Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Wise Words: Laurie Keller of "Cougar Town"



Just because Laurie Keller's lipstick shade lets people on the moon know she's tacky doesn't mean she's not wise. On this week's episode of Cougar Town ("Money Becomes King"), Ms. Keller lets Trav (and us) in on a few of her life philosophies.

From episode 309, "Money Becomes King".


1. Don't get hammered at brunch.

2. You gotta shake it til you make it. (Though it turns out this one is only really good for dance-offs or cocktails.)

From episode 309, "Money Becomes King".


3. Nothing ever works out unless you are in 100%.


Oh, and don't forget:

4. Never fight short-haired bitches.

From episode 309, "Money Becomes King".



Thanks for the wisdom, Laurie. Now, can we get a Krazy Kake?

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Helmet Party! from "Cougar Town"

Helmet party!

Travis wearing a helmet is one of my favorite storylines from season 3 of "Cougar Town", mostly because it's the writers' revenge against Dan Byrd for not cutting his hair. That's kind of amazing. And since Travis looks goofy and feels insecure, in true sweet cul-de-sac crew style the rest of the gang had a Helmet Party, where they all made Trav feel better by donning their own helmets.

Photo from Vulture.com.


This is a fun and simple party idea for you and your friends (especially if your friends are easygoing and obedient). The concept is simple: everyone wears their own helmet! The wackier the better. This is fun because people can use the helmet idea to express their own style or personality. For instance, Jules and Bobby wear big safe parent-approved helmets, whereas Ellie shows off a riding helmet (can't you just see her with a crop in her hand?) and Laurie wears an Amelia Earhart style cap. (Just make sure you make clear to your guests the difference between hats and helmets: hats are just hats, but helmets are weird and amusing, as well as protective!) Yakkay has some cute helmets if you're in the market for something fun and wearable.

You can even get a small door prize (a bottle of wine, a gift certificate... for a bottle of wine) to give out to the person voted Best Helmet at the party.

Ready, set, raise hell(met)!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Everything I Needed to Know About Life I Learned From: Chris Hardwick

I just finished reading Chris Hardwick's book The Nerdist Way, and let me tell you: it might have changed my life. It's the first self-help-y kind of thing I've ever read that legitimately made me feel like I could take control (in simple ways) and turn my life into what I want it to be. Even if you're not unhappy with your current situation, this book can give you ways to make yourself happier with your life, whether it's offering great tips for goal-setting, easy ways to get in better physical shape, or a great overview of how to manage your time and finances.


 
The Nerdist Way.
(Click the photo to check it out on Amazon.)

Hardwick, of course, is the former host of MTV's "Singled Out" and the current host of G4's "Web Soup", correspondent for G4's "Attack of the Show", host of AMC's "Talking Dead" and founder of the Nerdist podcast and Nerdist.com. (Busy guy, right?) He's also a frequent guest on Craig Ferguson's "Late Late Show" (one of my favorite late night shows), as well as a super nice guy. When I lived near L.A. for half of 2010, I used to attend "Web Soup" tapings; it was my favorite Tuesday-night activity. Hardwick was always friendly as could be, funny as hell, and very interactive with the small studio audience. He even smelled my hair once. 50 XP! (You'll get that reference once you read the book.) I was thrilled when I attended the PaleyFest panel honoring Jimmy Fallon in 2011 and learned that Hardwick would be the moderator! What ensued was a night of sweet hilarity starring two of my favorite funnymen.

Despite looking vaguely unenthusiastic in both photos, I promise
that Chris Hardwick is very nice in person!
(Left: at a Web Soup taping, April 2010; right, at the PaleyFest panel
honoring Jimmy Fallon, March 2011.)


Keeping in line with Hardwick's nice-guy comedian aura, The Nerdist Way made me laugh out loud often, whether it was Hardwick's advice to "avoid cheap mass-murder revenge tactics" or just reading the term "fear-pee" for the first time, not to mention the fact that in the Body section of the book, the illustrations of stretches and workouts star an adorable koala. Maybe the hardest I laughed was when he encourages a bit of an evil genius mentality, and suggests you "cackle if necessary" after listing your plans.

Part of what's great about this book is that it's targeted to a specific group of people: "creative obsessives". (I'm newly obsessed with this term; I've never come up with a more succinct and accurate way to describe myself.) It's targeted at people who are like him, and because of that his advice is specific, relevant, and realistic. He is also charmingly candid about his own struggles, which offers an inspiring perspective. He's obviously a smart and successful guy and I'm happy to take advice from him.

One of my favorite aspects of the book is Hardwick's insistence that you go easy on yourself; too many things these days make us want to beat ourselves up for not being smart enough, thin enough, rich enough, or good enough. The Nerdist Way is the lovey-doviest of tough love. While Hardwick encourages you to "just start", he also makes it clear that change is tough, change is gradual, and that making a change at all is a reason to celebrate yourself and your accomplishments.

Did I not make it clear? BUY THIS BOOK!