Image courtesy of Geofflivingston.com

I once heard someone compare road trips to childbirth: Done right, it can be an experience of a lifetime. Done wrong, you’re stuck in a car for 16 hours wondering whose “brilliant” idea this was?!?

Road trips are one of the best ways to celebrate the sizzle of summer. Sun, fun, a whole lot of music and friends are the essentials for any good road trip. This summer, I have two road trips planned. I’m actually in the midst of one as I write this.

I’m a cheap traveler, penny-pincher to the max. This is why I love road trips. When you’re riding in a group the costs can be dispersed amongst everyone, making everything much more cost-efficient.

The most expensive aspect of the trip is usually gas, depending on how far you’re traveling of course. The gas does add up, but as of right now gas prices are down 20%!

So I’ve devised a small list of my top five road trip essentials:

1,) Get your car checked out before you leave. Make sure to get a full inspection on oil and other fluids. Don’t forget to check the front and the taillights. You don’t want to have to deal with minuscule issues that can later result in traffic tickets.

2.) Travel with people you love. Or at least like. Good company can make all the difference. The longer the trip, the more compatible you want to be with your fellow passengers. Long conversations can and often do turn into confessionals or sing-a-longs.

3.) Take turns driving and NEVER let the gas get close to “E.” Driving can be exhausting, and everyone wants to enjoy their vacation. It’s also nice to get a break from just sitting and watching out the window and trying really, really hard not to say anything when the other driver gets really, really close to the car in front of him. Don’t forget to keep the tank filled. No one wants to be stranded in the middle of nowhere. It’s not “part of the adventure.”

4.) Pack food, drinks, music and trash bags. I never really understood why some people don’t pack a cooler and snacks when they take a road trip. Are you just hoping to find something deliciously nutritious at a gas station? Load up on water bottles, pop, juice boxes, crackers, pre-made sandwiches, fruit and other travel-friendly, non-perishable snacks. As for music, always pack twice as much as you’ll need, and bring a variety. I promise you’ll get sick of listening to Lady GaGa, and yearn for the comforts of Bach at some point.

5.) Plan extra time for unexpected stops. Life’s unpredictable. Sometimes your window won’t roll up or that #1 stop turns into a #3. Stop and take pictures in front of those really cool bluffs. Some of the coolest places I’ve been have been on the way to where I was going. The best road trips are just as much about the journey as the destination.

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Image courtesy of Roadmatics.wordpress.com

We are all familiar with the incredible demands of military service. The men and women who survive training and beyond are symbols of all America stands for. Their awesome amount of sacrifice and dedication is mind-blowing. As television, and I expect personal experience for some, has shown, all family members or friends with ties to these soldiers are filled with immense pride and awe.

Unfortunately, the heart-warming scene of a mother, father, sister and brother embracing with wide smiles as they wave goodbye to their loved ones doesn’t always hold true. The ugly side of war is not a new concept, and neither is the ugly side (or rather lack) of support. Have you ever met someone ashamed of a person who decided to join the military?

Ashamed may be a strong word, but Liz Messenger has found herself struggling with her brother’s choice to join the army for the past 15 months. When money for college lured her brother into service, Liz tried to be proud. He was doing a great thing, right? Time has led Liz to believe that’s not the case.

As children, Liz and Matt were inseparable. Even when the two went off to different colleges, they saw each other every other week. When a tight budget dried up college funds for the both of them, Liz turned to loans, Matt turned to the army. Now, Liz is lucky to see her brother every three or four months.

Liz said sacrificing time with her brother would be easier if she could believe in the cause of the problem. But what was there for her to believe in?

“Everyone is always telling me what a great thing he’s doing and what great lessons he’ll learn,” Liz said. “The truth is he never needed to learn any serious lessons in the first place. He was already a good person. He needed money, and now he’s sold his life away.”

Since Matt first joined the army last year, he’s risen through the ranks and could soon be named an officer, a position that would require even more time from the 22-year-old. Sadly for Liz, Matt’s mind is made-up.

“He actually likes the army, which I guess I should be happy about too, but I don’t know how to feel,” Liz said. “I feel like I can’t support something he did for money, something that’s left a hole in our family.”

If offered a chance to be an officer, Matt plans to take it. Liz said she’ll find a way to cope, but isn’t sure she can let go of the anger. The relationship between the two has suffered, but Liz hopes someday they can get back to where they once were.

“He’s my brother and my best friend,” she said. “I love him. Even though I can’t say I like or accept his decision, I’ll never stop supporting him the best way I can.”

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Remember when you were in school and there was a prescribed reading list to delve into over the summer? Back then, you might have viewed that list as a chore (homework for the entire summer), but now that you’re a bit older and wiser, you realize diving into a great story can enhance your vacation. Here are just a few literary adventures to embark on this season:

Pack in Your Beach Bag
Commencement
J. Courtney Sullivan

Whether you’ve just graduated or those fond college memories are a bit further in the distance, Sullivan’s debut novel will have you reconnecting with former classmates. The story follows four young women who meet their first year at Smith College as they undergo the ups and inevitable downs of academia as well as its real-world aftermath. Far from standard chick lit, this book has a serious side thanks to compelling, educated leading ladies who still have a lot to learn.

In-Flight Reading
Requiem for a Paper Bag: Celebrities and Civilians Tell Stories of the Best Lost, Tossed, and Found Items from Around the World
Davy Rothbart

This treasure trove may inspire you to sift through finds at the local thrift store once you reach your destination. The publisher of the magazine Found, which prints notes and letters people find on the street, delivers this anthology of musicians, writers, entertainers and artists as they detail unique items they’ve come across. The compilation is a bit of a scavenger hunt but there are several hidden gems from the likes of Chuck D, Andy Samberg and Sarah Vowell.

Experience the Book before Seeing the Movie
My Sister’s Keeper
Jodi Picoult

Sure it’s up on the big screen with stars like Cameron Diaz, Jason Patric and Abigail Breslin, but this moral odyssey is worth contemplating in print. Thirteen-year-old Anna Fitzgerald was born with a unique birthright — she was designed by her parents to save her sister Kate who has been battling leukemia since she was two. In an effort to have a say in her destiny, Anna seeks to be medically emancipated from her parents. It might get a bit overly melodramatic, but the tale of a family simultaneously torn apart and brought together by a devastating illness is worth the read. You can always see it in the theater or rent it later.

Just for Kicks
What Would Keith Richards Do?: Daily Affirmations from a Rock and Roll Survivor
Jessica Pallington West

Have you ever found yourself in a tricky situation and wondered what would the legendary Keith Richards do? Probably not, but it’s still entertaining to take in the Rolling Stones guitarist’s musings enclosed in the pages of this affirmative guide. We can only hope someone comes out with a What Would Joan Jett Do? counterpart in the near future.

photo by margo conner

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“When I was a little girl, my family had a nickname for me,” Eva Longoria-Parker smiles nostalgically and a short Spanish phrase rolls off her tongue. “Loosely translated, it means ‘the small brown one,’” she explains with a nonchalant shrug.

It’s hard to believe the ex-pageant queen, cover girl, spokes model, and most glamorous of the Desperate Housewives ever had to overcome being deemed the “ugly duckling.” As the only one in her family to have dark hair, eyes, and skin, Longoria-Parker was the odd one out. Though she acknowledges that it wasn’t easy as a child to overcome the name-calling, now she admits she much preferred the days when her on-screen alter ego, Gabrielle Solis, wore frumpy sweat suits. “I absolutely hate hair and make-up!” she admits. “I’m still just a [Texas] tomboy at heart.”

At first glance, one may assume Longoria-Parker is just playing modest, but the more she talks, the clearer it is that she really is that humble. “I was a late bloomer,” Longoria-Parker speaks of both her looks but also her success within the industry. “But it’s probably better that things didn’t come to me easily because it made me appreciate every step that got me to where I finally am.”

At the Paley Fest panel back in April, Longoria-Parker showed up in casual jeans and a white-button down shirt. She waved eagerly at fans as she took her seat on stage and even helped co-star Teri Hatcher put on her microphone. Perhaps also a testament to her Southern upbringing, Longoria-Parker is genuinely helpful– and fiercely loyal– to her co-workers and friends.

In fact, Longoria-Parker is quick to credit the series creator, Marc Cherry, in addition to her large ensemble cast mates, for the success and fandom of the show. “No one knows [my character] Gabrielle better than Marc,” she gushes. “I don’t even know Gabrielle better than Marc [does]! I trust him completely; if he said he wanted to see her…run off and join the circus in some trapeze act, I’d say okay.” She is one actor who clearly understands that in this business, it really is all about teamwork—and there is no “I” in “team!”

Longoria-Parker knows what it’s like to come from meager means, and she is adamant about doing what she can to enrich lives now that she has been so blessed. Aside from founding Eva’s Heroes, which helps disabled children, Longoria-Parker also does a lot of work with PADRES Contra El Cancer. She even recently hosted a Rally for Kids With Cancer scavenger hunt in Los Angeles.

A few years ago, the women of Desperate Housewives were featured on the cover of Vanity Fair, and the press headlines were about the “tension” and “demanding behavior” on the set of the photo shoot. But if Longoria-Parker’s down-to-Earth demeanor is any indication of the rest of the women, then it is clear that the term “diva” might just get thrown around a bit too liberally in describing Hollywood actresses nowadays.

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Usually I do a little schpeel about a few artists that need some recognition. But with the warmer weather upon us, I thought I’d put together a fun mix of songs that would be a great summer playlist.

If you’re anything like me, you’re iPod is going everywhere with you since you’re spending the majority of the time outdoors. So I have put together a list of songs and have added my comments to let you know what you might expect from the music.

Let’s get this playlist going and I hope you all enjoy what I’ve assembled.

1.    1901- Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
When this song comes on, I can’t stop the excitement and the impromptu dancing.

2.    Duties of a Lighthouse Keeper – Human Highway – Moody Motorcycle
A refreshing breeze cools your face while you’re swinging on a hammock, treating yourself to a glass of sangria. This song will make your afternoon that much more relaxing.

3.    Blue Eyes – Timmy Curran – Word of Mouth
All I can say is this is what romance is to me.

4.    I’ve Got Your Number – Passion Pit – Chunk of Change
This song is constantly on when I’m taking my morning run. It’s also perfect for certain dance moves, like the robot.

5.    For Our Elegant Caste – Of Montreal – Skeletal Lamping
I can only explain this band through my love child talk. If The Beatles album Rubber Soul and the Flight of the Conchords had a love child.

6.    Bright Side – The Soft pack – The Muslims
Alright ladies, put on some bright red lipstick, super skinny jeans and head out to your favorite indie bar.

7.    Death (Crystal Castles Remix) – White Lies – Death EP
If you need a late night or techno pick me up, this is the song for you.

8.    Love Vigilantes – Iron and Wine – Around the Well
In my opinion, there are only two bands that have successfully covered New Order songs and have made it worthy for a revival. Frente with Bizarre Love Triangle and Iron and Wine with Love Vigilantes.

9.    Kanske Ar Jag Kar I Dig – Jens Lekman – Night Falls Over Kortedala
Gezondheit! Even though it’s a mouthful, this Swedish musician produces the most memorable and exhilarating music I’ve heard. I can’t help but smile whenever I hear his music.

10.    Xavia – The Submarines – Honeysuckle Weeks
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist had it right to put this on their soundtrack. This song is triumphant and lovable, definitely going in my “classics” category.

Have a great June and hopefully these songs will get you through till my next installment.

photo by riza nugraha

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Kirstin Sarfde is the brains behind the newly-formed Los Angeles dance company, The Rock Show Dance Co (say that out loud; you’ll find that it rhymes). The company is the realization of a long-time dream of Kirstin’s, and this must be why she talks about what she is doing with such confidence, even nonchalance at times.

She has no bubbly excitement about her project, but instead a kind of deeper resolve. This is also just, in many ways, what makes up Kirstin. When you meet her, she will emphasize that her name is Kir-stin, NOT Kri-stin (and will have no hesitations about correcting you), and you can tell simply by the even tone of her voice that this chick knows exactly who she is.

When asked about the reason behind starting this company, she replied, “After working so many years in background and waitressing, I just figured why not? I’ve done the whole work for other people thing, but I want to get my own ideas out there. I’m more of a be my own boss kinda girl.”

And Kirstin’s ideas are definitely fresh. Eventually, she expects the Rock Show Dance Co to become a touring company, using popular music (think: Guns N’ Roses and Dave Matthews) as the theme of her shows. “I’m definitely a music lover.” For now, though? She is wrapping up the final touches of the company’s premiere show. “The music is all by local artists. They’re all friends of mine.” She sees her company as a way to promote the artist community— for them all to promote each other.

In talking about her show, she mentions, “We really just want to entertain you. This isn’t Alvin Ailey. It’s not a learning experience.” She feels some dance companies try too hard to go away from the norm, and they just end up being different for the sake of being different. “Even when I tell people [the dance style] is lyrical modern, they’re like—oh is that that weird stuff? Most people haven’t seen a lot of dance shows. I’m bringing it to the public.”

Her advice to other people who want to do something similar: “Just do it,”…after a pause, she eventually bursts out, “especially if it’s something you really want to do. And you’ll find that it’s a lot easier than you think it is.” Kirstin has had her share of obstacles in putting on this first show, her biggest one being finding and paying for rehearsal space. But she has found, that like anything, you learn along the way. “The second time around for all this is going to be so much easier!”

But quite candidly, nothing seems to have been too much of an obstacle for this self-starter. When asked if being a woman has been an issue during her process, she replied with laughter, “God, maybe it was easier! Everyone’s just been really helpful.”

After conquering this first show, her next move is to open a studio where she will hold dance classes, and can also act as her rehearsal space for upcoming shows.

Performances will be held at The Complex, 6472 Santa Monica Blvd, from June 4th to June 14th Thursday through Sunday at 7pm. Sunday performances begin at 3pm.

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“I hate waiting for the phone to ring,” Lisa Sundstedt divulges. “I create all of my own opportunities, and it’s what I encourage all of my students to do, too. That’s what stand-up is [after all].”

Sundstedt, a former actor and dancer, half-jokes that she started the stand-up comedy showcase Pretty Funny Women back in the mid-nineties after a guy told her she was “too pretty to be funny.” “I wanted to be a star; I wanted to be famous!” She laughs casually—but in all seriousness, it was Sundstedt’s fearless ambition and deep determination to make things happen for herself that allowed her to create such a forum.

Soon she found herself working much more behind the scenes as a writer and producer than a performer. “To be a comedian you need a really strong point of view,” Sundstedt explains. “Your audience needs to be able to sum you up in a few words…I found it was much harder to write for myself because I’m kind of a chameleon.”

Sundstedt knows that in order to achieve something you have to first believe you can do it. However, the most important thing might be to have a role model. “Somebody you’ve seen do it…to know you, too, can achieve it,” Sundstedt explains. She credits the women who really “[did] it all and put on a show” who came before her (like Carol Burnett, Lucille Ball, and Bette Midler) as her own inspirations. To many trying to come up in comedy today, though, Sundstedt has become that inspiration.

Traditionally, comedy has been a field heavily dominated by machismo and often misogyny. Just a few weeks ago, Norm Macdonald publicly commented to an interviewer that he didn’t think “chicks” could draw the big laughs. Such a thing should be discouraging in 2009, but Sundstedt doesn’t let it stop her. In fact, to counter such attitude, she encourages her girls to dress up and do their hair and make-up like they’re going out on the town. She doesn’t want them to downplay their gender in order to fit in with the guys. “I don’t want you to ever be someone you’re not,” Sundstedt stresses. Instead of conforming, she wants them to carve out their own spaces.

Sundstedt teaches three workshops a week and encourages her students to “stay together; write together; and support each other.” She gushes when she discusses her classes and students and admits it is the one thing she can see herself doing forever. And though those who enroll in her classes are women who want to become comediennes, her words reach across all professions. “Helping other women…is so fulfilling,” Sundstedt glows. “Nothing is [greater] than having someone come up to me at graduation and say, ‘You made one of my dreams come true.’”

Pretty Funny Women can currently be seen at five venues around the country. For information on upcoming shows, please visit: www.prettyfunnywomen.com

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A blank piece of paper stays clean and untouched while I stare at the endless amounts of uninspiring new music releases. I try hard to find something that I somewhat enjoy but I just can’t seem to put my name behind it or recommend it. Where do you turn when you need to write an article featuring the latest music? How do you soothe the monthly urge to find new artists? Somebody or something, please save me from this musical turmoil!

I paced around my office for a bit, wracking my brain whilst jumping up and down, when all of a sudden, my jumping caused my mouse to move and woke my computer. Like a heaven sent, my Internet browser appeared and revealed my answer. Pandora Radio. (Insert an angel choir here.)

As if an immaculate stream of light beamed me towards my computer, I submitted and willingly took a seat at my desk. My stations were all there, ready to provide me with old and new artists.

Can I just say that Pandora is awesome!? It literally allows me to make my own personal radio station. It’s like my TiVo for music. Love it!

I scrolled down my usual radio stations and decided if I need new music I should create a new station. And the new station that was born was, and still is, amazing. Most of the bands I found are not new, but sometimes the right ones need to be revisited and given a second time to shine.

These artists not only emulate my current mood of excitingly happy summer music with a twist of stank but they are also compositionally brilliant. Enough of my chitchat. Let’s get our love child talk on.

Jens Lekman - If Morrisey and Sufjan Stevens had a child who was inspired by children’s books.

The Sounds – If the Ting Tings and the 4 Non Blondes had a baby out of wedlock.

Stars - The Sundays and Death Cab for Cutie had a summer romance.

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A few years ago, if you drove down any of the major boulevards in Los Angeles, you were bound to run into at least one billboard featuring the three local Fox morning news anchors. Above their faces, were simple, three-word phrases in black, block text as bold as the personalities they represented: “In the news;” “In the know;” “In your face.” One guess as to which tagline Jillian Reynolds was given.

Reynolds’ larger than life personality precedes her, suggesting she blew the doors off the entertainment industry from the very first minute she deplaned from Canada. In actuality, though, Reynolds started out, like most females, just trying to get taken seriously at the desk – in professional suits and downplaying her looks. But Reynolds very quickly came to find that there was nothing right about trying to be anyone other than who she really was. Lucky for her, she found a home with a Fox affiliate (first WSVN in Miami and then KTTV at Fox) that liked her big smile and even bigger opinions.

Once “seen as just a weathergirl,” Reynolds’ refreshing honesty and fearlessness in poking fun at herself opened the door for her to do much more. Having been on Good Day LA since 1995, Reynolds soon got the itch to expand – and brand herself. Her bubbly and sometimes brash personality was put to good use on Extreme Dating and, today, is in even better use matching wits with Howie and the boys on the NFL. She never let anyone tell her she couldn’t do something.

Reynolds is a staunch proponent of animal rights and adoption. For someone who takes on so many of the superficial (style and celebrity) stories on Good Day LA, she has also found a great way to give back: by tying her own personal philanthropy into the broadcast each morning. It is because of Reynolds’ influence that Adopt-A-Pet has become the feature segment that it has, finding good, loving homes for thousands of deserving pets across the southland.

It has been said that “you can’t be a good actor if you’re afraid to make a fool of yourself,” but it is arguable that you can’t be a relatable public figure in general if you are so inhibited. Reynolds, always willing to air her personal successes—and struggles— is proof of that. She has come into viewers’ homes on Good Day LA for the past fifteen years: they eat their breakfast with her; they get their kids ready for school with her; and they grow with her.

Reynolds is often seen as loud, lavish, and flashy—someone who reflects a somewhat untouchable lifestyle. But her willingness to share bad date stories, anecdotes about her adopted Canadian parents and birthmother alike, and beaming pride about her own daughter keeps her completely grounded. She may be a woman on television, but she is just a woman first, and she never pretends to be anything more.

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I’m not one for succumbing to media gimmicks and TV-fostered hype. In fact, I am so anti-television that I keep my set in my closet and adamantly cling to the bunny ears that will soon be obsolete. Yet, twice a week I crawl in amongst my dresses and winter coats and give myself over to the mind-numbing awe of American Idol.

For the first 5 seasons (now in season 8), I ridiculed all who gave up their social lives on Tuesday and Wednesday nights in order to avidly drool over a contrived reality program designed to humiliate people as much as encourage them. Then season 6 happened and an old friend from high school made it on the show. Out of curiosity as much as loyalty, I began to watch. While it met every expectation of cheesy, shameless marketing and mediocre smoke-and-mirror showmanship, it far surpassed itself in heightened human drama. Suddenly, and unexpectedly, this show was like heroin in my veins.

At first I thought my addiction stemmed from the tangible nerves of these performers as they dared to publicly dream the impossible. I felt elated when their song choices earned accolades from the infamous judges; my heart plummeted at the pain in their faces when they realized they just made a potentially deadly mistake. There’s also the sickening yet fascinating moment when they’ve been told they’ve been kicked off the show and then have to sing their losing song one more time. What could be crueler (or more interesting to watch) than trying to save face in front of millions of viewers who ultimately rejected you?

And so, for a while, I cynically assumed what America really loved about this show was the ability to torture its participants. But as the seasons have marched on, I have discovered a marvelous yet dirty little secret: the public has been hiding a tender soft spot. The winners are rarely the most marketable package available on the program. The last seven seasons’ winners have included a single mom, an overweight man, a pre-maturely gray southern rocker, and now, tonight, this season we stand to choose an eye-liner-nail-polish-sporting-glam-rockin’ gay man. Is it really possible that in a country torn apart over the issues of gay rights and gay marriage we would elect a gay man as our “American Idol?”

While I would hate to impose more dignity and gravitas than it deserves, I do believe this show is a kind of social marker. Despite the media constantly telling us that we like little blond women with tight abs or hunky men with protruding pectorals, as it turns out, we don’t. When given the choice, we choose the perfectly flawed instead—we choose talent over total package. What a remarkable revelation that stirs my heart: to believe that the generations behind us are gaining a much deeper sense of self and, perhaps. will one day be immune to the artificial flavors in the big-wig marketing schemes.

So even if you’re not already an American Idol fanatic, tune in tonight to the season finale and check out the unbelievable talent of Adam Lambert and trust that America might just have good taste after all.

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