Everyone must have thought: With the little half-length first season, and such a strong second season, that Buffy season 3 was heading toward a huge sophomore slump. But no, this season is even better than the second.
Although I’m a ludicrously obsessive Foodie, I don’t cook that many things. However, those that I do make, I try to do to the Nth degree (anyone who knows me knows this to be true of me in general). One of my…
This is the sequel to Old Man’s War and The Ghost Brigades. It’s just as easy to read and picks up with the same two main protagonists. John Perry narrates in first person as he did in the first novel.
Restaurant: Capo [1, 2, 3] Location: 1810 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, Ca. 310-394-5550 Date: April 30, 2010 Cuisine: Italian with Cal influences Rating: The food here is really very very good. _ Capo has always given me slightly mixed feelings….
This isn’t a film for everyone, certainly not for most women. Like the original Predator, it’s a guy’s film. Set in Northern Britain, this is the story of a bunch of Roman soliders on the run from a group of Pictish warriors (old old school Scotts) who want nothing better than to hack off their heads and carry them back to their village. Now, you actually can’t totally blame the Picts, they have their reasons.
Restaurant: Bistro LQ [1, 2] Location: 8009 Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048. (323) 951-1088 Date: October 12, 2010 Cuisine: Modern French Rating: Food was very good. Service lagged a bit behind. This restaurant is a year and a half old, and the…
The Buffy pilot is a work of art. In just 74 minutes, it manages to effortlessly introduce a big cast and a complex setup. But it’s the dialog that sells the entire series, and how that manages to consistently characterize a big cast of very funny, yet very real people, caught up in ridiculous situations. There’s a rhythm to it, capturing natural teen dialog, self referentially referred to as “buffy-speak.”
Restaurant: Melisse [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] Location: 1104 Wilshire Blvd.Santa Monica, CA 90401. (310) 395-0881 Date: March 3, 2010 Cuisine: California French Rating: Awesome, but heart stopping. I’ve been going to Melisse for years but I could…
Despite a significant cheese factor, and a first season that suffers from being overly episodic, the show is absolutely brilliant. If you aren’t a fan you probably think, “Buffy has these weird obsessive fans, but that kind of thing isn’t for me.” It is.
Restaurant: Ludobites 6.0 [1, 2] Location: 13355 Ventura Blvd Sherman Oaks, CA 91423. Date: Nov 02, 2010 Cuisine: Eclectic Modern Rating: Excellent, but a tad intellectual. _ Chef Ludovic Lefebvre has been doing this series of “mobile” or “popup” restaurants that appear for…
Location: The Villa Malka (home), Pacific Palisades, CA. Date: Nov 02, 2010 My brother came over to whip up a quick batch of brunch panini, one of his specialties. All the actual cooking in this post is courtesy of “guest chef” Mitch…
I’ve had a funny relationship with TV as a storytelling medium. During the 80’s and much of the 90’s I used to mock it as generally inferior and for numbskulls. But let it be said that I watch TV for…
Restaurant: Tavern [1, 2, 3, 4] Location: 11648 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049. (310) 806-6464 Date: Oct 31, 2010 Cuisine: Market driven Californian Rating: Nice brunch spot. Tavern is a welcome and tasty replacement for the Hamburger Hamlet in Brentwood. They…
One wouldn’t have thought it would be possible to capture this novel on film but they did. The same unrelenting hopelessness. Grim everythingness. The terrifying fear of been eaten by cannibals or stepping on a rusty nail and dying of gangrene in a dank muddy ditch. Yep, it’s all there.
Restaurant: The Bazaar [1, 2] Location: 465 S La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048. 310.246.5555 Date: Oct 30, 2010 Cuisine: Spanish influenced Molecular Gastronomy Rating: Awesome, one of LA’s best places. _ My first exposure to the genius of José…
I read the book long before the movie came out. There was a lot of buzz about it already and generally, things that are really popular have a kernel of quality about them, and I love vampires and teen heroines. Hmmm. I remain somewhat mystified…
Restaurant: Urasawa Location: 218 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, 310-247-8939 Date: Feb 16, 2010 Cuisine: Japanese Rating: Mind blowing, but a hefty blow below the money-belt. I’ve been here four or five times over the years, both in…
This book lurks in an ill-defined cross-genre like my own novel: Supernatural thriller with realistic style and magic. In fact, in this book it’s not even 100% clear that the magic is intended to have actually happened — but I like to think it did.
Restaurant: Sasabune [1, 2] Location: 12400 Wilshire Blvd Ste 150 (South Carmelina Avenue) Los Angeles, CA 90025, (310) 820-3596 Date: October 29, 2010 Cuisine: Japanese Rating: Excellent as always. Today I went to one of my usual lunch spots, Sasabune. This is one…
This is a vaguely Harry Potter-ish tale of a fifteen-year-old witch who ends up in magical reform school. It was surprisingly decent. Not great, not super innovative, but the first person voice was very enjoyable.