"Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world my heart can't take it."

I found myself watching American Beauty on TNT a couple weeks back & just can't seem to get it out of my head. Maybe because I think Alan Ball is one of the greatest writers of our time (check out True Blood & Six Feet Under,) the performances are stellar, or Sam Mendes is capable of creating some of the most evocative moments in film and you're not even aware. The scene where Wes Bentley's character shows Thora Birch "the most beautiful thing he's ever filmed" that turns out to be plastic bag dancing in the wind, has always stayed with me, so when I saw this balloon floating outside my window, I had to capture it. Sadly I wasn't able to get any video, but it's playful nature and the delight it provided me with were just as worthwhile as the sense of surprise and shock I felt when the balloon popped soon after I took these.

yes that's the Hair Original Broadway Cast Recording Record sleeve on the wall [Saturday Night Fever and The Great Gatsby are the other 2 ]

"True Blood" is fangtastic

i've always been a fan of vampire lore, and mythology. i grew up watching "Buffy" religiously, and am one of the few people who will admit they liked "Mad Men's" 'Pete Campbell' on Angel over his current role, but random info aside. Alan Ball's new show is better than fantastic it's fangtastic. i may come off a little cheesy and a little cheeky, but anyone who is into vampires has to be. I've been a huge fan of Ball since he wrote "American Beauty" (which he won the Oscar for,) but mainly because of "Six Feet Under" which was definitely one of the most exciting, original and honest TV shows ever made. anyway "True Blood" is awesome. it's funny, dramatic, creepy, sensual and incredibly sexy. Anna Paquin is adorable and strong, while Stephen Moyer oozes so much sex appeal that i want him to jump off the screen and nibble on me. i posted 2 mini reviews below, but my advice to you is check out this show immediately!

Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly describes it as: "Set in a tiny Louisiana town, True Blood is a Southern/absurdist/goth/civil rights horror show: Folks acknowledge that vampires exist; they just don't want 'em moving into their neighborhood."

While IMDB wrote: "In the not-too-distant future, vampires have come out of the coffin. Thanks to the invention of mass-produced synthetic blood, these oft-maligned creatures of the night no longer need a human fix -- and as a result can walk freely, if not yet comfortably, among their living counterparts. Can young Louisiana waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) buck conventional wisdom to forge a love match with the 173-year-old vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer)? Sink your teeth into "True Blood", the new HBO series from the creator of "Six Feet Under". Visit the official site, get local listings, and see the photos for "True Blood"