Made In America

So Friday night I took a break from finishing up my script (turned in Sunday, yo!) and went to see "Made In America," the amazing doc that my friends Shaun and G.U.S. produced. It screened outside at 350 S. Grand, downtown LA, fo' free, and it's a movie about the gangs in Los Angeles, so the balmy air and helicopters and surrounding skyscrapers melded into the film.

Dudes, this is an amazingly good movie on a subject that nobody talks about - the conditions in LA and the US that gave rise to gang activity and the war between the Crips and the Bloods. Maybe the most startling fact was that it's a civil war that's been going on longer than the conflict in Northern Ireland and more lives have been lost, but it hasn't gotten any attention or resources. Well, certainly a lot less than we're spending on the Iraqis. (Clearly you don't want to get me started on this...)

And at the end, a bunch of the guys who were in the film stood up for a Q&A, and they were among the most powerful speakers I've heard in a long time. They're devoting their lives to stopping gang violence, and their organizations are down on the ground doing the good work. Check 'em out, give 'em money, see the movie, and spread the word.

Dirt Gets Props

So I was at Asian Dinner last night (my nickname at these events is Yao Ming), and not one but two of the ladies the table gave The Dirt Alert the best props ever. Ms. P, a songwriter, said she was stuck for something to write about the other day, so she scrolled through the Alert for inspiration, fo' free. Then Ms. E, who writes for a children's animated series, chimed in and said she's done the exact same thing.

I tell you, it's enough to make you pick up the laptop and make three posts today. That, and the fact that it's been a while and there's been so much Dirt.

Get Wet

I just wanted to remind everyone here in El Ey that we live near the ocean. You should go get in it, immediately. Especially while it's so damn hot. I did last weekend and it was amazing, and then we went and ate fish and drank beer. A perfect day.

Sometimes I forget that I'm the luckiest person in the world, but that reminded me. Citizens of LA, there are people living in land-locked places all over our fair country who would kill to be able to drive to a So. Cal beach. For some of them, that's even called a dream vacation.

And did you remember that the ocean is fo' free?

The Upside of Contracting (Viva Espana!)

The upside of working long weekends and living through feast-or-famine work cycles: You can watch the World Cup at 2PM and drink beer and eat sausages WHILE working. And since you're getting paid, it's better than fo' free.

Bonus extra: The Scottish announcer, Andy Gray, who is never afraid of a few bad puns: "The rain and Spain poured down on the Russian defensive plain, and thunder rumbled and lightning flashed as the Spanish fired a few crackers of their own."

The New York Times digs him as much as I do: "Gray has been the extra revelation of Euro 2008."

Second bonus extra (lady-style): Watching a bunch of Italian/Spanish/Dutch dudes run around in shorts. So much better than American sports.

Go Spain!

Life Is Beautiful

That's the name of the art show I went to last night - VIP preview suckas! (Which means, free wine.)

Mr. Brainwash is this guy who runs with Banksy and Shepard Fairey (who, apparently, I met last night when I was talking to my friend Josh).

AND, my other friend Josh bought me dinner at my fave low-fi excellent sushi place, Ike Sushi, so the whole night was fo' free.

AND, it's summer in LA, so after peeping the art, we hung out in the courtyard and rocked the sexywarm night. Life is indeed beautiful. (Although Obama, Hilary and McCain as founding fathers are a bit scary.)

Finally Everyone Can Get Married

...At least in California. Gays and lesbians are getting married in the park in West Hollywood right now. Rock it out before some jerks take it back to court.

Because it's Hollywood, among them is George Takei - Sulu of Star Trek. Checkov is the best man and Uhura is the matron of honor. Trekkies across the globe must be wetting their pants.

Equality is nice. But it sure ain't fo' free.

I told you this was the Summer of Love.

My Marxist Feminist Dialectic Brings All The Boys To The Yard

Sorry, peeps, it's too late to buy it for me for my birthday; I already ordered it. Oh my goodness, I haven't laughed this hard in a long time.

It's hard for a girl in the modern age to bring together her politics AND her love of booty-bumpin' phat jamz in one pithy image on her chest fo' cheep. Word up to TorsoPants!

All We Ever Wanted Was This Book Party

Ms. Janelle Brown had her very first reading last night at our friendly neighborhood bookstore, Skylight Books, where she rocked the house with a couple passages from her fab new book "All We Ever Wanted Was Everything."

Then we all rolled on down to the afterparty, where the people were looking good, the snax were looking good, the St. Germain cocktails were looking good, and the ice cream sundae bar was looking good twice.

But the best part (besides the amazing fucking achievement of Janelle writing a novel, getting it published, seeing it turn into a real live book, and finding it on the shelves at a store) was the genuine sense of celebration and affection that permeated the event. It was the perfect night - one of those rocking parties you'd always imagined attending, when you grew up and you and your friends started achieving all you'd ever wanted.

photo by tula jeng.

Baby's First Apocalypse

We had a baby shower for Carina on Sunday, which meant a lot of presents for her and a lot of wine for everyone else - a fair deal by any standards. I'm happy to say it felt more like a chill afternoon with all my best girls on Hilary and Christine's super-dope porch than anything else.

There was one game - we each made a fake scrapbook page for Carina and Craig's impending bebe. The winner: "Baby's First Apocalypse."

Yes, it was that kind of shower. Congrats, C*C!

Live Screenprinting Salon with HIT+RUN Today!

Dudes, Farmlab is this cool org downtown that focuses on considering the urban space, weird eco-projects, and just plain cool shit. And I just found out that you can go down there and make your own t-shirt today at noon with this badass t-shirt collective, FO' FREE!

WHY DO I HAVE TO WORK?!?!?

Live Screenprinting with HIT+RUN

Los Angeles silkscreen collective HIT+RUN brings their mobile screenprinting studio to Farmlab for a limited edition printing session. Choose the combination and placement of exclusive designs to create your own one-of-a-kind custom t-shirt live on the spot.

OBAMA WINS!

I know I've been using a lot of exclamation points lately, but this truly deserves one. I am nearly in tears - scratch that - I am in tears. I can't believe I'm seeing an African American win the nomination of a major party in the United States of America. I've never ever ever felt this proud of our political system.

I got nothin'. I'm speechless.

Excuse me while I go dance in the streets.

Dick & Sonda Turn 40!

That's right, my parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary yesterday.

What did they do, you ask? They went to Reno and stayed in a hotel fo' free and gambled fo' free (Dick had a coupon, yo) and won $148 bux. Then me and my loving siblings sent them to a fancy dinner at Washoe Grill, one of Reno's best new restaurants, so they could eat some prime rib fo' free.

Mom, thanks for going on that blind date to the Torch Lounge in Flint, MI 41 years ago, even though your hair was dirty and you didn't feel like it. Dad, thanks for ceasing to hit on the cocktail waitress as soon as mom walked in (no dummy). And both of you, thanks for rocking it from China to the Czech Republic in white sneakers and blue windbreakers, being way too strict while I was young and completely lenient now that I'm old, and most of all, thanks for showing us all how it's done, long-term style.