[es-pree de less-ka/-iay] (idiom) A witty remark that occurs to you too late, literally on the way down the stairs. The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations defines esprit de l'escalier as, "An untranslatable phrase, the meaning of which is that one only thinks on one's way downstairs of the smart retort one might have made in the drawing room."
I've got a post at newcritics about my distaste for the Emmy Awards. Go read it and let me know if you think the Emmys suck or if you're really excited for Charlie Sheen to be nominated for his fine work in Two and a Half Men. Or you love Grey's Anatomy so much it DESERVES a dozen or so Emmys. Who cares about actual dramatic acting occurring on Friday Night Lights or weirdo shows on SciFi? Don't comment here, comment there.
The US District Court denied a stay for the unfair, retroactive royalty rates, which will go into affect Sunday for internet radio stations. Payment should be fair over all radio mediums. Please call your representatives now to support and bring the Internet Radio Equality Act. As Tim says, this is a medium that needs to survive. (For some reason the vid that I posted above isn't showing up in IE, here's a link if you can't see it.)
Other links:
Here's an article from KCRW in Santa Monica by Celia Hirschman called "When Our Leaders Fail Us".
Here are all of KCRW's posts on the issue.
Here's another link to SaveNetRadio.org.
Here's a Paste magazine article on the issue as well.
Tom Watson has awarded me the Thinking Blogger Award, which just completely tickles me. Every time Tom asks me to help out in something he's working on or links to me, I always think, "Really? Me?" It's an honor.
Here are five daily reads that expand my mind and creativity: 3191 - a photo blog of diptychs by two inspiring and creative women who live on different coasts - such a nice place to start the day The Garden Party - the fantastic Bri who inspires me with her words and green thumb The Glass Doorknob - I love Shari's thoughts on life and her artistic endeavors Gazelles on Crack - I love Miss Amy and get to meet her soon! Reconstructing Stacey - my dear friend who I miss (and who should post more, hint hint!)
I was also tagged by the eminent M.A. Peel with the 8 Things Meme. I decided to theme it this round with a current obsession hobby.
Eight things (part deux): Photography
1. I am currently waiting for some negatives to dry. This is the first time I haven't (at least I don't think I have) screwed up some part of the film developing process. Woo!
2. I am almost done with an 8 week film photo course (see number 1). It has been great and I am learning a ton and wish I could start it over again because I feel like I screwed up most of my assignments. But learning, learning is good.
3. Wednesday nights for the last three weeks have meant: So You Think You Can Dance, Top Chef, developing film in my kitchen to be ready for my Thursday darkroom lab.
4. The only dark place I have to take the film out of the little can and onto the development reels is a closet that is only completely dark when it's dark outside, so I have to wait til Top Chef is over and then turn out all of the lights.
5. For some reason I close my eyes when I am taking the film out and putting it on the development reels. Yes, it's dark and I can't see, but I don't know why I'm closing my eyes.
6. In third grade I won a camera at a school raffle. It was teal and one of those little flat rectangular cameras and I realize now that I have no idea what kind of camera it is. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? I just did some googling and it's the type that takes 110 film.
7. The only other thing I ever won at a raffle was Candy Land, but this was several years later when I was 13 or 14. I took it babysitting.
8. My roommate likes to make fun of how many cameras I have accumulated in the last couple of years. I just got a new one. My very own Nikon N80 SLR. It's pretty and handles like a dream.
I'm not going to tag everyone, because it's now very late and I'm tired and have to chase my cat away from my drying negatives. Bad cat.
I'm around, but it's been too hot to blog, and I plan on keeping summer hours, so expect more sparse posts. My brain's pickling a little in the heat. Yesterday, to beat the mid-90 degree heat, my roommate and I did a double feature of Ratatouille and Knocked Up. Not exactly a family-friendly, obvious pairing, but the times worked out perfectly.
Ratatouille makes me believe in the power of Pixar again. In some ways it was reminiscent of the Muppets or Fraggle Rock. Remy, the main rat, could have easily stepped out of a Henson creation, with his pure heart and creative spirit. I really love Brad Bird, the writer/director, and this movie. Go see it.
Knocked Up was funny and honest, which is what I expect from Judd Apatow, but I couldn't believe people were there on dates. I told my mother what we saw, and to this she exclaimed, "I don't know why people your age would see that!" I laughed and told her that if I had been there on a date, I wouldn't allow the guy to touch me afterwards. This movie is very good birth control.
I *finally* have my review of the latest Wilco album up at newcritics. Check it out here.
Saturday is my Dad's 60th birthday. My mom turns the same in August. It's mind boggling to me that they are 60. They make 60 youthful. I'm headed home for a big party at my grandparents with many of my extended family. I keep missing these and am looking forward to seeing how big my little cousins have gotten.
Plus it's supposed to be 76 degrees and I really want to go swimming. So much so that this song has been stuck in my head this week:
My roommate just heard that playing and said, "Oh honey, are you listening to REM? Is anything wrong?" While the song is sad, I find it more nostalgic than depressing. It makes me long for endless summers with not much to do, with just a bike and a pool pass.
I got tagged by Adorable Girlfriend over at the Republic of Dogs to share eight things about myself.
1. I have never broken a bone (knock on wood) but have gotten stitches twice on my face (one on my cheek: dog bite, entirely my fault; one on my hairline: knocked into a tall radiator when I was about 6 or 7 by my brother, entirely his fault).
2. I got him back, though, by throwing an etch-a-sketch at his head a couple of years later. Which occurred during our babysitter's first ever time babysitting, just as my parents were sitting down to an expensive meal out. Neither of those things occurred again for a very long time.
3. In high school I could eye a pica. I bragged about this once the first day of orientation at college and every time I see the person I did this to (which is now very rare), he brings it up. Now you can bring it up too.
4. The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. I love a parade. And fireworks. The town I grew up in had the best parade in the city and one of the best community celebrations. It was always beastly hot, but fun.
5. I once held a(n elaborate) funeral for a dead beta fish to fulfill a class assignment. (We had to repent sins we committed — we had been reading The Scarlet Letter and I admitted to accidental, but chronic, fish killing.) It included the class making a processional to the girls restroom for the end of the eulogy and the flushing. Greatest waste of 15 minutes ever.
6. My cousin Hasia and I spent hours of our summers as teens playing Spite and Malice that we re-named after our sisters, Mimi and Alix. Because we were nice.
7. The most hungover I've ever been I blame on an Australian grandmother. The next day I spent 6 hours in a small windowless room overseeing the counting of hundreds of pencils by women who spoke no English, and me no Arabic. It was brutal and even now I don't like to joke about it.
8. I turn to baking and facial masks as stress relievers (not at the same time).
I'm not tagging anyone. I could barely get the brainpower to come up with this list and it's possible none of this is news. I may post something in the next week, but if I do it will be at newcritics, where I'm sorely overdue for something. I have two half written posts already. Besides that, I probably won't be posting 'til next weekend. Happy holiday!
Walking to work this morning I asked my roommate what day it was. June 13th. It's my friend's birthday today. It's also Frank's 8th month birthday. And it's my second blogoversary.
I had been planning to write something nice, perhaps pithy, but can't take the time at the moment. It's hard to believe it's been two years. The time has flown, partially because I've been up to my eyeballs in all sorts of stuff, school, work, mild artistic endeavors, blogging, travel. I'm glad to have started this thing, and am certainly glad to have met so many interesting and inspiring people through it. Thanks everyone for your support!
My dear friend Amanda and her boyfriend Mike visited this past weekend. We ate, a lot, and laughed, and went all over Chicago. Part of our adventures included a trip to the Shedd Museum, which was packed with families and running children. Perhaps a non-holiday weekend would have been better timing.
I'm a little scattered at the moment, so pardon the lack of posting. Here's a photo of a little gator we saw at the Shedd to try and buy your favor back.
Have all the people possibly interested heard about the bloggy meetup in Chicago at the end of July? Adorable Girlfriend has spearheaded this to coincide with BlogHer. Today she, Blue Girl, Jennifer, Bossy and I had a marathon email session about plans. If you hadn't heard about it, but want to get in on the fun, let me know. There are plans for a bbq by the lake, and BG is batting around plans of matching t-shirts. And possibly a renting a school bus. God help Chicago.
The blogosphere has recently improved. Did you know that? Two friends have re-structured their online lives with two fabulous new blogs and another has started a new blog.
The lovely and talented Bri is back, weaving us narratives about her new garden and the delectable foods she makes. Her words, photos and recipes leave me salivating. I just wish I could join her on her hunts through the Santa Monica Farmer's Market, or really just help her finish her desserts.
My dear friend Stacey has *finally* launched her new blog. She's been on xanga for a while, but wanted to start again. Her new site on Typepad looks great. She also recently got a DSLR, so she's finally exploring digital photos. I can't wait to see what she writes about. Her joy and curiosity about life infuse everything she does.
My old friend Dana has recently started a blog, Begin It Now. She's smart, opinionated and fun. She has a global perspective and a good heart, and works for this amazing organization. I also can't wait to see what Dana writes about. I love that the internet allows me the opportunity to learn about my friends in a different way.
This evening I realized the amount of school work I have to do by around June 6th. I'm more behind than I realized. Which means I should not be posting heavily for the next couple of weeks. Why do I always do this to myself? I probably won't have any lengthy posts, but I'm hoping to still get some photos up a couple times a week. I also signed up for an intensive film photography class that starts at the end of May. Which, you know, overlaps so nicely with my busy period. I'm insane and think I can do it all. Please don't tell me, "I told you so," when I have my breakdown. It's just not nice.
My hard drive died this weekend, so I had to get it replaced. Which was annoying. Most of my files had been recently saved on my external, but it's annoying. It's akin to getting your wallet stolen. Losing the money and having your space violated is not good, but what's most annoying is having to cancel all the cards, file fraud reports, get a new driver's license. That's what I feel like I'm doing now.
You know what kills me the most? I realized the one thing I don't have any more is my bookmarks! I never thought to back them up. It was an ever shifting list of websites and blogs and shiny, pretty things that I found once and wanted to visit again. Some are easily found again, others not so much. Such is life, though, right? Res would think it's probably good for me.
While I was picking up my computer this evening I thought I'd splurge and get a scanner. I've been wanting one for a very long time and thought, what the hell. The photo of our favorite little president was the first I scanned. He was all stretched out in a spot of sun on my bed on Saturday. Had to take a pola.
Has everyone been checking out the blogging happening over at New Critics? I've cross-posted there a couple of times, but there are a lot of great posts and discussions about music, film, books, tv, going on.
You see that blinking graphic to the right? This weekend we're doing a bunch of Oscar blogging. Our fearless leader, Tom Watson, will be kicking the coverage off Saturday morning at 10am, and we'll have posts every two hours during the day until showtime. Then Blue Girl will cap the whole shebang off with her live-blogging the creme de la creme of awards nights.
I went to see the live and animated international shorts last night, and I'll be reviewing them Saturday at noon. Lance Mannion will be reviewing all the films up for Best Picture, the Self-Styled Siren will be covering Best Director, Viscount LaCarte will be discussing Humphrey Bogart, M.A. Peel will be cover Peter O'Toole, and much more!
It's going to be a fun weekend! Make sure to check it out!
********************************************* Update: The Oscar blogging has commenced! See my post here, and everything else here.
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