THANK YOU, American Apparel!

It's Snowing, Let's Get Boozey

I plan ahead--I stocked up on liquor Friday afternoon and hit Whole Foods on wednesday before everyone went snow crazy. In case you didn't--or if you want to engage in the bad behavior that accompanies snow in places that don't usually get it (drunken snowball fight? Yes!)--We Love DC has a list of open bars and restaurants.

As a disclaimer, I'm not sure how many of these are still open. I think this is even worse than folks planned, because Dino emailed this morning that they had to cancel their plans to stay open.

While we're on the subject, Dino, whom I rave about constantly on this blog, they mentioned how difficult this weather has been on their December/January revenue. Dino supports local, they support sustainable, and they're a genuinely family run restaurant with amazing food, a stunning wine collection and really a great value for what they offer. Stop by. They've also got great tables if you're planning a group dinner.

We Clearly Can't Handle Snow

DC got another 2-4 inches last night, which is just salt in the wound that's still open from the epic pre-Christmas storm. I realize this is nothing to you mid-west and Boston kids, but this just doesn't happen to us, especially with another potentially big snow storm heading our way this weekend.

I get it Obama, you're from Chicago and you're not going to shut down the federal government (which all of the local businesses generally follow) for a couple measly inches (and the one damn thing metro manages to do really well is keep running in the snow, grrrrr), but we occasional snow kids get a little giddy when the white stuff just keeps coming (yes, still discussing precipitation.)

First there was the idiot cop who pulled his gun on the good folks participating in an organized snowball fight here in D.C. Then this morning, I read about the lovely lady up in Pennsylvania who is being charged for throwing a snowball at a city bus driver for not letting her board with an expired bus pass.

City officials and citizens alike, we just can't handle the snow. It makes us crazy. Just let us stay home.

All I Want for Oscars is Good Fashion

As previously mentioned, I treat award shows as a cross between a sport and a holiday. For Christmas, I want Burberry...and for the red carpet I want pretty much the same thing. I've been so busy bashing this year's movies that I haven't really gotten around to bashing this year's award show fashions.

So, a note to all you Hollywood starlets out there: no more dresses approximating your skin tone. Nothing else with oddly placed ruffles or applique. And just because Julie Andrews makes strange choices and decided to be in The Tooth Fairy for reasons that pass understanding, if your dress makes you look like Tinkerbell, just say no.

The makeup looked good. The hair we'll give a pass on since no one in LA knows how to handle rain, but come Oscars red carpet, we want to see real colors detailing that's interesting, not strange. If everyone could follow January Jones and Marion Cotillard (and my controversial pick, Kate Hudson)'s lead , that would be fantastic. Thanks.

Am I Really Going to Have to See The Blind Side?!

I've already bitched about the dearth of films this year that deserve any sort of special attention and the fact that the Academy has returned to its 10 flick Best Pic category. Well, my question of what's going to be included has been answered and...well...

Best Picture
Avatar--duh. Admittedly I haven't seen it yet and I guess I'm going to have to (not like you can rent the damn thing, it obviously has to be viewed in a theater in 3D) but the reviews from friends have been mixed...I think breaking down by gender, but further analysis is necessary. What I will say is, I almost threw something at the TV when Cameron won for Titanic and have to reconvince myself that Leonardo Dicaprio is a decent actor every time I go to try and watch a movie of his (and he really is a pretty good actor.) Excitement level: meh.

The Blind Side--really?! Really?! I have to go see this now, don't I? I don't know, maybe Sandy really is extraordinary in this one, but the Erin Brockvich comparisons aren't inspiring me (that really wasn't a good movie, in case people are still confused). Sandra Bullock, even if you win an Oscar, you'll still be the chick clenching from diarrhea to the stellar musical direction of "Taking Care of Business" when you finally release in some poor family's RV a la Two Weeks Notice to me.

District 9, An Education, The Hurt Locker, and A Serious Man--I'm fine with these in concept. I'll be seeing the ones I haven't yet in the coming weeks (a tradition of Tami and I's), but these are the types of films I expect from ole Oscar. I will mention that some of them just got in under the wire. I get that everyone saves the good stuff for right before awards so that people don't forget them, but this year it's been like "oh crap, we didn't put out anything good all year, hurry up and release this thing, who cares if only the foreign press has seen it come awards time."

Inglorious Basterds--I guess I'm fine with this too, but Tarantino's generally more of a cult following thing than an Academy Award thing (with or without Brad Pitt.) Like all Tarantino films, I expect this to be a movie about pretty people looking dirty, people getting killed in a creative way and things blowing up with some cleverly funny lines.

Precious--I want to want to see this film. But I just don't. That's it, that's all I really have to say.

Up--I mean, it's charming, but it's a children's animated film. Not that we shouldn't constantly reevaluate our idea of what "good" is when it comes to film and just generally art, but we should reevaluate based on things that challenge us, not yet another Pixar film that doesn't substantially differ from the last. I doubt the folks who made this movie thought that were making the best film of the year...like, why don't you just throw the Hangover in there while you're at it?

Up in the Air--I really like this movie. It does something that I think films of a certain type are supposed to do--captures a moment in modern history and speaks to the times we're living in and the changes that have occurred. For me, this movie came out at the perfect moment when a lot of change had occurred and spoke to a culture that I personally participate in. I liked it. Other friends of mine found it sort of obvious and heavy handed, and I see where they're coming from as well. All of that being said, I think in any stronger year, this movie would have gotten a screenplay nod and that's it. There wouldn't be this buzz around it.

At least Nine was left off the list, which (despite the costuming and some strong performances) was totally disjointed.

A Couple Things to be Pleased About
From the LA Times:

Bigelow, who won the Directors Guild of America Award over the weekend, is only the fourth woman to earn a best director nod. Daniels is just the second African American filmmaker to earn that honor.

I'm not thrilled just because there should be more diversity in film making (there should, it tells a better story from more perspectives), but also because I've heard that these folks put out amazing films.

All in all, academically I was taught to believe that hardship and national consciousness devoted to specific problems is a boon for cultural products. 1939 is widely considered the best year in film and we were still deeply in the Great Depression and moving swiftly towards World War II. After an economic collapse, a massive political change and engagement in 2 wars, this was the best we could come up with?

Anyways, Tami and I will be catching the flicks we haven't seen...maybe we'll join Foursquare just to see if we have any stalkers who will try to run into us at the theaters. If I can recommend anything, it's seeing the short nominees (shown in DC at the E Street Cinema.) Octopodi last year was the best 3 minutes of my life...and you feel cool at your Oscars party for having an opinion when the category comes up.

Leave your predictions (and/or strong feelings) in comments...

Hey, Costco - Treat Your Members Like They Pay to Shop There!

I have a long-standing love of Costco - in fact, I've loved it since before it was Costco (it used to be called Price Club). My dad used to take me there when I was a kid - and there were always so many wonders available in bulk. The best part for me, being the budding elitist I was as a child, was that you had to be a member to get in. It may have been called Price Club - but it was a members-only club nonetheless.

As I've gotten older, I have noticed that someone has forgotten to tell Costco employees that they are, in fact, dealing with members. Now, the club may not be exclusive. It may not be expensive. But damnit, we pay a membership fee for more than moderately reasonable prices on ridiculous quantities of food (especially since my Costco in Arlington doesn't have gas).

They get ruder and ruder with each visit! On our frequent visits to Costco, my fiance and I like to grab something from, as my friend's grandfather used to call it, Cafe $1.50 (in reference to the super cheap kosher hot dog and soda meal - but I am partial to the slightly more expensive huge slice of pizza for $1.99). Well, the cafe is easiest to get to through the exit. If you go in through the entrance, you have to navigate through the densely packed long lines for check out. Recently though, we have been getting insane attitude from the trolls who check your receipt on the way out. One lovely young girl with one of those beauty mark piercings suggested we didn't realize we were walking through the exit. She tried to tell us the entrance was the other door. Um, you may not have a 6th grade education, but I do - and I can read. The worst part was that the exit was slow - there was no one there. What does she care if we want to get our lunch faster? What were we hurting?

But the attitude is all over the store - even if you aren't entering through the exit! When you check out, they treat you like scum. When you buy food, it's as though you are bothering them. When you're leaving, you get a dour expression as they make a big black or yellow mark down the middle of your receipt. I'm sorry, am I bothering you by coming to your place of employment and making you do your job?

Sadly, I have come to expect this level of service at a large number of establishments (Macy's, I am looking at you). But, I don't pay for the privilege to spend more money in a large number of places.

Costco is like the 2nd largest retailer in the world. They supposedly treat their employees really well. But, they got to be the 2nd largest retailer because of their customers - their members. Maybe it's time they clued in their well-treated employees that if they like their jobs, they should be nicer to the people that make it possible for them to remain employed.

Thanks, Recession!

So, the recession screwed many of us in many ways. You didn't necessarily need to lose your house or job to feel the effects...ask any law student hoping for the cushy summer associateships of years past.

But one way the recession helped us out was by scaring the hell out of retailers. Several stores have figured that students retain their disposable income, even in hard times, and have instituted student discounts. Club Monaco began offering a 20 percent discount last Spring, which I took advantage of like it was a drunk freshman. As of today, Banana Republic (we hear from a friend who works there) is up to the same thing, but at a 15 percent discount.

So, for those of us who have retained a student ID card via either scholastic achievement or trickery ("issued: 2005" looks just like "issued: 2008" with a little sharpie magic...and really, any salesperson who questions your graduation date can be easily thrown off the scent with near tears about how difficult your learning disability makes it to take a full course load), take advantage of your student status...to stock up on work clothes. (Sidenote, the BR discount also applies to teachers...you're welcome TFA folks.)