Here come the USC Trojans

Amy and Oakley

Shift your gear, people. We’re coming out of the summer movie geek out and going into fall USC football madness. From tomorrow through Thanksgiving, count me out for any Saturday activities.  Thankfully, many games this season will be in the evening, so I won’t have to miss much of my Italian lessons starting up in a few weeks. What? Italian classes on Saturday mornings during football season?  Are you mad!?  As my husband would say, “you did that to yourself.” Yeah, I guess I’m masochistic that way. First game of the year lands on Labor Day weekend. Unfortunately, a lot...
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Woodstock for your brain

Technology. Entertainment. Design.  = TED. Ideas worth spreading = Spirit of TED. TED conference is where the brightest minds came together to share their ideas.  I’ve heard of the event last year for the first time, and have been wanting to attend ever since. And I finally got to do it this past week at TEDxUSC, an independently organized event hosted by USC. In a small world, Amy G told me about her friend who were going to TED who turned out to know @FStop23.  As a matter of fact, dude was the one who told @Fstop23 about the conference,...
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Meatless Tuesday at TEDxUSC: Week 15

Yes. I was at TEDxUSC. My mind was thoroughly blown. That’s another post unto itself so I’m not going into it here much. Breakfast: My Starbucks treat: decaf tall Americano with caramel sauce. Leftover plantano frito con frijoles y crema—fried plantains with beans and sour cream–from my Friday’s foray into Salvadorian cuisine. Ahhh…Sarita’s Pupusaria at the Grand Central Market! Lunch: Mendocino Farms’ Vegetarian BLT.  Yes, you read that right. It has vegetarian “bacon” and pepper jack cheese. And it was wonderful.  You read that right. This bacon fiend actually enjoyed the vegetarian “bacon”!  Then again, I was eating int the...
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Thanks, Coach

Dear Uncle Pete, So, you’re finally leaving us. Yes, I am hurt.  And disappointed.  I mean, don’t you love US?  Don’t you love college ball?  I mean, you’ve said it over and over and over again that here is where you want to be.  What changed, Coach?  Have we not loved you enough? I know that you deny any bad blood between you and Mike Garrett or your departure has anything to with the looming NCAA ruling.  But I think we all understand how much suck it could be to work for an asshat and to get out before the...
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Lost on Pandora

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9ceBgWV8io] Dances with Wolves in space, James Cameron even admitted that in his interviews.  And Avatar was exactly that. And I love every moment of it. Sure. The story is predictable.  And a little sappy.  And had been told many times before. But it was told with a completely different visual representation.  A seamless integration of digital animation and live action.  For the first time, the CG characters don’t look like they were fresh out of a botox clinic.  Their big yellow eyes say something.  Their blue faces had nuances that the entire train full of Polar Express or (from...
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What did I say about those chickens?

The Trojans escaped again last night from the grip of the Sun Devils. Gridiron Goddess said on her FB status: “thinks USC is TRYING to lose this game”. It sure looked like it. It seemed every time I blinked we would be 1st and 10. Blinked and it’s 3rd and long and there went the punt. Same thing coming back from Arizona State.  It started to resemble a tennis match. Our ball. Their ball. Our ball. Their ball. Oh hey, a score here and there. Actually, I watched quite a bit of in on Catalina Express on my way back...
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