Channeling Dionne Warwick

This week, I called a highly recommended psychic. I liked what I heard. She foresaw the following:

1. I will be working in 4-6 weeks. I have two interviews scheduled and she told me they will go well. She explained that she sees me taking a different job. The interview has not been scheduled but the company will be close to home and not as fast paced as agency life.

2. I will meet the man I will marry in May. He'll have light hair (slightly wavy) and light eyes. He is a happy man, likely because he's always been lucky. He's not a game player. I'll meet him in connection to the new job. He'll either work in the building or with my company. I'll meet him in the parking lot.

3. I'll have a boy and a girl. They will not be twins. I stopped myself from asking if they'll be Irish twins. Considering I'm 36, I think that goes without saying.

4. The book will be a slow start sales wise. It will sell a bit at first but it will grow over time to be deemed a "success."

The common reaction has been, "And you believe this?" Yes, I do. I saw a psychic last year who basically told me #2 almost verbatim (sans parking lot) and that it would be spring 2011. Last year's psychic also told me about #3, exactly.

This psychic told me that she could see that I've been in a dark period, a time of transition. There is only light ahead. I'd be an idiot not to believe my new psychic friend.

And, I'll be looking back at this in 4-6 weeks to check!

Street Art Has My Heart

Since watching Exit Through The Giftshop, I've been obsessed with Banksy's cheeky work. When I heard he was tagging Hollywood in a bid to get Oscar votes, I started wondering where he'd strike next. Sadly, many of his recent works have been stolen or defaced. I didn't get to see them in time.

Like an art world terrorist, Banksy strikes and then claims ownership by posting a picture on his Web site. Since there are quite a few copycats (including his prodigy Mr. Brainwash), this has been the main strategy for deciphering the authentic from the faux.

Over the past week, I've developed a radar for street art. I now see it everywhere. If I'm driving and see something of interest, I pull over to take a picture. Unlike museum pieces, any of these works can disappear at any time. Their transient nature has got me hunting and gathering pictures before its too late.

So far, I've gotten a few Mr. Brainwash works. Still on the lookout for an elusive Banksy...

My Second Attempt at Paparazzi-dom

I've been writing the book at a coffee shop on Fairfax that I refer to as "The Office." I go there Monday through Friday and work anywhere from 3-7 hours, depending on how bleary-eyed I get. I've finished the first draft and am 75% through my first full read. I've beefed up some sections, deleted others and am correcting any kind of weird grammatical issues.

On a daily basis, it's not terribly surprising to see a celeb at The Office. Seth Rogen comes in 2-3 times every week. Usually accompanied by a posse, he orders a cappuccino. I know because his voice carries and he has a unique intonation. He is unassuming, hiding underneath a newsboy cap. No one pays any attention to him.

Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) came in once. Fresh from a shower, it was her first time there. She was kind to the barista and asked for his recommendation. She got a vanilla latte. No, she was not wearing a track suit.

Today, Amanda Seyfried came to The Office with a LOT of fanfare. Trailed by a pack of ex-gang members turned paparazzi (yes, it's true, they all used to be in gangs) she arrived with two female friends and her two dogs. How does she look? She is tiny with the body of a 12-year old girl. Her blonde hair is beautiful but her face is wan and broken out. No one would've even noticed her if she didn't have the world's scariest posse with her.

She sat outside in clear view of the paps so they could get good shots of her over the course of two hours. Everyone was whispering, "Who is that girl?" When I identified her for my neighbors they had no recognition. I struggled to think of a movie that she was in and could only come up with, "Ummm, that ABBA movie?" Vague recollection passed into confusion. If none of us knew who she was, then how come she was getting so much pap attention?

My conclusion is she (or her publicists) must have called them. She has a movie coming out (something about red riding hood? oy vey) and is/was dating Ryan Philippe. Her publicists must be working over time to get her picture everywhere. Well, it worked. TMZ, X-17 and the rest were all there.

I got in on the action by taking her picture while she was waiting for her latte. It's not a great shot but I tried to be stealthy. This is much better than my first attempt at being a pap (I tried to take January Jones' picture in a bar which resulted in a blurry, dark picture). Too bad my Macbook was in the shot (but look at how much I've written for the book?!)

Once again, more like KFed's Popozao than Gaga's Paparazzi. Then again, I'm not an ex-gang member with a grill.