I Will Review

Just got home from having dinner at Avenue B [oooouuuuut tonight! LMAO] -- spent the afternoon at Alphabet City. Then I remembered that I haven't blogged about my first off-Broadway show... AVENUE Q.

Last 28 April 2010, I got to watch Avenue Q at the New World Stages. It was easy enough to get there. And it's so close to the Gershwin! [I'm still thinking of watching/skipping Wicked. I mean, I love it as much as I do American Idiot but I've watch it so many times already.] I had two comp tickets but oh well, I watched it all alone. It's okay though. I might piss off any companion with my mouthing of the songs! I can't help it, sorry haha.

To "commemorate" my first off-Broadway show, I bought a souvenir. This Avenue Q keychain. [I got the American Idiot shirt/poster for free so I won't buy any more the next time I watch woot!] I loved it from the first time I saw it. It's so cute!

I didn't get a photo POV from my seat. Well, I tried but the theater was smallish and ushers were EVERYWHERE. Anyway, I was Orchestra Row M seat 5 and 7. Great seats! :D And oh, even though it was Avenue Q we were watching, I pimped American Idiot to those watching with me. The girls in front of me were wondering which Broadway show to watch. They were reading the list off the playbill and one of them said, "Oh American Idiot!" So I kinda offered my $0.02. The playbill helped as well: it has the Mayer on Armstrong interview and a full-page ad for American Idiot. Suffice to say, I am sending three new Idiots over to St. James next week. ;-)

Anyway, oh man I forgot how fun this show is. It's been a while since I listened to the OBCR and the last clip I've seen is of Mary Faber as Kate Monster singing "A Fine, Fine Line". My Princeton-Rod is Seth Rettberg and My Kate Monster-Lucy the Slut is Sarah Stiles. Ann Sanders is my Christmas Eve. I love them! I probably looked stupid singing along to "It Sucks to be Me". Yes, I know all the words. And fuck it, I "bopped" my head towards the end of the song, "We're together here / On Avenue Q..." I'm a dork lmao! It's a good thing there was no one seated behind me. Hahahaha!

At first, it was a bit distracting with my eyes shifting between the actor and the puppet. (My favorite cast is the original London cast because they are the most engaging and not distracting at all.) Sarah Stiles' voice was so cute. Although she did a better job as Lucy the Slut vocally than Kate Monster. I do like Seth Rettberg but sometimes Princeton's mouth doesn't move. So sometimes, I'm looking at Seth instead of Princeton. Like with Sarah, I like his secondary character more, Rod. Cullen R. Titmas was an awesome Nicky (voice). I loved his performance in "If You Were Gay". Ann Sanders as Christmas Eve was HILARIOUS! Whenever she's onstage, I couldn't take my eyes off her. Nicholas Kohn as Brian was okay. I mean, every Brian I've seen are somewhat the same anyway. Gary Coleman was played by Danielle K. Thomas. She was very funny. But for me, the best performance was by Maggie Lakis as one of the Bad Luck Bears. Oh man, she was so good!

My favorite scenes are "The Internet if for Porn", "If You Were Gay", "Fantasies Come True", and my favorite song from the show, "A Fine, Fine Line".

I didn't like "I Wish I Could Go Back" and "The Money Song" because there was a bit of sound overload. One funny thing that happened that night: in "Schadenfreude", there's a dialogue:

Gary Coleman: Satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else’s misfortune.
Princeton: "Satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else’s misfortune"? That IS German!

Oh man, there were three "older" German audience members seated at the row in front of me. [They were talking in German during intermission, that's how I knew.] OMG, they weren't laughing for a good ten minutes... until after two songs at least! It was awkward but funny!

The audience was great! Most of those in the front rows are out-of-towners -- they were dressed to the nines! I think it was a class trip; I overheard a couple of them in the ladies' room... something about how "they don't have [this] back home".

Overall, I enjoyed it a lot. I couldn't have picked a better show to pop my off-Broadway cherry. Yes, I just said that. ;-)

On the way home, I decided to pass through Times Square and say hello to the American Idiot billboard. It's cool that it's beside the Avenue Q sign - the two shows I've seen so far. Then I got to 44th street and peeked at the St. James Theatre. I was kinda hoping I could catch some stage dooring but Avenue Q runs longer than American Idiot even without the intermission. Oh well, next time I watch then.

Next show: Volleygirls. Free reading at New World Stages (again), Monday at 3pm.

Follow up to Generation Kill is this book. One Bullet Away by former USMC Captain Nathaniel Fick [aka the most awesomest man in the universe]. Nate is one of the Marines featured in GK, the platoon leader of Bravo 2. In the miniseries, he was portrayed by Tony-nominated actor Stark Sands.

This memoir starts from his decision to join the Marines, to his tour in Afghanistan, until after his deployment to Iraq. Like in GK, this is not about the war... but the people in and affected by the war. It is very human and you can't help but ADMIRE the crap out of this MAN.

Nate is currently the CEO of CNAS. He lives in Washinton DC with wife Margaret Angell and newborn daughter, Ella.

"For the first time in my life, desire and effort wouldn’t be enough. I was learning that in the Marines, the only easy day was yesterday. Success the day before meant nothing, and tomorrow might never happen. I woke up each morning at Quantico wondering whether I’d still be there that night." -- Nate Fick.

Generation Kill / Evan Wright

Based on the true story of the first marines to arrive in Baghdad, told by Rolling Stone writer Evan Wright, who traveled with them, witnessing the beginning of the war on terrorism. It tells the story of the first 40 days of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

I have been interested in Military [especially USMC] History for a long time and this is one of the best non-fiction pieces out there. In fact, this is the best book that I have read in 2009. Evan Wright did not hold back on his observations. He wrote everything from the impromptu karaoke in 2-1 Alpha's Humvee to the Command's sheer incompetence.

Wright mainly writes about what was going on in the lead vehicle two-one-alpha led by Sgt. Brad Colbert [now, Gunnery Sergeant]. Just through Wright's words, Colbert's courage and "Iceman" coolness can be appreciated. Also in the spotlight is platoon leader Lt. Nathaniel Fick [one of my favorite people in the world!] and his struggle to do what he thinks is "right" but he had "orders" from Command to do otherwise. The book really gives the reader a civilian's insight to what it is in Iraq early in the war and what the Marines really think of it.

I have two copies of this book. My first copy looks like a school book with all the highlighted dialog and quotes. It is so quotable - with just "good" quotes and technical dialog.

"Whatever happens, just promise me you won’t leave me alone." - Cpl. Gabe Garza to Sgt. Tony Espera before rolling into Al Gharraf. “Generation Kill” chapter 13.

GK was made into a miniseries by HBO, which I also LOVE. I recommend both book and miniseries to everybody.

I've always wanted to do a paw print design. I couldn't find a dotting tool with a large(r) dot so I put off doing it. But I improvised. And now it's here!

(Ain't that blue so pretty?)


I used:

• base coat
• Best Sence (don't ask about the spelling; it's on the bottle) blue
  
• NYC French White Tip 134A
  
• Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in Black Out 28
  
• dotting tool
  
• Sally Hansen Super Shine Top Coat

Again, I like variety so I did a dog bone on my middle finger.

How-to:

• Apply base coat.
• Paint two coats of the Best Sence blue.
• Using the dotting tool with a larger tip, draw a dog bone on your middle finger using the NYC French White Tip. Paint two dots, one atop each other on either side of your nail then paint a straight line connecting the two pairs.
• Clean off your dotting tool. Using Black Out and the larger dotting tool, paint random dots on your other nails. With the smaller dotting tool, draw on 4 dots to complete the paw print.
• Finish off with top coat.

And yes, that's my mouse. Cute huh?

March 20 marked the First Day of Spring. I decided to welcome spring with a fresh nail art.

I used:

• base coat
• LA Girl Disco Brites Vinyl Record
• LA Colors Art Deco in white
• LA Colors Art Deco in pink
• dotting tool [or tooth pick]
  
• LA Colors Art Deco in forest green
• Sally Hansen Super Shine Top Coat

I like variety on my nail art so we have small flowers and one big flower.

How-to:

• Apply base coat.
• Apply 2 coats of LA Girl Disco Brites Vinyl Record.
• Using LA Colors Art Deco in white, paint five lines [as shown in photo] to resemble a flower on the upper right side of your nail.
  
• Retrace the white lines with the pink LA Colors Art Deco.
• Blot a bit of green polish on a scrap piece of paper and using a dotting tool, paint a dot on the center of the flower.

The next steps are optional:

• Repeat on each finger except the thumb.
• For the thumb, paint an outline of a flower [as shown in photo] using the white LA Colors Art Deco.
• Using the pink, fill in the blank space inside the flower shape.
• Paint a green dot on the center for the flower.
• Apply top coat.

And there you go. I was thinking of drawing two flowers on each nail but just one is cute and simple.

[Hooray for Generation Kill, btw.]

I thought this week will be Teen Idols or something like that. Disney Channel shit. What happened? They even had the epitome of Teen Bubblegum Pop as their mentor: Miley Cyrus. I was looking forward to Andrew Garcia doing a Jonas Brothers acoustic and Didi Benami taking on Selena Gomez and The Scene. Shucks. >.< style="font-weight: bold;">Billboard #1 Hits. Back up a bit. Wasn't this the semi-finals theme, too? Okay, that was Billboard Top 100. So what's the difference? One hundred and sixteen years of Billboard number one songs versus one hundred and sixteen years of songs in the Billboard Top 100. It is as vague as it can be. I really wish they stuck with the Teen Idols idea. It would've been more interesting... if not entertaining.

I will run the risk of saying this over and over so I'll just say it here... Of all the songs, why this one? Seriously, 116 years of songs sure is a huge range but why couldn't they pick that ONE SONG they know heart and soul? I'd rather choose from a LOT than from a limited list, say for example songs by a certain artist. As Idol goes on, the importance of song choice only gets emphasized. Sometimes, it saves a contestant. He might not sing it very well, but there's an off-chance that there's another contestant who picked a worse song but sounded better technically. Lacey was saved by "Kiss Me". But it's also the same for the opposite. Song choice can kill you. You can be the best singer but the wrong choice of song might make you sound bad or indulgent.

Lee DeWyze, The Letter
Previous Idol rockers have done this song in the past: Bo Bice, Constantine Maroulis (in Hollywood Round AI4) and Chris Daughtry in his AI5 audition. Lee went with a big band, bluesy arrangement which I kind of like. The dude still gives me Danny Gokey flashbacks but I am in love with his voice. Miley commented that he needed a bit more personality [to fill up the stage] but with Lee, you can squeeze a little more but not a whole lot. He's more of a grassroots, intimate performer than taking on a "huge stage".

Paige Miles, Against All Odds
Trivia: What are the 3 most sung songs in American Idol history? Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me and I Have Nothing with six, and -- you guessed it, this song with seven. Rule one of Idol is to NEVER attempt a song that is bigger than you('ll ever be). Paige can definitely sing but this is just plain terrible. I do like the preview with the piano more than the performance itself. She was all over the place, she just couldn't find the notes. Again, 116 years of song. You pick this. And the Mariah Carey version, no less. Fail, Paige. FAIL. And oh, Kara... this is NOT the worst vocal performance of the season so far. That honor goes to Tim Urban and Apologize. And speaking of the devil...

Tim Urban, Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Timmy, worst time to attempt a Queen song. I am in my Tony Vincent, WWRY zone right now. Seriously, what is he still doing here? Can you honestly tell me that there were no better singers than him when they had to bring someone back? To be fair, he had no bum notes during this performance. But the performance itself... WTF? I have no words. If [and I hope] Tim goes home tomorrow, I want him to do a duet with Joe Jonas tomorrow.

Aaron Kelly, I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing
This is another staple song for American Idol. And personally, I have a love affair with this song. It seems so easy with Aaron. He can sing anything and do okay on it. The quality of his voice is awesome. He knows how to pick a song that works for him. But yeah, he does need to show that he's in this to win it not just singing for America.

Crystal Bowersox, Bobby McGee
Let me just say it, JOPLIN! Last season, they wanted Allison to do Janis Joplin; I disagree 115%. THIS is how Joplin should be attempted. And it was a VERY successful attempt. This here, my friends, is KNOWING THYSELF. Seriously, Crystal should receive a bye to the top 5.

Michael Lynch, When A Man Loves A Woman
I don't know what it is but I like Big Mike. Simon said it himself, the guy has mad charisma. He easily takes command of the stage with his voice and presence. And you can feel that it's genuine. Although I agree with what the judges said that this performance did seem a bit indulgent. Too much of the good thing. But still, compared to the others -- this is good.

Andrew Garcia, I Heard it Through the Grapevine
I am so sorry, fangirls, but I just don't get him. This is an example of hype backfiring. Is he singing the song or reciting the words? There is almost no melody, the song is too low for him. Wrong song choice. It was just awful.

Katie Stevens, Big Girls Don't Cry
By far, the newest song to be ever sung on an Idol stage by a current contestant. But Katie is the resident old soul. I sort of get the "young it up" comments but what if Katie is really just an old soul? Let's face it, songs then are so much better than the songs now. Trying to make her sing songs she might not like is not good advise. And with Katie, any song sounds old. To be fair, this is my favorite Katie performance so far and I am so glad she's not wearing something out of a beauty pageant.

Casey James, Power of Love
Every time he performs, he looks a little deer caught in the headlights-ish. And for some reason, the guitars look tiny with him. Whatever, he's hot. And he has a hot voice. But Casey, let go a bit more.

Didi Benami, You're No Good
I had to giggle at the irony of the song. Was it for the other contestants or herself? Or both? When Lacey was voted off, I thought those "wanting to be somebody they're not" were gone. Hello, Didi took Lacey's spot apparently. She said she doesn't want to be boxed in to a genre. But what if that genre works the best with what she has? Why not make the song work for her? I don't think she gets it. She is more indie than mainstream. She needs to realize that and work with it if she wants to stay.

Siobhan Magnus, Superstition
It's Miss "to-beat" in the competition. She's loud and low-key at the same time, really. She's a totally different person when she's performing. When she's not... she... talks... so... slowly. Seriously, does she know how good she is? One complaint though: the screech. Yeah, it worked for Adam but after that, this might get a little old a bit sooner than it did last season.

It's a very disappointing night. At least if they stayed with the Teen Idols theme, they have a legitimate excuse for suckage. I can count with one hand the marginally good "teen idol" songs of today. But with Billboard #1s? No excuse for a crappy song.

Miley Cyrus did a good job as mentor, surprisingly. My advise to her, QUIT DISNEY CHANNEL. NOW. She looks too old and [dare I say it] too good for them now. She has a totally different image than what Disney would like to sell. I hope she doesn't go the Dakota Fanning route -- start early and never seem to grow out of it.

Who's going home? Either Paige or Tim. But I'd rather go with Tim... going home, I mean. Can you imagine a 50-city tour that will kick off with him? [I skipped Sarver and Megan last year so yeah, what do I know, right? LMAO.] Between him and Paige, I do like Paige. She can sing and she can bring it.

I love mascaras. Mascaras are like... my thing. It's the only piece of makeup I take seriously.

Every time I find myself at Sephora or the makeup section of a mall or drugstore, I am tempted to buy a tube of mascara. I've been eying a few products for a while but for now, let's look at CoverGirl Lash Blast.


Pardon the crappy photos. I used my Macbook's iSight for this about a month ago.

Anyway, pictured above is my second tube. I got those two-for-one deals from Costco. And yes, that's the old packaging. The new tube does not have that silver stripe anymore and it's called "Lash Blast Volume", I think. But it's basically the same thing. I love that the brush is rubber/plastic and is not immersed in the product when you first get it. And look at the size of that thing! The large brush definitely gives great coverage -- gets the whole lash covered.

CG’s LastBlast is… probably the best mascara I’ve ever used. So far. You can build up the color/coverage. And I thought such a mascara doesn’t exist -- but it does: IT DOES NOT CLUMP. Srsly. And it’s so easy to take off. Just soap and water, et voila! (I hate waterproof mascara.)


(Oh gahd, kindly ignore the non-pretty haha.)

No product on the right eyelashes. 2 coats of CG LashBlast on the left.

The way I do it is I comb my lashes before and after I curl it. And once more after I apply mascara -- before the product dries.

What I do not like about it — it flakes. The thicker the application is, the flakier it gets (which makes sense). What I do to remedy that is I take those small brush things from Sephora and “comb” my lashes from time to time. But it's no biggie, really.

*****

I still LUH CoverGirl’s Lash Blast but there are a ton of products out there. I’ve been eyeing Tarte mascaras every time I pass by Sephora.

Basically, I’m looking for products that give more volume [length’s a plus but I don’t need it as much as I need volume]. Lancome Oscillation Mascara is the FRICKIN’ SHIZ but I am not ever going to fork over $35 for any kind of makeup. EVER. And oh, fake lashes are out of the question.

So if you have anything to recommend, gimme!

I will not say anything else but: AMAZING.

[I legit cheered when the theme for a certain vampire TV show came on.]