Michael Jackson.

I have nothing. Absolutely nothing. I grew up listening to ... having the biggest crush on ... Michael Jackson. I've seen him live. Twice. Thriller and Billie Jean are still two of the best music videos EVER MADE.

Thank you for your music. Thank you for your artistry as a performer. Whatever craziness happened as you got older--and I don't condone it if the allegations were true--doesn't take away from your musical brilliance.

R.I.P. Michael. My condolences to the Jackson family.

Dating sucks!!!

It just seems like dating is a stacked deck. If you like someone, you're not supposed to show it. If you want the person to occasionally call you, then you're considered needy or dependent. If I initiate contact, then I'm being pushy and annoying (and breaking the golden rule of not showing someone that you like them).

I made a mistake (I think) earlier this week and went off on a man who I thought was blowing me off--I hadn't talked to him for five days, more than a week if you don't count text messages! And I had left a voice message on his cell the morning before. Busy or not, anyone can find five minutes to call or send a message saying "Hey...thinking about you. Really busy. Call you when I return home." Is that really too much to ask? He responded furiously, saying that his out-of-town work assignment ran longer than expected (but didn't bother to tell me that) and that he had a friend in the hospital (ditto) and that he resented my accusation and told me he doesn't want to see me again. I apologized profusely, but to no avail.

Originallly, I was devastated. I really liked this guy--attractive, intelligent, passionate, creative--and I thought the feeling was mutual. But for someone who worked in communications for a living, his interpersonal communication skills are sorely lacking. I could feel him putting up walls, and saying things like --I have to "earn" his affection/trust/whatever (whaaaa??!). Maybe once he knew I was into him, he lost interest. And we're both control freaks, so maybe this was destined to fail. What sucks is that we had a lot in common--art, music, media, travel--I still can't shake the fact that we could have been a great couple.

I was in the wrong for going for his jugular. But he gave me no indication after our first date that he really wanted to pursue this. Why do people have to play games? If you're not interested in me then tell me and stop wasting my time and yours. If you are interested, then LET'S. MAKE. THIS. HAPPEN! Getting to know a potential love interest is always so much harder than it has to be. Pisses me off... *sigh*

"I'm just ahead of the curve"

So Sid Ganis at AMPAS (the folks who bring you The Oscars) finally admitted--sort of-- that they screwed up in not nominating The Dark Knight for Best Picture earlier this year. So, to make up for that huge snafu, the Academy is extending the Best Pic nomination slate to ten. Great. So Star Trek or Watchmen (God help us) can get the nod that TDK deserved more. I hope that Chris Nolan has made Ganis' face into a dartboard!

I am SO going to see this movie!

Many people are calling this new Three Stooges movie that the Farrelly brothers are directing blasphemous to the original trio. I'll hold my judgment until it comes out next year. Because in addition to growing up watching Stooges clips on TV, I will see it for this reason: 

Sean Penn is playing Larry!!!

RIP Natasha Richardson

Last night's stunning announcement of the death of Tony-winning actress Natasha Richardson had a extra dose of sadness for me. Many of my close friends and family (and now, you) know that I have HUGE "thing" (the term "crush" would be an understatement) for her husband, Liam Neeson. I remember reading about how they met on stage, cast opposite each other in a Broadway production of Anna Christie--their palpable chemistry apparent to nearly everyone who saw the play (I didn't--I wasn't living in NYC at the time).  Not long after the play closed, they were married.

Many times I've jokingly commented on how I "hated" Natasha Richardson. Not only beautiful and talented in her own right (rent either The Handmaid's Tale or Patty Hearst to see her at her best on screen), she was with "my man." I just saw her on Top Chef a few months ago, where she was a guest judge and the honorary chairwoman for an AmFAR fundraiser.  A twinge of jealously bubbled up even then. 

Now, remembering those comments, even though they were in jest, makes me cringe. I would never wish this fate upon her and her family, but I can't shake this hovering feeling of ... guilt? 

My heartfelt condolences to Liam Neeson, their two sons, and the Richardson and Redgrave families.

AIG? OMG!!

I just find it annoying that the thousands... yes, THOUSANDS of $$ I am paying in taxes this spring is going to bail out a company that paid millions of dollars in bonuses to people who 1) fucked up the company, and the country in the process, and 2) in some cases no longer work there! Supposedly, half of the bonuses may be returned to us.  I'll believe it when I see it.

Sean Penn > Mickey Rourke!

As I wrote earlier, I didn't watch most of the Oscars telecast last night, but Nikki Finke's blow-by-blow is hilarious.  But I don't get the fanatical devotion that many people had--including Finke--to seeing Mickey Rourke win for Best Actor. It's obvious that he was the "populist" choice to many, to the point that there were some saying that Rourke should prevail while acknowledging that Sean Penn gave a better performance. (????!!!!!) Others are saying Penn's win was "a make-up Oscar for Brokeback Mountain" or a nod to anti-Prop 8 sentiment.

If conspiracy theories make hardcore "Wrestler" fans feel better, fine, it's a free country. But it's pretty simple and obvious why Mickey Rourke, who is a wonderful actor, lost. He was outshined by his longtime friend.

Sean Penn will go down in history as one of the best film actors of all time--maybe even THE best. His performance in Milk is sublime, the literal meaning of a tour de force. He was better than Mickey Rourke, and his colleagues rewarded the best performance in that category. The BEST ACTOR won the Best Actor Oscar last night.