Happy birthday to all you leap year folk!
I've often thought that it must be a real drag not to be able to celebrate your birthday on the actual day, but also that if you did it up big every four years, it could be pretty cool. Besides, how many people actually celebrate their birthdays on the actual day instead of on the weekend once they are over 21? Calendar dates are a relatively arbitrary construct anyway. You either got gypped or were born into something special.
As for this particular February 29th, there's still over a foot of snow on the ground; it was sunny earlier, but I can see very little blue through the cloud cover now (must be the next snowstorm rolling in); and it's 23F/-5℃ outside with windchill making it feel like 17F/-8℃, warmer than it's been most of this week.
Here's to leap years: an extra day (of winter apparently), the summer Olympics, and another chance to overthrow the government.
29 February 2008
28 February 2008
Loyal to a Fault
Mostly my experience has taught me not to trust my initial judgment of someone's character. Well, I'd like to think it's a lesson I've learned, but I'm still prone to following my gut. Most of the people I've clicked with right off have over time turned out to be unreliable for a variety of reasons, while a few of the people I didn't much care for initially have become my greatest supporters and friends.
The catch is that I remained doggedly loyal to people who let me down again and again. It's easy to do when you're not outgoing. Finding another person you click with who proves reliable in the long run seems an insurmountable task; better to cling to a flawed or unbalanced friendship than to risk being alone. Or so I used to think.
I'm done with "to a fault." If some of those old friends were to start making an effort, I'd be open to it, but I'm not going to chase them around for table scraps of friendship. I'd rather be alone if that's all they have to offer.
A year ago on TTaT: Civic duty
The catch is that I remained doggedly loyal to people who let me down again and again. It's easy to do when you're not outgoing. Finding another person you click with who proves reliable in the long run seems an insurmountable task; better to cling to a flawed or unbalanced friendship than to risk being alone. Or so I used to think.
I'm done with "to a fault." If some of those old friends were to start making an effort, I'd be open to it, but I'm not going to chase them around for table scraps of friendship. I'd rather be alone if that's all they have to offer.
A year ago on TTaT: Civic duty
27 February 2008
Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll
Does anyone else miss rollerskating? I couldn't help but get sucked into Roll Bounce when it came on last night. It was late, and I refused to miss the latest ep of Ghost in the Shell, so I taped the second half so I could watch the rest of it later.
The next town over had a skating rink when I was growing up called "The Rink." It's been closed for about twenty years and is now some sort of wholesale curtain warehouse, but the old sign is still there, quotation marks included.
Transportation was always something of a hassle so rollerskating was confined mostly to birthday parties at "The Rink" and skate parties held at my elementary school now and again. I'd like to say I rocked my rented skates out at those events with a grace and skill that awed my classmates, but not falling down was a good day for me.
Actually, my skating ability vastly improved after I spent a season on the cross country ski team in middle school, but rollerskating wasn't cool anymore in my crowd by then.
The next time I went rollerskating was on my 19th birthday with a friend from down the hall in my dorm. Disco music has always been the auditory equivalent of comfort food to me, so I had a great time. Though my skills were still pretty low, I didn't slide around in uncertain jerky steps. I committed myself to the motion, picking up speed, doing the leg over leg crossover on the end curves.
Why not get some rollerblades and hit the streets, you may be asking. My idea of stopping is still heading towards a rail I can grab onto. Anything other than level in incline or surface texture is probably beyond my last known skill level. If someone had been renting skates or rollerblades on the boardwalk last fall, I would've tried it (I was disappointed no one was), but I also would've hoped for some knee pads.
The last time I went skating was on a date in grad school. Again, I really enjoyed it; I should've gone back even though he was gone for the summer, and I didn't know anyone else who'd want to go. If there were a skating rink near me now, I'd go by myself and try out some rollerblades. Too bad I'm between 5.5 and 20 years too late.
A year ago on TTaT: There's no doubt
The next town over had a skating rink when I was growing up called "The Rink." It's been closed for about twenty years and is now some sort of wholesale curtain warehouse, but the old sign is still there, quotation marks included.
Transportation was always something of a hassle so rollerskating was confined mostly to birthday parties at "The Rink" and skate parties held at my elementary school now and again. I'd like to say I rocked my rented skates out at those events with a grace and skill that awed my classmates, but not falling down was a good day for me.
Actually, my skating ability vastly improved after I spent a season on the cross country ski team in middle school, but rollerskating wasn't cool anymore in my crowd by then.
The next time I went rollerskating was on my 19th birthday with a friend from down the hall in my dorm. Disco music has always been the auditory equivalent of comfort food to me, so I had a great time. Though my skills were still pretty low, I didn't slide around in uncertain jerky steps. I committed myself to the motion, picking up speed, doing the leg over leg crossover on the end curves.
Why not get some rollerblades and hit the streets, you may be asking. My idea of stopping is still heading towards a rail I can grab onto. Anything other than level in incline or surface texture is probably beyond my last known skill level. If someone had been renting skates or rollerblades on the boardwalk last fall, I would've tried it (I was disappointed no one was), but I also would've hoped for some knee pads.
The last time I went skating was on a date in grad school. Again, I really enjoyed it; I should've gone back even though he was gone for the summer, and I didn't know anyone else who'd want to go. If there were a skating rink near me now, I'd go by myself and try out some rollerblades. Too bad I'm between 5.5 and 20 years too late.
A year ago on TTaT: There's no doubt
24 February 2008
23 February 2008
Better Living Through Death
17. Six Feet Under: Better Living Through Death Edited by Alan Ball and Alan Poul (4/5)
If you're not a fan of the series Six Feet Under, this book isn't going to make much sense to you, but if you are, it's a fun read.
Six Feet Under: Better Living Through Death is a collection of the characters' correspondences, photos, and memorabilia spanning from Nate's birth through season 3: Nathaniel's letters to Ruth from Vietnam; Ruth's Christmas letters; ads for Fisher & Sons; academic and mental evaluations; excerpts of Charlotte Light and Dark, Nathaniel and Isabel, and Brenda's novel-in-progress; a story Claire wrote in high school; Claire and Billy's instant messages; and more. A diverse group of back stories are created or given greater depth in Six Feet Under: Better Living Through Death by writers of the television series.
Great attention was paid to the visual presentation as well. It's as though someone photographed actual handwritten letters, documents, medical records, photo albums, etc. I really enjoyed the extra level of detail.
A year ago on TTaT: My connection to George Clooney
If you're not a fan of the series Six Feet Under, this book isn't going to make much sense to you, but if you are, it's a fun read.
Six Feet Under: Better Living Through Death is a collection of the characters' correspondences, photos, and memorabilia spanning from Nate's birth through season 3: Nathaniel's letters to Ruth from Vietnam; Ruth's Christmas letters; ads for Fisher & Sons; academic and mental evaluations; excerpts of Charlotte Light and Dark, Nathaniel and Isabel, and Brenda's novel-in-progress; a story Claire wrote in high school; Claire and Billy's instant messages; and more. A diverse group of back stories are created or given greater depth in Six Feet Under: Better Living Through Death by writers of the television series.
Great attention was paid to the visual presentation as well. It's as though someone photographed actual handwritten letters, documents, medical records, photo albums, etc. I really enjoyed the extra level of detail.
A year ago on TTaT: My connection to George Clooney
22 February 2008
Questions for Claire, part 2
(Part 1)
Here are the rest of the questions from Jen of Quarter Life Crisis:
6. What albums and/or artists are currently in heavy rotation on your iPod/mp3 player/stereo?
Mostly I'm a proponent of shuffle, so I rarely listen to full albums anymore, and I don't usually focus on particular artists. I just click 'next' if I don't feel like listening to the song/artist that comes up.
Scanning my last played and top rated songs though, I'd say: Sia, Olive, Jem, PJ Harvey, Diana Ross, Ivy, P!nk, and Moby.
7. The road is your favorite place, or so says some of your travel-related blog posts. You have all the time in the world. Describe the perfect road trip. Where would you go? What would you want to see? Who would you want to be with you? What kind of car would you take?
Not having a car brimming with my possessions would be an excellent start. I'm also going to assume I have as much money as I need because all the time in the world isn't worth much if you can't afford gas, food, and lodging. All through Europe is mighty tempting, but I think driving (and parking) abroad might be too recurringly stressful to qualify as a "perfect road trip," so North America it is.
In no particular order, I'd like to see/visit: the Tadeo Ando designed museum in Ft. Worth, Texas; Devil's Tower; Alaska; Toronto; Petrified Forest National Park; Joshua Tree; Death Valley; Griffith Park Observatory, The Juice Fountain, and Doughboys in LA; Yosemite; Chicago; Philadelphia; Pensacola, FL; museums in Washington, DC; Niagara Falls, Canada; New Orleans; Dollywood; Columbus, OH; Canyonlands Park; Bryce Canyon; Mt. Rushmore; the Egyptian wing at the Met (though I wouldn't really want to drive in NYC); Seattle; the Grand Canyon; Hoover Dam; Las Vegas; and more goofy roadside attractions than anyone could ever shake a stick at.
I'd look for things to do in states I haven't visited yet, mostly upper MidWest. I'd travel alone so I could keep my own schedule or change it at whim if I stumbled upon something cool, quirky, or fun. However, I would make a point of visiting friends, family, and perhaps some bloggers along the way (TequilaCon '08 is taking place in Philly after all.).
Some kind of boxy sedan would be fine. Nothing so flashy it screams: break in or steal me! An iPod dock/input, cruise control, and a moon roof would be cool though. And an intermittent windshield wipers setting. An oh-so-quiet, gas efficient hybrid would be nice. Preferably one that isn't real low to the ground (my car bottomed out on a couple of park roads last time). Against my better judgment, make it midnight blue.
8. I think I read that your family does not read your blog, is that right? Have you ever had a strong desire to reveal it to them? Why or why not?
That's true. I have no real desire to reveal it to them although I'm pretty sure they think I have one. Feels like an unspoken agreement to me. My mom has in the past said I should write about them, but that she wouldn't want to read it. I leave them out because I don't want to censor myself (in tone or content) or hurt their feelings. Mostly it wouldn't matter if they read, but those times it would are enough.
9. What's something people would be shocked to discover about you?
Shock is pretty subjective, depending on a person's own values/beliefs and how well she or he thinks s/he knows me. One thing that I know has honestly shocked several friends and strangers, to my own surprise, is that I don't like garlic.
10. You collect rocks. What else do you collect?
Hmm, I guess I did say that. More specifically, I collect fluorite which is a mineral with a crystalline structure (so they don't look like rocks). I've been meaning to photograph them.
Buffy season 8 comics when they appear as multi-issue trade paperbacks. I have the first, but the second won't be out until June, so this is painfully slow going.
Amelia Peabody mysteries by Elizabeth Peters
Books about Ancient Egypt and hieroglyphs
Ticket stubs: movies, museums, concerts, any event I attend with a ticket (or sometimes sticker).
Stamps from National Parks and Historic sites. I'm not trying to collect them all or particular ones; I just stamp my moleskine if I'm somewhere that has one.
Also, brochures from places I visit when I travel.
Thanks for the questions and for being my pinch interviewer, Jen! This was fun.
A year ago on TTaT: plus or minus 4000 miles, Mind Hacks
Here are the rest of the questions from Jen of Quarter Life Crisis:
6. What albums and/or artists are currently in heavy rotation on your iPod/mp3 player/stereo?
Mostly I'm a proponent of shuffle, so I rarely listen to full albums anymore, and I don't usually focus on particular artists. I just click 'next' if I don't feel like listening to the song/artist that comes up.
Scanning my last played and top rated songs though, I'd say: Sia, Olive, Jem, PJ Harvey, Diana Ross, Ivy, P!nk, and Moby.
7. The road is your favorite place, or so says some of your travel-related blog posts. You have all the time in the world. Describe the perfect road trip. Where would you go? What would you want to see? Who would you want to be with you? What kind of car would you take?
Not having a car brimming with my possessions would be an excellent start. I'm also going to assume I have as much money as I need because all the time in the world isn't worth much if you can't afford gas, food, and lodging. All through Europe is mighty tempting, but I think driving (and parking) abroad might be too recurringly stressful to qualify as a "perfect road trip," so North America it is.
In no particular order, I'd like to see/visit: the Tadeo Ando designed museum in Ft. Worth, Texas; Devil's Tower; Alaska; Toronto; Petrified Forest National Park; Joshua Tree; Death Valley; Griffith Park Observatory, The Juice Fountain, and Doughboys in LA; Yosemite; Chicago; Philadelphia; Pensacola, FL; museums in Washington, DC; Niagara Falls, Canada; New Orleans; Dollywood; Columbus, OH; Canyonlands Park; Bryce Canyon; Mt. Rushmore; the Egyptian wing at the Met (though I wouldn't really want to drive in NYC); Seattle; the Grand Canyon; Hoover Dam; Las Vegas; and more goofy roadside attractions than anyone could ever shake a stick at.
I'd look for things to do in states I haven't visited yet, mostly upper MidWest. I'd travel alone so I could keep my own schedule or change it at whim if I stumbled upon something cool, quirky, or fun. However, I would make a point of visiting friends, family, and perhaps some bloggers along the way (TequilaCon '08 is taking place in Philly after all.).
Some kind of boxy sedan would be fine. Nothing so flashy it screams: break in or steal me! An iPod dock/input, cruise control, and a moon roof would be cool though. And an intermittent windshield wipers setting. An oh-so-quiet, gas efficient hybrid would be nice. Preferably one that isn't real low to the ground (my car bottomed out on a couple of park roads last time). Against my better judgment, make it midnight blue.
8. I think I read that your family does not read your blog, is that right? Have you ever had a strong desire to reveal it to them? Why or why not?
That's true. I have no real desire to reveal it to them although I'm pretty sure they think I have one. Feels like an unspoken agreement to me. My mom has in the past said I should write about them, but that she wouldn't want to read it. I leave them out because I don't want to censor myself (in tone or content) or hurt their feelings. Mostly it wouldn't matter if they read, but those times it would are enough.
9. What's something people would be shocked to discover about you?
Shock is pretty subjective, depending on a person's own values/beliefs and how well she or he thinks s/he knows me. One thing that I know has honestly shocked several friends and strangers, to my own surprise, is that I don't like garlic.
10. You collect rocks. What else do you collect?
Hmm, I guess I did say that. More specifically, I collect fluorite which is a mineral with a crystalline structure (so they don't look like rocks). I've been meaning to photograph them.
Buffy season 8 comics when they appear as multi-issue trade paperbacks. I have the first, but the second won't be out until June, so this is painfully slow going.
Amelia Peabody mysteries by Elizabeth Peters
Books about Ancient Egypt and hieroglyphs
Ticket stubs: movies, museums, concerts, any event I attend with a ticket (or sometimes sticker).
Stamps from National Parks and Historic sites. I'm not trying to collect them all or particular ones; I just stamp my moleskine if I'm somewhere that has one.
Also, brochures from places I visit when I travel.
Thanks for the questions and for being my pinch interviewer, Jen! This was fun.
A year ago on TTaT: plus or minus 4000 miles, Mind Hacks
21 February 2008
Questions for Claire, part 1
The Great Interview Experiment continues. Neil's keeping a running tally of all the interviews as they are completed here.
This time, Jen of Quarter Life Crisis asks me questions (It got so long, I broke it in half. Questions 6-10 will go up tomorrow):
1. I understand you started your blog a couple years ago as a vehicle to tell the stories you had been sending out to friends and family via e-mail. From then until now, how has your blog evolved? What does the future hold for your blog?
Initially, my blog was meant to be a showcase of my writing, mostly what falls into my taller tales category. Now, I pretty much post whatever I feel like whether it's a book review, random thought, story, photo, vlog, or link to something cool.
I used to post a tip of the week to inspire me to write and to give my blog a bit of cohesiveness, but after several months, they felt forced and I was keeping up my blogging habit without them. Audioblogs went up a couple of times a month on average until the free service I used to record and host them bailed out in late 2006.
On the upside, there are an ever growing number of my photographs on TTaT; I was long reluctant to share them for fear of theft. There are a number of things I'm still paranoid about posting, but much less so than when I started. Many stories I never would've posted here in that first year have found a place on TTaT since.
I'm not sure what the future holds for TTaT. A couple of tweaks for my sidebar I've yet to figure out, I hope. More vlogs, perhaps? A shift from ebb to flow in my posting. More photos, more tales.
Any requests?
2. What is one thing you like about blogging? One thing you dislike about blogging? Why?
I really enjoy the camaraderie that's developed with some of my readers, bloggers themselves. That they regularly take some of their precious time to read what I've posted, I really appreciate.
I dislike that I need to keep stalkers, identity thieves, and employers in mind at all when I decide what to post. Censorship even for safety reasons is a drag.
3. I see the name Joss Whedon peppered throughout your blog. Obviously you are a fan of his work. I've never seen one single episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but I've watched Firefly and Serenity. I'm not sure I totally "get" his style or sense of humor. Can you tell me what is so great about Joss Whedon?
The name Buffy was enough to bias me against the show for a good while, but once I gave it a shot during reruns of season 3, I was hooked. Joss Whedon's writing is smart, funny, and multi-layered. It clicks for me, but I also often discover something new when I re-watch an episode.
Buffy is full of metaphors for relationships, life, and growing up, but you don't have to "get" everything to enjoy an episode. If you do decide to give Buffy the Vampire Slayer a shot, skip the movie; it will give you the wrong idea about the series. The characters develop and change a great deal, and accumulate quite a bit of history over the seven seasons, so I recommend starting with season 1.
Most of all, I love that Joss Whedon writes strong female characters. His work inspires so many people all over the world, myself included. He's a cool guy. See for yourself; Joss Whedon speaks as an honoree of Equality Now.
4. I was talking to a friend of mine who is a Star Wars fanatic. The name Hayden Christensen came up, because my husband expressed a misguided desire to see Jumper. Naturally, we started talking about the "new" Star Wars trilogy, how Hayden's acting was just so very bad. Then my Star Wars fanatical friend said, "You mean, those movies that were Star Wars-esque? The ones that sucked?" I thought this was funny. How do you feel about the "new" Star Wars movies? Did George Lucas get greedy?
Argh! Those prequel movies pain me they sucked so hard. If not for Ewan McGregor, I might not have watched them all. I loved the original trilogy when I was a kid, but the new movies irritated me so much they tarnished my memories of the old. Just tongue tripping between new/old, original/prequel, and episode numbers to differentiate the trilogies really aggravates me.
Re-releasing his cleaned up, digitally enhanced versions of the original trilogy certainly smacks of greed to me. And I hate that Greedo shoots at Han Solo first in the bar now. Missing him point blank, I might add, which makes no sense. Han shot first in the original version.
Lucas became too arrogant, in my opinion, when he insisted on writing the new trilogy by himself with no feedback. The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi both benefited greatly from having other screenwriters involved.
Robot Chicken sums it up pretty well:
Now I fear his involvement will ruin the next Indiana Jones movie. Why don't you make something new, George?
5. What books are currently on your nightstand (or side table, dresser, bookcase, etc.)?
Well, I just finished Six Feet Under: Better Living Through Death. It's actually sitting next to my keyboard right now to prompt me to blog about it later. Next to my bed for reference are Webster's New World Dictionary, DVD & Video Guide 2006, and 150 Ways to Play Solitaire (Beleaguered Castle is where it's at, my peeps). In slow progress are Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat (a Calvin & Hobbes collection) and What You Wear Can Change Your Life (by Trinny and Susannah of UK's What Not to Wear).
My bookshelves hold too many to list out, but there's my collection of Amelia Peabody mysteries by Elizabeth Peters, books by Geoff Dyer, numerous autobiographies, books on Ancient Egypt and hieroglyphs, art books (both how-to and of various artists), books about filmmaking and filmmakers, Shakespeare, some textbooks, novels, a bit of poetry, some reference, plays, a cookbook or two...
Part Two>>>
A year ago on TTaT: Keeping Score, Today's follow-up
This time, Jen of Quarter Life Crisis asks me questions (It got so long, I broke it in half. Questions 6-10 will go up tomorrow):
1. I understand you started your blog a couple years ago as a vehicle to tell the stories you had been sending out to friends and family via e-mail. From then until now, how has your blog evolved? What does the future hold for your blog?
Initially, my blog was meant to be a showcase of my writing, mostly what falls into my taller tales category. Now, I pretty much post whatever I feel like whether it's a book review, random thought, story, photo, vlog, or link to something cool.
I used to post a tip of the week to inspire me to write and to give my blog a bit of cohesiveness, but after several months, they felt forced and I was keeping up my blogging habit without them. Audioblogs went up a couple of times a month on average until the free service I used to record and host them bailed out in late 2006.
On the upside, there are an ever growing number of my photographs on TTaT; I was long reluctant to share them for fear of theft. There are a number of things I'm still paranoid about posting, but much less so than when I started. Many stories I never would've posted here in that first year have found a place on TTaT since.
I'm not sure what the future holds for TTaT. A couple of tweaks for my sidebar I've yet to figure out, I hope. More vlogs, perhaps? A shift from ebb to flow in my posting. More photos, more tales.
Any requests?
2. What is one thing you like about blogging? One thing you dislike about blogging? Why?
I really enjoy the camaraderie that's developed with some of my readers, bloggers themselves. That they regularly take some of their precious time to read what I've posted, I really appreciate.
I dislike that I need to keep stalkers, identity thieves, and employers in mind at all when I decide what to post. Censorship even for safety reasons is a drag.
3. I see the name Joss Whedon peppered throughout your blog. Obviously you are a fan of his work. I've never seen one single episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but I've watched Firefly and Serenity. I'm not sure I totally "get" his style or sense of humor. Can you tell me what is so great about Joss Whedon?
The name Buffy was enough to bias me against the show for a good while, but once I gave it a shot during reruns of season 3, I was hooked. Joss Whedon's writing is smart, funny, and multi-layered. It clicks for me, but I also often discover something new when I re-watch an episode.
Buffy is full of metaphors for relationships, life, and growing up, but you don't have to "get" everything to enjoy an episode. If you do decide to give Buffy the Vampire Slayer a shot, skip the movie; it will give you the wrong idea about the series. The characters develop and change a great deal, and accumulate quite a bit of history over the seven seasons, so I recommend starting with season 1.
Most of all, I love that Joss Whedon writes strong female characters. His work inspires so many people all over the world, myself included. He's a cool guy. See for yourself; Joss Whedon speaks as an honoree of Equality Now.
4. I was talking to a friend of mine who is a Star Wars fanatic. The name Hayden Christensen came up, because my husband expressed a misguided desire to see Jumper. Naturally, we started talking about the "new" Star Wars trilogy, how Hayden's acting was just so very bad. Then my Star Wars fanatical friend said, "You mean, those movies that were Star Wars-esque? The ones that sucked?" I thought this was funny. How do you feel about the "new" Star Wars movies? Did George Lucas get greedy?
Argh! Those prequel movies pain me they sucked so hard. If not for Ewan McGregor, I might not have watched them all. I loved the original trilogy when I was a kid, but the new movies irritated me so much they tarnished my memories of the old. Just tongue tripping between new/old, original/prequel, and episode numbers to differentiate the trilogies really aggravates me.
Re-releasing his cleaned up, digitally enhanced versions of the original trilogy certainly smacks of greed to me. And I hate that Greedo shoots at Han Solo first in the bar now. Missing him point blank, I might add, which makes no sense. Han shot first in the original version.
Lucas became too arrogant, in my opinion, when he insisted on writing the new trilogy by himself with no feedback. The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi both benefited greatly from having other screenwriters involved.
Robot Chicken sums it up pretty well:
19 February 2008
Once upon a time in New Mexico
Long overdue for posting some photos, I glanced through my digitized collection and saw nothing that felt worthwhile that I hadn't already posted. It was time to go to the boxes. Boxes full of unscanned prints.
I flipped through a dozen or so photo envelopes from a New Mexico vacation and pulled out two. That they were labeled down to the day according to a system I adopted seven years after I'd taken those shots filled me with a sort of happiness that could only be felt by a perfectionist.
Please enjoy these photographs of the Martinez Hacienda* in Taos, NM from October 21, 1992.
*According to their site, technically the museum is called La Hacienda de los Martinez.
A year ago on TTaT: The Road is my Favorite Place: Days 17-19
I flipped through a dozen or so photo envelopes from a New Mexico vacation and pulled out two. That they were labeled down to the day according to a system I adopted seven years after I'd taken those shots filled me with a sort of happiness that could only be felt by a perfectionist.
Please enjoy these photographs of the Martinez Hacienda* in Taos, NM from October 21, 1992.
*According to their site, technically the museum is called La Hacienda de los Martinez.
A year ago on TTaT: The Road is my Favorite Place: Days 17-19
16 February 2008
Bridging the Gap
15. Serenity: Those Left Behind
Story by Joss Whedon & Brett Matthews; Script by Brett Matthews; Art by Will Conrad (4.5/5)
If you ever wondered what happened between the end of Firefly and the beginning of Serenity (men with hands of blue, anyone?), this comic/graphic novel has the answers. My library network even had it, so bravo to them!
Two years ago on TTaT: 57 degrees, Measuring mysteries, The unconscious lie
Story by Joss Whedon & Brett Matthews; Script by Brett Matthews; Art by Will Conrad (4.5/5)
If you ever wondered what happened between the end of Firefly and the beginning of Serenity (men with hands of blue, anyone?), this comic/graphic novel has the answers. My library network even had it, so bravo to them!
Two years ago on TTaT: 57 degrees, Measuring mysteries, The unconscious lie
15 February 2008
Valentine's Day is over...
...but the V-Day season is just beginning. V-Day is a movement that raises awareness and money for grassroots groups across the globe that work to end violence against women and girls in their communities. This year marks V-Day's tenth anniversary, V to the Tenth.
Find a V-Day event near you.
The V to the Tenth season culminates with a star-studded anniversary celebration in New Orleans:
Two years ago on TTaT: When I grow up
Find a V-Day event near you.
The V to the Tenth season culminates with a star-studded anniversary celebration in New Orleans:
Join Salma Hayek, Oprah Winfrey, Jane Fonda, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Hudson, Glenn Close, Julia Stiles, Ali Larter, Sally Field, Marisa Tomei, Calpernia Addams, Rosario Dawson, Kerry Washington, and musicians Common, Eve, and Charmaine Neville on Friday and Saturday, April 11 – 12, 2008 for V-Day’s mega two-day anniversary celebration in New Orleans at the New Orleans Arena and Louisiana Superdome - V TO THE TENTH.The V-Day movement started with Eve Ensler's play, The Vagina Monologues. A play that inspires not only discussion but activism to create a safer world: this is art at its best. However, the play alone would not have been enough. V-Day creator Eve Ensler really deserves a Big Damn Follow Through Award.
Two years ago on TTaT: When I grow up
12 February 2008
PBGV, it's not a sandwich
It's my favorite dog from last night's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden, the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen. (Heavy on the French pronunciation.)
He came in 4th in the Hound group. Robbed! Well, maybe not for all I know, but what a great looking dog! Check out these cuties in the highlights from the Petits Bassets Griffons Vendéen breed judging at the 2008 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
Two years ago on TTaT: Did I just say that?, Night aerobics
He came in 4th in the Hound group. Robbed! Well, maybe not for all I know, but what a great looking dog! Check out these cuties in the highlights from the Petits Bassets Griffons Vendéen breed judging at the 2008 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
Two years ago on TTaT: Did I just say that?, Night aerobics
11 February 2008
Don't get too excited
Though it seems likely the Writers Guild of America will vote to end the strike tomorrow, return to work on Wednesday, and then ratify the new contract ten days later, most shows won't come back with new episodes until April*. Many won't be back until fall (if at all in some cases).
On the upside, a few shows still have some pre-strike episodes in reserve, so those will probably trickle out in the interim.
*The article notes that everything is still highly tentative and subject to change. The list of shows and when they will return is being updated hourly at this point.
One year ago on TTaT: The Life Uncensored
On the upside, a few shows still have some pre-strike episodes in reserve, so those will probably trickle out in the interim.
*The article notes that everything is still highly tentative and subject to change. The list of shows and when they will return is being updated hourly at this point.
One year ago on TTaT: The Life Uncensored
10 February 2008
08 February 2008
It ain't over until it's a done deal
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike is not over yet despite what you may have read or heard this week. Without actual deal language, any promises the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) may have made mean NOTHING, and last I read there's no WGA deal language as of 12:02 PM Pacific time today for the WGA membership to discuss at their meeting tomorrow.
If the WGA membership lets up on the strike, deal points agreed to in principle by both sides could be severely undercut in the actual legal language of the contract. The WGA has my support no matter how long it takes them to get a fair deal.
One year ago on TTaT: The Road is my Favorite Place: Day 15
If the WGA membership lets up on the strike, deal points agreed to in principle by both sides could be severely undercut in the actual legal language of the contract. The WGA has my support no matter how long it takes them to get a fair deal.
One year ago on TTaT: The Road is my Favorite Place: Day 15
06 February 2008
Lartigue: Album of a Century
14. Lartigue: Album of a Century by Jacques Henri Lartigue. Edited by Martine d'Astier, Quentin Bajac, and Alain Sayag; with essays by Clément Cheroux, Maryse Cordesse, and Kevin Moore; translated from the French by David Wharry. (4/5)
The essays take up a small portion of the hefty 400 page coffee table book, but they give a sense of Lartigue's life. Some references within them are redundant. The photos and reproductions of his photo album pages are arranged chronologically. Lartigue's body of photography spans from 1900 (when he was six) to his death in 1986.
For most of his life he was an amateur photographer (a mighty prolific one) until he was "discovered" in the early 1960s when he was almost seventy. Friends and family frozen mid-air, early planes attempting to take off, race cars with bicycle-like tires, women of high fashion during the Belle Epoque and of the 1960s, life at the Riviera, and more: Lartigue shot it all hoping to concretize his memories. He made up 110 photo albums throughout his life.
Though my high school French was good enough to read most of Lartigue's notations and captions in the diary and album page reproductions, they are all translated in the timeline at the back of the book and referenced by page number. Further biographical information and photographic details are also included there. That bit's well worth reading.
The photos are the real essence of the book though, and Lartigue: Album of a Century is beautifully made to show them off.
Two years ago on TTaT: Rude, moi?
Technorati tags: Jacques Henri Lartigue, photography
The essays take up a small portion of the hefty 400 page coffee table book, but they give a sense of Lartigue's life. Some references within them are redundant. The photos and reproductions of his photo album pages are arranged chronologically. Lartigue's body of photography spans from 1900 (when he was six) to his death in 1986.
For most of his life he was an amateur photographer (a mighty prolific one) until he was "discovered" in the early 1960s when he was almost seventy. Friends and family frozen mid-air, early planes attempting to take off, race cars with bicycle-like tires, women of high fashion during the Belle Epoque and of the 1960s, life at the Riviera, and more: Lartigue shot it all hoping to concretize his memories. He made up 110 photo albums throughout his life.
Though my high school French was good enough to read most of Lartigue's notations and captions in the diary and album page reproductions, they are all translated in the timeline at the back of the book and referenced by page number. Further biographical information and photographic details are also included there. That bit's well worth reading.
The photos are the real essence of the book though, and Lartigue: Album of a Century is beautifully made to show them off.
Two years ago on TTaT: Rude, moi?
Technorati tags: Jacques Henri Lartigue, photography
04 February 2008
50!
Remember when I wrote about Free Rice and my top score was 44? Well, looky here:
That's a big fat 50, my peeps, in just under two months. My victory is somewhat tempered by the fact they just added 5 new levels last month, and my dad has actually made it up to 54 more than once. Also, I subsequently blew it on feracious. Meaning fertile, turns out it's not at all related to feral.
Technorati tags: FreeRice, words for rice, building vocabulary
That's a big fat 50, my peeps, in just under two months. My victory is somewhat tempered by the fact they just added 5 new levels last month, and my dad has actually made it up to 54 more than once. Also, I subsequently blew it on feracious. Meaning fertile, turns out it's not at all related to feral.Technorati tags: FreeRice, words for rice, building vocabulary
Polling places
The presidential primaries have me thinking back to my first experience voting in San Francisco in 2003. If you live in one of the states holding a caucus or primary tomorrow (that includes CA), don't forget to VOTE!
And now, back to 2003...
I walked down the street and paused at the corner. The laundromat across the street was 990 Pacific. Uphill most likely. I strode on looking for 1053 Pacific. Seeing 1031, I surmised I was on the correct block and side of the street. Nothing looked out of place though. A couple of old Chinese people walked down the hill with the ubiquitous pink plastic grocery bags of Chinatown. A bit further up I saw a man in an orange vest and thought that might be it, but he was just surveying with a guy across the street.
I almost walked past it. Though I knew there weren't any on that block, I was still thinking of a large parking garage. Nope. Sloping down from the sidewalk was just someone's garage with the door open and polling staff camped out inside. A couple of long folding tables to the left and a series of portable privacy booths to the right. At the end, the vote sucking machine that looked like a photocopier.
Fumbling through my pockets, I asked what they needed from me. The man on the left finished with his pile of papers and asked for my last name. No ID, no voter registration card, nothing. Happily, I was on the list. The guy behind me was not so fortunate. This was the third polling place he'd been to and he needed to get to work.
The woman on the right handed me a ballot and told me I needed to use the marker supplied in the booth. Not really a booth. More like the anti-cheating 3-sided cardboard things they had in elementary school.
A young professional fed her ballot into the machine. The volunteer beside her told her she was number 128.
"That's it? That's all you've had?"
The old man replied, "Yup, since seven this morning."
"Well, I'm glad I voted then."
"So are we," he added cheerfully.
Maybe they would've had more if they stuck a "Vote here" sandwich board out front to draw a little more attention to themselves.
I was 129. And that was it. Not even an "I voted" sticker; I felt kind of gypped. I did get a receipt for my ballot, that was new, but I didn't know what I was supposed to do with it. I figured it would only matter if foul play was suspected.
When I got home I checked my voice mail and had a message from Martin Sheen. Recorded certainly, but there he was all the same urging me to vote No on the recall, No on 54, and Yes on Bustamante.
Just plain odd. Vote in a garage, get a message from Martin Sheen.
One year ago on TTaT: Common imprecision
Technorati tags: Polling places, voting
And now, back to 2003...
I walked down the street and paused at the corner. The laundromat across the street was 990 Pacific. Uphill most likely. I strode on looking for 1053 Pacific. Seeing 1031, I surmised I was on the correct block and side of the street. Nothing looked out of place though. A couple of old Chinese people walked down the hill with the ubiquitous pink plastic grocery bags of Chinatown. A bit further up I saw a man in an orange vest and thought that might be it, but he was just surveying with a guy across the street.
I almost walked past it. Though I knew there weren't any on that block, I was still thinking of a large parking garage. Nope. Sloping down from the sidewalk was just someone's garage with the door open and polling staff camped out inside. A couple of long folding tables to the left and a series of portable privacy booths to the right. At the end, the vote sucking machine that looked like a photocopier.
Fumbling through my pockets, I asked what they needed from me. The man on the left finished with his pile of papers and asked for my last name. No ID, no voter registration card, nothing. Happily, I was on the list. The guy behind me was not so fortunate. This was the third polling place he'd been to and he needed to get to work.
The woman on the right handed me a ballot and told me I needed to use the marker supplied in the booth. Not really a booth. More like the anti-cheating 3-sided cardboard things they had in elementary school.
A young professional fed her ballot into the machine. The volunteer beside her told her she was number 128.
"That's it? That's all you've had?"
The old man replied, "Yup, since seven this morning."
"Well, I'm glad I voted then."
"So are we," he added cheerfully.
Maybe they would've had more if they stuck a "Vote here" sandwich board out front to draw a little more attention to themselves.
I was 129. And that was it. Not even an "I voted" sticker; I felt kind of gypped. I did get a receipt for my ballot, that was new, but I didn't know what I was supposed to do with it. I figured it would only matter if foul play was suspected.
When I got home I checked my voice mail and had a message from Martin Sheen. Recorded certainly, but there he was all the same urging me to vote No on the recall, No on 54, and Yes on Bustamante.
Just plain odd. Vote in a garage, get a message from Martin Sheen.
One year ago on TTaT: Common imprecision
Technorati tags: Polling places, voting
01 February 2008
Like Juno, but real and from the adoptive mother's point of view
The Great Interview Experiment continues. Neil's keeping a running tally of all the interviews as they are completed here.
It was my pleasure to read about Kelly's life on her blog Ordinary Art this week. I was really impressed by a number of her posts. Be sure to check out these great entries about adoption and her well-founded fears of miscarriage when she became pregnant with her daughter (don't worry, they're a happy family of four now):
Where we are going... Where have we been?
Showered with Love
Jealousy is never pretty
Ignorance on a Thursday Afternoon (Really the things people say just astound me sometimes.)
The Safety of Home
Please don't tell me to Relax
When tomorrow comes...
And now, the questions:
1. Your posts about your miscarriages and dealing with Angel (the birth mother of your son) throughout the adoption process are really compelling. When I read those, I feel like I'm in those moments with you. They couldn't have been easy to write, right? For me, writing/blogging is often therapeutic. What prompted you to share those very personal experiences on the internet?
I blabbed about all that because I have no frontal lobe and no filter. No, actually, I started my blog because the adoption process was so terrifying. I needed a safe space to share my fears. I never really imagined anyone would read it. Then, suddenly people were. I kept going though, because it was resonating with people and making me feel better, somehow. I think there is strength in unity, and blogging unites me with other amazing women. I have made lifelong frienships because of my blog.
2. Are you ever concerned about sharing too much on your blog?
YES!! I actually had a horrible incident not too long ago. I had some posts up about my in-laws. They have never taken to me. Anyway, they "stumbled" across my blog. They sent it to my husband's entire side of the family, they called me names, they cut off my dh, me, and my kids. It was terrible. I ended up deleting my entire blog. Luckily, one of my favorite blogging friends rescued it from google. She brought it back. I'm a little more careful now about what I post, a little, not much. I guess I feel like this is who I am, take it or leave it. I do worry, however, about crazy pedophiles and stuff like that. I never post info about where I live or last names. I want to protect my babies.
3. You wrote once that you "advertised in papers and on the web" as part of the adoption process for your son. It makes me wonder how someone can sum up their ability to parent: resumes, references, and financial statements, perhaps? How did you and your husband describe yourselves?
We just spoke from the heart. It wasn't about what we had. We didn't want someone to pick us because of the size of our house, car, or what we wore. We wanted someone to pick us because we are two people madly in love who wanted to be parents more than anything in the entire world. We just talked about who we are, two teachers, liberal, goofy, both loving the outdoors. I wrote about how I like to run and read, how my husband likes to garden and watch sports. We talked a bit about how we met and the struggles we faced. It was simple and true. I think that is why we matched so quickly.
4. Do you know why Angel (the birth mother of your son) chose you?
She said she could tell we loved each other.
She thought I looked like her.
She liked that I came from a big family that still lived nearby.
She liked that Jack would be the first born and first grandchild but that we wanted more children.
She also said she was happy we were fat??? (Strange, but true)
That is bizarre. Not a single photo of you guys on your blog made me think you were even overweight.
5. Why is your blog called "Ordinary Art"?
When I started, my blog was called EmptyWomb/HopefulHeart. I had to change it when I suddenly got pregnant. I wanted to name my blog something that spoke about my purpose in writing it. I write to share the ordinary truths we all face on the day to day. I write to reflect on who I am and who I want to be. I write about things that are funny, and hard, and hopefully true. I try and find the art in the everyday. I try and find beauty in the ordinary. I also think that although I am only an ordinary woman, my babies are true works of art.
6. What's the last book you read (for yourself) and what prompted you to choose it?
I love to read. I am actually a reading teacher. I just read The Patron Saint Of Liars by Anne Patchett. I picked it up because it has a theme of adoption from the perspective of a potential birth mother. I had also read Bel Canto and thought it was really beautiful. Patron was a nice book. Not the best I've ever read, but lovely in its own right.
7. Remembering back to when you were a teenager, what do you wish you'd known then that you know now? Is that lesson something you'll try to tell your kids when they're that age?
I wish I knew that my size didn't matter. I wish I knew that cliques meant nothing. I wish I knew that I had a voice and I could use it. I want my children to be strong.
8. Would you ever want to go back to school, and if so what would you study?
I would love to go to school for Creative Writing. I have a master in Literacy, but would love to get my Ph.D. Maybe, when the babies are a bit older.
9. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
Ireland. I would like to see where my family is from.
10. What would be your ideal family vacation (now or in the future)?
An eco-friendly resort in Fiji or some place tropical. We would swim, go on nature walks, just totally chill.
I think that's it.
Great questions.
Hope I answered them well.
No doubt about that. Thanks for sharing your thoughtful answers with me here on Taller Than Average Tales.
Two years ago on TTaT: Photos are Heavy, Unpopular
Technorati tags: The Great Interview Experiment, Ordinary Art
It was my pleasure to read about Kelly's life on her blog Ordinary Art this week. I was really impressed by a number of her posts. Be sure to check out these great entries about adoption and her well-founded fears of miscarriage when she became pregnant with her daughter (don't worry, they're a happy family of four now):
Where we are going... Where have we been?
Showered with Love
Jealousy is never pretty
Ignorance on a Thursday Afternoon (Really the things people say just astound me sometimes.)
The Safety of Home
Please don't tell me to Relax
When tomorrow comes...
And now, the questions:
1. Your posts about your miscarriages and dealing with Angel (the birth mother of your son) throughout the adoption process are really compelling. When I read those, I feel like I'm in those moments with you. They couldn't have been easy to write, right? For me, writing/blogging is often therapeutic. What prompted you to share those very personal experiences on the internet?
I blabbed about all that because I have no frontal lobe and no filter. No, actually, I started my blog because the adoption process was so terrifying. I needed a safe space to share my fears. I never really imagined anyone would read it. Then, suddenly people were. I kept going though, because it was resonating with people and making me feel better, somehow. I think there is strength in unity, and blogging unites me with other amazing women. I have made lifelong frienships because of my blog.
2. Are you ever concerned about sharing too much on your blog?
YES!! I actually had a horrible incident not too long ago. I had some posts up about my in-laws. They have never taken to me. Anyway, they "stumbled" across my blog. They sent it to my husband's entire side of the family, they called me names, they cut off my dh, me, and my kids. It was terrible. I ended up deleting my entire blog. Luckily, one of my favorite blogging friends rescued it from google. She brought it back. I'm a little more careful now about what I post, a little, not much. I guess I feel like this is who I am, take it or leave it. I do worry, however, about crazy pedophiles and stuff like that. I never post info about where I live or last names. I want to protect my babies.
3. You wrote once that you "advertised in papers and on the web" as part of the adoption process for your son. It makes me wonder how someone can sum up their ability to parent: resumes, references, and financial statements, perhaps? How did you and your husband describe yourselves?
We just spoke from the heart. It wasn't about what we had. We didn't want someone to pick us because of the size of our house, car, or what we wore. We wanted someone to pick us because we are two people madly in love who wanted to be parents more than anything in the entire world. We just talked about who we are, two teachers, liberal, goofy, both loving the outdoors. I wrote about how I like to run and read, how my husband likes to garden and watch sports. We talked a bit about how we met and the struggles we faced. It was simple and true. I think that is why we matched so quickly.
4. Do you know why Angel (the birth mother of your son) chose you?
She said she could tell we loved each other.
She thought I looked like her.
She liked that I came from a big family that still lived nearby.
She liked that Jack would be the first born and first grandchild but that we wanted more children.
She also said she was happy we were fat??? (Strange, but true)
That is bizarre. Not a single photo of you guys on your blog made me think you were even overweight.
5. Why is your blog called "Ordinary Art"?
When I started, my blog was called EmptyWomb/HopefulHeart. I had to change it when I suddenly got pregnant. I wanted to name my blog something that spoke about my purpose in writing it. I write to share the ordinary truths we all face on the day to day. I write to reflect on who I am and who I want to be. I write about things that are funny, and hard, and hopefully true. I try and find the art in the everyday. I try and find beauty in the ordinary. I also think that although I am only an ordinary woman, my babies are true works of art.
6. What's the last book you read (for yourself) and what prompted you to choose it?
I love to read. I am actually a reading teacher. I just read The Patron Saint Of Liars by Anne Patchett. I picked it up because it has a theme of adoption from the perspective of a potential birth mother. I had also read Bel Canto and thought it was really beautiful. Patron was a nice book. Not the best I've ever read, but lovely in its own right.
7. Remembering back to when you were a teenager, what do you wish you'd known then that you know now? Is that lesson something you'll try to tell your kids when they're that age?
I wish I knew that my size didn't matter. I wish I knew that cliques meant nothing. I wish I knew that I had a voice and I could use it. I want my children to be strong.
8. Would you ever want to go back to school, and if so what would you study?
I would love to go to school for Creative Writing. I have a master in Literacy, but would love to get my Ph.D. Maybe, when the babies are a bit older.
9. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
Ireland. I would like to see where my family is from.
10. What would be your ideal family vacation (now or in the future)?
An eco-friendly resort in Fiji or some place tropical. We would swim, go on nature walks, just totally chill.
I think that's it.
Great questions.
Hope I answered them well.
No doubt about that. Thanks for sharing your thoughtful answers with me here on Taller Than Average Tales.
Two years ago on TTaT: Photos are Heavy, Unpopular
Technorati tags: The Great Interview Experiment, Ordinary Art
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