Why do I like these high school type dramas (Bring It On, Heathers, Three O’Clock High leap to mind)? I’m a grown man, afterall. I watch all sorts of arty documentaries and films, but I’m still a sucker for these high school dramedies. The really good ones nail stereotypes and the competing chemistry between social cliques. And when an actor nails it and the plot is working it’s kind of like watching a person unkowingly slip on a banana peel—seen it a hundred times, but it’s still refreshingly funny when well-executed.

She’s The Man is a B movie in the high school comedy genre, but Amanda Bynes supplied just enough wackiness to hold it together. Not brilliant like the three other referenced films, but definitely worth a frivolous viewing.

Did you like this movie? I’d like to think we’re part of the same marginalized clique, holding our lunch trays close to our chests as we try to walk unnoticed by the cool kids cafeteria table. Queue: opening montage with standard SoCal pop/punk soundtrack song … this is going to be an awesome junior year!

With a camera I opt for fewer features to get a smaller, sleeker camera. It’s more important for me to be able to hide a camera in my pocket so that it doesn’t intrude too much into the scene I’m in (as a tourist or a local). I’m also more apt to lug a small camera around and therefore much more likely to use it.

1. it doesn’t come with a small case (I ordered on off Ebay for $6)
2. it requires a cradle to recharge or upload photos to your computer

1. very small, thin and a big screen
2. great stabilization technology—therefore low light photos without a flash come out great
3. takes great video snipets—amazing quality (I think all cameras do this now, but it’s still cool)

I paid $299 at Costco 6 weeks ago, but I think they’re coming down in price.

I drink Numi’s Chinese Breakfast tea every day at work—usually from Cafe Vita down the street. I love it with milk and sugar.

I liked the part where Henry Rollins said that punk rockers are some of the most narrow minded people—and meant it.

Treadwell was nuts, but what an interesting film! Werner Herzog did a great job putting the bits together and captured some truly odd and rewarding interviews (the coroner, the bush pilot). The film would have been much better minus Werner’s hamfisted narration. I think director and subject share a bit of inflated self-importance in that sense.

I particularly like Erik Benson today. Namely because Alyssa pre-emptively bought me a Diet Coke last night when we attended a movie. Erik was kind enough to pull it out of my hand and consume it for me. Had he not been there, I would have drank it.

I have to say that the first two episodes were my fav—just finished episodes 3 & 4 off the first disc and was less enthralled. Still good stuff/fluff.

I watched one episode of The O.C. first season last night and did something I never do. I woke up and watched the second episode. Given the contraints of TV drama (which I feel is craftily used to the show’s advantage), the writers/director of The O.C. are really onto something. I was prompted to rent this series based on Jim Demetre’s stellar review—“Perhaps even more than the subject of race, class difference remains one of the great taboos of American life.”.

There’s something about the shortened timeframe of TV writing along with the accepted conventions of stereotype characters that allows the show to dive right into class issues in a way where a traditional film might fail. I’ll be watching episodes 3 and 4 this weekend. Can’t wait!

I heard that bubble tea was “invented” in S. Korea in the late 80s. True?

Even if it is a kitchy Korean marketing ploy, I still enjoy a good bubble tea—not too sugary or it loses it’s appeal.

Diet Coke is some powerful shit. It’s been 3 days since my last DC and I wanted to order it thrice: twice at lunch and last night at The Elysian.

I’m going to keep referring to DC as “shit” to negatively reinforce my cravings. In the end I may go back but not without rushing out of the room like a tormented lover.