The Real LA

I’ve visited LA several times over the past few years, mostly to spend some quality time with my brother and my sister-in-law. Each time I visited, I never stayed more than a couple of weeks at a time, but those weeks were amazing. They were filled with set tours, celebrity sightings, VIP access to exclusive clubs, trips to Disneyland and tapings of TV shows. I felt the pulse of possibility every time I left the house. Anything could happen. And most things did. LA was shiny. LA was exciting. LA was courting me.

So I moved in with LA.

But it wasn't long after I moved here that LA lost interest in me. LA started wearing sweatpants to bed. LA started drinking milk from the carton. And as I sank deeper into my new job and my new commute, LA stopped trying to impress me.

I've seen LA without make-up on.

The longer I'm here, the more I realize that my initial relationship with LA may have been a little more superficial than I'd like to admit.

Today's thoughts while in traffic: I hate going on first dates, but I love watching other people suffer through them.

Slow News Day

I'm currently in a lull between projects at the agency and have been trying to be productive with my "spare" time. Last week I duped my AD into teaching me Photoshop (which admittedly, I still don't really know), I caught up on every issue of Communication Arts from 1996, and I tried (and failed) learning Dreamweaver. 

But mostly I just end up watching Anderson Cooper talk about Michael Jackson all day.

It's hard to avoid. It doesn't matter what channel is on or what time of day it is. And if it's not Anderson Cooper it's Nancy Grace. And if it's not Nancy Grace, it's Larry King. The entire world has something to say about this whole situation. And here's why that bugs me:

1. It's not news anymore. It's like telling a story with the same ending over and over again. No matter how much we speculate, that doesn't change the fact that we are sans a King of Pop.

2. When you run a news story titled "Should Paris Jackson Really Be in the Spotlight?" and then proceed to spend the next 10 minutes talking about her, you're putting her in the spotlight.

3. Tickets to a memorial service of any kind should not be given away on the radio as if they were tickets to some crappy Creed cover band: "Be the 29th caller and get 2 tickets to the biggest event of the year!" I half expected them to throw in a nacho supreme combo from concessions and preferred parking at the Staples Center. On a similar note, tickets for a memorial service? Seriously?

4. Come on, Anderson Cooper. I thought you wanted people to take you seriously.

And yes, it is true that MJ himself said "don't stop 'till you get enough," but I think it's fairly safe to say, we've all had enough.

Today's thoughts while in traffic: Air pollution makes for a beautiful sunset.