LIFE Magazine and Hitler

A little history lesson with photographs today, brought to you by LIFE magazine's rad website. 

On this day in 1945, Adolph Hitler and Eva Braun committed suicide in a bunker in Berlin. LIFE magazine photographer William Vandivert was able to take a few photos of the bunker as well as capture some of the tremendous devastation in Berlin. The website posted a small article with Vandivert's photos (some previously unreleased) with detailed captions here. Interesting stuff.

Best Friends Forever & Bridesmaids

It's been a bit of a weird week for me, so I haven't had the bare minimum amount of diligence and thoughtfulness that I like to maintain on my blog. Not that my standard is exceptionally high, but goals are important, no matter how low you aim. One weird thing from this week, I woke up yesterday and my bottom left lip was swollen to about twice it's size. No signs of a bite or infection, it didn't hurt at all, and it's gone now. See? Weird.

I know, I know, no one came here for reasons or excuses. On with the show.

Have you seen the new TV series Best Friends Forever? I was leery at first because TV shows that are geared specifically toward women are over-the-top drama or drivel based on stereotypes; I generally don't relate to them or find them funny or entertaining. But I'm finding Best Friends Forever not only entertaining, but part of a great trend in media geared toward or written by or produced by women.

Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair of Best Friends Forever.

Part of the trend includes dialoge and acting that feels loose and spontaneous and that actually reflects how conversations (at least my conversations) go in real life. The dialoge goes to weird places and makes unexpected connections, people burst out into song and awkward dance moves, and characters start to riff on something that isn't funny until they riff its face off and then it's hysterical.

Part of the trend includes female characters that deal with relatable and hard problems that are not just about "the man." And when the problems are "solved" throughout the movie or the episode, they're not wrapped up in shiny pink paper with a ribbon woven from happily-ever-afters on top. Instead the problems are acknowledged and the character makes progress and moves forward, but nothing is entirely solved. It all feels more natural and realistic.

Part of the trend includes leads that aren't sculpted, intimidating beauties. Both the men and the women look approchable and relatable. In fact I admit that I have a crush on Luka Jones who plays Joe, Lennon's boyfriend in BFF. He's just so adorable, and doughy, and slightly nerdy, and approchable, but he's not what one would consider "hot."

I saw this trend in Bridesmaids, too. Sure, there was over-the-top and gross humor, but the actual dialoge and emotional connections between the characters is more genuine than other comedies, romantic or otherwise. There's a scene where Kristen Wigg and Mia Rudolph are eating breakfast in a cafe. They talk about heavy things in a light way and they play with their food and make lame jokes. And it's kind of perfect. Here's part of the scene.

I can only hope this trend continues and stays fresh and entertaining. Your thoughts?

Trailer Tuesday: Ruby Sparks

A movie about physically manifesting a fictional character you're in love with? I'm in. That's all I have to say about Ruby Sparks. What say you?

Sewing for Slice

A few weeks ago my friend Cindy statused on Facebook that she needed a some sewing done, and I accepted the work. She works for a company called Making Memories that manufactures craft and scrapbooking supplies. (Side note: Cindy's an amazing and patient artist, as seen here.) Now I'm not a scrapbooker, nor do I generally craft in the way that "crafting" is understood today. But it turns out that the product they wanted me to use for their promotional purposes is pretty neat.

The product I used is called Slice. It's a little automated machine with a blade that cuts out shapes in paper. There are loads of memory cards you can buy with different shapes and themes. But they wanted me to cut shapes out of fabric and applique them onto a bag, a wallet, and a phone case—all of my own making.

I made a phone or iPod case out of dark purple felt with cream and mustard accents. I followed this tutorial for the most part, but I modified it as my experience dictated. I hand appliqued the details on this item with a simple slip stitch. The Slice didn't really want to cut the felt in one go, so I picked the simplest shapes so that there would be less room for error when I ran the machine twice. The single layer of felt didn't turn out to be very sturdy for a potentially oft-used case. So if I were to make it again I would either get industrial-grade felt or I would try using iron-on adhesive to stick two layers of felt together.

I also made a small bag and I "put a bird on it!" (See sketch comedy show Portlandia.) I followed this tutorial for the most part and it worked out fine. I thought the straps were a little too wide in the finished product, but they weren't egregious.

And finally I made a wallet with a cameo detail. This was the most complicated applique, but it was worth it. It took time and patience to machine zig-zag around all the scallops and the fine features of the face. I followed this tutorial for the wallet body, but I wouldn't use it again. There was more than one problem with this pattern, but mainly there's a lot of bulk in the seams that I had to figure my way around to make it look more professional. But it was a great idea to use hair elastics as closures; they come in many, many, many more colors than the round elastic you can buy at craft and fabric stores, and they're cheap, to boot.

From what I understand, Making Memories will be using these items in a promotional video for the Slice. If the video becomes available for public consumption, I'll post it. 

I didn't want to do a tutorial for these, but will be happy to answer any and all questions about the sewing and the project. Also, I apologize for the sad novice photographer skills.

Nathan Fillion. Again.

Once again my friend Seth sent me a treasure: A perfectly delightful image of a very young Nathan Fillion. Based on when IMDb says he was born and a guess of Mr. Fillion's age in the photo, my very fine detective skills puts the photo between 1989-1991. But it's not like you couldn't tell by his appearance. Let's review and appreciate the fine figure of a fresh-faced Nathan Fillion.

1) That floppy-on-top hair that's cut close on the sides.

2) Bandana in his right hand, freshly removed from his sweaty brow.

3) Rollerblades that show his Canadian pride .

4) A fanny pack/case for his Walkman.

5) And what I have deemed his "sexy times cutoffs" showing off his sexy times legs.

Enjoy!

Harry Lloyd, Charles Dickens & a Tangent

Let me introduce you to one Harry Lloyd, London-born stage and screen actor. You may have seen him in the most recent carnation of Jane Eyre, or perhaps in the new BBC miniseries Great Expectations that recently aired on PBS (still waiting for me on my DVR), or maybe you saw him in the first season of Game of Thrones (I haven't), or playing a super creepy part on an episode of Doctor Who. Apparently I have seen him around in my media consumption, but he didn't look familiar when I first saw a picture of him. This could be because he's maybe a good actor, or because he looks different in every image I've come across. He goes from boyish to goofy to skeezy to old Hollywood handsome. (All photos from http://harry-lloyd.tumblr.com/.)

     

However, his looks aren't particularly swoon-worthy in my book, I only remember one of his performances (after much thought), and I saw a short interview with him where he was not exactly charming.


So why am I telling you about him if I'm not extolling his virtues? Because he's the great-great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens. I suppose his relations don't actually make Mr. Lloyd anything special, but I love knowing connections like that. It's like a larger version of "Oh, you're from Flapjackberg? Do you know the Blahblahsons?" So many people hate that game, but I think it's natural to try and make connections with people, even in a long-shot, grasping-at-straws kind of way. It's nice to feel connected to the people and the world around you, even if the connection is tenuous. You gotta start somewhere.

*Update: I finally watched the above-mentioned BBC's Great Expectations and Harry Lloyd may be the best part of the movie. He's incredibly charming in his role as Herbert Pocket.

Tangential, relevant story: My next door neighbor has a son that lives in New York City. One day she's on a flight to Australia and she's seated next to a stranger from NYC. Now I have to tell you, my neighbor is a talker. She will talk to anyone anywhere, and no matter how much they don't want to talk, she soon has their life story. Anyway, it went something like this:

Neighbor: Where are you from?
Stranger: (Obviously doesn't want to talk) NYC.
Neighbor: Oh, my son lives there!
Stranger: (With eye roll.) That's nice.
Neighbor: He lives in Chelsea.
Stranger: (Slightly surprised) Me too.
Neighbor: He lives on the corner of ____ and ____.
Stranger: (More surprise) Really? Me too.
Neighbor: He lives in ____ building.
Stranger: (Really surprised.) Are you kidding me? What's his name?

And that's when my neighbor told this stranger that she was the mother of the man that lives in the apartment right next door to him in a city with a population of over 8 million people. You just never know.

Wednesday Roundup 18 April 2012

The bits and pieces I picked up on this week's internet travels. Lots again, and I even cut some links. C'est la vie.

London!
I spend 6 weeks in London two years ago. It was bliss. So now of course I'm a bit of an Anglophile. Here are two different representations of London. The first link leads to photographs of London reflected in rain puddles. Photographer: Gavin Hammond http://bit.ly/Hrphrw

The second is from Italian artist Matteo Pericoli via Brain Pickings. He drew these extremely detailed landscapes of the North and South Banks of London. Both drawings are each 11.5 meters long (almost 38 feet apiece). They're incredible and awfully lovely. There's also a video of Pericoli unfurling the entire drawing for the North Bank; it takes 4 minutes.  http://bit.ly/H8lteg

Videos!
Three videos, all with a different feel and purpose. First, a funny, short Jurassic Park theme music homage. And I use homage lightly. http://bit.ly/xPbXdE

Next, an entertaining video of Neil Patrick Harris singing about shoes on Sesame Street. The part with Maria and Luis is my favorite. http://bit.ly/HBvzpj

Last, a fascinating video of a largely unresponsive man in a rest home who becomes responsive and engaged when he hears music from his youth. I believe it's part of a larger documentary called Musical Minds Alive Inside. http://bit.ly/Ildi12

Charlie Chaplin!
It was Charlie Chaplin's birthday on Monday. Roger Ebert posted a story about his interactions with Charlie Chaplin. It's a lovely tribute. http://bit.ly/7rYjXk

Fashion!
The Daily Mail of London tracked what the queen wore to public events for an entire year, then categorized the outfits by color. The photo representation they created is delightful. http://bit.ly/IQJ4pQ

A photo set with descriptions from the costume designer for The Hunger Games. I disagreed with some of the costume choices, but it's always interesting to read about the process. I mean, that leather jacket Katniss wore is way too nice for her living situation. In the very least it should have been much more distressed. http://bit.ly/HJVU8d

Art!
Photographers have been obsessed with cats longer than you think. To prove it, here's an article with photos. http://on.io9.com/IBdVQY

I tried to create a travel journal when I went to London, Geneva, and Paris–total, complete, miserable fail, even on the simplest level. But here's some people who triumphed beautifully with the same task. From artist Austin Kleon http://bit.ly/INhxDA; and a collection of journals from other artists http://bit.ly/mHyyaj.

Pinning!
From the annals of my Pinterest 1) a beautiful dress that I would look incredible in; 2) a sharp men's summer suit; and 3) lightsaber umbrellas. (Morag, see Art! for your cat fix.)
1) http://bit.ly/HLElA1
2) http://bit.ly/HLExiN
3) http://bit.ly/HRlVm7

Trailer Tuesday: Looper & A Fantastic Fear

I like sci-fi stuff, especially when it doesn't include aliens. (I like aliens sometimes, but heavily make-upped or CGI aliens are often more distracting than entertaining.) Enter Looper starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt. I'm a fan of all these actors, but I have a special affinity for Bruce Willis. It always surprises me how much I love him. But I digress.

What makes Looper especially exciting for me as a sci-fi movie is the combination of futuristic ideas with old or vintage elements, not unlike the sci-fi westerns Firefly and Serenity. This combination is easier to relate to than the typical sterile slickness of films set in the future. It's also easier for an audience to buy the premise and suspend disbelief, because there is comfort in seeing the familiar of the past and present among the unfamiliar of the future.

I'm looking forward to September.

Late entry: Last night I stumbled on the recently released trailer (in the U.S.) for A Fantastic Fear of Everything. I first heard about the film about a week ago from my friend Seth, because we both have a deep, abiding love for Simon Pegg. Based on the preview, it looks like a Jean-Pierre Jeunet film on acid; meaning it's fanciful, but in a darker, twisted way. Just the way I like it. No release date for the U.S. yet, but based on the June 8 U.K. release I'm guessing we'll see it in the fall.

And I hope that is Simon Pegg's real hair.

Why I Don't Buy Hi-Chew

They're always sitting there by the register. I have learned to dutifully ignore them. But today I reread all the labels and daydream. Grape, apple, melon, strawberry, mango, and...peach? Huh, that's a new one. Peach. I'm good at coercing myself, so good that my conscious barely takes note. I've never had peach before. How can I tell people what flavor's the best if I haven't tried them all? It's for the greater good. Plus, I deserve it. Life has been kind of hard lately, still looking for that job and all.

Beep, beep. One pack of peach Hi-Chew slides neatly into my bag.

I resist for a day, believing that this somehow proves something about me—that I'm strong, that I'm in control. But the truth comes out on day two, because day two is the day that I will "eat just one."

The first chomp has the same resistance as a fresh piece of Hubba Bubba, but smoother and milky and luxurious. The intensity of the flavor burst is hard to believe. It rolls around on my taste buds, lingering for several minutes. There's no expected bad aftertaste, the peach just slowly fades. I can't stand the thought of the flavor frolic ending. Just one more won't hurt. Before I can rebut, one more Hi-Chew meets its fate.

It's downhill from there. When the flavor fade starts, I pop another, then another, until I'm popping them almost before I swallow the last one in a frenzy that lasts less than 10 minutes.

Inevitably my mouth has that furry sugar coating with the special bonus of a pre-canker sore feel. Somehow, as with all chewy candy, the Hi-Chews glom together in my stomach, making an uncomfortable ball of digestion issues. I berate myself in the aftermath. Stupid idiot. Why did I eat them all? Don't I have any self-control? 

And that's why I don't buy Hi-Chew: It's a low self-esteem candy.

Review: Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor in a Yemen scene.

I'll admit the title is a turn off; it sounds more like a fishing guide than entertainment. But Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (based on a novel of the same title) was a slow-paced and subtly funny charmer. There's an underdog to root for, a government to hate, people to fear, a loss to cry over, a cause to hope for, and even a wee bit of romance.

Ewan McGregor plays Fred, an straight-laced government worker who specializes in fisheries. He and his boss (who has really bad hair) have a mutual disrespect for each other, so Fred gets assigned to this odd-ball, long-shot project of transporting salmon to a river in Yemen, and ensuring the right environment for the fish to survive.

Enter Emily Blunt who plays Harriet. She's an assistant/project manager for a very wealthy Sheikh (he doesn't blink at spending $55 million on this project), and she's the smart as a whip, light-hearted foil to Fred's stuffy practicality.

Amr Waked and Ewan McGregor in a Scotland scene.

Sheikh Muhammad (Amr Waked) wants to bring Salmon to the Yemen because 1) he loves fly fishing, and 2) he believes the river and commodity of fish will greatly benefit his people. The British government, as represented by hard-nosed and hilarious press secretary Patricia Maxwell (Kristen Scott Thomas), are backing the project because they want a "positive story" from the Middle East. But it's up to Fred and Harriet to get along and attempt to make the project that works in theory to work in reality.

Kristin Scott Thomas, the butler, and Amr Waked in a Scotland scene.

The acting is top-notch, the script is excellent and charming, the character arcs are strong and believable, and it's visually appealing. (There's even a little gun-play if you can't stand seeing a movie without it.) I highly recommend it. Its theater run is all but over, so see it immediately, or have the delicious anticipation of waiting for it on DVD.

Also, who doesn't want to see Ewan McGregor in tweeds? Don't miss that opportunity.

Why You Should Care About Clothes

Clothes are important. They say something about you. No matter how unfair it feels, people will make judgments about you based on your appearance. I wish we lived in a world where we could publicly and daily wear pajamas, booty shorts, ball gowns, or Snuggies without any personal judgment or consequences (good or bad). But it is not the world we live in, and there is no Utopia in sight. Judgment based on what we wear is a fact of life, and it always has been since the practice of wearing clothing began. I'm sure we've all seen or heard about or seen the sites that post pictures taken at Wal-Mart for the purpose of laughing at what clothes people wear. And I'm 99.9% sure when any us of see those Wal-Mart photos we don't then say, "Oh, but I'm sure they are a nice/good/valuable person." Nope, those photos bring up negative judgments about those people, their jobs, and their lifestyles.

Many people futilely rage against the fashion machine—futile because they still must make choices about what they wear, and these decisions will bring judgment and consequences (good or bad) with them. Sure, part of it is social conditioning, but I also believe we are predisposed to group ourselves by likeness or unlikeness because we want to feel accepted, at ease, and safe, and clothing plays a part in that. We group ourselves by language choices (think especially of the slang you use and work jargon), interests, politics, lifestyle, religion, and team affiliation, and we group ourselves by what we wear. We can even "code-switch" these group identifiers—changing our jargon, topic choice, or what we wear—to better fit into different groups as we move among them, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. It is natural that I make different speech choices with my friends than I do with my grandma, and that I wear different types of clothes to work than I do going to a movie with friends, because these things immediately mark me as belonging to different communities that all contribute to who I am. (Also my grandma wouldn't understand me if I pwnd her like a n00b.)

But our clothing choices (not to mention other grooming and cleanliness choices) not only place us within general groups or communities, but they identify us in other ways. We make clothing choices to make an impression (good or bad), to make a statement (even if that statement is "I don't care"), to comment on our socioeconomic status, to comment on how "hip" we are, to display our creativity, to get attention (good or bad), to attract, to repel, to show respect, and to show disrespect. As an obvious but effective example: Showing up to a desk job interview in jeans and a t-shirt says, "I don't care if I get this job and I don't respect your company's chosen image, or the interviewer for participating in the company's image." It won't matter how qualified you are, you're not getting that job. Well, unless you're in a movie or are some sort of mega genius who has trouble with social cues. Conversely, showing up to your first Hell's Angels meeting in a tweed jacket and bow tie will likely deny you acceptance in that group, and it may be dangerous to your health.

Relevant story time: I have a friend who is a dentist. He's a very easy going man who loves his chinos, jeans, T-shirts, and Converse, and he wore said clothing to work. His wife kept telling him he needed to dress up, at least a little, when he saw patients, but for years he didn't. He felt that this one aspect of who he was good enough. Then one day he realized that the way he dressed was affecting the way his patients perceived him. It affected how his patients respected his education and authority as a dentist, meaning that some patients doubted his effectiveness and ability in doing his job, or they doubted whether he took his education or job seriously. This was not a good for repeat business, and he definitely wants repeat business.

Dentist friend made the mistake of thinking that there is only one way to dress in order to be himself. But even though he is easy going, he's also a dedicated and competent dentist. By dressing in a way that immediately conveyed his dedication and competency in immediately understandable ways, he wasn't abandoning who he was, he was simply showing a different part of who he was. (There are ways that you can show different parts of who you are through the gamete of formality, it's called style, but it's another topic for another time.)

The point is that your clothing decisions, whether fair or not, say something about you. And people will judge and treat you accordingly. So you can either sulk about it and wear your cargo shorts everywhere and exclaim "why don't people just accept me for who I am? My shorts don't affect my ability to negotiate contracts/program this computer/ride my hog/support you at your wedding." Or you can think about what you're saying with your clothes and control it to your purpose and benefit.

Wednesday Roundup 11 April 2012

This week's flotsam and jetsam. It's a lot, but it's good. Swearsies.

Videos!

One of the most beautiful stories I have ever heard and seen. Do yourself a favor: http://bit.ly/IpzER3

A video of the opening long-shot from the movie Contact paired with a song from Sesame Street about infinity. Visually, aurally, and nostalgically pleasing. http://bit.ly/HHYu8H

Words!

The new edition of the Dictionary of American Regional English was recently released. (I really want a copy, so if anyone is looking to buy me a gift. Come on, you know I deserve it.) Here are 19 words that one writer thinks all regions of American English should adopt immediately. I'm rooting for snirt, jabble, arky, and larruping. Oh, who am I kidding, I'm rootin' for 'em all. http://bit.ly/HzvUKV

A short video celebrating the sounds of vowels through images and recitation. Sounds boring, but it really is lovely. Plus Brain Pickings is one of my new favorite blogs. http://bit.ly/H8jG91

Articles!

A short article about arguably the best police blotter in the world. The blotter includes poetry and alliteration and wordplay and deliberate ridiculousness. http://n.pr/HmxWeO

A great article about Mister Rogers from a UK point of view. I may have cried. But I am a bawl-baby. http://bit.ly/Hmdxvu

Skills!

I have always wanted to whistle piercingly with my fingers tucked between my lips. These are the best instructions I've seen so far, but I've yet to get the hang of it. Also The Art of Manliness is a great site in general. http://bit.ly/HoI9a4

Pinning!

I have a cat for Morag, some 1950s nurses' uniforms from different countries, and a candid Sallah and Indy photo.

1) http://bit.ly/IfYqQ8

2) http://bit.ly/HIGhfx

3) http://bit.ly/HvEw2x

You!

Seeing anything interesting out there? Please share! And if you want to be like Morag with a picture just for you, tell me what you want to see and I'll keep my eyes peeled.

Trailer Tuesday: The Avengers and Amelie

It is time. Time to squee about The Avengers.

Commence: Squeeee!

Stop that, you sound silly.

I am seriously jazzed about this movie for a lot of reasons: Robert Downey, Jr., Jeremy Renner, and Mark Ruffalo are obvious pluses. And I loved Captain America and Iron Man, so I'm excited to see those title characters again. I also just read that Lou Ferrigno, the original television Hulk, did the voice of Hulk in The Avengers. I love full-circle (sort of) cameos like that. But even though I'm excited, I also have a few reservations:

1) Scarlett Johansson makes me nervous in regards to this film. It would be fine if she simply didn't add anything to films she's in, but for me she mostly detracts. (There are acceptions in Scoop and Lost in Translation.) Mostly I feel like she's there because of her boobs and her full lips.

2) I hated Thor, and I'm not excited to see the character of Thor again. There was so little character development in that movie, and there's only so many special effects that I can enjoy without other kinds of substance. I am not against effects, but I do believe there is room for effects and good story and character development in any movie. However, I did like Loki, so I suppose it wasn't a complete bust.

3) Speaking of special effects, I'm hoping and praying that The Avengers carries more than CGI and explosions. They're certainly required in this genre, but I hope they're not the end-all-be-all like in so many movies these days.

But however the film lands for me, I'm sure enjoying the previews.

Since I'm sure everyone has already seen trailers for The Avengers loads of times, I will give you a bonus! Congratulations! Here's a trailer for Amélie (2001), a French film that I truly adore and rewatch often. (In fact, I have adored all the films that I have seen by Jean-Pierre Jeunet.) Amélie stars the lovely Audrey Tautou, and it's melancholy, clever, charming, and off-beat. The Avengers it ain't.

Ode to Doris Day

I love Doris Day.

First of all, her voice is amazing. If you've only her her sing "Que Sera Sera," do yourself a favor and listen to anything else she sings. 

Like this. And this was one of her biggest hits. And please tell me you've heard this. 

Second of all, I've never seen a star or other person that has the same personal qualities that she has. She is feminine, but she also has a distinct air of tomboy about her; she's not delicate, but she's not clunky either; she's often a goof, but she's never ridiculous; and to top it off, it amazes me how she always come across as genuine and how much joy can radiate from her face.

There's a bit of buzz out there about her right now, because in honor of her 88th birthday Turner Classic Movies is playing a great deal of Ms. Day's movies on their channel this month, they've released a special box set of her movies, and they released a new album of her love songs. (All Doris Day merch is on sale at TCM.com.) Ms. Day even did a rare interview with Teri Gross from NPR's Fresh Air.

Doris Day and Rock Hudson from Pillow Talk

Of her movies that I've seen, my favorites include That Touch of Mink, Calamity Jane (it's pretty silly), The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Pillow Talk. (Please don't watch The Pajama Game, it's one of the worst movies I've ever seen, and her only total flub as far as I can tell.)

Don't you love that giant sequin bow?

I watched Ms. Days' Lullaby of Broadway for the first time last night, and there was an absolutley charming dance number involving a set of glass doors. She's dancing with Gene Nelson, who you may recognize as cowboy Will Parker from Oklahoma! Unfortunately I couldn't find a video that included a reprise of the glass door dance by the two older men watching.

And finally here are some Doris Day facts you may not know:

1) Ms. Day was first discovered as a partnered dancer. Sadly he was in a terrible car accident that shattered her leg, and the leg took several years to heal. Although she always sang, it was while she was bed-ridden that she really began to sing in earnest.

2) She currently lives in Carmel, California, and her home is basically an animal shelter. At one point she had over 30 dogs, not to mention other animals, at her home.

3) According to TCM.com, Ms. Day still holds the record for the top female box-office star of all time.

4) One of her husbands, who was also her manager, squandered all her earnings and left her deeply in debt. There was a huge lawsuit with subsequent lawsuits that followed for years.

5) She got to kiss Howard Keel in Calamity Jane. Lucky. (Not to mention James Garner, Rock Hudson, and Cary Grant.)

6) Her face is covered with freckles. I saw a candid picture of her once that displayed her glorious freckles. She was without make-up, the sun was shining through her for once under-styled hair, and she was laughing right into the camera. I've tried to find that picture many times since that first sighting, but I've had no luck. You can kind of get the idea with the picture below, and she obviously passed her freckles to her son.

Wednesday Roundup 4 April 2012

Here's where my internet wanderings have taken me since last Wednesday. I hope you see something you like.

Disney's Dwarves!
From listsofnote.com, a list of brain-stormed names for Disney's 7 dwarves. I particularly liked "Dumpy" and "Snappy." http://bit.ly/GJSDFQ

Writers' Habits!
An accounting of funny and odd writing habits of a few famous authors. Eudora Welty practically quilted her stories together. http://bit.ly/GWA55Z

Marathoning Suffragette! Sort of!
This article is a great and short telling of the first woman to run the Boston Marathon, 5 years before women were allowed to enter the marathon. She was courageous, but it's a good think her football-playing boyfriend was with her. http://n.pr/Hkvcgg

Movie Posters! Again!
Graphic designer and artist Laz Marquez re-imagined movie posters--using black, white, and red--for all 10 movies nominated for best picture for the 2011 Academy Awards. I think I like the Toy Story 3 the best with Woody striding like a boss. http://bit.ly/fyO3xg

The same designer also did a "Goodbye Tribute Print" for Harry Potter. I particularly liked the crack in Harry's glasses. http://bit.ly/pXktWY

Map!
This map is one of the most mesmerizing things I've seen on the internet. It tracks the wind speeds all over the country and represents the speeds with a super neat, wormy graphic. If you hover over the map, it will tell you the exact wind speed at a specific latitude and longitude. http://hint.fm/wind/

Pinning!
My favorite Pinterest pics this week involve Paris, vintage fashion, and Doris Day. Ms. Day turned 88 yesterday, and she's alive and kicking in Carmel, California. I love her so.
1: http://bit.ly/HdjOb7
2: http://bit.ly/HmShiX

Trailer Tuesday: How to Grow a Band & More!

What's that you say? You wish it were Trailer Tuesday? Your wish is granted! But don't say I never gave you nothing.

Below please find a trailer for How to Grow a Band, a documentary that chronicles the evolution of The Punch Brothers, a young bluegrass band headed by Chris Thile. It promises to be a fun and interesting insight to the dynamics of a band and the music biz. (That means business, for all you laymen.)

But since I also gave you a documentary last week, and because you have been good, here is a bonus trailer! I don't know a thing about Jesus Henry Christ except for what I witnessed in the trailer. But since it stars Michael Sheen (Wesley Snipes from 30 Rock) and Toni Collette, I'll give it a whirl.  Plus it looks like a charming and smartly funny film by the lovelies who brought us Little Miss Sunshine.

Last minute entry! I heard about Pina (2011) late last night on Facebook thanks to Christina D. She mentioned the soundtrack and I was curious enough to watch the trailer. It's an homage to German choreographer Pina Bausch. It reminds me so much of this acrobatic, dance, theater show called Psy that I saw in London two years ago. Meaning, it looks incredible. So everyone say thank you to Christina.

Rant: Bad Pedestrians

I live in a large college town, so there are loads of pedestrians. But they're not savvy pedestrians that you'd find in a large city like NYC. No, the pedestrians in college towns are more like entitled cattle. They mosey into the street with thoughts not unlike a cow's.

"What are cars?"

"I'm not in danger, I'm a cow. Who would hurt a cow?"

"I'm going to eat AND talk to my friend cow on my cell phone AND walk across this busy street."

"I see how close you are car, but I'm going to step into the street anyway, make you screech to a stop, and walk as slowly as possible, maybe even stop to tie my shoe, for I AM COW!"

Do college pedestrians have no sense of self-preservation or even self-awareness? Let's face it, there are bad drivers and responsible drivers, but not one perfect driver. And if the driver is distracted or makes a mistake and collides with a pedestrian, who do you think will have bruises, road rush, gashes, and broken bones in the best case scenario? But if pedestrians are aware of their surroundings, it can only help their chances of reaching their destination injury and death free.

So my dear pedestrians, it will never hurt to look both ways (even in a crosswalk), to put your call on hold so you can pay attention, to be aware if a car is too close to stop, or to even do a courtesy jog and wave when a car stops for you.

Rant complete. For now.