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Lessons on navigating a spaceship through Space and Time.

I’m on your side when nobody is, cause nobody is

I finished my first song in months.
At my age, you can’t afford to not be doing the things you love.
In the past I made the mistake of writing songs about boys I had loved; believing that it’d be some vindication for all the heartbreak. I found it to be an ephemeral solution.

It’s been years since I’ve made an earnest attempt to song write. I reached a point where I was too depressed to play anything and everything turned into sobs and sad songs. And there’s enough sadness in the world without me piling more onto its load, so I decided to stop playing all together. It was a decision, which in retrospect only contributed to the darkness.

At the beginning of this year I gave myself a lot of time to think about my life–where I am and where I’m going. I found that the thing missing most from my life was the 3-4 hours daily of music I used to play. I started to think about what pulled me through these last few years: every moment with my friends and family.

Now I find myself writing songs about all the moments in which I found myself surrounded by love in ways I couldn’t see before. Lazy days spent laughing with friends is all someone needs sometimes. I’m still allowed to write angry songs, it’s just easier writing them now that I’m no longer angry. A new shade of life begins.

Current inspiration:
“Out in the streets” – The Shangri-Las
I’ve been listening to the Shangri-Las pretty obsessively as of late and actually used some of the backing vocals from this as samples in the song I finished.

“Marrow” – St. Vincent

“Windsurfing nation” -Broken Social Scene

“This night has opened my eyes” – The Smiths
Every time I hear this song the bass line gets stuck in my head for months and I walk around humming it.

Filed under: Inspiration, Music, My So-Called Life

Alive, not well.

A song.

Filed under: Music, My So-Called Life ,

Pantheon No. 7

Filed under: Pantheon ,

Rainy Days and Mondays

Filed under: Music, youtube

Pantheon No. 6: The Holiday Edition

Filed under: Pantheon

POTD

“Going There”

Of course it was a disaster.
The unbearable, dearest secret
has always been a disaster.
The danger when we try to leave.
Going over and over afterward
what we should have done
instead of what we did.
But for those short times
we seemed to be alive. Misled,
misused, lied to and cheated,
certainly. Still, for that
little while, we visited
our possible life.

-Jack Gilbert

Filed under: Uncategorized

Bring out the show tunes

“I’d Rather Be Blue” – Barbra Streisand

I think I’m going to cover this. Yes, yes I am.

Filed under: Music

They’re talking about it in Copenhagen, why not Cerritos?

Well, they’re talking about climate change, but recycling factors into that. Find a way to do your part, fool.

Click on the image to open the report in a PDF.

Filed under: Too Cool For School

If you could be mine, we’d both shine.

Nas feat. Lauryn Hill- “If I Ruled The World”

Filed under: Music, Nostalgia

Pantheon No. 5

Eartha Kitt (1927-2008)

“C’est Si Bon”

“ I Want To Be Evil”

Filed under: Pantheon

California Love: Best Coast

Bethany Cosentino, whom I had the pleasure of meeting in a world music class at Pasadena City College, has this new band, Best Coast that’s really great. One word to describe it: sunny.  I love love love it! Give it a listen.

“When I’m With You” – Best Coast

Interview for Nylon TV:

Catch her and Bobb Bruno live.

Nov 24 2009 8:00P
ECHO CURIO W/ REAL ESTATE + PEARL HARBOR LA, California
Nov 27 2009 8:00P
ART FAG FEST W/ NO AGE, DUM DUM GIRLS, GANGLIANS, GRASS WIDOW + MORE SAN DIEGO, California
Dec 18 2009 9:00P
SPACELAND W/ FOREIGN BORN LA, California

BUY “WHEN I’M WITH YOU” + “THIS IS REAL” ON ITUNES NOW!

Best Coast - When I'm With You - Single - When I'm With You

Filed under: Local, Music, New Music

Hello, longtime no blog.

I know, it’s been a while since I’ve given out specific details about all that’s been going on in my life and well a lot/ not a lot of things have happened, so I think it’s about time for a recap. Note: events may be out of sequence.

  • My best friend Mo De La Mora, now Mrs. Cannata got married in October at the Long Beach Museum of Art.  She’s currently in Japan representing the handbag designer she works for. I’m so proud of her! She’s an amazing human being and so is Richard. Knowing that two people of that caliber can actually find each other and wed restores my faith in humanity.
  • Mr. and Mrs. Cannata by Dave Tankersley
  • I can’t talk about weddings without mentioning Jonny and Trixi who got married in Minnesota and had a James Bond themed wedding. I know what you’re thinking. Best theme, ever! I’ve seen the pictures and trust me, Diana Rigg pales in comparison to how gorgeous Trixi looked. Their union also further restores my faith in humanity.
  • I was lucky enough to photograph my dear friend Jesse’s Spring/Summer 2010 collection during LA Fashion week.  It’s so neat to witness all the behind the scenes action.
  • I got booked for my first “big” photo shoot.
  • Vanessa got into the Berklee College of Music. She was supposed to start in January but her parents decided to postpone until the Summer (THANK GOD!), so they have enough time to find her a place in Boston. I seriously don’t know what I’m going to do without her. I’ll probably have to visit Boston every other weekend. This is going to be an expensive friendship.
  • I attended the Online News Association Conference in San Francisco where I met Ellen Weiss. If you know me, then you understand why this is exciting for me. Evan Williams the CEO of Twitter was there to talk about its inception and also of its future.
  • This semester has made me wish more than ever that I didn’t have to work full-time while also going to school.  Being part of the newspaper has been great, but I just haven’t had as much time as I’d want to put into it and create all that I know I’m capable of. Le Sigh.
  • I wanted to apply for Editor-in-chief next semester, but sadly, I wouldn’t have the time to commit to it.
  • At our regional JACC conference I didn’t win anything. I competed in Feature Writing. Mostly, I tried to focus on getting the most out of the workshops and getting useful information to share with the staff. I’m excited for our State conference, though. Mark Murray, our sports editor won First place for Sports writing and Rick Gomez, editor-in-chief, won 3rd place for Design at Regionals.
  • Other than school, work, and the occasional photo shoot, my life pretty much revolves around Television. Sick, I know.  The season finales of Mad Men (I could devote a novel to how amazing the finale was), Project Runway(eh), and ANTM (which sucked, btw) have left me with a little more free time. I’ve still got The Office, Oprah, Forensic Files, Top Chef, Dancing With the Stars, HIMYM, 30 Rock, Glee and yes, I’m going to admit it, I’ve been watching 90210. Still no where near as good as the original, but it’s picking up this season. This weeks episode was really touching. We all know how evil Jackie was to Kelly in the original series and how she’s completely unforgiveable, right? Well as Jackie is dying of Cancer in the hospital, Kelly forgives her. And you can see how hard it is for both of them, but it really is a touching exchange and a good way to close off that storyline.
  • I digress. Seriously, I could talk forever about TV.
  • I started a new music project/band called Little Savages.
  • Survived the Pig Flu.

I know there’s A LOT of stuff I probably ommitted, but this is already too long of a post and yes, I realize that this easily could have been broken down into several posts, but I really can’t get to blogging everyday.

Filed under: My So-Called Life

My Life as a Gleek

During "Morning Train (9 to 5)." We had at least 4 different costume changes underneath the robes. With each number we'd peel away a layer.

There was a point in my life when I sang the body electric and burned with the fire of 10 million stars. Those were my days of Glee. Rehearsing until 2a.m., competing for solos, trying desperately to hit the notes for the “Hallelujah chorus” and the “Carol of the Bells”, sewing costumes, dancing on top of boxes in heels and in sparkly blue dresses, and then jumping off those boxes in heels trying to land without breaking a leg and let’s not forget my all-time favorite moment–dressing up as a drop of water (no, I’m not going to post those pictures).

I was a gleek in every sense of the word. I never got a slushie in the face, though, but I did on more than one occasion get a tennis ball thrown at my head. At our end of the year ceremony,  I was awarded a helmet to protect me from any future balls that might be thrown at my head.

I guess it comes as no surprise then that I would love Glee. Not because it’s the greatest thing on television in recent history (we all know that’s Mad Men), but because it takes me back to those days. And although, I’d bitch my way through rehearsals and complain about doing Sheena Easton’s “Morning Train (9 to 5)” for the 100th time in a row, I wish I could do it all over again.

 



Filed under: My So-Called Life

Twenty-five things about me

Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you.

1. My conscience has a British accent. I read silently and think with a British accent. Don’t ask me why.

2. I would’ve been the Valedictorian of Magee Elementary had I not gotten a “C” in second grade.

3. I developed an allergy to shellfish in my adulthood. It’s better to have loved and lost.

4. I tear up during slow mo superbowl/world series and in memoriam montages.

5. Throughout most of my childhood, television was my parent. Mostly PBS, Spanish soap operas, abc family, and Three Stooges marathons.

6. Spanish was my first language.

7. I read all of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind in the fourth grade and my teacher didn’t believe me. Aside from the various books about the Mayas, aliens and Nostradamus, that’s about all I had to read at home outside of what I was assigned in class.

8. I ditched most of my Junior year of high school because I just wasn’t interested.

9. Consequently, I had to attend truancy correction classes.

10. I was angry at my mom for 18 years because she sold my piano. When I was four years old there was nothing else I loved more than that piano. She redeemed herself last Christmas.

11. My favorite television show of all time is The Wonder Years

12. If I had the money, I’d be living in Spain.

13. I lack culture. It’s why I have such a huge appreciation for the people who are aware of their culture and celebrate it.

14. I don’t know my biological father. It doesn’t bug me that I don’t know him. It does bother me that I don’t know my other siblings. Because of this I live with a constant “what if” hanging over my head.

15. I used to think the BET channel was called the bet channel as in “Let’s make a bet,” until one day Anais corrected me and said, “No, it’s B-E-T. As in Black Entertainment Television.” It’s the last memory I have of her.

16. From the time I was 11 to maybe 13, I had a 2Pac poster hanging on my wall positioned in front of my bed. I took it down one night when I awoke and noticed he was looking at me funny.

17. The myth might be better than the truth.

18. I’ve been in love twice. The first time I didn’t know it.

19. As I type this, Mel Brooks’ History of the World: Part 1 is playing in the background.

20. I appeared in the NY Times when I was 18. Not a glorious moment given the fact that I had pink eye and a horribly short and unflattering haircut at the time.

21. I have an uncanny obsession with studying the Kennedy Family.

22. I love a good conspiracy theory.

23. I prefer non-fiction reads. Life is truly more fascinating and stranger than fiction.

24. People never cease to amaze me.

25. Laughter is the way to my heart. I revel in comedy.

Filed under: My So-Called Life

Mad Men: the one where Betty does a little dance and makes a little love

Seriously.

Bettydancing

Filed under: Television

Pantheon No. 4

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Filed under: Music, Pantheon , , , , ,

Pantheon No. 3

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The Flaming Lips at Del Mar Race Track

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Copyright © 2009 by Ashley Aguirre. The Flaming Lips. Del Mar Race Track. Del Mar, Calif. Aug. 2009

Filed under: Photography

“Only Love Can Break Your Heart”-Neil Young with Crosby, Stills & Nash

Filed under: Music, youtube

Pantheon No. 2

John Hughes (February 18th 1950 – August 6th 2009)

johnhughes

How do we go on withoout John Hughes? by Josh Tyler at Cinema Blend

Filed under: Memoriam, Pantheon

Oh My Blog: How this came to be or not to be

This post just wasn't a post without a picture of Prince and Jake growing out of his shoulder.

This post just wasn't complete without a picture of Jake growing out of Prince's shoulder.

I’ve been really, really, really, lazy about blogging the last few months, but after attending a blogger meet-n-greet organized by the ever enchanting Prince Gomolvilas at the Americana in Glendale for friends of Bamboo Nation, I started to think a lot about my blog–about its true purpose, content, and audience. In truth, I’ve never taken my blog seriously, so I’ve never really given much thought to any of these things. Anyway, we got some interesting questions going during our meet-up and now that I’ve thought about it a little, I’m going to try and answer them as honestly as possible, if only for my own sanity.

Why did I start this blog?

Out of spite, boredom, and necessity. Let me try and illustrate what my brain looks like. It’s an office full of crazy people who drink too much coffee, who run up the aisles of cubicles frantically making copies of things, spilling things, knocking things over. Behind one desk is a musician whose job it is to make sure the right song is always playing at the right time. Across from him is an artist, her desk is located in front of my eyelids. Her job is to paint all that she sees and give it to my secretary to copy and file accordingly. Unfortunately, all I could afford was an impressionistic painter, which explains my sometimes fuzzy logic. Then there’s the editor who goes through the filing cabinets on a daily basis because they’re flooded with too much information, so his job is to throw out what is unnecessary or no longer important, or too old. That trash is what ends up here. The things that for one reason or another I can’t keep in my head. See, I’ve always had this fear (and this dates back to when I wee years old) that my head was going to explode because I just had way too much going on in there. It’s kind of like when I used to be afraid to eat watermelon because I thought if I swallowed a seed a watermelon would grow in my stomach. It’s a common fear.

See, I’ve come to truly understand, that my brain’s trash is another brain’s treasure. What I throw out gets recycled into someone else’s and vice versa–it truly is a beautiful exchange. Those things I throw out often come back to me improved. Make sense?  If it doesn’t let me tell it to you this way:

A few years ago I got hired to sit behind a desk, answer phone calls, and smile at people. Sounds easy, right? Not for someone who has the need to constantly be doing something. I’ve always known that I wanted to write for a living. I didn’t care which medium, as long as I was doing it. So with nearly six hours to kill a day, I knew that I couldn’t just sit there playing crossword puzzles all day and that the best way to become a writer was to *drumroll please* write. Blogging was hot, so I thought why not? It didn’t have a real purpose then. I didn’t even care if anyone read it, with the exception of one person. All I knew then, was that if I didn’t write those crazy people inside my head were going to become suicidal and jump right out my eyelids and leave me completely blank.

My first few years of blogging were fun, but then I got promoted and didn’t have as much time at work to blog and of course when I come home I hate turning on the computer. I still use one most of the time at work, but I’ve got a lot more to do. Moving forward with my blog, I know that it won’t exactly be all that I want it to be because of the time factor, but I do hope to keep it alive. At least as a place that I can come to and share thoughts, stories, a song, or a funny video with anyone who’s willing.

What’s behind the title?

Ashley Aguirre. Well it’s my name. Someday I may have some claim to fame and will need to own ashleyaguirre.com, so I thought why not now? Might as well hold my place.

Okay, I’m kind of tired of writing now and I’ve got a psychology exam to study for.

‘Twas a Sunday well spent. Thanks Prince, for getting everyone together! Can’t wait for our next quarterly. I loved everyone’s stories.

Check out these blogs, I look forward to reading through them. A great bunch of interesting people in the blogosphere (and outside of it, too):

Noel Alumit - The Last Noel

Jake Bradbury - Jake & Will: Video Contest Warriors

Donovan Keith - Another Actor in LA

Cheryl Klein – Bread and Bread

Louise Larsen - Louise on the Left

Scott Lowe - Tropico Station

Peter Varvel - Plastic Bubble World

Stephanie – The Water Glass

Filed under: Writing

Pantheon No. 1

Phyllis Diller (1971-?)

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Inspired by Sean’s Witzke’s, now defunct Pantheon feature on his blog, I’ve decided to create my own Pantheon.

Filed under: Pantheon

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Filed under: Movies

06.25.09

skyfarrahmichael

When I was a little kid, there was nothing more I wanted to be in life than a back-up dancer for Michael Jackson–a dream I’m sure I shared with millions around the world. Those days, I spent a lot of time glued to the television relentlessly waiting for his videos to come on so that I could hit the record button on the VHS player. I cleared space in the living room, played them back, and devoted countless hours to studying every move, and rehearsing them each to perfection. As I type this, I can still recall those memories when my siblings and I gathered in our living room to put on our own “Talent Shows” for mom and dad. We’d make fliers and put them up around the house announcing our latest show, we handmade tickets with strips of paper and crayon and assigned “seats”(couch space). We’d put on plays, reenact movie scenes, comedy skits, and of course, I always had a dance number, which was usually a mirror of Michael’s latest video, sometimes I’d switch off and do something by Madonna or Elvis (My dad’s childhood nickname for me was Madonna), but I was at my happiest when I was showing off my moonwalk or mimicing the fight scene from “Beat It” with my little sister.

I held onto my dream of being a dancer, but it was hard to hold when I was15 and had knee surgery after injuring it. I can still dance, but it’s never been the same–there are certain movements I just can’t make without feeling like my knee is going to tear apart. But, to this day, no matter where I am, whenever an MJ song comes on, you can guarantee I’m up and dancing because for the time that his music is playing, I’m a kid again holding on to my big dream, hoping that someday the pain will go away and I will regain some of the mobility I lost and dance behind Michael.

With Michael’s passing, I mourn more than the death of an Icon who brought the world together through its universal language–I mourn the death of my biggest childhood dream. His death hit me hard when I heard his young voice through my radio singing, “I’ll be there.” I wasn’t alive during the Jackson 5’s heyday, but I can imagine anyone who heard that voice for the first time instantly knew that he possesed a talent unlike anybody else. I hope that in the coming days people will be kind and just let the man rest in peace and take comfort in his musical legacy–the music that houses such fond childhood memories, the music that still continues to bridge the gap between generations and bring the world together.

As Jody Rosen from Slate writes:

Today, the popular-music landscape has crumbled into bits and bytes, splintered into hundreds of market niches, subgenres, and microgenres. Though the occasional huge hit collapses the distance between audiences, we will never again experience a moment like Jackson’s 1980s apotheosis, when Thrillerseemed to shrink the world. Weeping for Michael, we are also mourning the musical monoculture—the passing of a time when we could imagine that the whole country, the whole planet, was listening to the same song.

Thank you, Michael–for being a constant source of inspiration, for making my soul dance, for sharing your gift with me and the world. Thank You.

“Never Can Say Goodbye” – The Jackson 5

I also can’t go without mentioning Los Angeles music hero, Sky Saxon of the Seeds and the woman who’s death undoubtedly shattered a million school boy dreams, Farrah Fawcett. Both died the same day as Michael Jackson.

“Can’t Seem to Make You Mine” – The Seeds (One of my absolute favorite tunes of all time–gonna pull out the vinyl and spin it tomorrow)

Filed under: Memoriam

It Had to Be You – Frank Sinatra

Yes.

Filed under: In Rotation, Nostalgia

Learning to Dance in the Rain with Vin Scully

And an excerpt from the full length version).

Ernest Hemingway wrote in A Farewell to Arms, ‘the world breaks everyone, but some come back afterward, even stronger in the broken places.’  When you think about those players, the greatest thing about the character of a great baseball player or a successful man, is a desire to excel.  A desire to dominate and it confines him to a single mission. Nothing else matters. The greatest menace to a man’s success is a perfect willingness to excuse his own mistakes. The players I’ve talked about have demonstrated something rather imperishable and man some enduring moral fiber that just will not bow before the most demoralizing blow. From these giant soul champions we can borrow from courage and we can dream.[...] I was in high school, sitting in the back row of the auditorium with the best athlete on campus. His name was Larry Miggins and we were talking about what we hoped to do with our lives. And I said to Larry, ‘Gosh, I would love to be a sports announcer and maybe do major league baseball.’ And Larry said, ‘I would love to be a major league player.’

In 1952, a few years later, I was broadcasting for the Brooklyn Dodgers and they were playing in Ebbets field against the St. Louis Cardinals and Larry Miggins was in the starting line-up for St. Louis. Now I only worked two innings in those years, the 3rd and the 7th, and in the 3rd inning Larry Miggins came up while I was on the air and hit a homerun againt a pitcher named Preacher Roe. It was the most emotional moment outside the birth of my children, I think, in my entire life.

Can you imagine such a far fetched dream coming to reality?  So, I get back again to those four words: Very difficult, but possible. Hold on to that. We can’t tell you to survive the storms of life, but we can tell you to learn to dance in the rain. [...] I wish for you: May the road always rise to meet you, may the wind always be at your back, may the rain fall gently on your field, may the sun be gentle to your face, and above all may God hold you in the hollow of his hand.

Filed under: Inspiration

The Lonely Island in Heeb Mag

Filed under: on the cover

Eye Candy: Emma Watson

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How amazing is this dress?

Filed under: Eye Candy, Style

Reposted: Abraham Lincoln Bones Queen Elizabeth

Prince just posted this video over on his blog, Bamboo Nation, and I can’t help but repost it ’cause it’s like the greatest commercial ever, really:

A German financial institution named Bontrust recently revealed a cool animated commercial that starts out cute, but ends up nasty. Really really nasty. Watch:

 

Filed under: Funny Videos, youtube

I got my hands full all summer long

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The Walkmen. El Rey Theatre. Hollywood, Calif. Copyright © 2009 by Ashley Aguirre

The Walkmen are awesome live, but I wasn’t too crazy about their set list. And I was dying to hear “Another One Goes By” live. No dice.

Filed under: Music

Listen While the Listening’s Good

“From” – Dr. Dog

It’s nice to wake up early and it’s a nice day to be listening to Dr. Dog. Carry on.

 Let’s have ourselves a soul saving music session asap. I need it more than anything. Hit me up, putos.

Filed under: Music

“You are Capable of deciding your own destiny. The Question is: Which Path Will You Choose?”

spock

I feel an extreme amount of guilt for going to see Star Trek tonight. Why?

Disclaimer: Skip ahead if you don’t care about my personal life.

See, it’s finals time for me, which means I’ve been super busy writing essays and prepping for presentations. I even had to blow off a few birthday celebrations. A few nights ago Caitlin, Jenn, and I were up working on our proposal to “enact an effective recycling program” at school as part of our final project when it was brought to my attention (well more like I was snooping around at her movie collection) that Caitlin and I shared a deep bond that we had yet to discover—a bond that transcends time and space. Yes, she is a Trekkie. Finding herself in the same boat spacecraft as I: she hadn’t had the time to see the latest Star Trek movie. Of course, all of our friends had seen it (even the non-trekkies). So, we made each other a promise to wait and see it together once finals were over. But, tonight as I watched the trailer for the millionth time, I cracked. I was shivering with anticipation. I’d been waiting for this for a FUCKING long time. I ran into the living room flailing my arms— “Mom, mom, mom, I can’t take it anymore, let’s go see Star Trek. I’ll even pay for everyone. Let’s go!” We packed the kids in the car and got there in time for the 8:15 showing. Yes, I broke a promise, which is a lot to feel guilty about. I HATE breaking promises. I let Cait know I went to see it, luckily, she said I could make it up to her by watching it again with her (in IMAX of course) even though she was a smidge hurt. Gah, there’s the guilt again. Ok, on with the show.

It’s safe to read now.

Let me just get my one complaint out of the way. I didn’t like the new Romulans—they’d look more in place as part of an episode of LA Ink gone wrong. But, even this is somewhat redeemed by the fact that you have Eric Bana playing Nero. He’s a bad ass, there’s scientific data to prove it, too (see Munich). With that out of the way, I can say that Star Trek is near perfection and has earned itself a well deserved spot on my favorite movies list.

Of course, coming into this as a Trekkie who was comfortable with the classic characters and storylines, I was worried. It’s sacred material—no other person has ever stepped into the role of Captain Kirk. Now, not to piss anyone off, but Chris Pine’s portrayal of the Capt. is way better than Shatner’s. Compared to Pine, Shatner’s Kirk is restrained. Pine brings a whole new depth and dimension to the role—full of passionate intensity.  As my homeboy Jonny blogs, he “plays Kirk the way you’ve always wanted to see him, as a rules-are-for-pussies maverick that likes to bed green women.” I can’t think of a better way to say it myself.

I won’t go into much detail about Zachary Quinto’s performance as Spock other than to say that I couldn’t think of a better actor to take on the legendary role. There’s something to be said here about J.J. Abrams’ stellar casting. It is one of the best cast films I’ve seen in years.  Each actor shines without ever taking away from the other—they complement each other, while feeding off each other’s energy to create beautiful and sometimes rightfully subtle relationships. I can tell that this was probably a cast that got along extremely well, both, on and off the set—their commitment to doing the film justice really shows.

I squealed with joy the minute Simon Pegg arrived on screen as Scotty. This could be due to the fact that I love anything even remotely related to Simon Pegg (He’s my dream man minus the whole being a blond thing). There’s something so genuine about his character that only a sci-fi devotee as big as he could bring to the role. Equally as endearing is Anton Yelchin as Chekov. He is just fucking adorable; it’s hard not to smile when he’s on screen. AFUCKINGdorable. Then along comes John Cho as Sulu sword fighting and kicking some Romulan ass mid air.  And of course, Zoe Saldana is perfect as Uhura. Abrams could’ve made the Transformers mistake and by that I mean casting someone like Megan Fox (yeah she’s hot, but hot is just a distraction sometimes from substance) but he didn’t, he picked someone real with strength and poise.  That’s all I’ll say about the  acting.  Btw, how fucking amazing did the Enterprise look?!!

I didn’t expect to be as engaged in the film as I was. Ten minutes into the movie I was crying like a bitch. It never lost me for a second. Even when I had to go to the restroom, I contemplated peeing my pants just so I wouldn’t miss a second. I had to get up and go, but I swear I haven’t ran that fast or peed that fast in ages (TMI). What Abrams did so well was make me care about these characters again, maybe more so than I ever did. They’re real, they’re endearing, and just like many of us they struggle to find that balance between logic and heart.

I get told Star Trek is lame by people all the time. This is my chance to say “fuck you.” I felt a great deal of Trekkie pride after it was all done. There’s a fire behind this Star Trek that has been absent for years. It was enough to get my little brother and sister hooked and I’ve been trying for years to do that.

I can’t wait to see more. Without a doubt, Abrams has taken this to a magical place—where Trekkies and non Trekkie’s alike can agree that they are watching a truly beautiful tale unfold: a tale of friendship, risk taking, exploration, logic, time and human emotion.  It’s opened up the door to a new generation of Trekkie’s without ever isolating the tried and true.

-Ashley, out.

Filed under: Movies

Protected: Photoblog: 23 is My Lucky Number.

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Filed under: Uncategorized

Time and a Word

gramps

Time is an intangible distance. When someone you love dies, all that separates you from them is time. Unlike the miles, state lines, or oceans that once divided you while they were alive, time has no retrograde. You can never physically return to a place in time. Even with the strongest of memory, details dissipate. Was his shirt blue? Was he wearing his glasses? Was that freckle on his right or left cheek?

I don’t remember.

All that remains intact are two fragments of time. I open up the door as I walk into the house, he’s sitting at his favorite spot on the creme colored couch with a newspaper by his side. But I don’t see him anymore, even in this memory all that’s left of him is a shadowy figure. I still hear his voice though and I know he’s smiling as he gets up to greet me “Ashee Mawee.” I’m 8, maybe 9 years old. I hug him tight as he asks if I want to watch cartoons. I joyfully decline and say he can watch the game while I do my homework. I’m distracted as I can’t keep my eye off the game. The game ends. There’s something on the news about Selena being shot. My eyes get watery andhe tells me it’s going to be okay as he dances with me to “Bidi bidi bom bom.”

I’m 19 as we sit on the green bench in grandma’s garden as he counsels me on matters of the heart. It’s the last meaningful conversation I can recall having with him. It’s the last thing I remember about him. Despite the fact that he only lived a mile away from me, I didn’t visit much in his final year. I didn’t want to remember him in the shape he was in. So thin and pale hooked up to oxygen–at times unrecognizable. I knew he was dying and my first instinct was to run away because I refused to watch him die.

Only now can I see how truly selfish my actions were. I wasn’t there when he needed me most. To make him laugh like I did when I was a kid, or to read him the paper as he had done for me when I couldn’t. To tell him it was all going to be okay and hug him as he had done for me.

April 26th, 2009. Three years now seperate us. This morning before I left I reminded my mom, “Today is the anniversary of Grandpa’s death.”
She replied, “That’s right and I bet no one has gone to the cemetery.”
She was surprised to hear that I had already gone.

I visited that tiny spot in Rose Hills on Aprill 22nd in honor of what would’ve been his birthday. And as I stood there, flowers in hand, over that plaque on the ground recalling that moment when they began throwing the dirt over his casket, my eyes welled up with tears as I whispered, “I never even knew what kind of flowers you liked or if you even liked flowers.”

If time can teach me anything it’s to get to know the people in my world to the fullest I can.  I love spending time listening to my grandma tell me stories about her growing up or how her and grandpa met. I just wish I would’ve been able to hear grandpa tell me about those things, too. About how beautiful abuelita looked on their wedding day or how he felt when he found out he was going to be a dad for the first time. So many questions.

Filed under: Memoriam

This Place Has Known Magic–Very Dark, Very Powerful

“Ummm, yeah, I’m soooo not excited about this ” (trying to conceal the excitement):

Midnight screening anyone?

Since we’re on the topic of Magic:

“Could This Be Magic?” – The Dubs

Filed under: Movies, Music , , , , ,

Thank You For Being a Friend, Bea Arthur (1922-2009)

bea

…and thank you for the laughs.

Filed under: Memoriam

George Harrison – I’d Have You Anytime

All I can do is swoon. One of my favorite songs, evah.

Filed under: Music, Nostalgia

Guatemalan Adventures

I’m back in California. I loved Guatemala. I flew over 3 volcanoes before landing at a gorgeous airport that my cousin helped design and is still overseeing the construction of a few more phases before it’s complete. She’s an amazing architect. I learned a lot about my culture, family, and history. Had intense and stimulating conversations with my cousins and uncles about universal politics, the future, the past, religion, the supernatural and love. Stood among the ruins of a lost civilization. Walked about 15 hours straight on streets of cobblestone. PAINFUL.

Now, I am tired. Got a long day ahead of me. Taxes, bills, reading, and essays. Oh, how fun.

-AMA

Filed under: Uncategorized

Yes, I STILL love YOU!

I’m talking to YOU, person who googled “Ashley do you still love me” and came across my blog.

One of my favorite things about using wordpress is the blogstats feature, which allows me to see what searches people make that bring them to this here blog. Also, I can see what links people visit or any incoming links–it’s cool, really. Except, I’ve scared off a few people by revealing that I have the ability to see this. “You mean you can see how many times I’ve clicked on the link to your myspace and flickr?” Yes! “You can see how many times I’ve googled your full name?” Yes! Well fear not, even though I can see THAT I can’t see WHO you are. So rest assured that your anonymity remains. Unless, you also use wordpress. Dun dun dun.

Today’s search put a big smile on my face. I’m glad someone out there is seeking my validation. Some other favorite searches:

“Fired for liking the Beatles”

Really, I need to know who googled this! Did this really happen? Is my job also at stake because of my musical taste?

“Ashley A Bomb”

Allllright (in a cool guy voice)! Yes, I took on the alias “A. Bomb” when I was writing for Fantastic Weapon. I thought it was cute. Weapon of choice = A. Bomb.

“What’s the name of that one song”

Does it go na na na na na na? If so, it’s the theme song for every show on television. See: America’s Next Top Model, Top Chef, How I met Your Mother. Words are too expensive these days. Various forms of “na” are in.

“mick jones adorable”- Agreed, haggard teeth and all.

“Tina Fey Feet”- I can’t help your foot fetish, but the people over at Defined Celebrity Feet can. “For the lover of defined celebrity women feet. Defined meaning bare feet that look tone and delicious with veins and tendons.” I have to ask, why have my feet not been featured on this? I have actually been quoted as saying, “Omg, my feet look delicious.” What? They do!

“Beard & mustache rides”- Hey man, once you go beard, you never go back. That’s all I’m saying. Whiskerino turns me on.

Filed under: Uncategorized

This is what happens when you fall off the face of the Earth

Begin Transmission:

In Space, we do not cry for fear that we might expel every ounce of limited energy we possess–to do so would be suicide.

In Space, we are in a state of constant contradiction with ourselves.

In Space, we query that which can not be answered.

In Space, we orbit ceaselessly without direction.

In Space, we feast on the flesh of fools.

In Space, we do not sleep.

In Space, we shrink.

In Space.

Space.

In.

.

 

Enduringly Yours,

Ashley in Space

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-----------------------------------------End transmission

Filed under: Uncategorized

Queen of the eyesores

Contact: Ashley Aguirre spinodino@gmail.com facebook.com/ashleyaguirre twitter.com/spinodino

Flickr Photos

"Baton Rouge" - Katie the Pest @ Alex's Bar on Vimeo by Ashley Aguirre



Ricky Wonder

Brandi Nichole "Snooki"

This is Nick in his Ed Hardy jacket that he loves soo much.

This is going to be my first tattoo.

One Year Later 1/20/2010



More Photos