Cirque du Soleil

It's been an exceptionally busy week. Raul returned last Sunday with a group of Italians (several of whom have become friends over the years. Oh, and one of whom had a blind date once with Gayle King, Oprah's BFF) to do sales calls in LA. Every night we have been out and about entertaining them.

Sunday: Morels restaurant at the Grove for a late dinner.

Monday: Raul and I celebrated my BDay at the Palm. Seen: character actor, Tom Poston ("Newhart"). Later, we met up with the Italians at Asia de Cuba at the Mondrian Hotel on the Sunset Strip. Then, a few of us went to a post-fashion show party somewhere in Hollywood.

Tuesday: Drinks at an Italian-American's mansion on Los Feliz Blvd., then dinner at a great restaurant down the street from her home. However, I forgot the name. Seen: Leonard Maltin ("Entertainment Tonight") and his wife, Alice, whom I knew from my previous job and we, also, have a mutual friend. She stopped by our table to say hello as she, Leonard and their group left the restaurant. Later, a few of us went to Beige at the Falcon for drinks and dancing.

Wednesday: we saw Cirque du Soleil's new show Quidam in Long Beach. As always, it was fabulous! At one point, several acrobatics were hanging from the ceiling wrapped in ropes, one of which was hanging right over my head. When they uncoiled and came spinning down toward us, I just about jumped out of my seat. I actually ducked because I thought she was going to fall into me.

Thursday: dinner in Brentwood at another great restaurant I, again, forgot the name of. San Vicente Blvd. and 26th Street. The other San Vicente, as we found out. The Italians were almost an hour late because they went to the San Vicente in West Hollywood, when the San Vicente they needed, was right near their hotel. Oh well.

Friday: my friend got us into Ashton Kutcher's Geisha House in Hollywood. Fabulous food and a fabulous time was had by all. They even have real live geisha girls walking the premises.

Saturday: dinner at my favorite inexpensive restaurant, Dough Boy's. Then sightseeing on Hollywood Blvd. (seen: Elvis, Marilyn Monroe and Spiderman), before enjoying the most enormous margarita I've ever consumed (think milk bottle size) at Saddle Ranch on the Strip. We laughed our asses off at the brave who rode the bull in the middle of the restaurant/bar area, one of whom was an enormous woman who needed three men to help her on the damn thing. And when she finally straddled it, her watermelon-size tits popped out of her skimpy top! It was one of the funniest moments. Ever. The entire place went nuts. I gotta give the gal chops, though, she would not give up until she got on that thing. Good for her!

Raul and the Italians departed today for Texas, before they return to NY. Meanwhile, I've also been busy writing this week. Oh, and waiting for a pending interview with an actor/producer for a job. Not to mention, that damn job with the dermatologist keeps coming back to me. The person they went with after I declined the position did not work out. Raul thinks I should take it for a year, but I'm not so sure. Besides, we're trying to plan a trip abroad next month and taking a job now would certainly complicate things.

On a side note, I am finally going to get back the coverage New Line did on one of my scripts. A writer I recently met is good friends with Zak Penn's wife, who is a development exec at New Line. Can't wait to see it, though I know it's not going to be pretty. I've already been pre-warned ....

Hocus Pocus Focus

I am so focused on my writing right now. Probably the most since I relocated to LA. Admittedly, I had to end a few bad habits – and voila – I can focus. I had been self-sabotaging myself and allowing every little thing to distract me. No more. Or at least for the moment. I am concentrated on my writing. The rewrite in particular.

I feel like I am running against the clock on this one because my script is similar to a best-selling author’s book that was optioned by a producer and will undoubtedly be made into a movie after his other best-seller is turned into a movie. The script for his first book is currently in pre-production with a top-notch director and screenwriter attached (ten years in the making, though). Surprisingly, the producers are aware of the author’s new book, which is the same subject matter as my script, but don’t seem to be concerned about it. However, I am.

Of course, parallel development happens all the time in Hollywood. Unfortunately, though, with every commercial script I’ve written, there have been others like it already sold and/or in circulation around town. What’s that saying -- always the bridesmaid, never the bride? Alas, one of these days, I’m gonna catch that fucking bouquet and be the fucking bride.

PS: my car troubles are over. At least for the moment. The front brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced, not to mention two belts and the passenger side automatic lock. Almost four figures later -- cha-ching!

Script Notes

I said bon voyage to my NY friend yesterday and immediately read the script the producers interested in my horror/thriller suggested I read. Then, I read their notes again and an idea popped into my head on how to satisfy their concerns, which are mainly that it needs to be more character-driven, and less action-oriented. Sent them my notes and waited with baited breath. Tonight, they replied and loved my ideas. I'm so relieved.

In other news, my step-mother's chemo has successfully reduced the size of the tumor in her liver.

Today, I had the oil changed in my car and they suggested I bring it to a mechanic pronto because of a rattle on or near the front axle. I smell major car trouble and hear a huge cha-ching.

Celebrity sightings: Alan Alda last Saturday at Smith & Hawken in Beverly Hills. Kathy Griffin at a Learning Annex seminar this past Monday and Gideon from "American Idol" the same day at the Beverly Center.

Vanity Fair Party

First of all, I am shocked -- shocked -- BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN did not win Best Picture. Even though I liked CRASH, I was so rooting for the former. A friend of mine said she thinks the Academy did the politically correct thing by voting for the movie about race relations. Case in point, a bunch of rappers wins for Best Song over .... Dolly Parton? Like Jon Stewart said, and I'm paraphrasing, Martin Scorsese - 0 Oscars, 365 Rappers-whatever-they're-called 1 Oscar. Tragic.

On to more exciting stuff. So my friend from NY and I decide to cruise down to the Vanity Fair Party for just five minutes to see how close we can get. Well, let me tell you that's the place to see the stars! We closed downt the place. We stayed until about 2 or 2:30 AM.

Seen: Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillipe, Matt Dillon, Josh Groban, CRASH screenwriter/producer Paul Haggis, those fucking rappers, Jane Seymour, Salma Hayek, Kristin Davis ("Sex in the City"), Megan McLully (sp?) (Karen, "Will & Grace"), Joaquin Phoenix, Jon Voight, Lindsay Lohan, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams, Jamie Foxx, The Rock, Suzanne Sommers (who I think blew me a kiss), Tim Burton, Helena Bonham Carter, Quentin Tarantino (<--- even uglier in person), Ron Jeremy (pornstar), Steve Carrell, Eric Bana and probably a host of others I can't remember at the moment.

Oscar Picks

Here's who I think will win and who I want to win:

Picture - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (CRASH could steal their thunder, though)

Director - Ang Lee, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

Actor - Philip Seymour Hoffman, CAPOTE (If Heath Ledger won for BROKEBACK, I'd be happy too)

Actress - Reese Witherspoon, WALK THE LINE (I want Felicity Huffman to win for TRANSAMERICA)

Supporting Actor - George Clooney, SYRIANA (I want Paul Giamatti for CINDERELLA MAN or Jake Gyllenhaal for BROKEBACK to win)

Supporting Actress - Rachel Weisz, THE CONSTANT GARDENER (I want Michelle Williams for BROKEBACK to win)

Original Screenplay - CRASH, by Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco

Adapted Screenplay - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, by Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana

Original Score - MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, by John Williams (I want Gustavo Santaolalla for BROKEBACK to win)

Enjoy the Academy Awards on Sunday, March 5th!

Celebrity sighting: George Hamilton in his BMW stopped next to us in traffic on Santa Monica Blvd. in Beverly Hills.

PS: I received my first script notes from the producers interested in one of my scripts. Now I have to absorb their notes, read a similar script they suggested, and finally, rewrite the script. Meanwhile, I have two other projects I'm working on, plus I need to rewrite another one that a manager just requested. But when? I have a friend from NY coming for a visit. When it rains, it pours I guess.

Koi

Raul and I went to Koi restaurant tonight to celebrate our anniversary. Nine years, thank you very much. The food was awesome. Skirt steak and sea bass for entries. Not to mention some great sushi.

Seen: Michael Vartan from “Alias”, the actors who play Nikolas and Emily from “General Hospital” (they once were a couple on the show and are apparently a couple now in real life), and Ms. Lindsay Lohan herself sitting across from our table with three guys and two women, plus one body guard sitting at his own table nearby (PS: she and her friends are chain smokers).

On a side note: My roommate went to his favorite restaurant for dinner tonight, the Palm, where he walked in with John Stamos and also saw Jon Lovitz and the head of one of the studios.

Fun facts: Jamie Kennedy and Linda Hamilton live in my neighborhood. I live two blocks from Laurel Canyon at the base of Mt. Olympus, where I’ve heard coyotes howling twice now.

Good Night, and Good Luck.

(Edited because I'm drunk: I just heard another coyote. And I live less than two miles from the Kodak Theatre where the AcademyAwards will be held and just down the street from the Chateau Marmont, where the Sunset Strip begins.)

Katrina

I am incensed. It's been six months since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and devastated the Gulf Coast. And what has been done? Not a Goddamn thing. Except, to get Mardi Gras off the ground. Which is fine, I think. Those people don't have much to celebrate, but they need the dollars from tourism.

So why does neighborhood after neighborhood still lie in ruins? 2,000 people are still missing. The water is polluted. There's no electricity. Bulldozers sit motionless. Nothing is being done. And some families are still separated from their loved ones ..... and have no idea if they're dead or alive, or where in the world they are! What the fuck is going on down there? Where is our local, state and federal government?

Well, Bush is probably picking his nose right about now and admiring how big his boogers are. And let's see, the last time I heard about Cheney, he was in Texas shooting someone in the face.

Let's get to work guys. This is the United States of America. The richest, most powerful country in the world. After September 11th, work was done on Ground Zero 24/7. So why has the Gulf Coast been forgotten?

At least Oprah is doing something. She's building 65 homes for disaplaced families on a plot of land outside of Houston. Oprah for President! Can we please impeach this administration already and get somebody in office who cares about our people and who knows what they are doing? You know, really. You know, honestly.