direct but is the producer of this supernatural thriller penned by Sergio G. Sánchez and marvelously directed by Spain's finest, Juan Antonio Bayona. A few weeks back I did a review on Lars and the Real Girl, and much like that film was director Craig Gillespie's feature film debut, The Orphanage is Bayona's first feature film as well. His background has been music videos and commercials and let me tell you folks, he's off to a great start. This film is next year's Oscar's Spain nominee in the foreign film category. Yeay for newbies!

The film is set in well, Spain, somewhere on a gorgeous coast where the waves crash relentlessly. A towering, beautiful yet creepy, creaking old abandoned building lies there, which was once the orphanage where Laura, played by the impeccable Belén Rueda (The Sea Inside), grew up. Now many years later, she decides to buy the house, move in with her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo) and seven-year-old son Simón (Roger Príncep). But soon after the family moves in and begins restorations to turn the house into a care home for disabled children, the lonely boy Simón begins to play with imaginary friends. Through a wild and terrifying ride, Laura discovers the dark secrets hidden within her cherished childhood home.

It's a great film, great acting, and even greater direction. But it does resemble The Others a lot, which it is already being compared to. The new Others, if you will which was originally a Spanish film as well. And it is also being named this year's Pan's Labyrinth. Still, it is a must see suspensful film. I loved how the lead actress Belén, actually looked her age and you appreciated her raw beauty. The film showed a raw beauty, as she really looks. No make-up, no looking younger or too made up as Hollywood tends to be, but we saw a true, real believable woman. From the first shot you are mesmerized by the beauty of this. Of course you won't see that in the domestic, or Hollywood, version of the movie poster, in which she's all airbrushed and younger-ized. What's with Hollywood's obsession with younger!?

Anyway, my only problem was the husband's character, Carlos. He was so weak and clueless and not helpful to Laura at all. But you know what, that's just great because we're tired of the men being the stronger characters, the heroes. In this film, Laura is the shit and she don't need no man to fight the battle she is faced with! It was also a special treat for me to see the return Edgar Vivar in a Hollywood flick! Remember Edgar Vivar?!! He was Sr. Barriga and the jail bird in the 1970s sketch comedy classic Chespirito. Awh, I had a tiny tear when I saw him in the film playing Balaban, the paranormal expert who brings on the medium to the orphange.

So yeah, hurray for creepy movies with scary little kids. Hits theatres on December 28 in a limited release so make sure to catch it.

Other flicks out today:
Fred Claus (this actually looks funny!)
Lions for Lambs (ewww Tom Cruise! I've also been hearing that this film is really boring. LOTS of talking. It used to be a play and it reads that way, didn't translate well to film.)
P2 (also looks good because it deals with real everyday fears)
Holly (not sure about this one, but the movie poster's great. a la Lolita)

Remember to always remain elegantly wasted!
-sasparella says!

Music Mondays!

2007-11-05T22:37:00.000-08:00

"I’m Mrs. Lifestyles of the rich and famous
(You want a piece of me)
I’m Mrs. Oh my God that Britney’s Shameless
(You want a piece of me)
I’m Mrs. Extra! Extra! this just in
(You want a piece of me)
I’m Mrs. she’s too big now she’s too thin
(You want a piece of me)"
-"Piece of Me" by Britney Spears

It's Britney Bitch! Hurray for pop stars that go cra-cra-cra-crazy and loose it and go bye bye then come back and say hello world! Man, what more can I say, the Brit Brit is back. You just cannot deny the fabulosity of this album. I am so happy to report that the Spears has redeemed herself. Britney's 5th studio album Blackout is a knockout for sheezy. In your face K-Fed! I mean forget the fact that she didn't actually produce any of the music and has never actually penned one word of a lyric in her vida, but she's the ultimate pop star and this star delivered. Like, she knows the lengths of her potential and she works with it you know. She's not trying too hard, trying to be too serious, trying to be a sa-inger, but she's just having fun. And it shows. She's comfortable in her skin and you buy it and believe it and luv it. The essence of a true, Miss American Dream pop star at her finest. Simply stated, she has a great team of producers and songwriters such as Pharell Williams on the cool, introspective vibe of "Why Should I Be Sad" and Keri Hilson and Danger in "Gimme More." Other highlights for me where "Piece of Me", "Hot as Ice", "Get Naked (I Got a Plan)", "Radar" and "Break The Ice". You also gotta love the 80s new wave sound of "Heaven on Earth." It's a happy, energetic, pop dance album that will put you in some happy go lucky spirits. So go buy it bitch!
-sasparella says!

Music Mondays!

2007-10-22T17:17:00.000-07:00

"Is this your version?
Only a copy
Leap on, leap off
But i don't know you
And i don't remember you
I need a light on
In matted soul and disconnected
Why didn't you call"
–"Holding the Moth" by Underworld

The new Underworld cd Oblivion With Bells dropped last Tuesday after a five-year hiatus. The British electronic music duo Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, who've been in the game since the late 1980s, return with a bang with their great signature sound, as well as some hip-hop influences this time around. We likes. It also features some industrial sounds and some spoken word-like songs again. You may remember Underworld's breakthrough song "Born Slippy" which was featured in the soundtrack to the film Trainspotting in 1995. As was "Dark & Long (Dark Train)" both from their 1996 album Second Toughest In The Infants. "Born Slippy"was pretty much heard everywhere in the 90s. Still a great song! This here is a hot new album and if you're already an Underworld fan you'll love it. If you're not, you're in for a pleasant treat. Some highlights for me where "Holding the Moth," "Glam Buckett," "Boy, Boy, Boy" (one of the songs with heavy hip-hop influences), and "Good Morning Cockerel." Sad news for the duo though as they've had to cancel their UK end of their world tour due to an injury. This past June at the Ejekt Festival in Athens, Greece, approximately 30 masked Grecian anarchists, armed with CS gas, iron bars, and baseball bats, stormed the stadium while the Beastie Boys were playing. Rick was one of the people injured in the ensuing violence, and he was taken to a nearby Athens hospital for treatment. Ouch. Watch out for peeps in Athens man, they crazy!

Film Flashback Friday!

2007-10-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

Last week I hung out at LALIFF, Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, and I got a chance to partake in Lucha Libre night. It was awesome! Well I myself wasn't wrestling, but merely looking pretty. Although it was freezing cold up on that rooftop, the evening was great. I got a chance to see this cult classic they screened outdoor, Santo Contra Blue Demon en la Atlantida (1969). It was sci-fi and luchadores my friends! One of many Santo classics, this film was one of the first ever joinings of Santo and Blue Demon who's success lead to a whole series of horror/sci-fi flicks of meetings between these Mexi-wrestling superstars. In this one which was screened at LALIFF, a crazed Nazi scientist in an underwater hideout manages to enslave the will of the Blue Demon, ordering him to attack and destroy his once best friend, the Man in the Silver Mask. Wrestling matches here and there, and something about a device that preserves your body in eternal youth. Oh the madness! I loved it.

"El Santo" was born Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta on September 23, 1917. He passed in 1984 and by then he was widely known as "Santo, El Enmascarado de Plata." One of the most famous Mexican luchadores, his wrestling career spanned nearly five decades. He became a folk hero and symbol of justice for the common man in comic books and movies (54 total), where he fought for the forces of good against vampires, aliens, zombies and martians. Nice! When Santo was buried, it was the largest funeral in the history of Mexico City as thousands flooded the streets to catch a glimpse of their fallen hero who was incidentally buried with his mask on.

After the screening they had a yummy Mexican dinner and a signing with "El Hijo del Santo." That was great too! Apparently though, he is a diva. But why wouldn't he be right?! Don't you know who my father was! They also had a ring set up for live local lucha libre wrestlers. It was great to see the fight so up-close. I still don't see how they can be dropped so hard on the ring on their backs and stomachs man, that shit looks painful! Amongst the local fighters that night were Enigma de Oro and Astro y La Chiva. Good times indeed.

And now for the new movies out today:
Rendition (Reese Witherspoon not playing an airhead)
30 Days of Nights (or 30 nights? vampires)
Gone Baby Gone (ha ha, "Bennifer")
Things We Lost in the Fire (if you can sit through Halle Barry, it also stars Benicio Del Toro)
Wristcutters: A Love Story (heard about this film, sounds good for a Sat night rental)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (3-D screenings in select theatres for your Halloween spook)

Have a good weekend my cyberfriends!
-sasparella says!

Theatre Thursdays!

2007-10-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

Stephanie Chavez as Shape-Shifter and Michelle Zamora as Viola in Carnivale of the Unassuming.
Photo by Magdalena Guillen.

I was LOL like crazy at last Friday's opening of the LA Times recommended, CASA 0101's Carnivale of the Unassuming! The inaugural theatrical production written by Tongue in Chíc*ana (Ramona Pilar Gonzales, Selene Santiago, Michelle Zamora), Carnivale is a must see my friends! Part traveling carpa (tent) carnivals of Mexico, part experimental theater, and part Commedia dell'arte, the piece very poetically, beautifully, and freakishly tells the story of young Viola, an 18th century uptight girl (as the instrument in her name suggests) who, just before she's unwillingly married off for money, finds herself trapped inside a carnival of freaks who force her, under the powers of the ringleader Baron von Scabbington, to confront the freak show of issues that lies within. What follows is a crazy ride of haunting and introspective shenanigans that lead her to a breakthrough that finally sets her free. Never underestimate the dark and freakish my friends.

It was fun fabulosity, haunting and hilarious, sensational and sophisticated. The show starts off with a pre-show of a "silent film" by Alejandra Cisneros that had me rolling! Anthony Aguilar and George Paez where hilarious! Paez plays the Clown in Carnivale and he had me laughing the whole time. He's such a great performer who really had fun with this role and took it all the way. The cast which also includes Stephanie Chavez, Ramona Pilar Gonzales, Luke Lizalde, and Michelle Zamora was superb and flawless. The highlight for me was the ballet dance/fight between dancer Stephanie Chavez (Shape-Shifter) and Michelle Zamora (Viola). And of course the Clown (Paez) poking fun at all the madness and making the audience laugh like crazy, yet leaving the theatre just a bit enlightened. Directed by Selene Santiago. Runs through Nov 4 at CASA 0101.

Go see it or else!
-sasparella says!

Celebutants of the Sea

2007-10-17T23:08:00.000-07:00

John Javellana / Reuters

"Under the sea,
Under the sea,
Darling it's better,
Down where it's wetter,
Take it from me."
–Sebastian in The Little Mermaid

Is it? Happy hump day everyone! So did you hear about these freaky new freaks of the sea? I'm telling you man, the ocean is a scary scary place. And that's coming from an Aquarius! This box fish above was one of several new marine species discovered yesterday in the Celebes Sea south of the Philippines, the world's most biologically diverse region. Larry Madin, who led the Inner Space Speciation Project, said they went swimming away in one of the world's deep-ocean basins in search of organisms that may have been isolated there for millions of years. Millions my friends. Awh, this reminds me of that great movie The Life Aquatic...you must see it if you haven't! A beautiful story about showing love instead of taking revenge. There are just so many things and beings we know nothing about. The fish they discovered are pretty fascinating. There's even a semi-transparent jelly fish! I mean jellyfish are already so beautiful and fascinating. Read all about it in the article on MSN. Man I wish I would've been as nerdy and smart as Larry Madin to be a scientist who discovers weird shit. Aah, my day will come soon I'm sure. I know I be discovering some crazy shit in ma' neighborhood alone I tell you what. I live in the ghetto my friends, and outta of the ghetto is where I needs to get ma' ass. Under the sea perhaps? Nah, the abyss is too scary for me. We haven't truly seen it all under there though you know, 'cause humans can only go so deep because of "the bends" (no, not the Radiohead album), so who knows what else is lurking in our deep blue seas. I don't needs to know personally, but send me some cool pics if you find out!
-sasparella says!

Celebutants!

2007-10-16T18:15:00.001-07:00

"And will we ever
End up together?
No, I think not
It's never to become
For I am not the one."
–Sally in The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Not much going on with inspiring celebrities today, on this fine Tuesday. Guess the topic of the month is Halloween ey? I already kicked off my Halloween season with two events. Yes two my friends. Friday I went to check out Carnivale of the Unassuming at CASA 0101. Review to come on Theatre Thursday! And Saturday I went to a costume birthday party. I was a pirate princess...arrr! And this Friday kicks off the limited 3-week engagement, annual screening of The Nightmare Before Christmas in 3-D. Can you believe this movie came out in 1993! Wow and every year it's back. It doesn't get old. It's a cult classic que no?

Also...in the market for a Halloween costume? DressupAmerica.com has come out with a "Princess in Prison" costume. So you can dress up like a heiress (he hem Paris Hilton) when she was imprisoned? Oh man, quick thinkers out there. I can't wait to see someone sporting this get-up. That's it folks.

Have a great week!
-sasparella says!

Music Mondays!

2007-10-15T23:32:00.000-07:00

"Quit tryina play it cool
boy make your move
I told you how it is nothin to lose
You been starin over here all night for free
I ain't takin cash or credit, just a guarantee
There ain't nobody else but me boy"
–"Do It Well" by Jennifer Lopez

So the infamous Jennifer Lopez is back—but don't call her J-Lo. Her brand new album Brave dropped last week and I must say, it's pretty darn good. It's her best album yet to me, and that's because it's entirely a dance album. No feeble attempts at glass shattering ballads. She ain't trying to sang, she ain't trying to be soulful, she ain't trying some generic salsa music, she ain't trying to be anything else than a good hook and danceable beat, pop artist. And we love that. I get the feeling that she finally figured out what she's all about, and what she's good at. I'm sure the fact that her last album (the Spanish attempt) bombed was a sobering experience for her. Wrong When You're Gone is the only slow song in the whole album and it's not that bad. My ears survived. J-Lo to me is just so interesting. It's almost like we love to hate her. Like I just wonder when I listen to her music—she has such a great team by the way, great writers and producers and "back-up" singers which are really actually ghost singers because if you've ever listened to some of her best singles like the "Ain't It Funny" remix with JaRule, that's actually Ashanti singing, not J-Lo. Christina Millian sings other of her hits as well. But yet because like I said she has such a great team behind her, and she's fascinating to watch, that you really enjoy groovin' to what she's all about. But my question is, does she honestly think when she listens to her songs, that she sounds good? That she knows how to sing?! And who in the studio is telling her yeah, you sound great, you can really sing. She's even worse than Madonna, and she's been around since the 80s! But she's the Material Girl! How can you can you not let the less then perfect vocals slide? I just wonder you know. Can someone be that deaf, or clueless? I guess in Jennifer's case, yes, very much so. It truly, truly gives myself hope.

Nonetheless, the album is hot! It's a dance album, a feel good album, a get you through the morning commute album. They even used one of her songs Mile In These Shoes (great song!) for the new and hot Desperate Housewives season teaser, directed by David LaChapelle. Good stuff. Do It Well and Hold It Don't Drop It, her first two singles, are favs. As is the first song Stay Together, a nice and ironic song considering her notorious gun shot weddings love life. Well she's preggers with current beau so it must be forever right? Right?! Gotta Be There is also a great song that uses a sample of The Jackson 5's I Wanna Be Where You Are—love them! Awh Michael, come back to us! If you love J-Lo or you love great feel good music, you'll enjoy this new album. Ma' girl is "brave" for calling herself a singer. But you know what, if you believe, the rest of us will also believe.

So believe!
-sasparella says!

Theatre Thursdays!

2007-10-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

Tongue in Chíc*ana's Carnivale of the Unassuming opens tomorrow night at CASA 0101! Be sure to catch it before the caravan of freaks leaves town! Runs through November 4.

Celebutants!

2007-10-09T22:42:00.000-07:00

It's Tabloid Tuesdays! folks. So today our news flash revolves around inspiring Latinos, woo hoo! Jennifer Lopez's brand new album Brave dropped today. It's an all dance album which promises to be bumpin' as we've already heard with her first single "Do It Well", and well she did. Thank goodness right! 'Cause we've all heard her glass shattering attempts at ballads. (My album review to come on Monday.) She's also on tour with her husby, the heroin chic, Marc Anthony. She almost ate it the other day on stage which could of been bad for her, drum roll please, confirmed pregnancy with twins! Twins my friends. She's waited this long and she's gettin' two bambinos. Guess it's bye bye J-Lo in about nine months huh.

In other news, LALIFF, the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival kicked off it's 11th year this past Sunday with the inaugural red carpet screening and gala of Ligiah Villalobos' highly anticipated film La Misma Luna. My highlight of the evening, amongst many things like this film, was Maria Conchita Alonso partying it up in Hollywood. She's good times!

And finally, the Tongue in Chíc*anas are getting ready to take the theatre world by storm with their inaugural production Carnivale of the Unassuming at CASA 0101 this weekend. I am SO looking forward to the opening night gala this weekend!! It's gonna be an awesome show.
Please check it out and tell me what you think!

Have a great Tuesday everyone!
-sasparella says!

Music Mondays!

2007-10-08T12:35:00.001-07:00

" I sowed a rose
Underneath the oak grove
With my boots on the ground
Into the earth I trampled it down
Grow, Grow, Grow"
–Grow, Grow, Grow by PJ Harvey

The incomparable PJ Harvey returns with her eighth studio album White Chalk. This is her first new album since the 2004 critically acclaimed Uh Huh Her. I've always loved how PJ Harvey has stayed true to her style and her inspiration and has never tried to adapt to any musical trend out there. And how she's always exploring new sounds with her music and her vocals. White Chalk delivers an even more unique sound, different than any other previous albums. In this album she shows off her newly learned piano playing skills and sings in a higher note which creates a dizzying, mesmerizing, haunting sound. I mean the album cover says it all. I absolutely loved this entire album. Couldn't stop listening to it. It's just so hypnotic, so gothic and so beautiful. I noticed some kind of regressing in her lyrics as well, as she talks about mommy, and grandma, and "daddy's in the corner rattling his keys, mommy's in the doorway trying to leave, nobody's listening, nobody's listening" as in the very dark song "The Piano" which was actually one of my favs—what does that say about me? Other favorites include "Grow, Grow, Grow", "White Chalk" and "To Talk To You." The album also feature's collaborations by PJ Harvey's long time associate Eric Drew Feldman, and Jim White from The Dirty Three. My only criticism was that she did just recently learn how to play the piano and in some songs, it sounds like it. But you know I'm all about evolving and trying new things as artists so kudos to her for taking new risks with her music! She's an extremely talented songwriter, musician and producer who's come back with her most powerful and profound album yet.

Film Fridays!

2007-10-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

Yeay, Film Fridays! are back! And they're back with a bang I tell you what. This new movie Lars and the Real Girl is an absolute must see! From the writer of Six Feet Under Nancy Oliver, it tells the story of an extremely introvert guy Lars, played by Academy-Award nominee Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson), whose emotional baggage and social anxiety has kept him from living life to the fullest. One day, he finally introduces a new girlfriend to his brother and sister-in-law and they're speechless. Lars falls in love with Bianca, a life-sized, anatomically correct, sex doll! Awwh. But it's not in a sexual way at all. He's really in love with her, believes she's real, and treats her like a real person. It's an endearing movie that shows us how a group of neighbors can work together to be there for someone they deeply care about no matter what it takes. The shots of Canada in winter are also pretty amazing. We all have problems. We all have emotional baggage. And the way this movie portrays these human emotions and actions is beautiful. Now, being a huge Twilight Zone fan, I did see a very close resemblance to the episode with Robert Duvall, "Miniature"(1963), where he falls in love with a female miniature doll in a museum dollhouse. Loved that episode! And just how Duvall really believed and loved her (and eventually became a doll himself!), Gosling believes Bianca is real the whole time, which makes this movie work so well—his performance is great.

After the screening there was a Q&A with Ryan Gosling and director Craig Gillespie. Gillespie's background is actually directing commercials and this was his feature film debut, and quite a debut it was. He said during the Q&A that it was a fine line with this movie, on how to treat it so the audience would ride with it and the idea that in Lars' mind, Bianca was real, not just a doll. He said that as a director he had to treat Bianca, first like an actual cast member, but most importantly, as if though she had a nudity clause in her contract. It was the only way to approach a film like this, and never in the movie is Bianca shown as a sex doll. What’s great about this story, is that the lonely guy Lars, instead of searching for someone to love and validate him as most people would, he chooses to give love, and that sets him free. Also stars Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider, Kelli Garner, Patricia Clarkson. Make sure you see this movie when it opens next Friday, October 12! I can't wait to see it again.

Movies out today:
The Heartbreak Kid (remake of a Neil Simon movie—looks funny. Ben Stiller is crazy!)
Feel the Noise (J-Lo's movie about Reggaeton)
Michael Clayton (George Clooney's such a bore)
The Good Night (stars Penélope Cruz probably being a tool and prancing around her cleavage again)

Remember to turn your cell phones off in the theatres!
-sasparella says!

Theatre Thursdays!

2007-10-04T00:10:00.000-07:00

Want a theatre must see?? Carnivale of the Unassuming by Tongue in Chicana kicks off next weekend at CASA 0101. At CASA? Oh you know it's gonna be good. I'm there! Will YOU be? Mwa mwa mwa. Do YOU bear the mark of the inconsolable? "On a fateful trip to a carnival, Viola, a young woman who buries herself in duty, meets Baron von Scabbington, carnival ringleader and conjurer of one's deepest fears, and his unassuming carnie folk as they cast Viola into the darkest corners of her psyche." Now, they keep calling this show a "Halloween show", but it has nothing to do with Halloween. It's much more sophisticated than that, pleez! I guess whatever sells tickets right? Opening night gala is next Friday, October 12 at 8pm. After party at the newly reopened East Side Luv Wine Bar y QUEso. I heard something about a party? Oh you know I'm there for sheezy! Hope you will join me.

I Need a Muse

2007-10-03T18:51:00.000-07:00

If I don't drive around the park,

I'm pretty sure to make my mark.
If I'm in bed each night by ten,
I may get back my looks again,
If I abstain from fun and such,
I'll probably amount to much,
But I shall stay the way I am,
Because I do not give a damn.
–Observation by Dorothy Parker

Oh to be as fabulous as Miss Dorothy Parker...well another week my friends. It's October already. Not a fan of October I realize. It's so, round. So orange. So blah. Wednesday, the hump. "My lovely lady lumps, check it out!" Not much going on just trying to get my groove back. Writing I mean. I'm not fortysomething yet so the other groove will have to wait. Man, why can't I get it together! I thought about Miss Parker today 'cause I saw this really cool photo in this month's Vogue from a fashion article they have. It's 1920s inspired, so gorgeous. The pearls, the pinks, the diamonds, the feathers, the hats! Good times. But it of course, reminded me of Dorothy Parker, my fav, the reason I went for it and started writing. I need her now. I'll read her poems so as to be inspired. This one poem, Observation, is my ultimate favorite. I think about it often. I have it memorized actually (don't ask). I guess because I feel like this most days. What can you do. I wonder if she ever got writer's block? Was she perfect, diligent, productive, constant, inspired, on top of it. I'm guessing considering how great a writer she was, probably not.

Remember to write in your journal tonight.
-sasparella says!

Music Mondays!

2007-10-01T00:27:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, it's Music Monday! Slim pickin's this past week I tell ya. But I will tell you about the original music soundtrack for the film Feel the Noise. Pretty good, jumpin' cd if you're into hip-hop and reggaeton. Newly made producer Jennifer Lopez brings us this new film about music, dance, clubbing and fulfilling your dreams. Much like her first film as a producer El Cantante was about the evolution of Salsa music in New York, Feel the Noise is loosely about the evolution of reggaeton in New York with Puerto Rico being the spiritual home to this fairly new music and dance movement. Guess she's a proud Nuyorican huh? Which is pretty much what this cd is all about. It's good actually if you're looking for a cool, upbeat dance cd and are into this kind of music, reggaeton, which is a blend of hip-hop, reggae and Latin beats. It features such artists as Kat DeLuna (I tol' you about her okay!), Omarion, Cucu Diamantes, Wyclef Jean and the inconfundible Tego Calderón. So in a nutshell, liked the soundtrack. As for the movie? It's a NetFlix rental. Happy October 1st everybody. Yikes!

Remember my pretties, as you go forth on your Monday morning start of a great week: fortune favors the brave.
-sasparella says!

Crazy Making

2007-09-26T06:54:00.000-07:00

"This mind, this body, and this voice
cannot be stifled by your deviant ways
So don't forget what I told you, don't come around,
I got my own hell to raise."
–"Sleep to Dream" by Fiona Apple

Today's color: brown
Today's mood: confused
Today's food: Cuban black beans & rice
Today's drink: Smart Water
Today's music: various

I must be going insane. The dizzying highs, the terrifying lows, the creamy middles. And that's just today. The weather's gone wack, we almost got hit by lightning this weekend. The thunder was so loud my neck tensed up and never went back to normal that night. My head spins, my fingers numb, my thoughts don't stop, the voices won't leave. I am not well. Getting through the day with a smile and a positive attitude, though I do, is a challenge. My childhood has taught me how to fake it so well. The tears hybernate in my throat waiting to come out at any minute to feed on my sullenness, once more. I just don't know how to let go. I must be going insane. Nothing makes sense, I question everything. I want to scream. Life is a merry go round, a roller coaster ride that won't stop spinning up side down. Fall is here, September is gone and I don't even remember when it came. Autumn Equinox was Thursday, September 23...that was like a week ago. Where was I?! I had no idea we were in Fall already. Seasons. Seasons come and go, but the best part is, they pass. Fall and Winter sadder days are here, but we move forward confident that it will pass. Just like we may be facing tough times in life, stressful times, hurtful times, deep depressions, financial struggles, just like seasons, they too will pass. So hang in there friends, it is only a season and before you know it, you'll be basking in the dizzying highs of a summer or spring season in your life. Right now, I would settle for a constant creamy middle in my life. The simple life. I must be going insane. Or maybe, I've finally come down to land, into sanity and focus.

Remember to bring a light sweater tonight.
-sasparella says!

Celebutants!

2007-09-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

"It's fabulosity."
–Kimora Lee Simmons

Woo hoo for Tabloid Tuesdays! Well, not many inspiring celebrities this week either. I mean what, Kiefer Sutherland is facing jail time after breaking an '04 drunk driving probation this morning when he got a DUI. What is he, a twenty-something blonde and rich chick celebutant?? He's even getting Paris Hilton's same judge! And Britney Spears, oh Britney. Her former body guard has testified against her as an eye witness to her heavy drug and alcohol abuse. Where will those kids end up!? Because with either her, or Federline's parents is obviously no better! Ooh, I know! Maybe Angelina Jolie will adopt them. Oh no wait, not efnic enough.

Anyway, my only inspiring celebrity this week is Miss Kimora Lee Simmons. She's the wife (that marriage's a bit sketchy these days though) of Russell Simmons, co-founder with Rick Rubin of the pioneering hip-hop record label Def Jam. His brother, Rev Run, better known as "Run" from the legendary Run DMC, was one of the first recording artists on this label. And Russell is also the creator of the clothing fashion line Phat Farm. And so Miss Kimora is born, the fashion model turned fashion merchandising empress. A little background on how she was once the model (literally, she was a fashion model for many years in her hey day) trophy wife of Russell. That shy demure woman beside this multi-million dollar mogul. She then started running the sister line to Phat Farm, Baby Phat, and all hell broke loose. Kimora Lee is here! She has a reality show now, Kimora, Life in the Fab Lane on The Style Network. As does Rev Run incidentally, Run's House on MTV.

I'm so hooked on Kimora's show. And just as the show's tagline itself says, people don't like Kimora, they just want to be her...she is such a bitch! No humility what's so ever. She pours it on thick for this show, seriously. This whole celebrity has gotten to her head. Like she literally has a big head, with that big puffy face, but she has a big head now too. I'm sure that had something to do with her and Russell ending the marriage. He's like, what's gotten into you you crazy chick! But what's endearing to me, is that she basically picked up all her personality and business traits from Russell Simmons himself. He's pretty unpleasant himself, ruthless. She was not that loud and outspoken before until now. She was a model, I mean having a personality or even speaking at all is not a requirement. So she now has molded into this mini-mogul modeled after her husband. Why do I find this interesting? She's just so hard to miss you know. She has an awesome life and you just can't hate her for having been in the right place at the right time. I love to hate her! Her clothing line Baby Phat is so cute! I just bought some booty shorts myself, hee hee. I just love that cat logo. And now she's expanded and has created her own upscale, high fashion line, KLS. So I've been thinking when I'm watching, first off, I love her taste. Her homes, yes home[s] are fabulosity, as she would put it. Tyra has "fierce", Kimora has "fabulosity." She just bought a home in L.A., Beverly Hills I think, for $12 million and it is amazing! Ohhh to be a celebutant. She was even on the cover of the Source magazine! They only put male, hip-hop musicians on this cover, and she is neither! How can you not hate?? To me, she's not really high up on the good looks list. I don't find her very attractive, but her personality, and her style is pretty amazing. She's a big woman you know, big hair, and standing at oh, a mere 6'4". Da damn. She loves fashion, I love fashion. She loves Louis Vuitton, I love Louis Vuitton. She loves hip-hop, I love hip-hop. She loves Hello Kitty, and hello?! I love Hello Kitty too! Which made me realize that, note to self, I must have a reality show soon. That's my next goal, my own reality show, hee, hee. Why not? Everybody else is doing it, why can't I? Now if I could just get a fabulous life, riches and edge to model my show around. Other than her two annoying little girls, she's got a pretty awesome thing going for her. And I will continue to love to hate her.

Music Mondays!

2007-09-24T12:35:00.000-07:00

"And you're like a paper aeroplane
That never seems to land
Flying blind through anything
Straight into the hand that chokes you
Each time you try to live
And the earth will turn below you
The pressure is building
And something has to give
Oh something has to give"
–"Paper Aeroplane" by KT Tunstall

KT Tunstall everybody. Wow. This chick rocks. Her new album Drastic Fantastic dropped this past Tuesday and oh my gosh, our little KT is all grown up. Don't you just love that album title?? And don't you just love that album cover!? You go KT rock on wich'your bad self. Other album titles include Acoustic Extravangza. Love it. I'm sure you remember her smash hit last year from her debut album Eye to the Telescope, "Suddenly I See", which was used as the opening number in the movie The Devil Wears Prada. It was also in the running for the official campaign song for Hillary Clinton this year. She was beat out by Celine Dion though...boooo! That first album went platinum with sales exceeding 3.5 million copies. Not bad for this 32-year-old Scottish singer/songwriter, considering the current state of the music industry. KT definitely contradicts the stereotype of the navel-gazing singer-songwriter strumming her acoustic guitar from the very first opening track of her album. It is a more mature album and I just love that it's filled with such confidence. It's strong, positive, loud, rockin', yet soft and emotional. I could not stop listening to it! I'm sure it'll be my reach-for-that-cd-for-feel-good-music for a long time. She has a fresh, edgy sound, that alternates between polished and raw. The first two songs, which were her more upbeat songs, "Little Favours" and "If Only" were some favorites. As was the last track "Paper Aeroplane." But really, I enjoyed the entire album. Miss Tunstall is a new fav. Check it out!

Oh the Drama!

2007-09-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

So not much going on today. On this gloomy Friday. Man, I guess Fall is just around the corner huh? I can feel it as I sit here a bit under the weather. Rats! This week went by fast again. My attempts to make the days last longer, unsuccessful. Maybe next week. I stopped by Macy's earlier this week and as I was walking down the store I saw this chick decorating a Christmas Tree! Amidst this huge section of tons of Christmas trees and paraphernalia. It's September people! Relax. Calmados. Geez louis. What's with people's obsession to rush things?? And then, I saw this lady today in her 40s or so, wearing a brown turtleneck, brown slacks, boots, and a long sweater. Dude it's not THAT cold today lady! Que dramatica! Ay no exajeres, it's not Fall YET. You can leave the sweaters and boots sweaters and boots we'll be wearing for the next few months in the closet a little longer. Let's not get ahead of ourselves people. Wait for it. Give it time to come. Trust me, Fall's not going anywhere, it will make it's prescence known, so rest assured. You can wear all the make Miranda cringe browns all you want very soon.

Anyways. Wanna do something fun tomorrow night?? Then go support CASA 0101 Theatre at their Cultura Y Pasión fundraiser! Ay speaking of dramáticos! Pasión!! It promises to be a spectacular event held al fresco and with the cutie Jose Huizar as special guest speaker, amongst other barrio A-listers. Check it out!
-sasparella says!

Celebutants

2007-09-18T00:16:00.000-07:00

"Pose for the camera now click click click click,
Pose for the camera now click click click click...
...do the Naomi Campbell walk, Naomi Campbell walk,
Walk across the room like Naomi Campbell."
–"Get Me Bodied" by Beyoncé

Not many inspiring Tabloid Tuesday! celebrities this week my friends. Or juicy trash at least. I mean what's going on today, OJ Simpson, yeah we all know he crazy. Britney Spears, crazy. Paris Hilton gone preppy, crazy. Well, if anything, this Wednesday is the season premiere of America's Next Top Model. Look at miss Tyra trying hard to still look hot. Yeah, she's always been a total Naomi Campbell wanna be huh? Tyra is a whole lotta somethin' I tell ya. Yesterday was actually also the season premiere of her talk show Tyra which has now moved to NYC. Must be nice. She's outta control though. Rhianna was a guest on her show and she looked genuinely scared of Tyra. Aren't we all? But you know what, Trya may not be the most inspiring of celebrities, but amongst the chaos these days believe it or not, she seems the most sane. So nods to that.

ANTM is always cool to watch for the faboo photo shoots, art direction, los miss J's, Tyra the drama queen always bringing it back about herself, the occasional Janice Dickinson guest appearances (love her! Yeah, her and I have history) the catty boney chic chicks, and the tears. Oh the tears! I mean modeling, man that must be the easiest, most fabulous job in the world que no? Stand there and look pretty! Um, okay sure!

Happy Tuesday everybody!

Music Mondays!

2007-09-17T12:24:00.002-07:00

“Reach for the stars so if you fall
you land on a cloud”
–"Homecoming" by Kanye West

It's Music Monday! everyone. Boooo Monday. Lucky for us, we have a music review. The 50 Cent vs. Kanye West showdown went down last Tuesday when both of the rappers' albums dropped on the same day, September 11. When Kanye found out that 50 Cent was also scheduled to release his album on the same day Kanye had also scheduled, Kanye said so what, let's do it. This whole battle, when 50 Cent proclaimed that if Kanye outsold him he would retire, was really spearheaded by 50 himself. He was the one making all the drama and Kanye was like whatever dude, cool, calm and collected as he always is. So the fans where wondering, hm, was 50 Cent simply intimidated by the fact that Kanye could possibly outsell him and on the defense? Obviously this whole "battle" was simply a hype to increase sales and well, good marketing. But aside from that, it was also great to see these two rappers bring back the hip hop competitive battles of the old school which are lacking. When it's not about shooting or killing people, but a good old fashioned head to head of talents. If you are counting though, Kanye has pretty much outsold 50 as of today, by a hair I'm sure, as Kanye is #1 on iTunes sales and 50 is #2. Nobody ever remembers #2 my friends!

It was a sweet competition between the two though, good timing. This is both their third albums, they are both at the top right now, and incidentally both of the them have experienced a near death experience in the recent past. 50's new album Curtis was definitely a change from his first raw and griddy album Get Rich or Die Tryin'. I mean who doesn't love In Da Club?! He seems more polished to me now, doing more mainstream collabos as with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland on "Ayo Technology" which is a highlight of this album. As well as Nicole Scherzinger from the Pussycat Dolls on "Fire", great song! 50 is on a transition though, and is trying to explore his artist, and show more levels of himself and his emotion. That although he's always given off this tough gangsta image, he is in fact human and capable of growth. He named his album Curtis, which is his real name, Curtis Jackson, as was his grandfather's name. Curtis is also his actor name (his first movie was um, his own bio-pic, Get Rich or Die Tryin'), which is one transition he is hoping to make in the next few years. Look out for him in the new Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro movie Heat. I'd say that's a pretty good way to kick off your thespian career. And as you know, I'm all about people growing and evolving and trying new things, so kudos to 50. And don't call him 50 cent[s]! On a side note, have you seen that bod!?

Moving on to Kanye's new album Graduation. While 50 tends to rap mostly about how much money he has and don't mess with me toughness on his new album, Kanye's lyrics are as always, much more introspective and playful. He's not afraid to be honest, admit when he's wrong, and laugh at himself. He's always been my favorite so I myself was mostly anticipating this album which is still in my cd deck. Great top off to his concept albums that speaks to all the college dropouts out there with his first well, College Dropout, followed by Late Registration, and now Graduation. A very mature album to "graduate" with. His dissertation, if you will. He too has some big collabos with Daft Punk, which is his first single "Stronger", great song! Mos Def, Chris Martin, Dwele, Lil Wayne and T-Pain. I pretty much liked the entire album, as I always do. Some highlights are "Homecoming" which features Chris Martin from Coldplay; "Flashing Lights" with Dwele, a great song for the music production; and the last track "Big Brother." Now if he could only win some awards already so he can stop crying and shit. Oi vei Kanye.

Theatre Thursdays!

2007-09-13T22:14:00.001-07:00

Hi my dears, it's Theatre Thursday! Man does time fly. Time don't wait for no one! Time don't care about you. Time don't give a shit what you gotta do. Time will never wait for yo' ass, ya' heard? Rec'onize. Anyways. La Ofrenda at CASA. Go see it! It's at CASA I mean what more do I gotta say? Shits good a'ight. It's a play for today, for the new millenium. It's only like an hour long. Yesss! It's teatro for the now esa. For the A.D.D., time management society. So you have no excuseses and shit. You can go see it, be all enlightened and stuff, and then use your extra hour to mingle with your esas or go on over to Weiland's Brewery for some cheap drinks and appetizers with crappy customer service. Or even better yet, hit the newly re-opened East Side Luv Wine Bar y Queso! Bien fancy 'hood style. Sans-queso. Yeah, still trying to figure that one out.

José Casas delivers this amazing short play about a young boy who looses both parents in 9/11 and is forced to live with his grandmother. Ewww! Everyone's worst nightmare, ain't that the truth! Grandma?? Oh pero for why!? It was really heartbreaking to me how the little boy kept thinking that his parents where actually coming back. Mean denial! It was a great exploration of how young'uns deal with death you know. I was teary eyed. Miriam Moses, the actress of the hour does a stellar job at playing the infamous grandmother. And bringing her great comedic timing to ease off the sadness of a sophisticated dramatic theatrical piece. And then, oh ma' goodness, here comes "Califas." The Day of the Dead calaca that comes to life, courtesy of actor Bruno Sandoval. This character is the main reason I recommend this piece. A playful, heart warming approach to the "death" calaveras that have been ingrained in our Latino brains. Sandoval's performance is a must see. Did I mention, he's also like seven feet tall? Or maybe it was just the tiny CASA stage. Seriously though, go support local independent theatre ey. CASA needs your help! My only gripe with this production, is that the main character, the little boy Alex Smith, is actually played by a woman. So it pulled me out cause she was dressed like a "boy", but the whole time I was like, but she's a girl. Very bad casting because I know there are a lot of talented young male actors out there. But believe it or not, the play, although has the main character as Alex, is not really about him. So it don't matter if the casting was bad. 'Cause it's the grandmother and Califas' characters that are worth seeing fo' sheezy.

Runs through September 30. More information can be found on their website CASA0101.org. Also, make it a point to attend their fundraiser gala A Night of Cultura y Pasión on September 22 (that's next weekend yo!). Which promises to be a fun event with good libations, food and entertainment and hey, you'll fulfill your charity/donation/make you feel good time for the year!
-sasparella says!

Celebutants!

2007-09-11T12:14:00.000-07:00

"Cameras are flashing while we're dirty dancing
They keep watchin' (Wait)
Keep watchin
(Feel's like the crowd is saying)
Gimme gimme more, Gimme more"
–Gimme More by Britney Spears

"It's Britney bitch." This year's MTV Video Music Awards, or VMAs, was held for the first time in the Palms Casino, Las Vegas. Yes everyone, it's Tabloid Tuesday! There was one performance hype in particular, the woman of the hour, the highly anticipated "come back?" performance of Britney Spears who opened the show. Um, yeah. The Brit blew it, what more can I say. Here was her opportunity to kick off her new album and come back tour but it just wasn't meant to be that night. She just wasn't ready, it was too soon after suck a train wreck of a life she had been living until now. She was unprepared, unenthusiastic, and lack luster. She seemed spaced out, like she didn't know where she was as she looked out to the crowd lifeless in these scary bright blue contact lenses. She was also out of shape. Didn't even try to get back in shape or dance. Oh man, ma girl was barely even dancing. She took small careful steps, afraid she was gonna fall, stumbled a little in the beginning, and was completely outshined by her back-up dancers who weren't even that exciting either.

Six years ago she was seen prancing around the VMAs with a python around her neck performing "Slave" in a knock-out body and performance. Guess it was six years too long ago for her, because Britney has gone bye bye. For someone who hasn't really made a career out of great singing or songwriting, but on catchy tunes, looking good with those muscles and six pack abs, and dancing hot choreography, this was just unacceptable for her comeback. It's like she didn't even care, like she didn't even want to be there. Which she probably didn't. Rumor has it the Brit was out partying all of Saturday and Sunday in Las Vegas and went straight from a party to her VMA performance with no rest and obviously not enough practice. And for the the queen of lip-sync herself, she didn't even pull that off! It looked like she had forgotten the words to her own song, that consisted mainly of Gimme, gimme more, gimme more gimme gimme... Also, what was up with that hair! It wasn't even brushed. Stringy hair parted in the middle, dry as dry. Even bed head looks better than that. I don't know what that was. It seemed that her outfit was not flattering at all to her, and possibly an inspiration from Madonna's black sequenced bikini when she was touring the Girlie Show Tour in 1993.

What a let down man. As soon as she came on I was just sad. I really believed she was gonna pull it off, that she was gonna come back stronger, I had hope. But as my friend Monique says, hope kills! Britney was just too nervous, too much pressure. I'm speculating that her opening the VMAs was a huge help for MTV to get ratings, that they probably begged her to perform so as to create a buzz about the show and draw in more viewers since it was the talk of the town all night. But having agreed to perform, she should of taken it more seriously and given herself more time to prepare. Preparation. It does work. I was just embarrassed and speechless. I'd like to say next time Britney, but is there room for a next time anymore for her? One shot baby, sometimes we only get one shot. And if this was it for her, well as Sarah Silverman said right after Brit's performance, "She is amazing. She is 25 years old and has already accomplished everything she is going to accomplish in her life." That followed by Silverman's more controversial joke about Britney's kids Sean Preston and Jayden James, calling them "the cutest mistakes you've ever seen." We love you Britney, come back to us.

The rest of the show didn't blow though, there was some good performances. The highlight for me I think was Chris Brown. Little Chris Brown with that baby face who draws all his inspiration from the legendary Michael Jackson. He had a hot performance and moved with such agility and flexibility like only a youngin' could. He even reincarnated M.J.'s Billy Jean choreography in a short tribute. Overall, nothing out of the ordinary for yet another MTV award show amongst the plethora of award shows that is our merit-based society.

Speaking of merit, the Kanye vs. 50 Cent battle is on today, September 11! As of now, Kanye's album is at #2 and 50 is at #9 in iTunes sales...you do the math. A review on both albums coming later this week. Happy Tuesday everyone!

Music Mondays!

2007-09-10T11:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Music Monday everyone! Ben Harper ladies and gentlmen, still doing his thang. He has released yet another album with The Innocent Criminals, Lifeline. He has so many albums I can't keep up. Well, eight to be exact, but he has almost put out a new album every year for a while now. And you know, they're all good! I mean seriously, here is one artist who is committed, relentless, and never stops making his art. He just keeps on keeping on writing great music for the sake of music, for the love of it. Not for money, or fame, but for passion. I love and respect that. Inspiring celebrities my friends, we love that. This new album was inspired by and recorded in Paris, France. Awh, I love Paris too! It was recorded in seven days. I'm sorry, I thought I heard you say seven days? Yup, seven. It's truly a soulful masterpiece with lyrics like only Ben Harper could write, which is one of the things I like about him. He's a great, from the heart writer. A bit melancholic though, so when you're in that rainy day sad mood, reach for this album, or any of his albums really. He is so oh, straight through the heart! His music sounds almost effortless, like it just comes out like the voice of angels and you know what, I think that's a testimony to him never stopping and always keeping his craft fresh. Man, I gotta remember that. He's almost like a modern day Otis Redding or Bill Withers. In a nutshell, it's a damn good album.

Managing the Mayhem

2007-09-05T12:27:00.000-07:00

"Get your cameras out,
Get your flash right,
Now I'mma pose so you can picture me
Doing my thing.
Lemme pose so you can picture me
Doing my thing."
–"Take a Picture" by Swizz Beatz

Finally, after a long, much needed weekend we are back! Thrown off because it's already Wednesday, woo hoo! Let's do a music review today yeah?! "One Man Band" is the debut album by the New York-based producer-turned-rapper who's real name is Kasseem Dean. It features guest artists Drag-On, Chris Martin (of Coldplay), Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, R Kelly and Jadakiss. As a producer, Swizz Beatz originally created the distinct Ruff Ryders sound. He's a respected producer who has worked with artists such as Cassidy, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, DMX, T.I., Eve, Jadakiss, Busta Rhymes, Mashonda (his wife), Gwen Stefani, Beyonce and JoJo. Swizz’s work can be found on more than 100 million albums sold. A lot of the songs that I've heard that he's produced for other artists I really enjoyed. He has a highly energetic, good beats, fun sound to his music. Highlights in this 11 track album were "Big Munny", "Take A Picture", "It's Me Snitches", and "Part of the Plan" which is a great song with a sample of a song from Coldplay's X&Y and Chris Martin's vocals. I thought this was interesting since he's always talking about how he doesn't use samples like other rappers/producers do. Hm. I'm all for not using samples and creating original music and sounds, so thumbs up to Swizzy. What he does do in this album though, is um, sample his own music? He uses the same beat he created for Beyonce's Get Me Bodied, but raps another song over this beat. And I'm pretty sure he does the same for T.I.'s (hottie!) Big Shit Poppin' beat. Overall I thought it was a great album, and a great effort for someone's first plunge into rapping. He was pretty good, he sounds like he loves what he does and has a lot of fun doing it. He kind of resembles Fat Joe to me. And yes the lyrics aren't all deep and introspective but it's his first album as rapper/writer. Have you ever tried writing a song? I know there were a lot of haters out there who were saying oh he can't even rap, why is he trying to rap, oh just stay a producer and make beats. But why would anyone want to stay in the same place forever? I totally admire artists like Swizz who evolve in their craft and their industry and try new things, and take risks, and just grow as human beings. So for that, I think this was a great project for him. And you know there are always gonna be haters vs the do-ers. That's just how it is my friends. "One Man Band" debuted at #7 so nice going Swizzy. I also like the cover art. Such an 80s (maybe 70s?) throw back. Now let's see how the big feud between Kanye West and 50 Cent's new, highly anticipated albums being released on the same day, September 11, goes next week. 50 Cent was quoted saying something like if Kanye's album beats mine in sales I'll no longer perform music. Ouch. I can't wait for the madness!

Music Mondays!

2007-08-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

"I hate money cause it makes me numb."

-Hussel by M.I.A.

Happy Monday...Music Monday! that is. Today's review is the new album Kala by the fabulosa M.I.A. This is the sophomore album by the British-born, Sri Lanken rapper-singer who's real name is Maya Arulpragasam. A great dynamic album for the return of this spit fire experimental rapper that incorporates sounds of police sirens, car horns, gun shots and more, along with strong beats and her melodic spoken word and singing, which is also done by her back-up singer Miss Cherry. Let's give it up for the back-up singers! It's a delirious, dance-inducing amalgamation of Sri Lankan folk music, Bollywood caricature, and didgeridoo galore. It was recorded all over the world (que fancy) while on tour, instead of in the U.S. with Timbaland as was originally the plan. She was having problems getting back into the U.S. after having her Visa revoked (the same Visa problems other artists such as Lilly Allen have had recently) and not being allowed back into the U.S. until now. Although I'm not so sure she's allowed now, but like she put it (in her awesome accent by the way! which is a straight mixture of British and Indian, que fancy) "I'm back now," and that's all she said. She recently moved to Brooklyn, New York and is getting ready to make her world tour with a show scheduled for L.A. sometime in October.

This new album is really energetic and fun to listen to. Songs of note are track three, Boyz. It sounds like a traditional Indian song, with a hip-hop twist and in this case, the chant-like vocals you would normally hear in an Indian song, are actually chanting "how many, how many, how many, how many, how many, how many, boyz there, how many? boyz there!" Luv it! 20 Dollar is a great song too. It has these cool sounds like bag pipes or something. World Tour is very high energy which made me think, her music seems so fun to make and perform! Turn is a soft, pretty song. Hussel is a great, upbeat song as well. XR2 is a fun song where she exclaims "where were you in '92?" Hmm, where was I in '92? By the way, her album cover is such an 80s throw back!

Finally, Paper Planes is a nice, chill ephemeral song that contrasts the sound of gun shots that are part of the chorus. Interesting. The album tops off with the prestigious, magic touch collaboration by Timbaland on Come Around, awesome song of course. Overall a bumpin', fun album when you're in that wacky, good, free spirited mood. Great comeback by Miss M.I.A. who's beautiful by the way! Damn she's musically talented and good lookin'! I'd love to see her perform live, sounds like a fun show.

Random

2007-08-23T23:41:00.001-07:00

Sienna Miller for Vogue photographed by Mario Testino.

"I don't care if you love me, Just make me famous."

Today's color: white
Today's mood: comfort
Today's food: tofu fried rice
Today's drink: pinot grigio
Today's music: k-os

It's the randomness of such things I feel, that keep me wanting more. Searching for more. Believing there is more. It's out of necessity, out of want, out of yearn, out of hope...So I got the new big fat '07 Fall issue of Vogue. Luv it. The one time out of every year that I buy a fashion mag. It's a classic. Been doing it since I was a wee lad saving my money working under-age at the yogurt place. Aren't you glad I didn't say something else?! It was the mag, along with my random items at Rite-Aid and a bottle of vino blanco. Not sure if Rite-Aid is the place to buy fine wine, but it was out of necessity. Besides, they carry Coppola wine at Rite-Aid a'ight. The clerk was like man, that's the biggest issue of Vogue ever! I'm like, um, duh! Men! Anyway, Vera Wang clothing is coming to Kohl's this Fall. It's kind of like what those designers have been doing for Target (Izzac, Paul & Joe, etc), affordable high fashion clothes. It's called Simply Vera and it looks pretty cool. It launches Sept 9 but some items won't be in stores until Oct. They're priced more like department store prices, a little pricier than Target, but still pretty good. Some of the lower priced items I think are in the $50s or $60s. I want this fab purse I saw in one of the ads. I like this ad here, I like the feel of this pic. I wanna be frolicking in this forest with these chics. I yearn to be sucked into this space and time and bask in nothingness. No worries. But Kohl's? Isn't that store like pretty ghetto? I mean they only have them in the O.C. which is why I've never been. Hm, I'll have to research their locations 'cause I'm not driving to the O.C. for Vera Wang! Frankly, I can't think of anything I would drive to the O.C. for. I mean Vera Wang's wedding gowns are so overrated anyway. She's not that dope. Aver. Also, Gwen Steffani has launched a new fragrance for her line L.A.M.B. I'll have to get a sample and tell you how it is.

I also noticed that this Fall's high fashion has a huge presence of fur. But real fur like minks! Hmm, that's really weird to me at this day and age. Seriously? Fur? You're not over that yet? You still insist on wearing dead animals on you and calling it fashion? I guess people really don't care about animal rights. Well, it's their conscience, not mine. So Friday is just about ready to roll in. Okay, I guess you can come in now. I just hope I can make this final week in August last as long as it possibly can before September pushes it's way through. This was yet, the most random summer I've had thus far.

Remember to wear all your whites one last time before next Monday the 1st!
–sasparella says!

Music Mondays!

2007-08-20T00:17:00.000-07:00

myspace.com/melindamiller

Greetings everyone. It's Music Monday! Today it's an indie review of a demo I recently purchased for five bucks, nice! I went to see this rising new singer/songwriter at an open mic in the valley held at an Italian restaurant where I had dinner al fresco. Very nice. After oh an hour and a half or so of well, eh hem, open mic performers (there's a reason open mics exist), Melinda Miller made her way to the stage, sat at the electrical piano, and blew everyone away! Her voice is impeccable. Beautiful, soulful voice to compliment her superb piano arrangements. I was a fan. She's an aspiring Los Angeles singer/songwriter who was raised by a father who is a music teacher. Her single "Something You Said", great song by the way, was recently chosen to be part of a compilation on Volume 19 of Next Big Hit. Her music combines a jazzy soulful voice, rock/pop, with a little electronica and heartfelt, sophisticated lyrics and songwriting. She's been compared to Fiona Apple and Alicia Keys. Don't know that she's quite Alicia Keys, but definitely Fiona Apple. A little too much Fiona actually. One thing I felt is still lacking, is her own, unique style. I do believe she still sounds too much like other artists like Fiona, in particular with the lyrics, and some of the musical arrangements, and too much Holly Brook in some of the piano arrangements which I could've sworn were the same ones in Brooks' recent debut. Which incidentally, also sounds a lot like Fiona, so I guess the point is, everyone is trying to be the next Fiona! Siiigh, we miss you Ms. Apple.

Melinda has played at various venues, including BBKing's, Highland Grounds, The Wilshire Grand Hotel, and The Cat Club, and as a featured guest singer for the hip-hop group "Tree Woods" in Mammoth Lakes. She has performances in some larger venues in the works, and I think the more she gets the feel for performing live and recording new music, she'll be able to evolve as a performer and find her own personal style and put the comparisons to rest. The first song on the four song demo I bought I believe is called "The Right One" is a beautiful song that I anticipate will do well. "Secret" is also a great song. If you're in the mood for some chill, soulful singer/songwriter music, definitely check out her myspace for updates, and stay tuned for this artist to take over the radio waves of KCRW and the likes.

Big Thangs Poppin'

2007-08-17T12:30:00.001-07:00

...and little things stoppin'. Siiigh, no film review this week. Oh well. Next week I guess. But today we will acknowledge that the hottie of the day award goes to, drum roll please: T.I., the King of the South. Ah yeah that's wus up. Movies out today if you are so inclined:

The Invasion (aliens)
Superbad (funny!)
Death at a Funeral (played out)
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (NERDY!)
The 11th Hour (meh)

Stay cool out there tonight.
-sasparella says!

I Clean Up Well

2007-08-16T23:36:00.001-07:00

photos by Michael Thompson/Allure

Well folks, she's baaaack. And Britney Spears has cleaned up well. Although she did totally flake out on this Allure interview which hits stands on August 21. Guess they just made up bullshit bullshit, history of Britney's career yada yada oh, and cool pictures! But you know what, in regards to her crazy antics in the past couple years or so, this industry is very forgiving. If she cleans up well, as she seems to have in this hot pic as a brunette (good choice!), and she puts out a hot new catchy tune, she'll be back at the top in no time. I mean she has already sold 76 million albums. 76. Million. Crazy. There is always somebody trying to take your place. And when she went bye bye it was open field for all the debutants. Until now when she is saying move over biatches, 'cause I am back. Check out the upcoming MTV Video Awards where she will be opening up the show performing her first come back show. But ssshhh, it's a secret performance. Watch out now.

Yup, pretty random today. As the mafia guy from The Simpsons once said in his Italian? accent, "It's too hot today." Feels like 98 degrees (hey that was once a band with Nick Lachey, hottie!) up in hur. (pronounced like "her", but meaning here.) Um yeah, did I mention it's hot tonight. Not much else going on as I can barely peel myself off this chair to get anything done. But I ran across this Allure cover as I was checking my email and well, I'm just a sucker for a pretty face.

Remember to stock up on the deodorant.
-sasparella says!

Celebutants, The Secret, and so much more!

2007-08-14T14:27:00.000-07:00

They tried to make me go to rehab, I said yes, yes, yes!

For those of you who read or watched The Secret, you know that crazy Brit diva Amy Winehouse is the law of attraction at it's finest. She and husband Blake Fielder-Civil have agreed to go to rehab together after singing her hit single I WON'T go to Rehab over and over and over, which made her an overnight success worldwide. Their tragic (have you seen her lately!!) shared addiction came crashing down this weekend when she was rushed to the hospital in London following a suspected 3-day drug binge with ecstasy, cocaine, horse tranquilizer ketamine, vodka, and whiskey. She was admitted for um, "exhaustion", but not only got her stomach pumped but had to get an adrenaline shot as well...mm hmm. She is currently at The Priory in the Roehampton section of Britain. Ouch! Eeek! I have a hard time mixing two different drinks! She walks with angels for having survived that **alleged** drug binge, so I hope she can get her shit together man. She seems to be one of those troubled souls that just can't handle the pressure of success. Makes for great, soulful, heartfelt music, but not for trying to live your life.

Yes my friends, it's Tabloid Tuesdays! On to some lighter, more celebrity inspirational news yeah? Johnny Depp, a true testament to someone who's made a career out of doing things his way, is cooking up a new project after his highly successful Pirates trilogy. His production company Infinitum-Nihil and GK Films have obtained the rights to and are currently developing a script for the film version of Dark Shadows. This was a TV show way before our time, he he, during the 60s about all things supernatural, including vampires, ghouls, zombies and more. One character, Barnabas Collins, sparked particular interest with Depp as a child--he claims to have imagined playing the role on the big screen--which he'll probably be doing in this film. Again, back to The Secret! And the power of visualization and law of attraction. Hm...

So, while on the topic of The Secret heck, can I dig up one more story that uses such principles? Maybe. The biggest diva of them all Jennifer Lopez (and don't call her J-Lo! those where the P-Diddy days—much better partner for her), has a new album on the horizon Brave. It's her 5th studio album set to be released Oct. 9. I heard the new single, we danced to it at my dance class a couple weeks ago and didn't even know it was her! I thought it was her, I was like where have I heard that feathery, untrained voice, over hot beats and samples before?? Por eso, it was her hot new single "Do It Well." It's a great pop dance song (already on my iPod hee hee). Great song for her to come back with fo' sho' after that mess of a Spanish album, ooh whee! Although she uses her same ol' tricks of using old school rap and hip hop samples in her music. But her visualization, was when she starred as the beloved Tejana singer Selena. It was that particular film that sparked her interest to become a singer. As she was shooting, she saw herself singing her own music, saw herself also performing to fans, as did Selena, and saw herself on screen when the film came out as a singer, you know, wearing "that hat". Flash forward 10 years and here she is as one of the top selling pop singers. Huh, huh, you like how I brought it all back at the end. Mm hm, the law of attraction and visualization is in da' house. You see, it's tabloid reporting, with a purpose.
-sasparella says!

Music Mondays!

2007-08-13T12:47:00.000-07:00

" Pull me closer and closer and

Hold me tight to your body
I wanna feel you, I wanna feel you near
Whine up, whine up, whine up, oye!"
–Whine Up by Kat DeLuna

Hi boys and girls, man it was hot this weekend que no?! Ooh whee! But the unseasonably cool Music Mondays! is here! Today's new music review is the fiery Kat DeLuna's new album 9 Lives. Get it, nine lives, Kat...okay ignore the cheesy obvious. This wild young thang has hit the mainstream American charts so watch out todos! Where oh where do I begin with this dynamic young new artist?? At only age 19 (man I wish I was that focused at 19!!), Kat DeLuna has already made a big splash in the music industry. A Latina girl with a Bronx flair, she's a classically trained opera singer with a five-octave vocal range (still no match to Mariah Carey's eight-octave range, pero tu sabes, she still young), and the first Dominican native crossover artist to make it big in the United States. Yes my friends, the Dominicanas are in da house. R. Kelly once called this young artist a "prodigy"...mm hmm, I bet he did! But that's a whole other story on R. Kelly and the young 'uns.

The album is very energetic and danceable with a mix of strong beats, powerful vocals and salsa and bachata rhythms, and I can say every song on that album is hot. I saw her perform on MTV's TRL recently and she has so much energy! And she really feels and believes in what she does. Although I feel she may be much too young and her vocals not quite fully developed to be opera, she does have a good voice with a wide range. It's just those moments when she breaks into "opera," as in the beginning of her video Whine Up, you
almost feel embarrassed for her. Like awh, she thinks she's an opera singer, when really, she sounds more like someone who's just, well, singing soprano. I guess it's not quite there for me. That's not to say that this artist doesn't know a thing or two about singing. The hot current single Whine Up is of course jumpin'. As is Run the Show. Animal is a great high energy dance song with fierce tribal drums. And then you've got ballads like Feel What I Feel and Love Me, Leave Me which laces her opera angelic vocals in the background nicely. Love Me, Leave Me in particular is a beautiful song that showcases her vocal talent which can't be denied. It's a hot album that features guest artists Shaka Dee, Elephant Man, and Ivy Queen. At such a young age, I forsee Kat to be around for a really long time. Watch out Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, and all those other sangers okei, 'cause la DeLuna has arrived.

The Glamorous Life

2007-08-10T00:06:00.000-07:00

"You see, this is my life! It always will be!

Nothing else! Just us, the cameras, and those wonderful people
out there in the dark!... All right, Mr. DeMille,
I'm ready for my close-up."
–Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd. (1950)

So um, I was supposed to give you a wonderful review on Super Bad today, you know from my pre- pre- preview screening last Thursday. But I got there too late and had to stand in line and SO didn't get in! Waaah! Uh, do you know who I am!? But I did hear this movie is the funniest movie ever! Segun. Damn you people who got in that night and got to Westwood on time!!

Anywho, movie review next week I guess for whichever movie lets me in for free. As far as today, this glorious Friday, a movie preview, if you will. Okay so on Wednesday, I was like on my way to the gym, and at the Arclight I heard all this madness, madness I tell ya! And I looked over the railing from above from the parking lot and I saw madness, madness I tell ya!! Tons of people at a red carpet premiere for this film I had not heard of can you believe it! The 11th Hour. There was a crowd of the uninvited like myself (guess it's my life on the G-list afterall) watching the spectacle from afar and I didn't have my glasses on so I couldn't see if there were any celebrities there. But the desperation of the press was ever so apparent for whomever was already on the red carpet. And just as I was loosing interest, I see Tobey McGuire walk up to start his way down the craziness that is the red carpet. (I've circled where I was standing from up above, hee hee) He was hand in hand with his baby mama. I was just fascinated by the fodder that is the press. Like it was a roar of camera flashes and shouting of "Tobey! Tobey! Over her Tobey! Over here! Tobey! Tobey!" aaah! I just can't imagine what that world must be like (and his girlfriend was so invisible). It's insanity. No wonder celebutants go insane and end up in rehab....ah the fabulous, glamorous life. But as it turns out, he's not even in the movie. The 11th Hour is your Hollywood version of day old bread, meaning Leonardo DiCaprio's wanna-be Al Gore and Michael Moore project with a socially conscious film about the environment and how we're f'ing it all up. Um, yeah, I watched Live Aid okei! I mean yeah it's cool, people are aware now and concerned and scrambling to make a change at the 11th hour...ha ha I got jokes! And so this movie was born. But I just forsee this swarm of bad projects and commercialization of it all and opportunists, you know. What with this film, and Cameron Diaz's bad reality show idea on the horizon about well, you guessed it, tell me how you're gonna save the earth as I stand here with a mini skirt and no bra. Yeah. Her real last name is Martinez by the way, for those of you counting. I just wonder where all these people where in the 80s and 90s when all these issues were being brought to our attention. Did we, as a society, really think we were invincible? BUT, I'd rather it be about a band wagon, than not care at all. If it's in style now to care, then so be it, at least something's getting done. Get 'er done. Oh, and I guess if I would've stuck around longer, I would've seen DiCaprio walking the red carpet. Meh.

Moving on! So as I'm writing this, I had the TV on to see what was happening in TV world these days, haven't been there lately, since the latest show I am hooked on Hey Paula! is on a hiatus. Okay, this is a faboo new reality show on Paula Abdul on Bravo that I like love, you know, being a product of the 80s and myself chanting, straight up now tell me! She's hilarious man, she crazy. But on TV tonight, I found Roseanne reruns...yes! And what episode happens to be on? One where Roseanne reminisces about how she used to write when she was young before the kids and the husband. She finds her old journal and gets all sad about how she just forgot her dream to be a writer when life happened. And you know, I'm not surprised that I happened to turn it on right when this episode was starting. It gives you a clue on what I have to deal with on a daily basis—strange coincidences like this of messages that are trying to tell me something. As I'm sitting here trying to be a writer and not let my dream go before it's too late, this episode comes on and I'm like awh, that's so sad. She says to Dan "I used to write. My soul was in there." And he's like um duuh, I don't know, I don't get it! And her kids won't let her write when she decides to pick up the pen again 'cause they're a bunch of brats! And eventhough I already passed that age when I was supposed to have kids and be like 37 with three full grown kids and reminiscing about my days as an aspiring writer, I just SO don't ever want to end up regretting, you know. You may not know this about me, but I used to work at a liquor store in high school (yes I used to sell alcohol and cigarettes as a minor and it was completely illegal, sad but true) and what I got out of that experience was that a lot of could've beens went in there everyday. They were not living their dreams, unfulfilled, a world of regrets. I vowed never to end up like that. And I guess this Roseanne episode was a reminder of that. To get it together, to get back on track, get ma' shit together. Aawh, and the episode ends on her, after not being able to write anywhere in her house, not even in the "office" Dan built for her in the, um, basement?...but after she puts her youngest, DJ, to sleep, she finally gets the words to flow on the page and cannot stop! In the bedroom of, sitting next to the sleeping, very reason, she's not writing anymore. I was teary eyed, I really was. Beautiful.

Movies out today if you're planning to go outsies:
Rush Hour 3
Stardust
Skinwalkers
Rocket Science
2 Days in Paris (this was recently at the LA Film Festival and the filmmaker is this chick Julie Delpy who did everything in the movie! Wrote, directed, starred, produced, scored, and oh so much more oof!)
Descent (cool movie poster, but I'm still not watching it.)

Remember, Monie's in the middle, in case you forgot.

–sasparella says!

WACK!

2007-08-09T00:22:00.000-07:00

"...Waiting to be beautiful
Waiting for the secret
Waiting for life to begin
Waiting…
Waiting to be somebody
Waiting to wear makeup
Waiting for my pimples to go away
Waiting to wear lipstick, to wear high heels and stockings
Waiting to get dressed up, to shave my legs
Waiting to be pretty
Waiting . . ."
–Excerpt from "Waiting", a poem by feminist Faith Wilding

So okay, yes I admit it, I didn't see theatre this week, tan tan taaaan! So today's Theatre Thursdays! is being replaced by my write up on my feminist art show experience recently. Yes my friends, I am finally getting around to writing about this show that closed at MOCA on July 16, WACK! Art and the Feminist Revolution. Why WACK!? (other than the fact that it's a cool, energetic machete-esque title), well according to curator notes: “WACK” is not an acronym in itself, but was chosen by curator Connie Butler to recall the acronyms of many activist groups and political communities from this time whose activities focused on women’s issues and cultural production. This was the first comprehensive, historical exhibition to examine the international foundations and legacy of feminist art, focusing on the crucial period 1965–80, during which the majority of feminist activism and artmaking occurred internationally. Segun. Yeah it was great and all of course, it featured 120 artists. A lot of the same stuff you would imagine to come out of a feminist show from the 60s, but overall I felt like man, where's the modern feminist art?! Where are today's voices? And not only modern, but diverse! It just made me think about the lack of feminist presence in our world today. Like it's still relevant, we may be dealing with completely different issues than women from the 60s and 70s, but our voices are still relevant. Currenlty I'm on a quest to bring that awareness to life and start a revolution. I mean it was my senior thesis!! You with me? To be continued...

Anyway, so here are my notes from my visit. Well, first off, it took me three hours to get through the whole damn thing! I'm sorry, I thought I heard you say three hours. Yes, it took three hours, two stories, and very sore feet. It was around that time when the weather was really hot too.

The pieces that stood out to me where:

–Les tortures volontaires (Voluntary Tortures) by Annette Messager, 1972
It was this wall collage of framed black and white snapshots showing women getting waxed, getting facials, in saunas, plucking, etc. etc.

–Untitled #6 by Howardena Pindell, 1975
It was this large piece with tons, I mean tons of holes from when you hole punch paper, well the actual paper holes from an earthtone paper with tiny numbers written on each one, and pasted on this large canvas back to back. It was insanely OCD!

–Waiting by Faith Wilding, 1972
The poem with accompanying black and white photographs and performance video. Love it.

–Double Life by Sanja Ivekovic, 1974-75
A series of pieces that showed a fashion magazine ad from the 50s for lingerie or make-up, etc. on the left in color, and then a smaller b&w snapshot of the artist doing something that somehow mimiced the pose or what the model was doing, but in a real life way, not staged or posed.

–Concrete Infinity Documentation Piece by Adrian Piper, 1970
An entire wall collaged with pages from her journal in which she documents every single thing she does everday and includes a snapshot of herself at the end of the day, either naked or in sleepwear. Very obsessive, like how much she weighed, what her body temperature was, what she ate, what she did, etc. etc. Something about it made me want to do that myself.

There was this one piece that was just an 8.5" x 11" gallery performance piece proposal by an artist I cannot remember, argh! But when I read it, I totally LOL and you know the museum was all quiet quiet whisper whisper. Oh man, something about I put on my clothes that my mother always wanted me to wear that I hate, and I pull out a gun and it has one bullet...this performance has two possible endings. It was rejected by the gallery of course. I don't know, I guess it caught me totally off guard, cause it's all dark and introspective and then it ends with "this performance has two possible endings." It was just so heartfelt, like so sad how this artist was really believing in her proposed piece. Awh.

And finally, one I would like a print of:
–Sisters Communing by Jackie Fahey, 1974
Well, I'll let you see for yourself.
Oh god, is this how I'm gonna end up in suburbia! Ha ha.

Oh, and Judith Baca murals: over it! There was also this piece that was used for the marketing materials for the show which is a gigantic piece you saw when you walked into the museum, of a big, red, um...well it was a feminist show what do you think! Abakan Red by Magdalena Abakanowicz, 1969. Pretty cool. There were many, many others but you know, these are the ones that made me reach for my notebook and jot jot jot.

Quotes I heard from people around me:

"It looks like a nursing pump." (Ew)

"Are you married?"

"There's a whole genre of OCD art." (I was totally doing that work back in art school and didn't even know it! That was of course before I knew I had OCD, or that there was a name for my issues. Before I was healed, heh. Cause you know, art heals. )

"I'm sorry ma'am, pens are not allowed in the museum. Only pencils." (To me as the guard pulls out a tiny pencil from her side pocket. Pfff! And she called ma'am. Ma'am!)

"This is not pleasant."

"This is weird."

"Claiming she's writing."

I saw one woman in there with an infant strapped to her chest/stomach. She wasn't annoying everyone with a stroller but still, unacceptable! Why do women bring their crying children to places like museums!? As if.

I also went into the bookstore when I was done and I bought the show catalog...nerdy! I must say I, like many other women, was a bit conflicted by the cover. It's a women's liberation exhibit, yet the cover they chose for its catalog is a piece that was in the show, Martha Rosler’s collage Body Beautiful, or Beauty Knows No Pain: Hot House, or Harem. Which was comprised of vintage, nude Playboy playmates, who incidentally was one of the big exhibit funders (The Hugh M. Hefner Foundation). I mean on the one hand yes, all women are beautiful and we cannot deny this beautiful creation of nature. But if you wanna go deeper still, this collage doesn't portray all women as beautiful, just thin model types. Mm hmm. I just thought the cover was odd in this context, of a huge women's liberation exhibit they were presenting. Or is it like, you cannot objectify me, it's only okay for me to objectify myself. Which to me, seems to be the motto of our current state of affairs. Or possibly, like one viewer's comment went, “If this image ‘seduces’ someone into learning more about feminist art, is that a bad thing?” This seems to speak more accurately on our current shallow society. Oi vei.

And then after the show I was tired and starving so I walked over to Señor Fish and had some delicious potato tacos, beans and rice. (insert Homer drooling) Oh man I'm still daydreaming about that glorious lunch. It's almost about that time for Señor Fish again. Yum!

Remember, nannys are here for a reason.
-sasparella says!

The Hotties

2007-08-08T12:36:00.000-07:00

Brigitte Bardot image courtesy of MPTV.net

"Whenever I hear the word culture,
I bring out my checkbook."
- Le Mépris (Contempt) by Jean-Luc Godard (1963)

I straightened out the mess with my Netflix account (they sent me a movie that wasn't in my queue, as if!) and I will be getting my two movies this month. I mean I only get two you know, get it right. I'm looking forward to seeing Contempt again, it's been years. But lately I've been feeling it's about that time to watch some of Godard's controversial films. This one has Brigitte Bardot laying around by a pool in a fancy house. Aaah the dream life hello! When my mom was in her 20s, people (especially in Mexico) would always mistake her for Bardot. I know! My mom was a hottie like that, she had it like that. If you see some old pics of her with those fancy bouffants, yeah totally looks like her it's freaky. I was reminded that the art piece that Barbara Kruger once made "Whenever I hear the word culture, I bring out my checkbook" is actually a quote from that movie. How 'bout that. Which brought up the discussion that nothing is original. This late in the game of life, so many things are appropriations of other past ideas. That's crazy. Like was there ever a time in life when all ideas were original? When did it all begin? Original thinking, like a thought no one has ever ever had. When?! Because it sure ain't happening now a days. We regress, instead of progress, I digress.

Anywho, I saw this guy at the post office wearing a pink polo shirt (yeah I was in hipsterville Silverlake) getting out of a red vintage Porsche with the stearing wheel on the right side! All europeo style. Dang, how did he get that across the pacific ocean! Or is it the atlantic, hmm. Sigh...of course it transported my day dreaming mind to the streets of London. Oh how I wish I was there now. I think it's about that time for another euro trip. One time I was hitching a ride from this fancy English man on his ferry to France (yeah long story ooh whee) and when I was getting in his car to ride across the London country to the ferrie port, I was standing next to the right door (the passenger seat right!) so he could unlock it so I could get in, and he walks towards me and tells me um yeah, that would be the driver seat in his fancy British accent. Doi!! Man I must've looked silly, ha ha! Dumb American. What a funny sight that is though, like if some foreigner was riding in your car and they were waiting to get in it next to your driver seat. Aaaah culture clashes (great comedy troupe!).

Oh and I'm happy to report (I think), that Bluetooth and I got back together. Yeah we worked it out. It wore the purple shirt I asked it to and so far so good. It whispered sweet nothings in my ear again "please say the contact name." We're gonna make it afterall. I have hope for us this time and you know what, I don't care if it's gonna break my heart again. Because I choose to work like I don't need the money, love like I've never been hurt before, and dance like no one's watching!

Remember, as Oscar Wilde says, "There are only two kinds of people who are really fascinating: people who know absolutely everything, and people who know absolutely nothing." Um, yeah, I would be the latter.
-sasparella says!

Celebutants

2007-08-07T00:38:00.000-07:00

Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, shown in 1987, lost their television ministry after a
series of sex and money scandals. They later divorced.

Hal Fishman, a legend and passionate storyteller
on KTLA’s 10 p.m. newscast since 1975 was also
an aviation enthusiast.

“We’re all just people made out of the same old dirt,

and God didn’t make any junk.”
–Tammy Faye Bakker

So today's Tabloid Tuesday! is in memory of Tammy Faye and Hal Fishman. As you may have heard, Tammy passed away Friday at 65 from colon cancer that had spread to her lungs. Eeek. I saw her on Larry King Live a month or two ago and was really freaked out at how skinny she was. But still, she had the tons of make-up and eyelashes on. And eventhough her health was quickly deteriorating, she seemed really strong during that interview. Like she was gonna fight this. Her death came as a surprise to me. So sad. I last remember seeing her on VH1's The Surreal Life. Great show. I wonder who will be in the new cast? May she rest in peace. And then today I find out that Legendary KTLA Anchorman Hal Fishman, the longest-running anchor in television history passed away um, from the same thing, colon cancer that had spread to his liver. Crazy. I was very sad when I heard he was rushed to the hospital last Wednesday. Apparently this illness hits very fast when it gets you. Man that's some scary shit. His death came as a big surprise to me too. I remember watching him before the Friends reruns on channel 5 at 11 pm. He seemed like such a sweet man. Awwh que sad. He will be sadly missed. May he rest in peace.

Well, moving on to more lighter news, Backstreet Men, I mean Boys, are back. Sans–Kevin Richardson. I heard their new single "Inconsolable" and it's pretty much the same type of ballad you would expect from the boys. Aren't they like really too old to be in a boy band! Man they need to let go. I do love their last single "Incomplete" though. Great song.

And finally, on to some fun stuff! Okay check out these Hoff T-shirts by the Hoff himself. Oh man somebody make him stop! He is outta control. I so must by the I heart the Hoff one. I simply must! I mean look how pretty he looks. He was the Knight Rider!! Aaah that Hoff. He kinda reminds me of Rex Manning. "Oh Rexy you're so sexy!"

Music Mondays!

2007-08-06T08:54:00.000-07:00

"Ashes and snowfalls
I wonder when the roll call for heaven gon' come
forever gon come"
–Forever Begins by Common

Hi everyone, how was your weekend? Mine was too short, hey like the rapper! But all's well with the world because it's Music Monday! Today's music review is the new Common album Finding Forever. This album marks Common's 15th year in the biz. And you may think, wow, how can he follow up such a great album that was his last one Be? Well, this new album actually is not very different than his last. Cool chill beats, introspective lyrics, spoken word/poetic breaks here and there, and Kanye West making a big prescence in the album which is why I enjoy Common's albums. West brings a great energy to an album that would otherwise be very meh. Overall, it's very, well, Common. He doesn't seem to think too much out of the box, it's pretty much the same type of music and flows you would expect from Common. So if you're looking for a new album from him that's not too different from what you're used to with him, than you'll enjoy this album. Although he does have a guest appearance by Lily Allen, that's different for him. I think in his last album Be, he kinda tried new things. It was a little more commercial (and I say that because good conscious rap should also be commercial), a little more upbeat, and had a lot of Kanye influence to it. He even got a little risqué—for Common—with songs like Go, which wasn't very deep, but simply a song about girls and well what girls and boys do. But in a tasteful way that I think helped him reach a younger audience than he normally would. Cool song and cool video. If you can get past the goofy cover art of this new album (what is that a wig? a hoody? Egypt?) you'll find overall, a pretty sophisticated hip-hop album which is very refreshing in this day and age where hip-hop is dying, or still holding on to it's last breathe with a bit of hope, thanks to artists like Common.

Henna Days

2007-08-04T18:53:00.000-07:00

"If you are not properly attired, you will not exhilarate my husband.
Exhilaration is my department."
–Tara and Maya in Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love

Today's color: burgundy
Today's mood: relaxed
Today's food: pizza
Today's drink: cabernet sauvignon
Today's music: El Cantante soundtrack

So today I didn't make it to the beach. I was hired to do henna tattoos at a block party festival in Arlington Heights, very nice neighborhood. Therefore no Beach Diaries today. But it's all good. Doing henna on a Saturday afternoon was fulfilling and I made some money. I like money. Guess I'll have to do the beach thang next weekend. The festival was fun. Tried out my new jagua which is the black henna. It's okay, I still like the original earth tone henna.

Being there though reminded me that I need to get working on my paintings. I do these henna design inspired paintings (see above), all freehand, freeform, and I was doing good for a while, but I stopped and can't get the momentum going. I've sold a couple of them already. And I have a fresh 24" x 24" canvas that needs painting on. I think it might actually be bigger though. The paintings are very time consuming which is why it takes so long to get going. But they're also very meditative and soothing to paint. I'll have to maybe dedicate some time on Sundays again. We do have time for all the things we want to do, we just need to make time and stop making excuses. So I've learned. I gave myself some pretty cool henna and jagua tattoos also, that's always fun.

After the festival I had to just come home and care for this cold that's lingering and trying to get me but I won't let it! Argh, I feel crummy. My throat hurts but nothing's gonna stop me. And I'm not taking pills/chemicals either. Latest cable movies I watched are Shall We Dance, a very strange movie with Jennifer Lopez and Richard Geere dancing? Huh? But Lopez really shows off her mad dance skills. Made me wanna take ballroom and tango dance classes. Tango is so awesome! Bien dramático and passionate. I also watched The Forgotten, interesting movie but the main characters are running from the feds the whole time. I was tired just watching them run so much! And the point of the story is aliens? Kinda anti-climactic for me. I was like, that's it?! How unoriginal. And I watched The Banger Sisters for like the third or fourth time. Great movie. Goldie Hawn is so cute!

Remember to take your vitamins.
-sasparella says!

Film Fridays!

2007-08-03T07:29:00.000-07:00

El Cantante

Hola amigos TGIF! Today's Film Friday! review is El Cantante. Leon Ichaso (Piñero, Bitter Sugar) co-writes (with David Darmstaeder & Todd Bello) and directs this biopic about Salsa music icon Hector Lavoe spearheaded by Jennifer Lopez who originally had the rights to his life story. Lavoe’s story was first told as a Broadway musical called “Who Killed Hector Lavoe?” The response from the audience when I went to see this film was really good. As much as Lopez gets criticized often-times by her own community, she’s a true testament of someone who’s passionate about her music and her culture and has something to say. El Cantante was several years in the making and Marc Anthony who plays Lavoe was the one in mind all along. Shot in 33 days, Anthony does a great job at portraying this Salsa music icon, and self-destructive heroin addict, and Lopez is not half bad playing his tough Bronx-born wife Puchi who tells Lavoe's story from her perspective. Hector Lavoe along with Willie Colon were responsible for creating Salsa music in NYC during the 60-70s. Lavoe left Puerto Rico in 1963 to pursue his dream and while singing in Latin dive bars in the Bronx, Lavoe was discovered by a music company and his career took off rather quickly actually. Couple the coping (or not ever coping) with the death of his mother at 7 and his father disowning him when he left to NYC, along with the quick fame as the first Salsa phenomenon and the drug decadence of the 70s, this brought on a self-destructive life, and a torturous and complicated relationship with his wife Puchi. He had a wonderful gift as a singer, that sadly came to an end too soon.

Overall I thought the movie was great, very entertaining. Direction and visual graphics were strong. I felt at one point though, that the film was repeating the same scenes, like the performances were the same and Lavoe's drug habit a bit glamorized. I think there was room to cut some of the repetitive music numbers, and go more into showing how salsa music actually evolved, if they were in fact the two artists that created Salsa and Nuyorican music. In a movie about the artist who created Salsa, I wanted to see more about the evolution of Salsa music itself, how the different instrumentations and genres and cultures came together in New York. More on the interaction and relationship between Lavoe and Willie Colon. What was lacking too was showing how personal Lavoe’s interaction with his audience was. How he talked to them in between songs, what that relationship was like, that part of his performances which was really significant and resonated with his fans, besides just the singing. I thought Jennifer Lopez was actually pretty good in this movie too because she was in her element. I see why now the story is so about the wife Puchi really, and her side of the story. It was Lopez’s project all along so she wanted to show the woman's side you know, as a woman herself, because she probably admired the strong wife Puchi. Jennifer Lopez to me doesn't quite 100% peel the onion as an actress, but I thought this performance got pretty close for her. Not to mention she looked gorgeous in the 70s get-up! I also enjoyed Marc Anthony’s acting style. He was very real with the character and bringing his story, humor, and music to life. In theatres today, Friday, August 3! 106 min. Rated R.

Have a rum and coke for me tonight.
-sasparella says!

Theatre Thursdays!

2007-08-02T06:01:00.000-07:00

Hey everbody, it's Dr. Nick! Just kidding, it's Theatre Thursday! Today's theatre feature is a piece I'm planning to go see titled Taking Flight. I was in a women writers retreat a few years back with Adriana Sevan, the writer/performer and it has been great seeing the evolution of this piece. I first saw it as a table read when she had just started writing it. And finally, after touring all over the country and "taking flight" with this one-woman show, I'm so happy to report it is finally hitting L.A. again and with a new ending. I'm so excited to see what she has done with the piece since I last heard it, and how she has healed from it. It's a touching piece based on a true story and when I last heard it, based on a surviving victim of 9/11. I recommend you check it out too and let me know what you think.

Adriana and her fiance are such thespians too!! Okay, like earlier this year, she was performing it I think in NYC, and he totally surprised her con flores y todo, and got on stage with her after the show and proposed to her! Right there, in front of all the audience! Aaawwh. It's playing at the Fountain Theatre and if it's the same place I'm thinking of, it's the theatre well, on Fountain Ave., that usually has Flamenco dancing. I went a few years back to see my friend Cristina dancing there. Needless to say, it was awesome! And I'm sure this one will be too. Running August 17–26, 2007. fountaintheatre.com

That Blue Thing

2007-08-01T22:39:00.001-07:00

"If you don't cheer up, I'll blow your face off."
-Lisa in Weird Science

Today's color: blue
Today's mood: sore and headache
Today's food: tofu fried rice
Today's drink: water
Today's music: Common

Can someone explain Bluetooth to me please? We just can't seem to make it work. I've tried and I am losing my patience with this thing. We started off okay, like it was acting right you know. It would turn on when I asked it to. It would cooperate and let itself be found by me. It would whisper in my ear. We would have conversations with my friends, and family, and we even made some business connections. It was reliable, convenient, and it listened to me. Then one day, out of nowhere, it started acting up and picking fights with me. It would not cooperate, and would not listen to me, and I could not get it turned on. Have I lost that magic touch I thought? So we broke up for like months. And it would try to come back and be like hi, I'm still here, and I promise I'll change. But I would just ignore it. Then I felt that I really needed it, the times we had were good and I wanted that back, but I never admitted that to it. But then today came, and I gave in, and welcomed it into my world again. I forgave, I let go, and I believed in it. I believed it had changed and would keep all it's promises this time.

We started off good, it looked really attractive. Dressed up in it's best suit, bien fancy, and I was excited to share my life with it again. I placed it next to my ear and it caressed it and promised to turn on and let itself be found by me, and all my needs. We hadn't even been together for more than a few mintues, and it was already starting with the same shit. Nothing had changed! All it brought to the table was the same crap I let it go for in the first place. Why do I even bother? Why do I even have faith in this thing? I give and I give and it's just so selfish and doesn't give anything in return. It's just not enough anymore, I'm tired of it's bullshit. Sigh...but I've invested so much in just taking it back you know, that I'm gonna be strong, and face it tomorrow and see if I can make it work between us. In hopes that deep down inside it has some feelings for me and cares about the things I've mentioned to it. But if it even starts to act up again, oooh, I am kicking it to the curb and breaking up with it's ass, I tell you what. And I will not take it back again, no matter how good it looks!

Never fall for just a pretty face.
-sasparella says!

Celebutants

2007-07-31T11:00:00.001-07:00

"Everytime I try to fly
I fall without my wings
I feel so small
I guess I need you baby"

–Everytime by Britney Spears

Because we love them so much! Hey everyone, it's Tabloid Tuesdays! Today's celebrity who inspires me, Jennifer Lopez. She has been pretty consistent with me. She's someone who's been criticized and hated on often-times by her own community, but is a testament of someone who believes in her work, even though it may not be 100% to industry standards. She believes in her music and her culture and has something to say. She brushes off all the haters and keeps on going with her bad self.

Today's celebrity who saddens me, the notorious BS, Britney Spears. A true pop icon that simply can't get it together. I mean at her prime, even Madonna was backing her up. She does have a new single in the works Crazy-Ass...um yeah, I don't know if SHE wants to be putting out a single with that title. The song is okay, I heard a rough cut and it sounds like a bad Madonna rip-off. But I guess if you're the fabulous Madonna, a) you are used to it, and b) "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" as Colton said. But Britney was a child star, so it was basically the parents responsibility to keep her child safe. So, she's simply a product of bad parenting. It always goes back to the parents, yet why do they deny any wrong, don't take responsibility, ask oh my gosh I don't know why she/he's doing this, and play the victims? It boggles the mind.

Remember, if you are not honest with yourself, then who else will be?
-sasparella says!

Music Mondays!

2007-07-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

" Tell me we're rockers to swallow
Tell me we're knockers to bite
And out of the beats of tomorrow
Tell me what beat fills the night"
-Rockers to Swallow by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Hey everyone, you guessed it, it's Music Monday! Today's new music review is the new EP by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Is Is." First off, there appears to be a trend in music right now of music artists releasing EPs. This album by the post-punk band Yeah Yeah Yeahs is rockin' and includes five previously unreleased songs and a short film. Their last hit single Maps was a great song that did really well for this Grammy Award-nominated New York City-based rock band. (Not that the Grammy's are a huge indicator of great music but, you know.) The band is comprised of singer Karen O, drummer Brian Chase, and guitarist Nick Zinner. Only three members? Yup. And let me tell you these three rock the house! The first track Rockers to Swallow is awesome. Karen O has a great, unique voice and she rocks out. Her singing is so confident and melodic which I really love. The second highlight for me was the second track Down Boy. And it pretty much keeps its energy through the rest of the EP. Great upbeat album to listen to. It was written by the trio while on the road touring Fever To Tell and was recorded in one day. Wow, skills! And it doens't sound half-assed at all, it's pretty polished. Their sound is a mix of retro styles with heavy rock/punk guitars, synthetic sounds with rhythmic, melodic and bluesy vocals by the lovely Karen O. If you enjoyed their single Maps, you will definitely enjoy this new album.

The Beach Diaries

2007-07-28T12:36:00.001-07:00

[watching the elephant seals]
Lombardo: I don't think they are penguin eaters, are they?
Ramón: I believe they are herbivores.
Raul: Huh?
Ramón: You know, kelp suckers!
-Happy Feet

Today's color: gold
Today's mood: sun kissed
Today's food: fruit
Today's drink: water
Today's music: Billy Holiday

Yes I myself am a kelp sucker! Second day of my weekly Saturday morning walks on the beach. This time it was a lot sunnier than last week, so the tide was all crazy. There's an area where there's a lot of rocks that I walked through last week, that I couldn't walk through this time because the waves were crashing on it. Which also brought out all the creepy crawlies which I'm not into. I saw two big lizards and a crab that I was NOT going to walk next to. So I took a small detour up through the street then came back down. I saw more cadavre casualties. A lobster leg, a tail of some gray shell fish, some pink guts from some other fish and a large sea worm sticking out of a sea gull's beak as he was grubbin' on it. I was walking in his direction and when he saw me, he started walking all fast like don't steal my food! Uh, gross! I don't want what you're eating buddy.

Also, because of the high tides, all the pretty sea pebbles were gone. Rats! So I'm sorry to report that I couldn't add to my rock collection today. Oh well, maybe next time. It was a nice day though, but today I got a workout man, cause it was so hot! The sun was blaring today all right. I was sweating and everything. I even got a little daring and got my feet wet. I walked back right along the shore. It felt so good. It was relatively clean in that area, but dude that beach is dirty. The water is so dirty and filled with shellfish and people are swimming in it! Cochinos! It's so not like Hawaii's waters that were all clear for miles and miles into the ocean. Like I could see what I was walking into and the sand is white. Not here man, you don't know what you're getting into when you walk into that thick, dark water. And the beach itself is dirty too! Which goes back to my comments about us taking the beach and the ocean for granted here in L.A. If I compare this beach to the last beach I was in which was Waikiki Beach, yeah this one is not kept up at all. It's just as pretty you know, it's the ocean, but dirty. Trash EVERYWHERE. Chip bags, shoes, papers, cups, you name it. It's so bad and it doens't get better. Dirty beaches are still an issue my friends. How can humans just litter that way, I just don't get it. Why would you walk away from your trash and just leave it there and not pick it up. It boggles the mind.

If you wanna see a really cute, heartwarming story about how our litter and pollution affects our sea animal friends, watch the movie Happy Feet. I love that movie! It's so good, so sad. If you haven't seen it oh you MUST, today! Go rent it now. Note to self: I must buy this DVD. I know for a fact, that it made a grown man cry, I'm just saying. Oh, and today I didn't forget to bring my pen thank you very much. So I was able to do my morning pages beach front. It was great. Time seems to last forever by the ocean, it's so great. It's like the ocean has all the time in the world for you and your thoughts and whatever you wanna say to it, to listen.

The drive back was really nice too. I was very relaxed. The combination of the warm sun hitting my body and my feet getting wet on the cool water just did it for me. I feel relaxed and mushy like a jelly fish. Ah so nice. I need a shower though, ooh whee do I ever! My feet need some attention too, I think I will walk over and get a pedicure. After I eat this delicious organic mango I bought today. It is calling my name.

Remember to wear sunscreen everyday.
-sasparella says!

Film Fridays!

2007-07-27T09:09:00.000-07:00

Talk to Me

Hi everyone, TGIF! You know what that means, it's Film Friday! Today's film review is Talk To Me which stars the unbeatable, fabulous Don Cheadle. He is wonderful in this film. Set in Washington D.C. during the 1970s the theme is never underestimate a man [or woman!] with something to say, and that's what I loved about this story. Cheadle plays Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene, a local radio disk jockey and hero in D.C. during the 70s. Now if you're not from D.C. you may not know who Petey Greene was, I sure didn't. He was a fast-talking ex-con who as soon as he got out of jail, marched right in to the radio station where he wanted a job as a radio host and talked his way into just that. At first the station's producer E.G. Sonderling (Martin Sheen) strongly objects to Petey Greene as dj, but once the station's phones are bumpin' off tha hook lots of minds are changed. Petey Greene's hilarious, outspoken and controversial, "tell it like it is" voice spoke to a community during the turbulent Civil Rights movement that before Petey didn't have a public voice that stood by them and represented them.

The cast is rounded off with the roaring performance of Taraji P. Henson (Smokin' Aces) who play's Petey's girlfriend Vernell. Directed by Eve's Bayou writer Kasi Lemmons. Out now in select theatres. 118 minutes. Rated R. Also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mike Epps and Cedric the Entertainer.

That's it for now folks. Planning to go to the movies this weekend? Here are your options of flicks out today:
The Simpsons Movie (OMG I can't wait to see this!)
No Reservations (meh. but Aaron Eckhart's a hottie)
I Know Who Killed Me (starring our favorite crazy chic Lindsay Lohan. how does she find time for all the madness?)

Don't forget to tip your waiter tonight.
-sasparella says!

Theatre Thursdays!

2007-07-26T13:07:00.002-07:00

casa0101.0rg • myspace.com/casa_0101

Hey everyone, it's Theatre Thursday! So today I don't have a theatre review, but I do have a theatre must see. Last week CASA 0101 opened Soledad, a world premiere by playwright Janine Salinas. It's the story of a young girl, Soledad, who finds her poetic voice through her family’s journey to the United States, as they come to terms with their flight from dictatorial Chile and a revolutionary past. Wow, heavy huh? I hear the poetry is great in this piece so do check it out if you're a words person. Starring Oscar Basulto, Cosima Cabrera, Christine Mantilla, Federico Patino, Virginia Pereira, Amador Plascencia, Will Salas, Chrissy Torres and Vicky Villalvazo in order of fabulousness...just kidding! In the order of the alphabet and directed by Edward Padilla. If you see it, do tell me what you think. Runs through August 12 and tickets/info can be found at casa0101.org.

Groups of 10+ get huge discounts so start making some friends!
-sasparella says!