Chevy to the Levy CRAPLog

life's a bitch, then ya die

2011-08-04T23:05:00.000-07:00

I need to get that t-shirt.
Hard days but I'm thankful for what I have, to be sure.

Going to see the Naked and Famous and some other bands in Central Park on Sunday.
Probably going to see the Apes movie (why isn't 3D? yes, I'm a 3D whore) on Saturday and possibly also some Indian buffet-ing in there. I lvoe Indian food in all forms, but it's the one cuisine that I genuinely prefer a buffet. Not all the time, but sometimes. I love the idea of slopping on, pardon the phrase, several colors and textures on my plate and then lots of different sauces too. It's funny because normally I'm the type who doesn't like my varieties of food to touch each other on my plate. So I guess I'm just balls out opposite for Indian food.

My mom always got her breakfast buffet food - scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, hashbrowns, whatever else - and then would pretend to put her syrup on her french toast or whatnot, but in reality would lather it all over her food. She loved when it intermingled. We used to go to Shoney's breakfast buffet in Orlando (when we went to Disney when I was a kid) -- I wonder if those restaurants still exist??
Or there's always Jose Tejas in Jersey. Looong wait though. I don't know the origins of this place but it's pretty good Mexican food (not Cali caliber of course -> yes, I'm one of those former Cali residents who says that a lot) but good for NJ/NY. Also, it's pretty cheap too. And their fries are addictive, long, skinny, delicious. Not to mention there huge and always strong margaritas and daiquiris. But again, others are aware of this and they show up often. There's always a huddle of waiting people at the entrance and there's a car hanging overhead and we're always like "do those people know there's a car hanging over their heads?"
I know I'm rambling about food, but what else is there to ramble about right now? Not too much.

Trying to finish up work tonight. Uprez-ing for the show Butterbean.

My boss showed me this and it's pretty funny.

Oh, and my time killing yielded this result and it's pretty gross so I thought I'd share the definition of butterbean.

All for now...

Egads

2011-07-15T18:48:00.000-07:00

Working freelance on the show Stalked and these stories can get very creepy.
Mostly men stalking women but of course women can stalk pretty damned well too.
I wonder why men have women beat in the serial killer arena though? Thoughts?
Is it all that testosterone? Cuz that's pretty hard for me to believe.
Society's oppression of men's emotions perhaps? hmm.

imperative unavoidable things

2011-07-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

All of this stress has got me feeling very unhealthy again.
These blogs are inspiring:

http://www.healthytippingpoint.com/about

http://cleaneatingchelsey.com/2011/02/02/snow-day-pretzel-rolls/

http://www.healthyberg.com/

Hardest Times

2011-07-14T18:26:00.000-07:00

I can't imagine harder times. This year has been basically the definition of unbareable. Losing people we love is just a bitch. Period. My love needs to expand over time and though it won't ever be the same, I hope at least the love will grow.

I would like to continue this blog despite such hardships and loss.
Love to my mother forever, an amazing woman - strong, beautiful, the best.

Music, Juice, &Love

2010-09-13T07:36:00.000-07:00

This weekend I saw the following bands (!): The Birthday Massacre, Soul Asylum, Elephant in the Room, The Bravery, and OK Go.
Unfortunately, I missed my opportunity to see Suzanne Vega, but I digress.
All of the bands were pretty awesome. Bday Massacre rocked, as did Soul Asylum, complete with lead singer Dave's cheezy jokes and comments (what does Snoop Dogg call rain not caught by an umbrella? Fadrizzle.).
Elephant is a local band who changes tempo like 10 times for every song. I was calling them ADD rock. Plus, they had matching cut off shorts which was interesting (bunch 'o' dudes - should have called themselves Dude's in Duke's or something).
Then there was The Bravery who really one me over. At some point the hipster Jaggeresque lead singer switched places with the young Johnny Cash/Ian Curtis bass player --> they swapped instruments and the bass player sang, just like that! You don't see that level of talent and musicality quite often. All the guys in the band one over everyone and it was amazing.
As day took cover into night, we saw Ok Go. That was really the biggest surprise. They too are insanely talented people but their ease on stage and the little touches they have in their show really excited everyone. They had a hand-cranked confetti blower that blew red, white, and blue confetti at different stages throughout the show. Then the lead singer held a couple contraptions up to the mic that he manipulated to make cool noises. After that, I kept yelling "gadgetry" cuz I wanted more. Lol.
At one point all four men dragged out a table and performed an amazing song to handbells in honor of 9/11. It was pro, and I hadn't seen anything with handbells since grade school. They even wore the little gloves. Even more coolness, the lead singer asked if anyone played guitar during the next song and he pulled this teen girl on stage. During the song he instructed her and she played the guitar right on his body while he sang! Pretty freakin' cool! On top of all this, I loved one song more than the next and then all varied quite a bit as well. Awesomeness!
I'm feeling kind of sore throatish today (maybe it's belated grief from screaming this wknd) and I'm off to have a fresh fruit 'n' veggie juice. We are both committed to drinking this for 3 days (or more) just to clear things out. I think it's the best thing I've done in a while.
I'll update ya on our progress. ;)

libra amazingness

2010-07-09T08:12:00.000-07:00

LIBRA (September 22-October 23)
Saturn enters your sign this month. After a brief visit earlier in the year, it retreated to Virgo and will now spend the next 24 months right with you. This journey starts off with some thunder and lightning: the 5th and final opposition of Saturn and Uranus, capping off a sequence of events that began on Election Day 2008. The prior four oppositions took place in late Virgo and Pisces, veiled from your direct view. July’s event is the one and only opposition across the Aries-Libra axis, which makes it especially personal. Saturn’s role is to help you tie up the loose ends in your life, and there seem to be many. I suggest you overemphasize matters of commitment, consistency, and follow-through. There will be times you’re called upon to make firm, clear decisions, which may contrast with the style of wait and see you inherited from your child-self. Remember that you’re only and always deciding one thing, which is who you are. Many external forces are influencing you to change and grow. Yet something deeper and more substantial is at work, which is a return to the deepest core of your self-awareness and a fundamental coming-to-terms with both your true nature and your true potential. This is about taking action, and one thing you can be confident of is that when you do that, the world will rise to the occasion and meet you full on.

up above to the land of love

2010-06-30T14:14:00.000-07:00

Back on the east coast, still freelancing at MTV. Listening to Patti Smith's Frederick and feeling good.
I would like 4th of July plans that are fun and not crowded and include little travel and lots of fireworks. Hmm. A difficult conundrum.
What are other people up to?

new day

2010-06-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

Things have been very difficult, but my father is home today and all is well. It's a beautiful day here in FL, and I intend to enjoy it. :)
It's supposed to rain pretty heavily tomorrow when I fly back to NY, so I'll have my dramamine in hand and hope for the best.
Oh, and I'm back to MTV next week, so I'm looking forward to it.
Hoep everyone is well and thanks for all your good thoughts and well wishes...

last day at MTV...

2010-06-11T13:45:00.000-07:00

...but may be called back soon which is good news. :)

One of the best live performances EVER

2010-06-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

And my personal fav.
Someone commented this on youtube, lol:

Radiohead is so out of place at the Grammys. This is like Daniel Day Lewis giving an acting lesson to the MTV Movie Awards.

Finishing up for the week

2010-06-11T07:48:00.001-07:00

My MTV gig is finishing up and I will be in FL from June 14th through the 27th. Say hi by email or start a game of scrabble with me on facebook. ;)

Another lil video that is kinda neat for ya on this Friday:

Record Makers Promo from CreativeApplications.Net on Vimeo.

good stuff, happy friday

2010-06-11T07:30:00.001-07:00

flag bearer for future values

2010-06-10T12:33:00.001-07:00

Oi

2010-06-08T11:36:00.001-07:00

Hi all. As a lot of you know, my dad is having health issues that I won't go into here. He's tough as an ox, so we all know he'll be fine. Plz send him your love. I may be gone to FL - not sure when, but soon.
Having a good day at work. Showed a cut about a dance team that needs help (for MADE) and everyone really liked it a lot. Plus, I had apparently improved it a lot since the last time this one producer looked at it, so I got props from him too. Nice feeling. I'd like to post the cut here actually, so I'll work on that. I might even like it on my reel page, even though it's just a rough greenlight (a package shown to the executives to get a show started and then eventually aired).
So I'm listening to Moz and enjoying the day. I'm enjoying the weather even though I'm cooped up in a windowless office. :)
I just am.

man i wish this could be a triad

2010-06-04T17:42:00.000-07:00

wow

2010-06-04T13:46:00.001-07:00

one more cakewreck

2010-06-04T11:52:00.000-07:00

Man, I can't help but post this one, lol:

The Baby Cake Gets Cut Down to Size
You know how sometimes you see a baby cake that's not too horrendously awful, and your first reaction is something like,

"Aw, just lookit that face! Who's a cute widdle boopsie woopsie baby? Is it you? Yes, it's you!!"

Anyway, my point is that while some of these baby cakes might be just the teensiest bit cute, you have to remember one very important thing:

It's all fun and games 'til you cut the cake.

Yes, I have an example. Brace yourself.

Here we have the standard old man baby cake:

I say we call him Benjamin. ('Cuz he's cute as a Button!)

[Quick side note: in case you're wondering, as I did, why he's on a food court tray: it turns out that's a new type of cake board popping up in bakeries. Weird, I know. Ok, sorry to interrupt. Let's move on.]

And just so you get the full effect:

Just lookit that face!

No really, look at it. Aren't you glad the eyes aren't open?

[shiver] Whoah. I just gave myself the willies. (Or should I call them the "bennies?")

Okay. So, über realistic baby. Been there, done that. However, here's where things get...

...cutting.

Thanks for the laugh, cakewrecks.com

2010-06-04T11:39:00.000-07:00

best lunch everrr

2010-06-04T11:17:00.000-07:00

OMG. So I've been trying to eat healthy and mostly raw, and I went to Green Symphony by my job in Times Sq (I recently reviewed it on yelp because it has a fresh juice bar and I get the green monster - spinach, celery, ginger, apple - and actually yesterday I customized it and got spinach, celery, apple, and pineapple, mmm). So I went in expecting to get my green monster juice - and I know I should have because it makes you feel INCREDIBLE - but the hot/cold bar called me over.
They had things like veggie egg rolls (which looked really good btw) and chicken lasagna and stuff that might be made with better ingredients, but which I was not about to eat in my life right now. So I left that area and went to the side and the first thing I saw was a carrot and sprout salad marinated in raw tamari. Mmmm! I have been having a craving for this particular salad ever since I saw it on one of the raw sites. So I got some of that, some red cabbage and raisin salad in some amazing non-chemicalized dressing, some corn salad with scallions, and some tomato and avocado salad.
Let me tell you, these salads were so bursting with flavor that I thought - if this is raw, hellelujah! Lol. So delicious and a little container of all of this was 5 bucks. I got a fruit leather also and I have an apple from before so I'm set!
Yayyyy!

awesome SATC 2 review

2010-06-03T09:09:00.001-07:00

I liked the movie, but this man's review is so true and amazing. Plus, his Brit accent makes it even more emphatic. LMAO

amaaazing

2010-06-03T08:28:00.001-07:00

you light up my life

2010-06-02T10:23:00.001-07:00

aah

2010-06-02T09:44:00.001-07:00

So I'm doing it again. I put off uploading my photos so then I put off actually posting anything. Sorry!
So right now you'll just get some text from me. And a cool site:
http://www.thecarrotbox.com/news/index.asp

So yeah, had a nice weekend. Waiting for the next one, lol. But right now I'm editing a dance team so that's pretty fun. Hope everyone's having a nice hump day so far!

good times

2010-05-27T12:58:00.000-07:00

Is anyone reading this? I don't see comments anymore ppllll. Well, I do need to post more.
Man, I've had an afternoon lull, lemme tell ya.
I'm looking forward to the holiday wknd and in case you're not in the know, some fo the things happening are:

Sat: seeing sex n the city prefaced by cosmos, gossip, and food
Sun: beach picnic and/or multimedia art show in williamsburg
Mon: bbq at Ric's house

Good times.

Looking forward to Memorial Day Wknd

2010-05-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

Had quite a nice wknd but it really did fly by. The weather sucked, but what can ya do?
Back to a busy schedule, but particularly this morning, I felt really great. I had a pep in my step, wearing long ago discarded jeans again, and feelin' fancy free.
This sounds really yummy. Maybe I'll make it and put up a pic:

VIETNAMESE NOODLE SALAD
INGREDIENTS
1 1⁄2 TBS olive oil
4 1⁄2 tsp Nama Shoyu
½ c mango strips (optional)
5 c kelp noodles
2 TBS toasted sesame oil
1⁄2 c de-stemmed fresh cilantro
1⁄4 c de-stemmed chopped fresh mint
1⁄4 c de-stemmed chopped fresh basil
¼ c chopped green onions
2 tsp finely minced garlic
1 1⁄2 tsp finely minced kefir lime leaf
1 1⁄2 tsp finely minced lemon grass
1 1⁄2 tsp finely minced ginger
The zest of one lime
The zest of one small orange
1 TBS honey
2 TBS chopped almonds
1⁄4 c chopped tomatoes
1 TBS chopped red bell pepper
1 tsp black sesame seeds

STEP 1
Marinate the mushrooms in the olive oil and 1 1⁄2 tsp of the Nama Shoyu while you prepare the rest of the dish (they need to marinate for a minimum of 15 minutes).
STEP 2
Peel the optional mango. Use a mandolin, vegetable peeler, spiralizer, or knife to slice it into long noodle-like strips.
STEP 3
Place the mango, noodles, cilantro, mint, basil, garlic, kefir lime leaf, lemongrass, ginger, lime zest, orange zest, honey, and the remaining 1 TBS Nama Shoyu in a large bowl. Use a rubber scraper to gently turn the mixture over and evenly coat the noodles.
STEP 4
Distribute equal portions of the noodle mixture onto four plates. Then sprinkle with equal parts of the almonds, tomatoes, red bell pepper, black sesame seeds, and optional Coconut Noodles. Serve!

bahhh, Tues

2010-05-18T15:24:00.000-07:00

I'm really enjoying this mtv gig, but this week feels so long alreadyyy. Trying to get back on the health bandwagon and enjoy this week. Sunday's AIDS walk was good (sorry, I forgot my camera) and urban bear fest was fun (my friend helped organize it) and then I hung out on the highline for a bit. Oh, and Saturday R & I went to Red Bank which is a really cute, laid back, pretty town.
Good times. Now to get done with work!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T08:59:00.001-07:00

Oy vey

2010-05-07T11:48:00.000-07:00

So I go to "the lodge" (yes, I speak mtvspeak) to get my lunch and step out to the patio/balcony b/c today is such a friggin' gorgeous day and I see everyone and their mother lined up leaning over the balcony. As you all know by now, there was a bomb scare that turned out to be a cooler full of water bottles (thank god).
I didn't have my camera but basically it was a bunch off cop cars shutting down the block. I am literally right in Times Sq, lol.
So I'm fine, my salad was pretty yummy - why are raisins and carrots such a winning combo? discuss - and all's well.
Happy Friday.

Sign of the Times (Square)

2010-05-05T19:35:00.001-07:00

So yes, I left Times Square around 3am on Saturday morning and a handmade bomb was found in an SUV that night. Yeah, a bit scary. But, upon my return to a different bldg in Times Sq (for a different gig on Mon), I found a shitload of cops. Not that this entirely calms my nerves, but I would hope there were also undercover cops. And undercover ninjas. And very obvious ninjas in black with face masks, for that matter. :P
So back to this morning (Wed). Maybe due to the aforementioned security (or not?) the building security at work wouldn't let me in! None of my "contacts" were picking up their phones (for various reasnons, I came to find out) so I was s.o.l.
I finally got in and got an ID. They had an old picture of me from my last gig with the company (corporation? empire?) and it turned out it was when I had blonde hair. Haha. Or at least lotsa blonde streaks. Fun to see that, but I took a new photo. I thought that maybe I shouldn't, and I should be like Patsy (Absolutely Fabulous) and keep my same fresh-faced photo for the next 40 years. Lol.
Ah, so back to the waiting. I got to hang in Times Sq and people watch. Beautiful sunny day complete with those flute playing people who always manage to be playing in any open space in NYC. So I was chillin' and noticed THE ball. The 2010 ball. So I took a quick pic. :P
Oh, I also took a pic of the reallyyyy cool and oddly engrossing semi-new video screen on the Amer Eagle bldg. It intrigues me mostly due to to its geometric shape. It also occasionally displays HUGE photos of tourists in the store who give a "catch phrase" like I <3 Obama" and crap.
And lastly, my friends, I included pics of the chirashis that Ric crafted this past weekend. Chrirashis are fancy rice bowls with sashimi (raw fish) cut up and various other things. They go from 20-40 bucks usually. Ric got amazingly fresh fish from whole foods and put together these rice bowls. Keep in mind that the pics don't do it justice and that the bowls we use are for mammoth-sized people.
It was sooooo good -> melted in yer mouth. :)
Hope everyone's had a festive cinco de mayo! Ayyayyyyyy!

OMG the other Tyra!

2010-05-01T01:17:00.000-07:00

So not only do I not have cable, but I've been so ridiculously consumed with work this week that I haven't been able to watch the finale of RuPaul's Drag Race until tonight! Aw, poor Juju B went down in flames! How did that happen so fast?
I think they want someone so "fashion forward" because of the judges, particularly Santino. I don't think it matters too much in the drag world, but hye, Ru is miss "supermodel" so I guess that's whatcha get on this show.
And I love Raven, personally, but they formed the whole finale in favor of Tyra so it seemed like she should win. Plus, who wouldn't want a homeless young father to win? I mean, really. But I did not condone him stabbing Ju in the eye with his heel! Wtf, right? Or ripping off wigs? Not very ladylike behavior, lol.
Anyway, pretty good finale and I'm happy for Tyra. Leave me yer thoughts about this in the comments!!
Good night at work. But man, 42 nd st is sooo insane, even on Fri nite. It's a human jungle - I thought concrete jungle was referring to, well, the concrete and buildings, but it's really about the people running around screaming and being crazy like deranged hyenas. Hahaha. It was kind of fun to wade through, but I'm just like, I just worked, get me hommmme!
G'nite and yay for the weekend...gotta back on a more "normal" sleep schedule...

Artists Galore

2010-04-29T14:11:00.000-07:00

Ha, an artist came into the shop today kind of out of it or stoned and said he was broke and just bought a water (we have a 2 buck menu! I wanted to scream but he was already onto other things). Anyway, we chatted a while and he gave me his website, but the exact page he gave me at first didn't have any photos or descriptions, just a location of his show. Well, after he left, I looked at it in more depth and he's...
a BEAR PAINTER! Lol, I'm paraphrasing, of course, but check it out.
Pretty awesome. A print of that one painting would be awesome in someone's living room. Hehehe, guess which one I'm talking about. Just curious if you can guess it.

http://www.joserodriguesart.com/

work

2010-04-28T19:46:00.000-07:00

I'm doing this night shift gig for mtv and it's fun so far. Well, not the hours, but I prepped this past wknd to be able to stay up. And the first day I started, or night if you will, Ric and I didn't see each other for a whole day and we live together, lol.
Anyway, the people are really nice here and although there's the avg amount of stress expected during post and during the process of selling a series to a network, everybody's rather laid back compared to some past people I've worked with (who shall remain nameless, muahahaha).
Well, guess what? This whole show is similar to MADE and the first episode is about this woman who lives in Canarsie and undergoes all of these steps to become a singer/performer. So of course I've watched tons of footage of her - at her home, with her kids and ex-husband and father, etc., and during every phase of this process. Today I came in to work and there she was! She was called in to do some v.o. for our rough cuts.
There's always a star struck feeling that I get meeting people whose lives have unfolded to me on the footage which I watch nonstop at work. She has a very cool and funky sense of style and today she was wearing white leopard tights. :) Oh, and she's quite slim - the camera added a lot to her. Movie stars must be stick thin, I swear. It's insanity.
Anyway, it was quite the cool experience. I was very nice to her but kind of in my star struck haze. Nonetheless, we made small talk.
So I'm still at work and about to drink my banana and spinach shake. Good times.
;)

Alissablog :)

2010-04-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
So I've decided that in lieu of old-timey calligraphic quill-written letters (thanks for teaching me anyway, ma), or more "modern" methods of "expression" like facebook, I'm going to really concentrate on my blog. This way I get to post my photos to one place to people who care to look, and I also get to be a bit creative. Facebook I'll leave for lexulous playing.
So if you're out there thinking "whatever happened to alissa?" or "I wonder what alissa's thinking at this moment (or day)"? then you know where to click.
It's a fun project for myself and my loved ones that I hope you'll enjoy. You can leave wacky comments at your leisure. Hehehe.
The first photo I'm uploading is this flyer from my shop because I still laugh when I look at it. Kind of reminds me of Ricky from Better Off Dead. Ric sent it to his "guildmates" (gamers) and he thinks they all think that's him holding the drink, lol.

Lil adventure

2010-04-19T16:32:00.001-07:00

Here's some pics of my s.o. and I on a trip to Lambertville, NJ.
We ended up walking over the bridge which was beautiful and before we knew it, we were in New Hope, PA. I think this is common knowledge amongst NJers, but it was a surprise for us! We'd like to go back and explore more soon. :P

Day About Town

2010-03-23T12:12:00.001-07:00

I got out of NJ and wandered NYC the other day with my friend, cohort, and co-conspirator, Ian. I had never been to the Highline park so we wwalked around there and then wandered the Chelsea Market a bit.
Later we met up with Sean and went to the Ace Hotel lobby and then wandered a lot more and then ended up at an Irish pub on 2nd Ave.
Good times.

so sorrrrrrry

2009-08-21T16:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, I've neglected this bloggy, sorry. I've been so busy trying to anchor the ship and get the tea house going.
For those of you who don't already know, I'm attempting to start a tea house.
camsteaparlour.com
After many negotiations, one spot fell through. People are not willing to give reasonable prices. And this landlord wanted me to pay his yearly increasing real estate taxes. Wtf? Maybe it was a ploy for me to be super excited when he took that clause out of the lease. I was not. So yeah, that was a bummer, but I knew nothing in this process would be easy.
Right now my main prospect is the Valley Arts District in Orange, NJ. I am very excited about this up and coming neighborhood that one "can't tell apart from Brooklyn" right now. Haha. Bringing me back to my roots, perhaps?
If you or anyone you know have any tidbits to share about this area, please don't hesitate to write to me at chevytothelevyfilms@yahoo.com or teatime@camsteaparlour.com.
Thanks!

In the meantime, I was recently a part of this art show. Small, but quite fun. I will post pictures as soon as I have them.
I put two pieces in the show and also read tea leaves as a performance piece. I did a bit of research into this process and it's really interesting! I'd love to get into it more and perhaps have tea leaf readings at the shop in the future.

Tide turns once more...

2009-06-10T12:56:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned my epiphanies before, more keep coming. The healer in me is still there, but as for a "business and lifestyle" model, I realized that I really would like to "steer my own ship". Also, I've found, I want to create a center for intellectual and social discord. In the most beat poet, hippie, cafe-mentality way possible. That leads me to opening a tea shop. It is going to be overflowing with great energy, live music, open mic nights, and just a general place to rest your head and have some extremely innervating and delicious tea.
I have support by loved ones, and I hope this will create a community and not just customers.
More on this to come, but check out the rough website I created for the tea shop by clinking on the image on the home page.
:)

evolving

2009-05-14T09:29:00.000-07:00

I have a rotation of passwords that I use and one of them contains the phrase work is fun. I am now rethinking just exactly what that means to me. I have had many small "epiphanies" over the years as to what I'm meant to be doing, careerwise. I remember at least three years ago if not more walking down Broadway to look at the building front of a natural health sciences school, mainly for acupuncture.
Well, it's coming full circle again. There were some small "signs" lately that came together, and I am now seriously considering going back to school to be a healer, as they say. I am mostly interested in Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic Medicine, as well as "newly-forming" theories of Kabbalistic Medicine.
Wish me luck on my journey, and I'll keep updating...

Hot Pandemonium

2009-04-28T20:28:00.000-07:00

It was like a zoo today in Manhattan. Everybody was out, walking around, being in heat, in every way possible. It's been between 80-90 degrees for the last three days in the tri-state area. I have to admit, being in cold dreary weather really does pay off when you get that delirious euphoria that comes with warm weather! We would all be howling if it were socially acceptable.
Bryant Park was body to body. I took a cell phone picture of it but I don't think it came out very well. I wanted to go to the center and lay in the grass, but I sat in the side of the fountain and moved onto finding a place that juiced their own fresh fruit. (I ended up at Health King - crowded, good, but very pricey)
All in all, there's a magic in the toasty air in NYC.

Pesach in Urbia

2009-04-09T19:13:00.000-07:00

I'm now living in NJ and suburbia has come upon me like a wave. The town I live in is lovingly called "urbia" by my partner and I because it's not quite the rows of identical houses with mowed yards. It's a bit"rougher", if you will.
But since I've moved here I've been to my first Red Lobster (several times now), been to two different Targets and WalMarts in one day, and been to and enjoyed my first Applebee's/
Noooo, it's got a hold of me! :)
I'm freelancing for the show Chopped, on the Food Network, and that's taking up a lot of my time. (I just adore Ted Allen, the host, and his cute little facial expressions and chic glasses - if only I were a gay man).
I made a mini seder tonight which turned out to be a lot of food. We ended up looking up "short seder" on the internet and finding a 30 minute seder and doing it off of my laptop. Way to go, 21st century! And Happy Passover! I'm going to my friend's seder tomorrow night since no one had time to have a big one until tomorrow.

"Wedding Porn"

2009-03-11T11:14:00.001-07:00

For anyone getting married, or for those who just like pretty visuals, there is this site:
http://offbeatbride.com/
The colors and designs are eye catching and pretty exuberant.

Economize Me

2009-03-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

Last night, I went to a networking event for women at a swanky Midtown bar. While walking to the downstairs event area, I noticed the groups of cliches, er, men in suits chugging down shots. I guess that happens in happy hour bars all over NYC, particularly in Midtown. I felt as though I was in a movie though. A cheesy movie.
The networking event was actually painless and everyone was quite nice and articulate. I met women in all types of industries with all types of personalities. But one thing was dauntingly clear. The economy has hit us all. IS HITTING, I should say. It's affecting me, but it's also affecting lawyers, analysts, human resource administrators, and well, even Mary Kay representatives! (I know, that last one isn't exactly the shocker of the season).
It can be very discouraging, but I know that we all need to be resourceful and positive.
I sure as hell am trying.

My first story of economizing me is trying not to spend so much $$$ on meals! The East Village Taunts one with sights and smells (some not so good, admittedly), and I am weak! My average lunch is $10 ranging up to $15 which is too much for an unemployed lady. I am vowing to eat at home more and shop in the grocery store for things on sale. (and not just go back to my cheap staple, ramen...variety is the spice of life...and nutrition...)

Send me your stories of economization at chevytothelevyfilms@yahoo.com.

Everyone Should Dance

2009-03-09T10:17:00.000-07:00

I do believe that everyone should dance. It's exercise, fun, with technical aspects and artistic aspects, as well as a social "thing".
I definitely do not do it enough.
There was dance class, a seemingly obligatory little girl activity. I quit after about 6 years because I just couldn't do that split that became more an more mandatory every year. Still can't.
Then there was the college years when dancing was a really fun accompaniment to the almighty social lubricant that is alcohol. But I realized over the years of trolling gay bars - the best music - and diver bars, that I enjoyed the high of dancing more than the alcohol. I was in every possible situation - dancing alone in an empty, pre-late crowd club; dancing alone in a crowded club; dancing with a group of friends; dancing with strangers, both sexually alluring and well, not so much. It's body language without a doubt. I felt as though I explored that language, learned it, perfected it.
These days I'm slightly older and go out a lot less, particularly to dance clubs. The future looks bleak on this front - the days of that granny on roller skates being cool are over. I guess that went out with disco and the coke spoons.
So what do I have to look forward to in the near future? I know that my body wants to dance and possibly even more than the standard bar/club gyrations.
I have decided to take dance classes. Of all sorts.
I'll update you on how that goes...

How To Be Emo in Ten Minutes

2009-03-02T11:59:00.000-08:00

Take hair, part it on the side and brush it over one eye. Muss up the back of it.
--image to come

Put a short sleeve shirt over a long sleeve shirt. This will work with any shirts, even your grandfather's. At this point, everything is "post" - post-emo, post-punk, post-grunge, so everything implies an inherent irony.
--image to come

Get any piece of metal and wear it on your body.
--image to come

If you are wearing sneakers, take out the laces. I don't know why this works, it just does. If you are wearing high heels, take them off, put socks on, then put them back on.
--image to come

Listen to any Smiths album. Yes, this is cliche and will complete your emo transformation, but don't be surprised if something about this music just changes your life.

For the Future:
Get a face piercing, any face piercing.

old wives tales?

2009-02-27T10:56:00.000-08:00

Being sick is horrendous. No one can really argue that.
Some things floating around about "cures":

-soup (of course)
-sleep with socks on
-take 2,000mg of Vitamin C
-shot of whiskey
-drink a lot of water

Any more tips? Please send them to chevytothelevyfilms@yahoo.com, and I'll post them here.

Top 10 Ways to Feel More Beautiful

2009-02-13T05:58:00.001-08:00

1. Look in the mirror just once a day.
Look at yourself just before you leave the house to make sure you look the way you want. Any more than this is unnecessary. You know what you look like and any tweak to this throughout the day will be too minimal to change your beauty fundamentally.
There's that funny scene in Bridget Jones' Diary where she goes on a "mini-break" in a convertible and arrives with her hair in a tangled beehive. This, of course, may warrant a look in the mirror but ultimately just adds to a charming sense of adventure.

2. Smile.
As a woman, I cannot count the amount of times some man - mostly a stranger on the street - says "smile!" to me. I always found it condescending, but now I just find it annoying in this ever-evolving haven for perverts known as NYC. Ultimately, what it comes down to is that smiling changes your inner mood as well as your outer "vibe". There are undoubtedly countless scientific studies, but try it and feel your beauty pulsate.

3. Shave off all your hair.
This one can be tough for any women, particularly heterosexual women since men are so visual generally. A woman may feel hideous at first, but I have seen this action free so many women that it's impact cannot be denied. Think about the rapunzel, long-haired, beauty cliche and then think of being freed from that. Lesbians often chop all their hair off when "coming out" as one of the biggest outer statements that they can make - hey world, hey men, check THIS out! And it works, tenfold. I advise any woman to do it when she feels in a rut or finds herself feeling inferior to other women. All of a sudden she is at a level playing field. The pressure's off, so to speak. It really puts a woman in a vacuum for all intents and purposes. Sure, she is still a woman and is still attractive to people -- which is precisely the point. Her beauty can now shine and grow from a very pure place, as outside from society's boundaries as one can get without moving away and living in a cave.

4. Exfoliate.
Snakes shed their skin. We are not snakes, but we are constantly attempting to shed dead skin without even being aware. Doing it manually with a scrub in the shower just intensifies the process and your feeling of beauty.

5. Do yoga.
I am not a guru or someone selling a yoga video, I swear. I just cannot allow this one to be left out. Do a sun salutation for five minutes and tell me you don't feel like a source of light, or at least permeated by it.

6. Accept a compliment.

7. Go out for a walk in the sunshine.
Yes, even the most vampiric of us all benefit from a little sun and a little stroll. Imagine you are taking a carefree stroll purely for your amusement, that it was a hundred or more years ago - and now you can go out unchaperoned and everything! Really feel the independence that generations of women have fought for and feel your own beauty through them.

8. Talk to yourself.
I know this may make you feel like an old crazy lady with 8 cats, but really voice something that you wouldn't otherwise tell anyone. If you voice your taboos or your fears, you empower and free yourself.

Stay tuned for 9 & 10...

My top singers of ALL TIME

2009-02-13T05:32:00.000-08:00

My top singers of ALL TIME:

# 1. Billie Holiday
# 2. Rufus Wainright
# 3. Morrissey
# 4. Bessie Smith
# 5. Michael Stipe (and the rest of R.E.M. ain't too bad either)
# 6. Patti Smith
# 7. Nina Simone
# 8. Frank Sinatra
# 9. Johnny Cash
# 10. Tracy Chapman
# 11. Louis Armstrong

Subject to change in case I forgot someone. ;)

Obamabilia!

2009-01-27T10:37:00.000-08:00

Obamabilia!
Copyright LOGO, 365gay.com
Edited by moi!

http://www.365gay.com/video/365gay-on-the-road-obamabilia/

damn skippy

2008-11-13T12:30:00.001-08:00

Woohooooo!

2008-11-05T11:19:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to Mr. Obama, our president-elect!
I admit that I'm like a beaten lover - the past two elections I've voted in and they're been arguably the worst in history. Rigged, fixed, conspiracy-based odd phantoms took over those elections, and I was afraid the same would happen this time.
I couldn't really let myself get excited until i heard he was projected to win Ohio and then it all crept in.
I was cheering and jeering with the best of 'em. I can't believe he pulled it off!
I really hope this country can come back from the downward spiral we've been in for a while.
It's amazing to see people form other countries waving American flags and saying they love us. I haven't seen that for a long, long time.
Gobama!

yesterday, pretty sweet

2008-10-29T08:36:00.000-07:00

So I guess it pays off to work for a network sometimes. ;)
At my job at LOGO, Leisha Hailey and her bandmates gave a private acoustic concert in our offices. Talk about convenient!
Almost needless to say, I was swooning and trying to play it cool. I could have gotten a photo with her, but I'm way too bashful. She is so tiny, but I guess most people on TV are.

She and her singing partner have really beautiful voices! Uh Huh Her is the band's name, check 'em out.
http://www.newnownext.com/2008/10/uh-huh-her-inva.html#more

And I guess that grrl standing right in front of me who I kept thinking I knew somehow...well, I did! It was ANTM's (and MTV's) Kim Stoltz. Holy crap!

aweseeming

2008-10-28T11:46:00.000-07:00

This version is quite beautiful too. Those Germans and Norwegians have something going on. :)

awesomer :)

2008-10-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

I'm obsessed with this song, I admit it.
And this video is a piece of art as well...

awesome

2008-10-28T11:40:00.001-07:00

quite true

2008-10-20T11:49:00.001-07:00

http://perezhilton.com/tv/index.php?ptvid=2b951320ddf71

Dedicated to my love

2008-10-09T10:40:00.001-07:00

And by the way, Happy Birthday to moi!!!

hehe

2008-10-01T12:51:00.000-07:00

Has anyone else gotten this intense feeling when they see Sarah Palin (or Tina Fey who does the best impression anyone could ever do)?
I think I've figured it out!:

And I think this country will turn into King of the Hill if she has anything to do with it. Except way less funny and cute. And without Bobby because he's borderline gay.

Her interviews make me mad too. The way she never answers anything!

funniest, most amazing response

2008-09-17T19:40:00.000-07:00

Margaret Cho put up a blog posting saying that she thought Sarah Palin was evil and shouldn't call herself a Christian. Apparently a lot of people didn't like it. Here is her response to them (funniest thing ever):

I’m a Christian, you Fuckers

All kinds of Christians are getting mad about my Sarah Palin comments, and it is pissing me off.

First of all – you fucking fake Christians - don’t fucking question my Christianity. I grew up in the church. My grandfather was a minister, who is with God now and talks to me in my dreams from God’s corner office. I am a former Sunday school teacher. I taught the Bible to children and showed them how to love God and invite him into their hearts. I believe in God – but I don’t fear him. God is my best friend. God is my ally. God is my boyfriend. God is my best fag. I am God’s fag hag cuz didn’t you know, God is a big fag. Serious bottom too. Butch in the streets, femme in the sheets. That is my God. God is my biggest fan. God gets me, dude.

God wants us all to just get along. He doesn’t give a shit about the profanity. The bitch fucking invented profanity. He thinks it is hilarious. He just wants you to talk to him, and he doesn’t care what you have to say. He just wants to keep the conversation going. Like Jay-Z, he just wants to love you. He just wants you to be able to make your own decisions. God is all about you and what you need. God is happy that you are gay. God made you fucking gay cuz he thinks it is awesome. God understands if you need to have an abortion. That is why he created abortion, on the 8th day. God accepts. God forgives. God loves all of us, even though some of us might have a problem with each other.

Don’t fucking question my Christianity you fucking idiot assholes. If you continue to have a problem, then talk to God about it, not me, you fucking racist homophobic misogynist fake Christian shitheads. God thinks it is funny that I swear so much. He said I could use his name in vain or whatever. He just wants me to use it. He loves me. So fuck you. And I guess he loves you too. Even though you are fake Christian assholes. If you were truly Christians, you would let gays get married, and send them fucking presents from Bed Bath and Beyond!

If you truly believed in Jesus, you would try to be like him and love us, fags and dykes and feminists all. God bless you, even you. You fucking fuckers.

para voce

2008-09-12T13:15:00.000-07:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7609704.stm

I'm looking forward to the Brazilian Festival this weekend, as well as a brief trip out of the city.
The city, multiple jobs, all of it can get so hectic.

Workin' Woman

2008-09-10T17:42:00.000-07:00

So I'm at Job 2 and going strong...er, well sort of.
First let me get this article off my chest. Definitely a different argument but overall insanity:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/paglia/2008/09/10/palin/

This whole Sarah Palin thing breaks my heart a bit. Hilary had her issues, this I know, but I was so excited that she could have been Pres. Now out of nowhere we have another woman figure, but instead, of course, we get a gun toting, conservative, bible thumping, anti-abortion, "pitbull with lipstick". Oy vey. It's kind of like a nightmare that I wish i could wake up from.
I really want to back a female in such a potentially high up position, but come on now. Just come on. This is just enough.
Whewww. I feel slightly better. Sorry to bring up the whole politics thing.

More importantly, it's devastating to see the damage all of these hurricanes as of late have caused in places like Haiti and Cuba, and more. Not everyone can just evacuate. My heart goes out to all affected.

Not to make too much of a subject jump (but I will), it's nice to get offers workwise but I'm pretty busy these days. Thankful, but busy. I'm trying to get a few paintings started on top of it, but we'll see.

Until then I'll leave you with this image:

It felt so wrong, it felt so right...

2008-09-08T11:12:00.001-07:00

Woohoo, updated blog and it feels soooo good...

I feel that I've made reparations and life is suh-wheat.

I just found out that this coming week I shall be working two freelance jobs. Two full time jobs. Eeek. I'm thrilled in the $$$ cha-chinging tingly way, but also concerned that I may have to intravenously inject caffeine into my body. (intravenous drug use is no laughing matter and is in no way endorsed by this blog).
Let's see how I hold up. Amusement may be in store for, well, you. Not so much me.
I'm working at LOGO which rocks and will also be working on a pilot for Stone Cold Steve Austin. I can't say I know anything about it, but maybe it will be large men in small lycra. That would be cool.

I feel this weird need to post a video again. hehe:

New and...errr...improved!

2008-09-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

Hellooo...happy Friday!

I will be updating this blog much more. Happenings, thoughts, crap, etc.

My DIY "company" recently had an awesome art show called Dare to DIY. Thanks to all of the artists and musicians involved (and my friends!).

Here's the link to photos:

http://s123.photobucket.com/albums/o304/liss5454/Dare%20to%20DIY%20an%20art%20show/

This weekend I'll be seeing bands in a musicfest in NJ including Cracker, the B-52s, Everclear, and more. I'll also be attending the Brazilian festival. (because I love big ass cups of sangria and my Brazilian man, haha...

For now, I leave you with a video to spice up your weekend:

Archive CRAPlog

2007-09-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

So things have changed quite a bit for me, thankfully, and I am now a freelancer. I love embarking on this journey and all of the projects I'm involved in and will be involved in.

Just as a "shout out" you can find me on myspace at www.myspace.com/chevytothelevyprods or email me at chevytothelevyfilms@yahoo.com.

Archive CRAPLog - Back it up And put your weight on it

2007-02-13T10:59:00.000-08:00

The screaming of large groups of people grinds into your brain like the grinding of talcum into raw wood.

Archive CRAPlog

2007-01-09T10:55:00.000-08:00

I work in a spacial environment where coworkers are very close to me. Sometimes they're literally on top of me, as a joke or if someoe else needs to squeeze by. It's "normal" in day to day operations, so it's hard to think of it as anything out of the ordinary. Even as I type this I feel as though I'm in a tribal circle. The building I work in is circular too.

I also feel that, especially since it's cold outside, I consistently breathe in stagnant air. I wonder the effects it has on my brain cells and brain functioning.

it's a combination for disaster

2006-10-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

I just can't seem to get the hang of writing in this thing. But I think I remember it in "times of woe", and I'm also extremely terrifically bored at work. How much can a person myspace, for god's sake. Speaking of a higher power, today is supposed to be a holy day, a day of reflection. Oddly enough, that's what I'm doing, but it's sheathed in depressive intensity. Plus, I'm supposed to be fasting I suppose, but I'm not. I ate this egg sandwich thing at subway this morning, god only knows what GMO shit I actually ate. These two French women wanted the equivalent of a croissant and freshly squeezed OJ - a real French breakfast - but were in the wrooooong place. It was quite amusing. They motioned for the "sandwich artist" to give them rolls with butter. Of course he didn't have butter, but he finally asked with a chuckle if they'd like "fromage". So they agreed to those triangular onjects that resemble cheese. It was sad. Then they asked for espresso and he paused and was like "uh, no" so they got coffee and helped themselves to bottles of Minute Maid. What a clash of cultures. The crazy thing is, I saw one of them at work a few hours later. Her taste moved uptown to a more upscale locale (museum) rather than the shady subway on Houston street.
Anyway, I can only imagine what I'm going to feel as my higher digited birthdays approach if I feel this way now. It's such social pressure, really. I dunno. I'm reflecting on my life and I'm doing "fine" but is fine good enough? Fuck no. This woman on a PBS program last night was advocating that everyone in privilege has a responsibility to be intentional with their lives and help others. She went on and on very articulately and she's some human rights lawyer blah blah. Of course I agree with her, but I just think it's all so fucking theoretical.
I'm so sick of that. I can see why some of my peers are so drawn to farming, working the land, etc. I mean, I could never really be into that but it's so real and uncomplicated. I can be as anti-consumerist as I want to, but in the end, what the fuck am I doing with my goddamned life?
Maybe I'll post again with a limmerick or something because this shit is ridiculous.
(I'm also up in arms emotionally - people can be so cruel and I'm obviously too unstable to be romantic or even brutally unromantic)
more to come...

Listening to The Clash's This is Radio Clash, feelin' good

2006-06-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

Day's almost done here in my cubicle lifeforce pod. After the initial desire to find any sharp object and use it against myself, I'm okay with working in this office. For now. At least I have a job and won't starve (haha, yeah right, me starve). I watched Bruce Almighty last nite (why??? -I'm not sure myself). The whole premise is this idiot (Jim Carrey of course) renounces god because his life is so horrible. But basically he doesn't get a news anchor job -ooo, Brianne, the news director would have a lot to say about that- and he steps in puddles and gets caught in traffic. WTF??? How sick and spoiled and disgusting are we as Americans? It makes me nauseous. I know it's just a stupid and poorly written plotline in a movie, but the core of the premise is what really gets me. So I'm applying that to my life and even though this job has the potential to suck out my soul completely--> what, am I being tortured? Is data entry and researching different types of colored avery binders really going to kill me? Is it that much misery? I think not.
I will try and digress. I've been fighting a cold or something lately. I need to be well for priiiide. Woohoo. I'm pretty sure I'm marching with the radical queers at the dyke march on Sat. I'm looking forward to it.
I'm going to see an apt today. Not sure if I can actually afford to move right now, but it's nice to see what there is out there. Having my own place will officially make me an adult. (?) Yick. Scary. But also freeing. I wonder how many women out there, in the entire world really, don't get the chance to live on their own. Occupy their own space. It kinda rocks, for me.
Over and out.