Clearing Up Some Spa Confusion

My friend Christina was in town this weekend and Robert and I were able to catch up with her a bit (we actually attended a party at her parents' place but because I'm retarded and forgot to upload the photos, I'll post about it tomorrow!). As you may know, Christina is an avid reader of the blog so she'd read my earlier post about the blinds and their usefulness in combating Fatty McMan-Boobs and his friends. She indicated to me that she thought the spa featured in my pictorial was the community spa and, as such, she was at a loss to understand why I would ever be under the impression that anyone in the spa could ever not see me... seeing as it's about a foot away from my sliding glass door. If that were the case, I would've moved out!! I would never be able to tolerate Fatty McMan-Boobs steaming up my windows, blinds or no blinds. So, in an effort to give you a better idea of just how close we are to the community hot tub, I thought I'd post a few photos of our patio. Oh, and don't be fooled by the absence of people - I took the photos at 10 o'clock on Sunday morning. Had I waited two hours - or taken the photos at 2 AM - there would've been oodles of peeps. Trust me.

This is the view of our hot tub from inside our living room. It is not the community spa. It came with the condo, complete with a blue lightbulb in the little outside light you see there above the spa and a 'privacy shade' that unfurled from the overhang. The heater was broken when we bought the condo, though, so we've never used it. I would never have used it anyway because I am just not a hot tub kind of gal... never have been. Still, we haven't gotten rid of it because we can't quite figure out how to dispose of it short of hacking it into pieces and throwing it in the Dumpster. It won't fit through the sliding door (obviously) so unless we want to set up a rig and hoist it over the balcony (doubtful!) it's probably going to be sitting there for a long time to come.

The hot tub also doubles as a place to store crap that has nowhere else to go and as Robert's pseudo-workbench. Hence the sawdust coating...

Here's the view from our balcony. Sure, it looks pretty now, but when 117 kids are shrieking "MARCO! POLO!" at the top of their lungs for hours and hours on end, the prettiness fades away really quickly. I hate Marco Polo. Hate it. Surely there must be some other pool game for children to play...? Ugh.

This is the view from our sink, peering out through the window. I've outlined both the pool and spa for your convenience. :o) We can see all the dancing, hear all the music and when we turn on the light in the kitchen at night to make dinner or get a glass of water, we can see one big shadowy blob split up and become two bobbing heads in the spa. It's kind of creepy. And gross. Why anyone would have (or come very close to having) sex in a communal hot tub I do not know. It's essentially a giant vat of sloughed-off skin, hair and other assorted fluids of I don't know how many people... YUCK!! Why would I want to sit in that much less do anything else in it?!! I. Would. Not.

So, as you can see, the spa is still too close for (my) comfort but definitely not as close as Christina thought it was! :o) I could certainly do without all the noise associated with the pool but the one small saving grace is that it's next to our living room and not our bedroom...

This has nothing to do with anything- I'm just testing something out. Carry on...

Random Round-Up 07

1. Wow - I am really behind. I'd never heard of Mr. PotatoMash, but I guess the site's been around for a while now. I would never have the patience to do something like this but it is fun to look at...

Spudboy

2. Here's a funny clip of Edward Norton promoting The Incredible Hulk (sort of) on Jimmy Kimmel Live:

See, Ed has a sense of humor! People think he's a scarily serious dude - and he usually is - but anyone who would do Death to Smoochy (which, unfortunately, I actually saw) has to have some teensy kernel of humor somewhere in their body.

3. From EW.com: Coldplay Talk Viva la Vida

4. How many posts have I already had on Lifetime ruining Project Runway? I've lost count, but here's whatever-that-number-is+1: PR Will Get a 'Face-lift' on Lifetime

5. Your daily dose o' Bale... yes, I know you're excited. Me, too! :o) (Hey - you'll live. And since neither he nor Ewan has a movie coming out until 2009 you can look forward to a hot men drought coming up in no time.) These are scans of the July issue of Arena (from Singapore - you can thank me for the international postage I'm saving you later), courtesy of christian-bale.org:

TV Tidbits 19 - Top Chef

Ooookay... so after yesterday's blurb about Tom Colicchio, I have a hard time looking at him and not feeling a bit grossed out. It's true - I'm too immature for Top Chef. ;o) And even though I have a hard time watching Tom in action because his mannerisms totally remind me of an old boss I used to have that I do NOT have any residual warm fuzzies for, he is a good judge. Yeah, he's usually a jerk but at least he's honest; if he ever does compliment someone, it means a lot more than if Gail does! He's been a straight-shooter in most of the interviews I've read with him and this Q&A with Salon.com is no different. Excerpt:

Which of the winners of your show would you hire for your kitchen?

Any of them. I have purposefully stayed away from hiring anybody that's been a contestant. But I think Tiffany, a woman from Season 1, was fabulous. She wasn't a fan favorite, but I thought her cooking was brilliant. Harold I would have hired. Forget about the show for a second -- if Harold walked into my restaurant and said he wanted a job, I would have hired him. Same thing with Sam. [Season 3 winner] Hung, definitely. I think a better question would be, "If you were going to open a restaurant with one of them, who would it be?" That's a little different. Probably Harold or Hung. I think [Season 2 winner] Ilan -- he's a good cook, just a little immature, and he has a little way to go. If I were going to raise money and put someone in charge of the kitchen, I'd want someone with a little gravity or weight to them.

Ha ha Ilan!! Ick, I hated that guy. It's not the worst diss I've ever read about anyone but at least he got singled out with some teensy degree of criticism. I don't know how Ilan won season 2 - he was such a whiny ol' Negative Nancy. And all he ever made was friggin' paella!! But whatever.

Movie Morsels 14 - Iron Man 2

Oh great. The first movie isn't even out of theaters yet and already Marvel is screwing up the sequel! Blargh!!!! I first read about this on EW.com but TunaFlix had much more to say about it so I decided to go with their bits. The first is from June 10:

Looks like yesterday’s reports of a March start date may have been just a bit premature. According to the man himself, Jon Favreau, “March seems unrealistic.”

Favreau’s been saying for some time now that no movement can happen on Iron Man 2 until Marvel is finished with The Incredible Hulk (which releases this Friday). He reiterated this point on the Iron Man MySpace group:

“It’s been five weeks since the one and only phone call my reps have gotten from Marvel. I know their hands are full with the Hulk and I’m sure they will get into it shortly, as they tell me they intend to. I ran into the Marvel guys at the Hulk premiere and everyone sounded eager to get to work on IM2.”

He continued:

“I am concerned, however, about the announced release date of April 2010. Neither Robert nor I were consulted about this and we are both concerned about how realistic the date is in light of the fact that we have no script, story or even writers hired yet. This genre of movie is best when it is done thoughtfully and with plenty of preparation. It might be better to follow the BB/DK, X/X2 three year release pattern than to scramble for a date. It is difficult because there are no Marvel 09 releases and they need product, but I also think we owe it to the fans to have a great version of IM2 and, at this point, we would have less time to make it than the first one.”

When the easiest thing in the world would just be to shake hands, rush Iron Man 2, and churn out a sloppy but insanely profitable product, you really have to respect Jon for being focused on quality rather than release slates. You just have to hope Marvel is willing to buck the usual studio thinking and do the same.

Then came this little bit o' info yesterday:

Bad news coming from IESB - apparently Marvel is dragging their feet on locking Jon Favreau in for Iron Man 2, and it’s not just because they’ve got their hands full with The Incredible Hulk:

“The chairman of Marvel Studios David Maisel who has been in charge of negotiating new terms with Favreau is being cheap and not willing to pay a fair directors’ fee.”

To be clear, we’re talking about the standard director’s fee here, not some astronomical figure from a diva holding the franchise hostage. Favreau was asked to take less money and prove himself on the first Iron Man, and now that he has (and then some), the studio is making the foolhardy assumption that he’s suddenly expendable.

Apparently, Maisel is of the mind that Iron Man 2 will be a success no matter who’s in the director’s chair, and in a way he’s right… Iron Man 2 is on pace for Spider-Man 2 numbers so long as Robert Downey Jr. is back in the metal suit, but that doesn’t mean it’s a smart idea to cut ties with Favreau. Especially considering he’s largely to thank for Marvel’s newfound swagger.

But beyond that, this Favreau flap has the potential to turn into a big black eye for the fledgling studio - and penny-pinching Jon out of a sequel he’s so clearly gung-ho about would mark a huge step back, both in the public eye and in terms of attracting future talent. And at this stage in the game, that’s something Marvel truly can’t afford.

I definitely agree that it would be a mistake on Marvel's part to ditch Favreau but I also know that money talks. Most people agree that Spider-Man 3 wasn't very good but because it made a slew of money, Sony wants to make (at least) a 4th installment (as you know from my earlier rant!). Well, 3 made oodles of money because those of us that like the series wanted to see it through - not because it was a fantastic piece of film-making! Still, the same logic applies to Iron Man 2, I suppose, and I certainly wouldn't put it past Marvel to push 2 out just as soon as a monkey with a camera can get shooting...

Oh, Mitch Gaylord...

Isn't age a cruel bitch? Bummer.

Obviously, I'm too young to remember Mitchy-poo from the kick-ass 1984 men's Olympic team. I am not, however, too young to remember him from American Anthem. It used to be on HBO a lot more often back in the 80s and 90s - I don't think I've seen it for quite a few years, actually - and my mom always watched it when it was on. It's terribly cheesy and the acting is... not the best. Check out the poster - that'll clue you in right away! But the gymnastics are kind of interesting. Oh, and Mitch Gaylord was hot. And wore tiny black underwear. :o) But I digress...

I haven't seen Mitch in ages (apparently he was Chris O'Donnell's stunt double Batman Forever... woohoo! And I totally missed his turn as 'Frank's Brother' in Sledge: The Untold Story, darn it!) but it looks like he's back as the "nice" judge on Celebrity Circus. (Which was roundly panned by just about everyone after last night's premiere so if you liked it, catch it while you can!) And while I suppose he looks pretty good for a 47-year-old, he's just not as hot as he was in '86. I know, I know - it's not a Mitch-specific phenomenon this aging thing but that's why I said age is a cruel bitch. I'm not looking forward to it. Even beefcakes turn to wrinkled average dudes! What a drag. ;o)

The folks over at EW.com have fond memories of currently-unavailable-on-DVD American Anthem, too, and dug up these chestnuts on YouTube:

American Anthem trailer

Mitch @ the '84 Olympics

Random Round-Up 06

I have been busy today, people! I have been helping out in the call center today and have been working nonstop since I got in, with only a 1/2-hour break. Can you believe it?! I'm working at work! Too weird. :o)

As such, today's pickings are slim, slim, slim. Apologies.

1. Here's the new poster for Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins (supposedly):
Ooh. I am all atwitter. It looks like it's going to be oh so different from all the other Terminators, doesn't it?!! I kid. Supposedly, there will be a teaser trailer shown before The Dark Knight in July... though I doubt Christian will be in the trailer so who cares?! He's still shooting Public Enemies (as far as I know) and no Christian = no interest, y'know what I'm mean?
(Speaking of Public Enemies, JustJared has some hot photos of Johnny Depp on set here.)

2. I do not like Katherine Heigl and haven't liked her for many moons now. From most of the things I've read about her, she seems to be a raving bitch with a humongous ego. I'm just saying. To quote The Wedding Singer: "You a bitch."

And actually, ever since her rant over the inappropriateness of Knocked Up, several people within Hollywood hold the same opinion of El Heigl. How can she re-spiff her image? Well, by not releasing statements like this:

I am truly grateful for the honor that the Academy bestowed upon me last year. I did not feel that I was given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination and in an effort to maintain the integrity of the Academy organization, I withdrew my name from contention. In addition, I did not want to potentially take away an opportunity from an actress who was given such materials.

As Defamer kindly points out, "[j]ust one year after her astounding Emmy win, Heigl has basically given the entire staff of Grey's a giant, nicotine-stained middle finger." Hee! Too true. I know she wants off the show and pissing off The Powers That Be is a good way to go about that, but I don't think that's the real reason Heigl was such a smartass. I think she just sucks.

UPDATE (06/12): Per EW.com,

One day [after Heigl's statement] a key show insider contacted EW.com to express regret that the actress publicly complained about the drama. “The show bent over backwards to accommodate her film schedule, and then she criticizes the show for lack of material?" the insider said. "It's an ungrateful slap in the face to the very writers responsible for her Emmy win in the first place.”

3. As you know, I really like Angelina Jolie. I would never go so far as to buy a Team Jolie shirt from Kitson but if someone wants to get into a pissing match with me about how she wrecked Jennifer Aniston's perfect marriage I am up to the task! :o) But I digress. Seeing as La Jolie won't be putting in any personal appearances to promote Wanted, she has instead sat down with Entertainment Weekly for a lengthy Q&A. You can read all about the tattoo she drew on Brad's back* here.


4. In case you were wondering...

Now that we know which character was killed on NCIS, why did Lauren Holly leave? Was it her decision, [exec producer] Shane Brennan's decision, or mutual?
Mitovich: Brennan tells TV Guide that the death was long in the planning and done primarily for storyline reasons. Holly had not asked to leave.

5. I think I just threw up a little.

NY Mag to Tom Colicchio: "So do shaved heads make you a better chef?" That's just great. Men with shaved heads are always better. Just ask my wife. [To wife Lori Silverbush] Aren't shaved heads great? Silverbush: Much easier on the thighs. Colicchio: [blushing and laughing hysterically] That was off the record!"

6. I feel better now.



* Just in case you haven't seen or heard of Brad's tattoo, here it is: It showed up on gossip sites back in mid-May and there was a lot of speculation that it was some type of schematic of the levees in New Orleans (because that's his big cause these days). Uh, no. Not so much.

Movie Morsels 13 - The Incredible Hulk, Wanted

Neither of these movie blurbs are particularly fascinating but they do revolve around hot men so I can't let them down - I must post! :o)

First, the Hulk. Here's a Moviefone Unscripted segment with Liv, Edward and the director (some French guy).

And here is the new TV spot (in case you have a TiVo/DVR like me and have yet to see it!):

Now, Tony Stark's cameo was supposed to be a secret - a very poorly kept secret amongst those of use in the blogosphere (I knew and I'm not even a comic book 'geek!'), but a secret nonetheless. Obviously, Marvel is sweating the Hulk's box office prospects and decided to dump the cameo in the first 2 seconds of the ad. Will this pique moviegoers' interest and cause more peeps to flood the first Hulk screenings? Well, according to EW.com, the answer is yes. Then again, TunaFlix says not so much.

I tend to side with TunaFlix. People in the know either: (1) were already planning to see it (they're comic book fans - that's why they're in the know!) so Tony Stark doesn't make a difference; or (2) know that it really is a 10 minute cameo and that 10 out of 114 minutes does not an Iron Man make. In other words, they won't be expecting a huge Tony Stark/Hulk storyline and are okay with it. People not in the know, however, run the risk of now thinking that Tony Stark is going to be, like, the Hulk's friend or something and feature prominently in the movie. These are the people that might fall into the commercial's trap, I don't know. Would they spend money on a movie they weren't going to see because all of a sudden they think Tony Stark is in it? I really liked Iron Man but even I wouldn't be persuaded to do that... the first Hulk really was that bad. If people are dumb enough to think that Iron Man is starring in not one but two summer movies this year then, well, I guess they deserve to be duped out of their 10 bucks. I will consider it a deserved donation to Edward's career.

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I really have no intention of seeing Wanted. Yeah, it has James McAvoy, who's a cutie, and Robert loves Morgan Freeman so I'm sure I could talk him into it... but it seems kind of dumb. Sorry James. Still, I may find myself aimless one Saturday night in the future and wander into a showing, who knows? I will consider it a deserved donation to James' career, I guess. :o)

This article is over a year old - it's actually to promote another movie, in fact - but I guess because he mentions Wanted in it, it's suddenly resurfaced. I'd never read it before and James is awfully cute (and funny!) in it, so I thought I'd pass it along... see if I can make any converts out of you.

CS: You're going to have a lot of action in that film I guess.
McAvoy: Yeah, kinda, and they want me to do as much as I can anyway. There's a lot of free running and Parkour and all that kind of stuff. A lot of driving and guns and all that kinda rubbish. But it's quite important for me because the reason I wanted to play this character in "Wanted" was because it still adheres to what I believe in, that heroes shouldn't always be perfect. We shouldn't always have the six-foot-five, chiseled-jawed, good-looking guy. That's why it's so good that Spider-Man is somebody like Tobey Maguire, and that's why I took this role. They wanted someone geeky. I screen-tested for the movie over a year ago and they never gave me the part. Then, it was about seven months later when they went, "Look, we've been trying to find someone who's muscle-y who looks good and all that, but it just didn't work with someone like that so they said, "Could you come and do it?" They basically just said, "You're the runt of the litter and that's what makes it work" so yeah, and that's why I like it. So while I'm doing all this physical work, it's important for me to remain small. I'm sure they want me to get all big, but it's important to remain believably geeky.

Oh, and just in case you haven't heard of the movie (entirely possible, even though it comes out in just 2 weeks), here's the trailer:

UPDATE: Here's a much more current piece with James from Complex.com. It's a Q&A with both James and Common (also in Wanted) - on the first page, James has to answer questions about Common and on the second, Common must answer questions about James. I found it quite amusing and I highly recommend it!

TV Tidbits 18 - NCIS

According to TVGuide.com:

At least one burning question coming out of NCIS' shocking season finale has been answered. With Lauren Holly's character no longer with us, Rocky Carroll has been promoted from recurring to series regular status, as his Leon Vance rises up the ladder to director of the NCIS.

Uh, I don't really understand how this is supposed to work. Vance was clearly depicted as crooked in the season finale and in my last NCIS post, one of the exec producers said the team wasn't going to stay split up. How are they supposed to come back together under the same director that split them up? And even TV Guide's Matt Roush said "the new director is such an obvious bad guy that I can't imagine him sticking around for long — and who would want him to?" So what the heck?! Hmph. I hate waiting.

In Case You Missed It

The MTV Movie awards were early last week... I think. I'm old, I don't watch MTV anymore. Sue me. Anyway, I came across this blurb on A Socialite's Life and it gave me a chuckle. I like Robert Downey, Jr. - he's weird but he's funny.

I tried watching [the MTV Movie Awards] last night, but I was so bored I fell asleep. This was the only skit I saw that I found funny, but be warned that it gets a little violent.