Griffith Observatory

The week I moved to LA, Griffith Observatory was having their grand reopening after spending several years closed for renovations. My first apartment was directly south of it, so every day I saw it there up on the hill, one of the prettiest sites in a city that's not always known for charm in it's architecture. Nevertheless, it took me over a year to finally go up there. I've since been back two more times.

I love that place. It's totally free to the public (unless you buy a $7 ticket to the planetarium show), and even if you aren't a fan of astronomy, it has the best view in all of LA. I've been lucky enough to see the sunset from there, and let me tell you, it's gorgeous. To the young and broke in Los Angeles, let me recommend it as a great date place too. It's unique and beautiful, and you won't be called a cheapskate for taking someone there even though it's free. Very good for doing stuff on a budget.

Every time I go I leave feeling better about LA. How bad can a city be when a guy named Griffith J. Griffith decided to donate a giant park on a hill and build an observatory so the public could see the stars for free? The story is that after looking through the telescope at the famous Mt. Wilson observatory Griffith said that if everyone were to look through a telescope, it would change the world. Now it's there for everyone to look up at the stars and planets, and little kids are excited to be there, and I feel much better about the future of this country.

As I've said before, I was an English major in college. That's not to say that I don't enjoy science. I do. However, I wouldn't have the patience to deal with the specifics of a given scientific field for my entire life. I like to think that I could write some good science fiction someday, and while I strongly support scientific discoveries being made every day, I know I won't be the one making them. I understand enough of how the universe works to know just how little I really understand, which is why I get angry with religious zealots who refuse to believe in things like Evolution or the Big Bang.

I would never be an astronomer, but I really like the people who pursue the field. After spending four years at Harvard I met a lot of people from a lot of different scientific fields, and most have a bit of arrogance about their chosen profession. Biologists who can genetically engineer a mouse to have gills are probably convinced that they really can do anything.

Astronomers are different though. Every day they are confronted with the vastness of the universe and how little we understand about it. They realize that compared to the billions and billions of other galaxies out there, our planet is just a spec barely worthy of notice. I can imagine that it has to humble a person. In my experience most astronomers I've met love what they do, but they have a good natured sense of of purpose, and a sense of humor about what they do. There isn't much fighting among themselves when someone else wants to do what they do. They're just genuinely psyched that someone else cares about the stars just like they do. Plus they stay up all night in quiet serene places with clear skies above them.

Mankind evolved looking at the stars, using them to navigate, to measure time, and to tell stories and fables that serve as the basis for all religions. We have a built in instinct to look above us at night and be fascinated. One of the things I regret most about city living is that with the combination of air pollution and the insane amounts of light we have on in the cities at night we can't really see the stars. Every time I'm out away from civilization I look up, see the Milky Way, and savor the moment because I always forget just how beautiful it is.

So in closing, go to the Observatory, look up at the sky, appreciate our little corner of the universe and how it inspires us to keep exploring and learning more. You can bet that when I have kids I'm bringing them there all the time.

Just saw Anne Hathaway get carded

I went to the liquor store by my office (see earlier post "Buying Wine, and Why I Suck at It") to pick up some Friday night beers for the office. Sometimes we crack one open after the bosses have left if it's been a crazy week.

I walk in there, and there's Anne Hathaway, making a purchase with a skinny white dude wearing a pastel pink shirt and sporting the barely there mid-20's white dude beard. I'm guessing she's going out with this guy since she gave him a kiss while I grabbed a six-pack of Sam Adams got behind them in line.

She bought a few bottles of wine and a magazine. The guy behind the thing asked if she had ID, she said, "I do, but I don't have it with me." He said nothing and let it slide, because he knew she was famous and we could all tell. The boyfriend then paid for his own separate bottle, saying something like, "I'd feel bad if I let you pay for everything." Anne amused herself while he paid by trying on sunglasses and asking him if he thought they looked good.

They walked out, and as they paid the guy behind the counter asked his buddy in the store what movies she was in, because he couldn't remember.

Down with Blago

Seriously, why did it take them this long to impeach Blagojevich?

He was under investigation, they had him on tape bartering with people to put them on the Senate, and was arrested for corruption.

Why was he not impeached that week back in December? They just voted unanimously to kick him out and say that he can never hold public office in Illinois again. Was it really that tough for them to get their shit together?

If Roland Burris turns out to be a crappy Senator it's on the heads of these guys in Illinois. They should have done this a month and a half ago. Either way, unless Burris does a phenomenal job you know there's no way in hell he's getting elected to keep that seat once his term ends. I'd like to think the Democrats wouldn't even let him get through the primary. I guess only time will tell.

Doing more

Being bored by my current job has a silver lining. It helps remind me what I really care about and why I'm here.

Last night I had a meeting of my spec pilot workshop, and as I was making helpful suggestions on the other people's pilot ideas I really enjoyed myself. I like writing in the room.

Work is work. I'm not going to be here forever. I'm good in the room, and that's what I want to do, so the fact that I'm kinda meh about my current job reminds me that it's okay to make writing my top priority. This was not something I was able to do when I was getting broken in as a new assistant and driving from Los Feliz to Santa Monica and back every day.

So I don't feel guilty for reading pilots as research at work and devoting my weekends to my own projects. I have 3 nights a week locked up with writing projects every week, and I'm being a lot better about maintaining contacts with people that are also in my position, or people that were in my position once upon a time and might have some good advice for me. My off time is spent more often than not watching TV episodes and movies. Watching what works and what doesn't is helpful. When I watch a show that could have been more I analyze it and diagnose what I believe the problems to be (i.e for Studio 60: the best moment of the show happened in the teaser of the pilot and then that character disappeared for the rest of the series).

Someone on my tracking board just posted looking for writers and producers for a side project web series she's working on, so I emailed her that I was interested. Hopefully the show will be a worthwhile thing to work on if she's interested in my writing.

I'm just trying to churn out more volume, because I enjoy it and if I write enough stuff eventually some of it will get noticed and lead to a job in TV someday.

Great phone call

I'm working on a new pilot script. It's not the easiest concept in the world to explain, but I think it could make a good show. Like everything else I write I find that I'm making unexpected personal connections to it. In this case, I was trying to figure out exactly how to approach a certain character when it hit me like a ton of bricks that he's pretty much my college roommate/one of my best friends in the world. Now that I know the kind of guy he is, his voice will be very clear in my head and I think it will help the writing.

I wasn't sure if I should do it as a 1/2 comedy script or a hourlong drama/comedy script. I was leaning towards one hour, but I had that confirmed for me over a great phone call with a much more established writer that I met through my college alumni network. He said he'd be happy to help me with any other questions I had, and seemed pretty genuine, so I feel pretty good.

Almost too ridiculous to be funny

It's been lightly raining the past couple days in LA. Before that we had a week of sunny weather with the temperature in the mid 80's.

After just two days of slight precipitation, people in LA are like, "ugh....so sick of this weather!"

I mean, honestly, it's like -20 in some places on the east coast. When I lived in Boston there were times when I didn't see direct sunlight for weeks at a time. People here are way too spoiled about their weather, and the sad thing is that it's not just the LA natives, it's also people who've been here for less than 5 years.

Friday Night Lights, rewriting history

People who have satellite TV have been watching Friday Night Lights for months now. For those like me who don't have a cable hookup and have to watch their tv on hulu or netflix, Friday Night Lights just came back after their last season was cut short due to the writer's strike.

It was a ridiculous return. They had to throw so much information at us it was insane.

First, WHEN THE HELL IS RIGGINS GOING TO GRADUATE? He was the best friend of the QB who got paralyzed, and they were both seniors in the first season. It was already kind of bullshit that he was back last year, but all of a sudden he's there again? How is he the same year as Saracen? The same goes for Tyra, although that one isn't as bad. I could see her as the sophomore chick that partied with the seniors in season one.

It's also funny to see what characters they got rid of. For example, the Santiago guy that was living with Buddy Garrity. As well as the rest of the Garrity family. They got rid of all them, and just had Lyla living with him now. I get that. Although, she's another one that should have graduated by now. It is interesting that they dropped the hardcore Christian thing she had going for her before and now she's just banging Riggins again without the added rush of cheating on a paralyzed guy.

All in all, the episode was rife with a ton of information coming at us all at once so they could start over and try to pretend that their previous season wasn't a complete mess. I think it also goes to show why high school shows have so man problems after their first season, because high school changes every year as people mature and graduate, but on TV shows you have actors under contract and characters that people love so you're forced to do all kinds of ridiculous things like having everyone go to a previously unknown college right in their home town.