pop culture... yeah, it will be the death of me.

My mother has a borderline-unhealthy obsession with The Real Housewives.


Not just the Real Housewives of Orange County. 


Not just the Real Housewives of New York.


Not just the Real Housewives of Atlanta.


Not just the Real Housewives of New Jersey.


Not just the Real Housewives of DC.


No. 


She has a borderline-unhealthy obsession with ALL of them. 


Which has started to rub off on me.


Kind of.


I can't stand the Real Housewives of Orange County... they make me cringe. 


The only one I liked on New York was Bethenny and she has her own show, so I'm no longer obligated to what that bullshit.


Atlanta was a bore - and a certain blond white girl who thought she was black kind of made me give up hope on humanity. As did her singing voice. (Which reminds me, so did "the countess" and Danielle off of Jersey...)


I haven't even TRIED to watch DC more than once, since while they look more human - no skinny little bitches on that one, except for one... whose lack of mass seems to be impacting her brain - they are also far more obnoxious, since you now add in Politics.


What my weakness is... well, that would be The Real Housewives of New Jersey. As much drama as Jersey Shore, slightly more brains and way less spray tan. Even here, on the one show that I don't fight when my mother puts it on EVERY SINGLE BLOODY NIGHT, I can't stand the majority of the cast.


Let's break this down: 


When this show comes on, the face I dread seeing is that of Danielle Staub. Or whatever her name is now that she's flipped a bitch on TV and is probably going into witness protection so that those people who want the world to be a better place don't fling her off of a cliff. My personal suggestion was that we use her and her ego to plug up the oil spill in the gulf of Mexico, but that's just me. I am in no way a doctor, but if I WERE, I would guess that Danielle Staub has a laundry list of mental issues that could be easily dealt with if she would simply institutionalize herself - on a related note, once her eldest daughter turns 18, I believe SHE can ask that her mother be institutionalized. It's a good idea - I'm considering it for my father. 


Then there's her daughters. I don't dislike them. In fact, I find them charming... the older daughter (Christine) is a lovely human with buckets of talent who deserves to be free of her mothers claws so she can pursue greatness, while the younger one (Jillian)is sweet but could use a better parent-figure that can steer her towards her own creative and emotional and social growth. Simply put: GIRLS, run away. Run FAR away. Your father seems nice, try that one next, yeah? Run!


Ehem... anyways...


From there, we've got the slate of people that I neither like or dislike. 


Teresa Giudice and her flock of small, bow-covered children. She seems rather frivolous... and while her children are adorable and she seems incredibly sweet, I don't find her to be particularly... I don't know. Inviting? But it's hard to complain, as she is so much better than the ego-centric Staub. Yes, Teresa reminds me of girls I went to high school with. But obviously I've gotten used to that.


Next, is Jacqueline Laurita. Once again, this girl reminds me of the girls I went to high school with. Her daughter, on the other hand, is like nails on a chalkboard for my mind. She's petty and reckless and... high school. SO VERY HIGH SCHOOL. My immunity wears thin with these two. SO. VERY. THIN.


Finally, the "I like her, just not as much as I like other people" housewife: Dina Manzo. She's nice. She seems smart. Her daughter is adorable. Her cat gives me the creeps. She gives me a slightly high school vibe, but not particularly. She reminds me a bit of my mother as well. Which is scary. 


And then... 


Well, if I could have hand-picked my mother, this is the woman I would have chosen. Caroline Manzo and her husband Albert, their kids Albie and Lauren and Christopher... dibs on that family if I get a do-over. 


Caroline is the only one who without fail I find to be smart, charming, maternal... she's the kind of person who I want the world to be filled with. Enough said.


So, children, what have we learned today? 


1 - with enough exposure, I can apparently learn to like just about anything. Except for certain people in my home town... no amount of spending time with you lot will make me like you. Just like no amount of therapy (my suggestion: electroshock) will make Danielle Staub tolerable and sane. 


2 - I get really, really vicious when people who don't deserve to exist are on TV being dumb bitches who will, if karma is the bitch she's always proven to be, will suffer some great discomfort in the near future... um. Right. Yeah. Me = vicious bitch. That'd be lesson number two.


3 - there are five different varieties of "Real Housewives" and all but one should probably go off air, since the other that deserved a time slot lost it's crowning jewel. 


See? Three whole lessons from one post about a generally pretty lame TV series. Ace. 


XO


Freak


PS:


I forgot to mention the Kims: Kim D and Kim G. Here's all I've got to say about the Kims ---> Dear Kim D and Kim G, please fall off of the face of the planet. Oh, and if you want to, take Danielle with you. XO Freak


PPS:


Dear Christine,
You're amazing. Let me express my pity for the fact that your mother took the cameras to your first OBGYN appointment. Not something that needs to be documented - hell, I didn't even take my mother. 
Please, run while you can. If you ever need anything, I really will help you out. 
XO
Freak

Depressing:

Everyone around me is going off to College. Well, not everyone. But it feels like a hell of a lot of people. 

And I'm not. 

It feels weird. Really fucking weird.

I see these facebook posts with photos from dorm rooms, and I realize I'm living at home with my mother. 

I see these facebook posts with photos of elaborate buildings on some expensive campus, and I realize that I'm not even registered for the local community college yet. 

I see these facebook posts with photos of people I knew for years going on to become big kids while I sit in my living room watching Fight Club and eating hot pockets because I'm to broke to buy anything else. 

Depressing realization of the week? 

Yeah. Got THAT covered. 

XO

Freak

I'm Katie fucking Fitch, who the fuck are you?!

Say what you will about me. 


Say what you will about British culture.


Say what you will about the phenomenon that is Skins.


But you've got to admit...


This is fucking funny:




Enjoy,


XO


FREAK

Today was LAME because...

I went to give blood and couldn't because my iron levels were too low. 


Thankfully, I can try again on Friday, Saturday and Monday. I think I'll go with monday. And I can do the double red cell donation (yay, O Negative blood type!) which is cool. Cuz it can help little babies!


(I just failed at seeming like a heartless badass didn't I?)


I don't dislike humans. I just don't really like them either. Knowing that my blood is more likely to go to a premature baby who needs multiple red cell transfusions makes me feel better about giving blood. 


I like babies. I like them a lot more than I like humans in general. I even like them more than I like most little kids, and far more than I like teenagers and adults and old people. They've come into this world screaming, shocked to leave their comfy cozy home for bright lights and too much noise. Despite that, they don't judge you because of how you dress or how you talk, because of the tattoos or piercings you do or don't have... they don't judge you because you can or can't afford nice things. If you hold then and snuggle them and talk to them, they love you.


Like cats. I also like cats a lot more than I like humans. But I can't donate blood in the name of cats, so I donate for the sake of babies instead. 


So anyone who's going to be going in on Monday to the Medford center, let me know. I have to call and get an appointment soon. Go in and save lives.


Well, I'm going to go put Mickey Mouse bandaids on my jabbed and stabbed fingers.


XO


Freak

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

... and the league of Evil Ex's. 


Do I even have to say it? *Sigh* alright... 

this post may or may not contain a ton of spoilers for one of the coolest movies on the planet, just warning you cuz I know I should. Proceed with caution.

Fact: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is like... the coolest movie on the planet. Well, one of the coolest movies. 


Fact: The League Of Evil Ex's seemed strangely familiar...


Fact: If you haven't seen Scott Pilgrim, you need to. Or you shall die. A horrible, tragic, painful death caused by lack of raucous laughter which can only be remedied by exposure to Michael Cera's portrayal of Scott Pilgrim. 


Fact: The Vegan Police. Complete and total awesomeness. Also: if I go back to being vegan can I have superpowers too?


I know I'm a little behind on my review of what is probably the most laugh-out-loud film I've seen since... forever... but I was a little busy.


So here goes:


I saw the film in Seattle, out at Southcenter in the OLD theater (not the new one at the mall, for anyone from 'round those parts who understands what I'm talking about). Just for reference, I was drinking a blue ICEE while watching, which had strong potential to have made the film even more amazing.


But that's just a theory.


Anyways, we sat down, and when the movie started, it started with a bang. 


Or, you know, an old-school Mario throwback in the form of the opening sequence (the Universal logo all pixilated and junk). 


It then went on to involve all sorts of amazing. 


Scott Pilgrim (for those not familiar with the comic/movie/amazingness) is a 23 year old resident of Toronto, and the bass player for "Sex Bob-omb" (in a handful of scenes that flash me back to Nick And Norah's Infinite Play List) which is a band that has (in the movie at least) very catchy yet instantly confusing music. Read as: everyone would probably want to put it on the radio. Side note: Go out and buy the sound track even if you don't see the movie. 


Scott Pilgrim has incessant dreams about a girl who he later finds out is Ramona Flowers. He finds this out - and meets her - right after he starts dating 17 year old high school student Knives Chau, she of the incessantly perky disposition and childish conversation topics. 


Disregarding the fact that he's dating Knives, he starts dating Ramona, and finds out about the league of evil ex's. 


These evil ex's are:


Matthew Patel, the first evil ex. He dated Ramona for a week. Has mystical powers. Oh noes!


Lucas Lee, the second evil ex. Skater turned actor who Scott's gay best friend/roommate has a crush on. 


Todd Ingram, the third evil ex. Also the boyfriend of Scott's only evil ex, Natalie aka Envy, singer of Clash At The Demonhead (once again, fabulous band). He has special powers because he's vegan and is defeated when the vegan police show up and take his powers away because of three infractions on his vegan diet. 


Roxanne "Roxy" Richter, the fourth evil ex. She's the reason why Ramona keeps correcting Scott that it isn't "evil ex boyfriends" but rather "evil ex's". She's kind of the one you have to "meet" to understand. 


Kyle and Ken Katayanagi, the fifth and sixth evil ex's, twins that Ramona dated. Also famous Japanese pop stars. Just cause they can.


Gideon Gordon Graves, the seventh evil ex. He's the one who thought up the league of evil ex's, as well as Ramona's not-quite-current-then-current boyfriend, who controls her with a microchip. He's also the record producer that Scott's band is trying to impress through battle of the bands. He's also a lot of other things. Including a complete asshole. 


As in most video games, Scott is able to gain extra lives, which he can use to re-do certain things. Like the fight with Gideon. 


Take one: profess love to Ramona, gain the power of love, get ass kicked. 


Take two: own up to faults, gain power of self-respect, kick ass, beat gideon, get told by Ramona to stay and date Knives, have Knives tell him to go and follow Ramona... happily ever after. Kinda. That's left pretty open-ended. 


Anyways, I kinda mega adore this creation that is Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. 


So I thought I'd share. 


Anyways... *thinks about my own personal league of evil ex's* art imitates life, doesn't it? 


Well, whatever. 


I've got to go. Work in the morning. 


XO


Freak

A good day...

Today has been a very, very good day. I feel very in tune with myself... weird, huh? But I'm not even joking. I woke up in my own bed this morning for the first time in two weeks, and didn't have to get in a car. I put three CD's in my CD player (yeah, I've still got one of those): Siouxsie & The Banshees in one slot, Hole in the second and The Pretty Reckless in the third. I got on the computer, checked out the web, cleaned my room, wrote a song (yay!) and then finished a sketch I started in the car yesterday. Which I'm insanely proud of.

I then continued on to start on painting it. Only... my paintings are always a little more abstract than my sketches. 


I sat down to paint next to my bed - which sits on the floor sans frame - and facing the low set of shelves that my CD player sits atop of, with my array of paints and brushes to my left, my paint pallet to my right, the sketch near my knee, my giant bottle of smart water on the shelves and a canvas in my lap. About half-way through my first CD of the night - Live Through This by Hole - this was the finished product:

Other than that, today was pretty low key. I drank a Red Bull with lunch and am on some new homeopathic meds for my anxiety, depression and insomnia, so am feeling pretty damn good. 


There was even a thunder storm today, so the temperature - which was hovering around 105 yesterday - dropped like a rock to 75. The sky turned purple, the ground was soaked with rain that hit more like gel than water, I got a surprise visit from an old friend (the source of the Red Bull) and geeked over the fact that they've released pictures of the cast of season 5 of Skins. 


Now I'm going to thumb through some old Nylon magazines and maybe write another song, just relaxing. I have work in the morning (boo! They pay me minimum wage to do a job a monkey could do!) and then am going to a Red Cross blood drive to hand over a portion of my ever-popular O- blood. They love calling me in for things like that...


After the blood drive I'm heading to the boyfriends house for the night, who I haven't seen all of today because he was hanging out with his friend, and then... who knows? 


Boyfriend wants to get me a bike. He even gave in to my pleas for a girly old beach cruiser! I've always wanted one. I specified the need for a basket. He gave me the blankest look on the planet... Oh well. 


Anyways, that's it for now, I guess. 


XO


FREAK

Warped Tour and The Pretty Reckless

To those of you who don't know, The Pretty Reckless happen to be one of my all-time favorite bands. They're right up there with Green Day, Nirvana and The Beatles. 


As you know, they're the main reason I went to Warped Tour 2010 (along with Warped Tour always being a fun thing to do). 


So first, let me talk about Warped Tour. It is by far the most high-energy, jam-packed event I've ever been to. Regardless of the 4 wankers in line who told me I didn't deserve to get into Warped because I'd had to pick up my tickets from the will call instead of having them delivered to my house (which I haven't been at since I bought the tickets, and I haven't been in any one location for any length of time during those two weeks)it was a really brilliant experience. 


I stood in line at the will call from 8 until 10:45 when they finally opened the booth...

They were quite behind schedule. But it was worth it.

Then I stood in line from 10:45 until 11:30 when they finally let us in. We were at the back of the line because I had to go to will call...

The line wrapped around the corner. It was about two (long) blocks long. Once again, worth it.

Then I got in, found out where The Pretty Reckless would be, wandered for a bit to kill time... I caught a bit of the Disco Curtis set:

They were covering Lady Gaga... 

And then the end of the Anarbor set, who were on before The Pretty Reckless at the AP/Advent stage:

They were pretty good, even my boyfriend liked them.

And then the boyfriend went to see a few bands (Longway, Alkaline Trio, Andrew WK, Mice And Men and a couple of others he doesn't remember) catching partial sets while I waited to see the whole reason I'd payed $30 and driven from the Rogue Valley up to Hillsboro: The Pretty Reckless. 

Okay. Here's the part of the blog I'm SUPER excited about. Because it's about one of my favorite bands on the planet. 

Here's

xxxx

(The logo and the three pictures of Taylor Momsen/the band are courtesy of the Buzznet.com poster challenge content file, if you're curious!)

If you want the in-depth bio from the band, check out their website theprettyreckless.com which is just a great place to get the latest info on what is going to be a pretty eternal band. I don't say that lightly. There are a lot of bands that I can imagine fading into obscurity as the years drag on, but The Pretty Reckless isn't one of them. 


What they are is talented. Taylor Momsen - think How The Grinch Stole Christmas and Gossip Girl if you're having issues placing her (shame on you) - writes the songs and sings with a voice so much larger than you'd expect to come out of the nymph-like seventeen year old. Yes, she's seventeen. If you're doubting the truth of that statement, don't worry, you're not alone. She carries herself like a seasoned rock star and has so much composure when dealing with her band mates and fans that it can stop you dead in your tracks. 


The band is fleshed out by Ben Phillips - both amazing at guitar and amazing at getting a crowd to throw themselves into the music - who is also part of the songwriting process, Mark Damon who's a badass with a bass on stage, and Jamie Perkins playing some massively memorable drums. And what's more? They're all insanely nice people. 


Weird, huh? I've met a handful of musicians, artists and actors over my eighteen years on this planet, and they always tended to be... a bit of a let down, I guess. But that's not the case in this situation. The Pretty Reckless is just a really, fabulously genuine band. 


I know it might seem like I'm making this more about front-woman Taylor Momsen than about The Pretty Reckless itself, but despite trading smiles and getting signatures from two of the other band members... there's not much to go on when it comes to her amazing band mates. They're lovely, that much I can tell you from personal experience, and immensely talented... but I can't tell you much more than that. 


(If they're ever inclined to give me a quick interview about themselves, I'm ready and waiting. That goes for the lovely and enigmatic Ms. Momsen as well.)


What I can tell you about, though, is their set at Warped Tour 2010's last date, today, August 15th in Hillsboro, Oregon. 


I found myself hanging out in front of the stage despite there being a half-hour break before they would climb onto the raised platform and totally rock us to our cores. This isn't an odd concept to me - I'm fond of concerts and am used to having to wait around during that awkward time between getting through the doors and the lights going down. 


The girl in front of me lit a cigarette and told her friend to not let anyone take her spot, wandering off. A few seconds later, I looked over my shoulder and spotted a head of long white-blond hair, a pair of oversized dark glasses and darker-than-blood red lips. 


One thing that no one can dispute about Taylor Momsen is that she's flat-out gorgeous. I've heard people rip into her style, her makeup, everything, but they're obviously not in their right minds. Just because they couldn't pull it off doesn't mean its bad. Hell, it even makes it better in 9 out of 10 situations. I myself am jealous of how effortless she makes it all look. 


I was a little too much in shock to actually walk over and say anything to her - she makes me uncharacteristically nervous, probably because she's pretty much the epitome of grace and badassery. Yeah, that's a word now. 


She disappeared as quickly as she appeared and I went back to watching people dart on and off the stage, checking instruments. Ben - guitar, backing vocals, king of interrupting Taylor mid-sentence - spent a good bit of time amusing the crowd while we waited. 

And then it started. And it almost felt like an accident, you know? They started a song without Taylor on stage, and she walked on - pause for explosions of screams from the crowd of teen and preteen boys and girls gathered awaiting her - and walked to the microphone so slowly it was almost like being teased. Foreplay, in a way, for the show that was about to make our brains explode. 


Picture this: 


Long, slightly curly bleach-blond hair. Dark sunglasses. Beat up Iron Maiden shirt from a tour that happened before she or I was even an idea in our parents minds. Black leggings (pants? The only view I got of the top of them was brief...) that were partially open on the front. Platform heels with straps across the top, black with studs and jewels on them. Multiple heavy bracelets weighing down one of her arms. Drastic, dark makeup. An attitude that was best described by a concept that the snake Kim Fowley used to describe Cherie Currie when he first met her: She looked like she could beat up a trucker. Oh, and you know what? I'm pretty sure he would have enjoyed it.


That was the first image I got of Taylor Momsen on stage with her band The Pretty Reckless. And man is that an image that's going to stay with me. 


Now, I'm not going to lie, her microphone could have done with a bit more volume, but it didn't really matter. She has a strong enough voice that even without being entirely able to hear her, she got the songs across. Hell, she practically forced them down our throats - not that any of us were complaining. It was that "beat up a trucker" attitude again - and it's true, we all liked it. 


I personally have seen her compared to Joan Jett, Cherie Currie, Courtney Love (especially), Kurt Cobain, and a half dozen other musicians. While all of those do come to mind, what stuck out to me was that her stage presence reminded me of Billie Joe Armstrong and Green Day. 


I went to see Green Day a year ago on July 3rd, 2009, in Seattle. I stood in Key Arena with more people than I could process, waiting patiently for the band to land like a jet engine on the stage. It was by far the strongest performance I ever laid eyes on, and I could see - with a gig as a headliner, and some time to perfect her interactions with the audience - The Pretty Reckless being that same overwhelming kinetic energy, a sort of sexual tension bleeding from the stage and tangling in the music that was burning its way through the minds of those of us in the audience. 


It's funny, though. BJA and Taylor don't seem to have a whole lot in common - their music isn't even particularly similar - and yet on stage there's something that puts them on the same plane of existence. 


Back at the AP/Advent stage (sorry, I get off on tangents a lot... ADD and all that jazz) they played a solid set including such favorites as Miss Nothing, Zombie, Make Me Wanna Die, My Medicine, Factory Girl and Just Tonight. I was quite proud of myself, since I had the lyrics to almost all of them down. We got such treats as Taylor playing guitar (she's quite good, I'm jealous) and on-stage banter.


Personally speaking, my all time favorite track is Factory Girl, with Miss Nothing as a close second and Goin' Down as a photo-finish third. The song that got me hooked, though, was Zombie and the song that got my boyfriend hooked was Make Me Wanna Die. Read as: I can't wait for the album to come out just so I can have even more favorite songs. And, you know... maybe a supporting tour? Pretty please with sugar on top? 


After the set, I went to get in line for the signing at their merch booth. 


Through that one show, I met two pretty awesome girls. Neither of which I got a name from, but... you know. The girl with the short red hair who knew all the lyrics, and the girl in the Vans 2010 shirt I stood next to in line for the signing... whoever you are - if you ever wander across this post - you rock. 


Then there was the signing, thus my knowledge of how awesome they are as people. 


Okay, okay... so I met them for a collective thirty seconds, but they made very, very good first impressions. There was nothing fake or contrived about their reactions to the shirt I picked - apparently their favorite - and they all signed it happily. I handed them a link to my blog and mentioned I'd be doing a feature on them (Hi! See? I did it! Said I would... I always keep my promises!)and they handed the link to their manager so it wouldn't get lost, since "he's the organized one" (thanks Ben, hope you don't mind getting quoted). According to Taylor, she looses "everything". 


So I smiled, confessed that they were why I'd come to the show, and went to find my boyfriend - new CD and t-shirt in hand. 

My new shirt! I pretty much love it.

Three signatures.

The Pretty Reckless EP.

He put up (quite patiently) with my recap as we walked towards the nearest vendor in search of liquids, then we headed back to the hotel across the street to watch the rest of the tour from the comfort of our conveniently located hotel room. 

Our view...

So there it is. The Pretty Reckless, and Warped Tour. They made this entire trip (which you'll hear more about soon) worth it. Entirely worth it. They made having my 1988 Volvo Wagon break down in Roseburg worth it. They made the $200 of repairs worth it, and the getting towed worth it. They made 9 days with my grandmother worth it, and another five with my father (which is rare, since not much can make his attitude towards my life "worth it") and they have made my summer - spent working - entirely fucking worth it. 


So thanks. 


Thank you to The Pretty Reckless. Thank you to Warped Tour 2010. Thank you Hillsboro, thank you Vans, thank you two random girls I met... 


Thanks. 


I hope everyone who saw Warped Tour this summer has as amazing of a time as I did. 


XO


Freak

Back on the mainland...

Once again getting online, but now I'm back in Seattle. We're staying at my grans flat overnight since my dad won't take us til tomorrow. About to go to University Village for some shopping and the new cupcake place they just put in. 

Anyways, here are some pictures from the trip. 

XO

Freak.

Crescent Beach

Another view

My gran and Kevin trying to sort out the gas pump

The place we got lunch.

A before picture of the pie we had with lunch.

Five minutes later...

Moran State Park. We went swimming there on our last day.

Kevin reading a book in the hammock the first day.

Us

Being concerned for his mental health... no. Just wondering when he'll remember I'm there.

Enzo's, the cafe we went to. Repeatedly.

Floral arrangement in Enzo's. 

Kevin being pouty about having his picture taken.

We went to the recycle center for my grandmother and this place (the Exchange) is behind it, full of old stuff that's being "recycled" by being re-bought.

One wall of the Exchange. Poor old records...

On the beach one night. Pretty soon to be sunset.

Kevin climbing rocks out in the water.

His new perch.

He found a tide pool...

More tide pool watching haha.

One of the pics Kevin took of me.

Another pic of me.

Have you noticed how many pictures of me my head doesn't make it into?

Kevin's lunch told me to eat and blog.

He was getting rained on.

Some random deer wandered into our yard.

And just chilled there. A mama and a baby.

One last trip to the beach, this time at low tide.

Found this at the hardware store. This is "I'M A decorative FAN" and he's a hummingbird. 

Stuck in traffic on our way back to Seattle.

Anyways, that's it. We're about to head out.

BYE!!