#DJ lance is the camp director

[fossilized-honey]

There is nothing relatable in this post I just need someone else to understand

“OFMD brainrot”, “Good Omens Brainrot”

No.

Yo Fuvking Gabba Gabba Brainrot.

I have two younger brothers and it’s the only thing they will watch.

I have mental inside jokes about the show.

I have human designs for the core characters.

I have a story outline in my head for a yo gabba gabba !FAN COMIC!

I can’t keep this in my head anymore, so you’re all going to have to deal with it too.

[popradar]

Weekend Planner: 20 Awesome Things to Do This Weekend in Los Angeles, Feb. 23-25

Here are 20 of the coolest events happening in L.A. this weekend. Want the 411 on additional events and happenings in LA? Follow editor @christineziemba on Twitter or Instagram. If you like what you’re reading, consider donating to PopRadarLA.com to help defray the costs of the site. Thank you! 

FRIDAY, FEB. 23

The Castelli Art Space hosts the Bill Barminski Retrospective this weekend. | Image: Courtesy of Barminski.

BILL BARMINSKI RETROSPECTIVE (Art)

There’s a two-night Bill Barminski Retrospective that takes over the Castelli Art Space on Friday and Saturday from 6-10 p.m. both nights. The art show focuses on the 30-year career of the underground cartoonist, painter and multimedia artist, who’s known for the iconic Absolut Vodka billboard on Sunset, the security entrance to Banksy's Dismaland and many more works. The retrospective includes more than two dozen paintings from various periods of Barminski’s career, focusing on the mid-80s and 2000s. The exhibit also features a never before-seen large bronze sculpture and new renditions of his signature cardboard sculptures.

NO TASTE FOR BAD TASTE (Art)

For the exhibition, No Taste for Bad Taste, opening at the A+D Museum, 40 designers, philosophers, manufacturers, artists, journalists, gallery owners and photographers were interviewed by the Peclers agency to explain their vision of  “French design” and help conceptualize the exhibition. This group was asked to select 40 cult objects to represent their definitions and ideas. No Taste for Bad Taste opens Friday and runs through April 29. General admission: $7. 

ALLEGIANCE (Theater)

Allegiance is a musical inspired by George Takei’s family, particularly their time spent in Japanese internment camp during WWII. Music and lyrics are by Jay Kuo, and the book’s written by Kuo, Marc Acito and Lorenzo Thione. Allegiance is in previews this weekend on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $25. The show runs through April 1. 

THE CURED (Film + Q&A)

The Cured, written and directed by David Freyne, posits the question/problem: What happens when the undead return to life? The Cured are ex-zombies, who are healed, but are hated, feared and distrusted in society. They are also often haunted by the kills and the violence of their former selves. There’s a Q&A on Friday at the 7:30 p.m. screening with director Freyne and actor Ellen Page; and on Saturday at 1 p.m. with Freyne.

GAME NIGHT: A VARIETY SHOW (Comedy + variety)

Game Night! is variety show that features comedy, music, improv, sketch and more that takes place at Geeky Teas and Games in Burbank on Friday at 8 p.m. Game Night! is inspired by the fun and community of playing games. It’s created and hosted by Angela M Webber and Joseph Scrimshaw with guests: Joe Starr (Writer/Host at Screen Junkies); Darin DePaul (Overwatch, Critical Role); and Amy Vorpahl (Geek & Sundry, The Mindy Project). Tickets: $8, reservations encouraged. BYOB. 

CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (Book talk)

Book Soup, WeHo Reads and the West Hollywood Public Library present author Andre Aciman who’ll discuss and sign his novel, Call Me by Your Name, which was adapted into the Oscar-nominated film. He’ll discuss the book with author Abdi Nazemian, an associate producer of the film. This event is free and open to the public and takes place off-site at the WeHo Public Library’s City Council Chambers. Book signing line priority given to those who purchase a copy of Call Me By Your Name or Enigma Variations from Book Soup.

AUTRY FLAVORS DINNER SERIES: THE URBAN CHUCK WAGON (Food)

The Autry Museum’s Flavors Dinner Series presents The Urban Chuck Wagon: 100 Years of Food Truck Fare on Friday night beginning at 7 p.m. Learn about the precursor to today’s roaming food trucks and discover a historic menu that includes oyster cocktails, Lamb’s tongue pastrami on rye, hot smoked salmon (or trout), tamales and other street food specialties, then experience a modern take on food carts from chefs of today. Tickets: $55 Autry members /$65 nonmembers. Reservations recommended.

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (Film)

The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena concludes its film series An Invitation to Dance on Friday at 5:30 p.m. with a screening of Singin’ in the Rain (1952). Directed by Stanley Donen and starring and Gene Kelly, Danny Kaye and Debbie Reynolds, the musical-comedy follows a silent film star as he tries to make the transition to talkies. The screening is free with museum admission ($15 for adults). 

CHINESE NEW YEAR NIGHT MARKET (Food)

Wolfgang Puck’s WP24 in DTLA celebrates the Year of the Dog on Friday at 6:30 p.m. with a Chinese New Year Night Market. Enjoy festive décor, entertainment and live action cooking stations that includes a menu of steamed dumplings, seasonal bao buns, whole roasted Peking duck and more. Tickets: $56 per person (excludes tax and tip). 

SATURDAY, FEB. 24

L.A. CHINATOWN FIRECRACKER RUN/WALK/BIKE (Fitness)

The L.A. Chinatown Firecracker 5/10K Run/Walk/Bike is one of the largest and longest-running Lunar New Year charity run with 100% of net proceeds reinvested locally. Take part in a 10mi./20 mi. bike ride or Paw’er Dog Walk on Saturday; and 5k/10k walk or Kiddie Walk on Sunday. The 2018 Firecracker Festival is being held on Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday, from 8:15 a.m.-noon on the Main Stage in Central Plaza. Online race registration is closed, but on-site is available on the day of chosen event. Fees: $25-$65, depending on event.

SHOSHANA BEAN (Album release party)

For The Record presents Shoshana Bean for her Spectrum album release concert on Saturday at 8 p.m. at The Theater At Ace Hotel. Bean made her Broadway debut in Hairspray before taking over for Idina Menzel as Elphaba in Wicked. For this concert, she’s backed by an 18-piece band of standards and originals. Special guests for the concert include Chrissy Metz (NBC’s This Is Us), Lea DeLaria (Orange Is The New Black), Vintage Trouble Frontman Ty Taylor and Audra Mae. Tickets: $35-$150. 

Saturday is Bob Baker Day, celebrating what would have been the late founder’s 94th birthday. | Image: Bob Baker Marionette Theater

BOB BAKER DAY (Celebration)

The fourth annual Bob Baker Day takes place inside and outside at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The day’s being held in commemoration on what would have been founder Bob Baker's 94th birthday. Enjoy performances by the Bob Baker Marionettes, Healing Gems, Very Be Careful, Radioactive Chicken Heads, Tiny & Mary and King Kukulele. The carnival features special special guests including DJ Lance Rock of Yo Gabba Gabba!, Tim Nordwind of OK Go, and many others. Free.

LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (Classical)

The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) presents a world premiere of Petrichor—a LACO Sound Investment commission—by up-and-coming composer Ellen Reid, led by guest conductor Douglas Boyd. The program also features Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with with Tenor Thomas Cooley and Haydn’s “London” Symphony. The concerts take place on Saturday at 8 p.m. at Glendale’s Alex Theatre and on Sunday at 7 p.m. at UCLA’s Royce Hall. Tickets start at $27. 

GLOW BALL (Night golf)

Play Glow Ball—glow-in-the-dark pitch and putt golf—at the Los Feliz par 3 golf course on Saturday night. Check in begins at 5 p.m. with food and drinks, and a shotgun start at 6 p.m. Prizes given out at 8 p.m. Sign up by calling Geri at (818) 246-1633. Tickets: $25. 

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE SHOW (Festival)

The 2018 Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show takes over the L.A. Convention Center Halls J/K on Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. where real-life and armchair adventurers can feed their wanderlust. Discover more than 300 destinations and plan trips with travel experts; attend educational seminars on travel tips and cooking demos; meet travel celebrities Samantha Brown, Rick Steves and Phil Keoghan; and take part in family-friendly activities. Adult admission: $11, $16 (for both days). Admission for children 16 and younger is free.  

There’s arm wrestling with LALAW on Saturday night. | Image via Facebook

LOS ANGELES LADY ARM WRESTLING (Arm wrestling)

Los Angeles Lady Arm Wrestlers presents Super Claw on Saturday night at 7 p.m. at the Bootleg Theater. it’s a little mix of of WWF, roller derby, burlesque, drag and performance art, with women wrestlers creating wild personas, theme songs and entourages. The performers also solicit donations from the audience, with proceeds benefiting The Women’s Center for Creative Work. Tickets: $10-$15. Super Claw is the final event for the Queens at the Table Conference, which seeks to share ideas and discussion on ways to empower women. 

VEGAN FOOD FACTORY (Food tour)

Atlas Obscura presents Vegan Food Factory, an exclusive factory tour of Follow Your Heart's meat-free factory and restaurant on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. The day begins in its environmentally friendly, zero-waste production facility (normally not open to the public) to see how vegan mayonnaise is made. The tour continues in the vegetarian market and cafe to learn the history of establishment, which has been around for more than four decades. Tickets: $30.

SUNDAY, FEB. 25

AIRTALK’S FILMWEEK OSCAR PREVIEW (Film talk)

AirTalk’s FilmWeek Oscar Preview, hosted by KPCC’s Larry Mantle, returns to The Theatre at Ace Hotel on Sunday at 1 p.m. Mantle is joined onstage by AirTalk’s FilmWeek critics for its 16th annual Oscar preview event. Panelists are: Justin Chang, Tim Cogshell, Andy Klein, Christy Lemire, Lael Loewenstein, Wade Major, Amy Nicholson, Peter Rainer and Charles Solomon. Tickets: $12-$14. 

FEMINISM NOW (Art)

Feminism Now is a new visual art exhibition by the Feminist Image Group, Shoebox Projects and Krogen Amerika. The works included in the show explore multiple visions and definitions of feminism today. The opening reception takes place on Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m. Feminism Now is on view through March 11 at Shoebox Projects in the Brewery Arts Complex.

DINE OUT LONG BEACH (Food)

Dine Out Long Beach Restaurant Week 2.0 returns on Sunday and runs until March 3. For one week, participating LBC restaurants offer special prix-fixe menus for brunch and lunch, priced at $10, $15 or $20, along with three-course dinners for $20, $30 and $40. 

[myviewofstarwars-blog]

Star Wars Celebration 2017.

As I write this, it’s 4 AM on a Tuesday morning.  I should be asleep.  It was nearly a week ago today my great friend, Nat, and I began our drive from Springfield, Missouri to Orlando, Florida. Our final destination of course; Star Wars Celebration.  After 16 hours on the road we arrived in Orlando.  Nat and I picked up the rest of our group, Kyle, Salomon, and Gio from the airport and we made our way to the Orange County Convention Center.

How do I begin to describe such an incredibly special event?  The magnitude of this convention was something I could have never imagined.  The amount of people attending was eye opening.  Sure, we all know how popular Star Wars is, but it’s the fans dedication to it which makes it amazing.

The first big event was the 40th anniversary panel on Thursday morning.  If we wanted to have any chance to watch it live, we had to camp in the convention center the night before. Once we got through security, we were put in massive queue line that was partitioned off in a big left to right pattern.  People camped out with camping chairs and sleeping bags.  In all honesty, it looked more like a refugee camp than a Star Wars Convention.  As 1 AM approached, the party started.  Disney brought out a DJ who played dance music and got the crowd hyped up.  People danced and had a great time.  There was even a “King of the Hill” style light saber fight among those who wished to participate.  Which, by the way, the writer of this article was the winner. Bring it on, Ray Park!  I’m ready to kick some Darth Maul ass!  Did I mention Deadpool was there?

Sadly, the first day, wasn’t without issues.  Before I get too deep into this subject, I’m not going to turn this into a finger pointing rant.  I would not know where to begin when it comes trying to organize a massive convention like this.  As I said, we waited overnight to get into the 40th anniversary panel;, so we would be guaranteed a spot to the stage.  This did not happen for our group.  Although we did get into auditorium where the panel was live streamed.  It was better than nothing.  So, what happened?  I hate to say, but some fans waiting after us figured out a way to circumvent the line. Wrist-bands were handed out and some folks figured out a way to get ahead of those who waited overnight. How this happened, I have no idea. But, there it is.  All I can say is I hope lessons were learned and the organizers can improve things for the next Celebration.

The 40th anniversary panel had so many great surprises.  To see George Lucas, the man who seemed to have sworn off his own creation, happily attending felt so good. Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and nearly the entire old cast was perfect.  Of course, the one person we miss so dearly, Carrie Fisher was spoken about extensively.  Her daughter, Billie Lourd, gave an impactful and personal speech that didn’t leave a dry eye in the room.  The last part of the panel was something no one expected.   A huge curtain right of the stage moved away to reveal an full orchestra and a conductor.  The man slowly turned to wave at the audience… It was the iconic John Williams. Never in my life did I think I would see the man play live!  Once the crowd realized it was him, a standing ovation and cheers from the crowd erupted.  What was a crazy sight to see and watch how much control he had over us all the fans.  In the midst of us the cheering, he turned toward us the crowd again, smiling he put his finger to the front of his mouth asking for silence.  I’ve never heard a room so loud, get so quiet in such a short amount of time.  The orchestra played all of our favorite Star Wars music to close out the panel. It was perfection.

We moved on to exhibit floor. The booths, the Cosplay, the droids rolling around as if we were really in the Star Wars universe;  it was nothing short of breathtaking.  There is was so much to do and see, you really do need the 4 days to take it all in.  The area that attracted me most was the art section.  I’m already an art nerd, so I was very happy.  To meet the artists was a real treat for me. If I were a rich man, I would have bought every art piece there.  No joke.  My house would have looked like a Star Wars museum.  The cosplayers not only looked amazing, but were so gracious with people wanting to take pictures and ask questions.  I’ve been seriously considering making some for myself.  Meeting the Mandalorian Mercs has really inspired me to make some Mondo armor.  

The next big panel was The Last Jedi Panel. This was another overnight camp out.  So, yes, we lived in the convention center for 2 days.  I will tell you now; it was 100% worth it.  In the middle of the night, Rian Johnson, the director of The Last Jedi, came out and visited all of us staying overnight.  He made the rounds in the line and began to sign autographs.  Here is why this guy is amazing.  A line formed for his autograph and he stayed until every person who wanted one it got it one. Nearly 4 hours later, he made his way out.  That night alone showed the fans that Rian Johnson isn’t just a director, he’s one of us.

In the morning, we made our way into The Last Jedi panel!  I’ll get right to it, this room was alive. Kathleen Kennedy, Rian Johnson, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, and new to Star Wars Kelly Marie Tran, were all in attendance.  Josh Gad made for a smart and hilarious host.  You can watch it on YouTube, so I won’t get too deep into the interviews.  I want to move right to the poster reveal.  What an absolutely beautiful, dark, and meaningful poster.  It’s simple yet says so much. The saber going from blue into red is ominous.  Then, the trailer was shown.  WOW.  “It’s time for the Jedi to end”. What an absolute gut punch to hear from Luke. Go watch it. You will be amazed.  When the lights came up, Rian Johnson came out on stage.  People were cheering, screaming, clapping.  He asked us, “Do you want to see it again?”  Obviously!  So we all watched it again with the utmost attention.  Looking for details we missed the first time.  The trailer did a perfect job of not giving away too many plot details but getting everyone excited for what’s to come.

Other special experiences were meeting Ashley Eckstein, the voice of Ahsoka.  She baked cupcakes and yes, they are as amazing as people say.  I also got to shake hands with Sam Witwer.  We watched the Collider Jedi Council Show live show.  Met and spoke to Perri Nimeroff and Mark Ellis from Collider. Speaking of Jedi council, we made it on the show! You can see us stand up and the Collider crew clapping for us when Sal told them about the Jedi Council Facebook Fan Page hitting over 14k members. Lastly, Sal and Nat getting a signed Timothy Zahn signed Thrawn Poster and Barns and Noble exclusive Thrawn book for me.

Finally, I want to talk about what was the best part for me on this trip.  It wasn’t the famous people I got to see or some piece of Star Wars merchandise, it was the amazing time I had with my friends.  Nat and I have already been friends for years, but now there was Saloman, Gio, Kyle, and Lance with us.  We’re all very different people, with different life experiences.  Yet we bonded and formed a friendship that is hard to come by.  There was one night where we laughed for over 2 hours as some of the stupidest jokes.  The only part missing, was the rest of the Admin Holocron crew.  But damn, what a fantastic time. We were also part of one of the most special parts in Star Wars history, the 40th Anniversary.

I cannot wait to do it again with all of them.

Until next time, thank you! And may the force be with you, always.

John McGrath