Thursday, August 16, 2007

At this particular moment in time, I'm living in that delightful midsummer limbo during which it's not quite time to be panicking and itching and frothing at the mouth about another year of school soon to come, yet not quite at that point where it's hot and sticky and every day the New York streets are sweating with too many boiling, tired people vying to make it home in time to collapse in front of the air conditioning all afternoon with a cold beverage and the latest "ANGELINA AND BRAD ARE HAPPY...OH WAIT, NO, NO, MY MISTAKE, THEIR MARRIAGE IS OVER, THEY ARE LIVING A SHAM OF A FARCE OF A LIE, THEY ARE TWO BROKEN HALVES OF A WHOLE, BRAD HATES ANGIE AND IS PLOTTING TO TAKE OVER THE LOST CITY OF ATLANTIS WITH JENNIFER ANISTON, ANGIE IS TAKING THE KIDS AWAY FROM BRAD OH WAIT NO MAYBE THERE'S HOPE YET FOR BRAD AND ANGIE NOW OH AND BY THE WAY BUY THIS SHIRT AND THESE SHOES BECAUSE THEN YOU'LL BE COOL AND FAMOUS TOO" magazine.

I must confess to perusing many a sand-encrusted copy of InTouch or Us Weekly while lying on the beach or sitting on an infernally hot subway, but at least I can say that have little real interest in Brad and Angie's relationship, or, for that matter, exactly whose pants Lindsay Lohan squires cocaine around Los Angeles in. I hereby wash my hands of the whole sordid matter.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
There.
Anyway, where was I before my brain ran off without me?
Oh yes.
My summer has been filled with all the regular idyllic things like the ocean, the smell of honeysuckle, iced coffee, et cetera, but that sort of thing is boring to write about and even more boring to read about. So, I've compiled for your reading entertainment the Emma's Schizophrenic Summer Playlist and Movie List. Enjoy!

"Alison" by Elvis Costello.
Now, I don't know if anyone else is familiar with this phenomenon, but sometimes you'll be driving around and a certain song will come on the radio and you can't help but scream out the lyrics and bob your head energetically from side to side in a way that is disturbing both to your fellow passengers, general passersby, and/or street-corner hoboes stealing banana peels from garbage cans whom you might drive past. "Alison" is one of these songs.
AAALLLISOOON, I KNOW THIS WORLD IS KILLING YOOOOOOOUUUUUU...
ALLLISOOON, MY AIM IS TRUUUUUUUUE...
MY AIM IS TRUUUUUUE...
MY AIM IS TRUEEEEEEEEE.

"Swallow" by The Wailin' Jennys.
I'm generally not a folksy person- I have no interest in prairie skirts (with the exception of one misguided, on-sale ankle-length Kenzo tent-masquerading-as-skirt I once wore out for a full four hours before running home in shame) or grinding my own maize or whatever it is folkspeople do.
But I think The Jennys (we in-the-know hipsters are permitted to shorten the band's name from The Wailin' Jennys to simply...The Jennys. Avant-garde, yes? Yes.) could convert even the grittiest, concrete-jungle-loving, sunshine-and-happiness-hating Nuuu Yawker.

"California" by Joni Mitchell.
I don't think you really need to explain this song.
I'll just say that it has been the soundtrack to many an Emma Mini-Road Trip.
And while we're on the subject of road trips, and, therefore, on the subject of greasy food chains one might need to stop at whilst taking said road trip, try the Baconator at Wendy's.
SIX STRIPS OF BACON.
Joni Mitchell and bacon. 'Nuff said.

"Raspberry Beret" by Prince.
Whenever I type the word "Prince" on this blog, I feel like I should pay a royalty to The Molly (I was going to write The Princetastic Molly, but then I decided that was stupid, and I deleted the "Princetastic" but forgot to delete the "The", and then I thought this could be kind of a cool nickname for Molly if she's into it. I always wanted to be called The Emma. God, I need to be put in a group home somewhere).
THIS SONG IS THE MOST DANCEABLE SONG OF 2007. And that is coming from a girl who has sworn off dancing in public, because when she dances she looks like this.


God, I miss that show sometimes.

This last one is a double feature...
"That Time" and "Summer In The City" by Regina Spektor.
I felt I had to include "Summer In The City" because, well...come on.
It's summer.
I live in a city.
It's a beautiful, haunting, exquisitely worded song.
Blah, blah, blah.
"That Time" is one of my all-time favorite Spektor songs.
It is best suited for sitting out on my fire escape with cold, milky coffee and a plaintive, fast-paced, caffeine-induced mood.
It bounces off my walls in a way I very much enjoy.
God, in my next life I want to be Regina Spektor. Is that possible?
So, those are the songs that have been governing my summer.
Next up, my new favorite movie...
"The Talented Mr. Ripley".
An almost-perfect movie, as far as I'm concerned.
Tom Ripley: I always thought it would be better, to be a fake somebody... than a real nobody.


Whenever I watch the jazz club scene, I miss Italy so much. Americano, Americano!
I was going to use that as the title of this post, but I thought everyone who hadn't seen The Talented Mr. Ripley (poor misguided souls) would think I was insane.
Honestly, it was extremely odd to watch this brilliantly crafted movie filled with interesting plot twists, amazing fashion (all the women in this movie are dressed in a way that makes me crave a life of red-lipped, full-skirted privilege in the fifties) and gorgeous men (yes, I'm a teenage girl. Yes, I love Matt Damon and his nerdy glasses in this movie, even if he is incredibly creepy. I couldn't help rooting for him anyway, which I think is part of the genius of the plot. P.S. Not to be declasse, but...Jude Law's ass.
When he was still attractive.
You're welcome).
Anyway, it was odd to watch this movie, because the night before I'd gone to see "I Know Who Killed Me."
I, and everyone I was with, spent the entire movie alternating between hysterical laughter and begging one another "Please, let's leave, while we're still young. I can't do this anymore! SOMEONE, PLEASE, TAKE ME HOME!".
I mean, are you supposed to take that movie seriously?
I find it impossible that someone picked up the script, read through it and said, "Wow. We have to make this happen. Someone find me Lindsay Lohan and a pole and a bunch of prosthetic limbs".
The simple contrast between the two movies is mindblowing. They're at completely opposite ends of the spectrum.
I can barely wrap my mind around the fact that they're both referred to as movies, and I am NOT exaggerating. If you think I am, go catch the matinee of "I Know Who Killed Me".
Voila, end of list. Fairly short list, huh?
I guess it was more like a mental Post-It note of random jottings.

SIGHTINGS- Oh, the glory. A gorgeous red-haired couple, the girl in one of those Indian beaded shift things that look good on nobody except for gorgeous slim girls, the guy in fitted, long dark denim shorts and a white mens' tank with white Converse. They looked fantastic, like some sort of annoyingly, simply perfect ad for annoying, simple perfection. A pixielike Asian girl with idirescent yellow eyeshadow, a small black canvas miniskirt, a purple, red and pink block-print tee, and those much-coveted shiny Christian Louboutins. And it all worked. Lucky bitch. A gorgeous guy with an Afro in a simple white button-down and khaki pants, with vintage penny loafers and an amazing chocolate-colored man bag. A girl in a sparkly silver bikini and gunmetal silver flats which for some reason I completely coveted. She managed to look neither like a disco ball nor a Miss America Reject, and it turned out very chic.

CURRENT ATTIRE- Red-and-white floral-type knee-length skirt, tight white tank top, red shiny ballet flats, red vintage bangle. I feel like a fire engine, but I like it.

<3

45 comments:

pinup_girl said...

What I would give to see everything you described in your sightings section. I would LOVE to look out the window or walk down the street and see somebody dressed like an individual, not a clone. :[ Sad face. I can't wait until I move to New York City, which I WILL do someday.

Snookums said...

See, the midsummer limbo, for me, personally, continues all year long. I don't know where this attitude comes from, but it does. On rare occasions, I switch to "two-year-old-on-Christmas-morning" mentality.

I think I might join you in that group home. On the plus side, I've been listening to a lot of Abba.

Oh, I'm annoyed at my computer, in which case I may have to comment you when he can be assed to play that Youtube video for me and show me the pictures. One day, I'll get a good lawyer and chuck the papers at the thing and then it'll smarten up, I tell you.

I'll give it a second chance in a minute.

"Raspberry Beret" is one of the few Prince songs I don't have, since, musically, I taste the eighties a little too much. It makes the tongue feel fuzzy sometimes with all that Blondie and Madonna and Duran Duran and Eurythmics ... I'll stop listing now, to save my pint of pride.

I'm a movie junkie, yet I have only seen parts of your new favourite movie, "The Talented Mr. Ripley". That qualifies me as a financially-average soul on a detour, by your standards, yes?

Let's make a "I hate Jude Law" club. Anyone can join and those who don't want to join, we can openly mock. Most passerbys will get offended and Sienna Miller look-a-likes will feel less pretty. Eventually, we will be ostracized and banned from Planet Earth, but I heard Mars is quite nice. A little dusty, though, so hope you're not asthmatic.

On second thought, let's not do that.

Oh ... In my opinion, Lindsay Lohan, a redhead, shames me everyday. Her existence is scarring my soul slowly.

It hasn't reached the "Tom Cruise" level of pure hatrid yet, but she's getting up there to the point of "quirky in the foulest and most illegal ways". Paris camped out there for many months.

As for your sightings ...
Redhead couples make me smile like no tomorrow.

Seeing as I'm a redhead, that makes a lot more sense, but remarkably, redheads don't usually date redheads. A redhead liked me once. My boyfriend wanted to bop him one in the nose, but they're friends, so maybe not the best idea, no?

Anyway, you blessed us with another blog entry, which is all that matters.

Keep at it!
=)

P.S.: Thank you for the compliment in comment form on my blog. Very much appreciated.

maudrey said...

hehe i am always to afraid to go out there with my eyeshadow- that girl with the yellow would have been so cool! i am jealous that you are enjoying hot weather its freezing in melbourne today!

Anonymous said...

i totally have those car moments too, actually sometimes a fav song on the radio makes my day, haha sad, i need a life. but allison hehe good one, have you seen "get over it"? it's a classic!

woah the talented mr ripley, honestly i was half weirded out and ready to turn it off until you know the thing where jude....yea...won't spoil it, then i became completely intrigued and could not turn it off, it's pyscotic, so i was indulging my inner nutcase i guess haha.

btw, pics in the first part of the post don't show :( sorry

Heidi said...

Ooooooooh! Ruby slippers! I just started looking for a pair for myself. It's going to take me a few years to land the perfect pair. I like your attire -- very NYC indeed.

sophie said...

quite nice. i love raspberry beret...haha...i went to a prince concert when i was about 7 and had no idea who he was, but i was rockin' out all the same.

Jay said...

You rock.

Joyce said...

Sure! You've got a nice blog too..

Bojana said...

Hysterical...is that a good, or a bad thing?
Haha

Meg said...

I love Matt Damon. He is my ideal. I love that he's never in gossip magazines, he's a great actor and he's so attractive. Screw Brad Pitt, I want more Matt Damon. The only thing I'd change is his friendship with that hack Ben Affleck, apart from that, well done God.

PS. I missed your comments and your posts.
PPS. Team America was stupid, Matt Damon is clearly smart.

Emily said...

i love the summer yey...

Anonymous said...

I love Regina Spektor!!

alexgirl said...

Ah, summer. Good times. And your list rocks. BTW, did you know Regina Spektor is playing at Hammerstein Ballroom on Oct 16th? I just thought you should know, if you didn't already. You should totally go see her live!
I've been meaning to see Talented Mr. Ripley again. That was a good movie. But top on my list is Superbad which just came out today--woo hoo!!

riz said...

you are awesome - love your cyncial blog...and i agree with much of it. just stumbled upon it recently.

Susana Rodrigues said...

hey sweetie :)

I like Elvis Costello very much and yes i'm familiar with the phenomenon of driving around screaming out the lyrics and singing and even dancing lol

i love music so i sing in the car, in the bath, in the entire house, at work lol of course at work i cant go screaming like crazy (ahhh that would be funny to watch lol) :)

kisses
Su

Anonymous said...

ha, I can't believe you went to see I know who killed me, I pray you were high or kidnapped and absolutely starved by your kidnapper for weeks on end and promised buttery popcorn and nasty watery hot dogs if you went. Great music list, I saw Regina at Irving and it was heaven. I want to be her too, so you will have to fight me or we will both have to play our Russian heritage cards like a game of War and see who comes out triumphant.

s.i. michaels said...

All good calls, especially the Joni'n'bacon and Regina Spektor. I almost got to see her live for free but she never showed. Ah well.

Weekly Blogette said...

hey you may want to change my link, it's changed to: weeklyblogette.blogspot.com

Alexiev said...

Good... text and images... The best...

Best wishes from Buenos Aires...

http://www.alexiev.com.ar
Alexiev Store

Bobbypin Bandit said...

I have to say that I bat for team Anniston and always have. Vince Vaughn is way better than Brad could ever hope to be, at least in my eyes. I love Elaine. I wish Seinfield was still on. Curb your Enthusiasm is good, though!

Moose on the Loose said...

My summer is O-V-E-R. Enjoy you're last weeks of bliss...Treasure them, treasure them.

Joy said...

Fabulous post - I always enjoy reading what you have to say :)

Jen (MahaloFashion) said...

HA I don't even read those magazines anymore they make no sense and they are so trashy I'd rather read online blogs, it's strange but they are actually more aqurate and don't bother with none sense trash:P

Ella Gregory said...

there are more rumours about brad and ange? i thought this week it was all about brit brit being a bad mama again!
these gossip mags move so fast

Carolina Lange said...

I have those car moments too! I love to sing when I`m driving!
Love you comment about Bad Pitt!
Your posts are allways so funny!
Another great post!!!

Maria said...

I want to be Regina Spektor too. She is so very very inspiring. I was in her concert, open air and it was raining but she and her songs made me feel so warm and she has the cutest laugh and seemed so shy and nervous and genious. She didn't play my favorite songs of her though, but it didn't matter, they all are. Joni Mitchell is great too, sometimes I listen to her vinyl I found somewhere.

Maddy said...

My favorite summer album is "Old and in the Way". Jerry Garcia with a mandolin, playing, of all things, bluegrass. It's lovely.

Anonymous said...

lots of interessant people in new york, that was my fave thing about the holliers! there were areas where it all descended into a bit of scenester bollix though with everyone looking exactly the same, but even so everyone still looked damn hottt. i developed a thing for the pervy moustache on hot new york scenesters i must say!

Mrs Fashion said...

What about The Mollytastic Prince?
And how come you get to see pretty peeps on the street and all I see is skanky cellulite in way-tight batty riders and non-existent grooming regimes?
Sigh. You have a charmed life Emma.
x

Siru said...

thanks for the comment :D

Amy said...

I love The Talented Mr. Ripley. Sadly I have yet to see the movie, but I'll get around to it.

And, I would be truly honored for you to link my blog! Thanks for reading it.

Eritia said...

I love Joni Mitchell, and as soon as I return home, I will add to my *cough cough* slightly illegal *cough cough* music library the entire song list.

ineedmoredrama said...

i just watched the holiday. and jude law's even hotter there!!!

ashley heaton said...

i LOVE elvis costello. and the talented mr. ripley!

sophie said...

okay i don't know how i just found out about this, but THERE'S A (or going to be) TOPSHOP IN NYC?? i saw it was moving to nyc, but i wasn't sure if it was already there. is it? you are SO LUCKY. URGHHH

WAT said...

"exactly whose pants Lindsay Lohan squires cocaine around Los Angeles in."

LMAO! AHAHAHAHAAH! GOOD LINE! AH MY BELOVED LA! We're full of so many nuts! Dont'cha just love my hometown! WEST COAST BLUES BABY!

The Talented Mr. Ripley is one of the finest most amazing motion pictures I have ever seen! So well-written, acted, photographed, and eerily disturbing! Even that dumb ass bony hag Gwyneth was decent in it! HOW COULD THAT BE?! LOVE IT! LOVE THE WHOLE SEXUALLY AMBIGUOUS CHEMISTRY!

Did I mention I LOVE IT?!

Char Ruiz Manjarrez said...

Love you blog, always so funny. And I adore Regina Spektor!

C.

pinkmilk said...

Yes, would love to share links...you show the world mine and I'll show them yours...or whatever.

sophie said...

about your question, i really want a career in fashion- probably going to start working at a fashion magazing, maybe elle or teen vogue. then i want to be a designer, definitely.

A said...

OH MAN, never have a come to your blog and seen so many unread posts, it's like this fantastic... craziness. I couldn't read them all because the smell of dinner is wafting into my nostrils so I thought it'd be best to check what we're having (something unrecognisable in a pan), but I did see some cute espadrilles, the words 'Jude Law's ass' and the fact that you only just noticed the evil death trap for small, insecure children. So, I'm here to do my usual mile long comment and OOH, I just remembered that my god-sisters are in new york right now and I warned them that it would be horrifyingly hot, but they took no notice of my warning and wore black anyway. tut tut. If you see a pair of sweaty ginger people, just say 'Hi! a piece of advice: listen to your godsister'.
Oh man, I'm actually addicted to blogging, I hav found. Or the internet generally. I tried to blog using my dad's blackberry but it just wasn't working, so instead I readth 13 pages of perez hilton that I had missed out on while I was away.
excuse the fact that some letters are missing from words, I'm using y sisters keyboard and if you don't press like a mad man then you'll end up missing 2 letters per word on average. I'm guessing that statistic.
I aprove of your favourite songs feircly, and also I look forward to being shocked by the awfulness of I Know Who Killed Me with my friends. I can see a lot of choking on popcorn and annoyed watchers going SSSSSH! English movie goers are sooo boring. They never cat call at the screen or throw candy or anything fun. tut tut.
must dash for mystery dinner but longe comments will dfinitely ensue

alexgirl said...

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm so glad you liked my book! BACK TALK was really fun to write, and I was really hoping you (and everyone else) would like it. It's okay that you didn't buy it, as long as you scream it's worth from the rooftops! Tell all your friends! woo hoo!

Sorry, I just had too much coffee.
Hope you had a good weekend. I'm kind of enjoying this rainy weather we're having.

And ps-I love your quasi review of the LaLohan movie. I think I'll have to rent that one.

-S said...

nothing is better than taking 15 minutes to read your blog when i realise you have a new post.

Amy said...

Aaawww you flatter me.

Amy said...

Also, thanks for choosing my caption! I meant to say that before but my blogger account was acting up and doing bad things with my comments.

(Not THAT kind of bad things lollll....)

molly said...

EMMA!!! I LOVE YOU (and your friend stewart...does he have facebook so i can internet pedophile him?)
THE MOLLY

the fact that you gave me a great nickname that doesnt involve the word moll makes you my hero
and everything elsee you do makes you the greatest person to ever exist

i love being immediately associated with prince