Bye-bye Ugly Betty.

She may have been 'ugly' (by what standards I'm not certain). She may have worn inappropriately bold ponchos to the workplace. But I definitely didn't expect such an early departure from 'Ugly Betty.' Granted, I was not one of the show's biggest fans. I recall watching the entire first season one evening on Hulu when I couldn't fall asleep and never really finding myself able to engage with the show's slightly corny humor again. But still--the idea of a humble, true-to-herself, young lady from some outer borough of Manhattan (was it Queens or the Bronx, I can't remember now) making it--was appealing and inspiring. In honor of the show's cancellation by its network, ABC, I may wear a brightly colored, ill-fitting shirt tomorrow--one that says 'I may have bad style, but it's my own goshdarnit, and you better take me as I am. Because my ugly self is probably smarter than your well-heeled version.'

The personal lives of public figures.

The biggest news stories of this week have included Tiger Woods' 'transgressions' [for which he has now publicly apologized to his family]. And the coming out of 'Family Ties' actress Meredith Baxter. Both items made headlines on the front pages of national newspapers. Both have nearly overshadowed Obama's announcement that more troops will be sent to Afghanistan. Both are none of our goddamn business.

And I simply cannot figure out why we care. Husbands cheat on their wives not infrequently. Women over 60 come out of the closet...well, maybe not as often. Don't the members of the American population have their own problems and occasions to deal with? If not, I'd like to suggest needlepoint, or perhaps Mah Jong, as a more productive hobby than celebrity gossip.

[Image Credits: Tiger - Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press; Meredith - Drew/AP]

Happy birthday Sesame Street.

It's everyone's favorite children's TV show's anniversary today. Sesame Street celebrates the big 4-0. And it doesn't look a day over 7 if you ask me.

40 years ago, Sesame Street was revolutionary--combining entertaining programming with educational material was radical. Now, there are networks and DVDs and troupes of performers dedicated to this very cause.

But Big Bird and Cookie Monster and gay lovers Bert and Ernie were the first to do it.

And for that, I say [on behalf of my former child self] thank you and Happy Birthday!

(Even Google acknowledged Sesame Street's big day today. And you know you've made it big time when Google redesigns its home page for you.)

Ad execs are lousy. Levi Johnston is lousier. [Pistachios remain pretty great.]

How many ad execs does it take to offend consumers?

Apparently just the ones on the Wonderful Pistachios marketing team.

Levi Johnston--better known as Sarah Palin's daughter's baby daddy--took the bait and proved himself an ignorant, careless human being in this commercial...way to take fatherhood seriously...

(It is too bad I really do like pistachios.)

Boob Tube: Modern Family

Gay couple with adopted Asian baby. Check.
Al Bundy, two decades later. Check.
Quirky family dynamics even quirkier than my own. Check.

Best new show on TV...ABC's Modern Family.

LaughTrack: Mandy Moore Gives Your Vagina Wings.

Mandy Moore's been trying to lose her good girl image since A Walk To Remember. We get it. She's a full grown woman now. She's married. She plays edgy bit roles in shows like, um, How I Met Your Mother.

But did you really think a spoof ad for high-energy douches would fast track you to bad girl infamy, Mandy? I'll have to ponder that while I go throw up a little bit in my mouth.

Red Bull Energy Douche with Mandy Moore from Mandy Moore

Grey Gardens, the crumbling kingdom.

Tonight was the premiere of Grey Gardens on HBO. As cable, let alone premium cable, is a luxury afforded to those who earn a decent wage, I did not watch the movie's debut. But I did--last night--watch all 10 parts of the original documentary on You Tube.

I am uncertain which was more disturbing--the dependency between needy mother and damaged daugther--or the latter, feeding Wonder Bread to the raccoons living in the attic of their decaying 28 room mansion.

What an incredibly haunting portrayal of fantasy, desperation and regret. Though I'm sure the dramatized version of Little Edie and Big Edie's crumbling kingdom is powerful, I recommend viewing the real deal. Because nothing's so frightening as the real deal.

Commercials that move me: Liberty Mutual

I'm not really sure what Liberty Mutual Insurance is selling--but this commercial nearly brought me to tears a few nights ago. Ok, it did. It did bring me to tears--and whatever they're selling...I'll take some.

A musical flashback from the 1950s.

On the way into work this morning the background music to an NPR clip struck a chord. I'd heard the melody before and I couldn't get it out of my head. Later, I realized I'd heard a rendition sung in an episode of CSI Vegas.

Here, the original, and far more stunning version of the song I heard: 'Smoke Gets In Your Eyes' by The Platters.



It turns out the song's been rerecorded countless times...by Julie Andrews, by Cher, by Eartha Kitt, by Jerry Garcia, danced to by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers...the list goes on and on.

And here, a version that I wish I'd never come upon...



Happy listening!

xx * Jessie. B. R.

Food find: Elf Cafe

On Sunset Boulevard, near a corner strip mall featuring both a cheap burrito stand and a liquor store (a dangerous combination in the patrons it attracts--often fighting, occasionally disrobed) and yet another outlet of American Apparel, is Elf Cafe. The restaurant, opened by members of the LA band Viva K., serves up "vegan, vegetarian, and raw food in Echo Park."

The first time we visited this tiny hole-in-the-wall cafe, we were seated right away at bar stools, facing the small kitchen area. It didn't feel cramped--it felt quaint. I thought our dishes to be the richest, most wonderful foods I'd ever tried. The new-agey music, the light din of conversation, the smell of the food...well, I thought I'd found a culinary Utopia.

This past Saturday, we returned...

The food: On our first visit we ordered the Crepe and the Blue Cheese and Potato Tart. A-flippin-mazing. Last Saturday involved a Moroccan stew over quinoa that felt more Mulligan Stew than gourmet (I found three almonds, a couple of orange rinds and one olive at random) and a Vegetable Torte that was innocuous but didn't live up to its price tag. I will, however, give it up for our starter, a baked feta dish that made me, for the first time, like feta.

The service: We arrived at 8:30 and were told we'd have a 25 minute wait. We went across the street. We returned. We were told we'd have another 20 minute wait. We were patient. We watched other parties get sat (parties who I am sure were not there before us but were merely friends of the owner). We thought about telling couples they were taking too long. We didn't. We were finally sat at 10 pm. Umm, that is an hour and a half wait time last time I checked. Get it straight, hostess girl.

The verdict: If you tried heroine and it was really, reeaalllly good the first time, you'd do it again. And if the second or the third time, it didn't feel quite right--well, you'd probably still do it again because you'd already had a taste. But had you overdosed on the first attempt, you'd be done for good. Let's just say, round two at Elf Cafe was sort of like a bad trip. But since the first time was so good, I'll be back for more. (Disclaimer: I've never tried heroine. Seriously.)

Celeb sighting: Michaela Conlin, who I very much heart from Bones.

Photo Credit: James L. on Yelp

Mountains: check. Beach: check. Nightlife: umm...

In my old age (yes, the 20s have been rough), I've tired of LA's nightlife scene. In NY, if we didn't like a place, we'd hop in a cab and be to our next opportunity for fun just ten minutes and probably less than $15 later. Here in LA, one bad stop means another 20 minutes of driving, another valet, and most likely another room of badly dressed plastic surgery experiments. (I quote a dear Israeli friend who was in town from NY a few weeks after we ate at Beso: "why are they all strippers who go out here?")

On Saturday night, I was suckered in to what seemed like a promising proposition to venture out. Janelle Monae was performing a free show at the grand opening of Dakota Lounge (formerly Temple Bar) in Santa Monica. My lovely friend DJ Lady Sha was throwing the bash and she was fabulous as always. But did I mention that this joint was in Santa Monica? Much as I wanted to enjoy myself, a Santa Monica crowd is a Santa Monica crowd is not for me. (The one exception to this rule being the folks at Bar Chloe, run by one of my fave nightlife ladies Laurie Mulstay.)

We thought we might have better luck at Bardot, where my buddies throw Hi Fi every Saturday night. The music was great, the crowd just fine. But I'd really like to know when waitresses were given permission to start chewing gum in your face and getting your order wrong? Last time I checked shrimp does not constitute vegetarian fare. And short shorts and long legs do not forgive bad service. If I am ever to open a place, I vow to hire college graduates, even if they've got some cellulite and don't have their pout nailed down yet.

Hoping next weekend treats me better. Oh yeah--it will--cause I'll most likely be staying in and watching online TV!

Photo Credits: Janelle Monae - MySpace, Bardot - Metromix LA