It's official.

No longer the idiot box

Two interesting articles on television in the Sunday New York Times.

You Are What You Watch, about how audiences are more segregated now and also how television is as much as a reflection of your taste and personality as music is/was.

Another on my current obsessions, 30 Rock and Tina Fey.

In related news, the NY Times has done away with TimesSelect, giving everyone online access to its current and archived articles for free. Funny how that happened right after I signed up for TimesSelect. I didn't want to be a part of any club who would have me as a member, anyway.

The electronic hearth

The title of this post is a term I learned back in my undergraduate days at Michigan, taking television classes and watching a lot of The Cosby Show. It conjures up a pretty depressing image of a family huddling around the television like they would a fire in the olden days. All I have to say is the electronic hearth in my home is glowing bright.

I'm on a VERY brief hiatus from 24 (read: one day). Season 5 will be in the dvd player in mere hours, I have no doubt.

I also rented 30 Rock and am just about through with Disc 1. This show is hilarious! I love it and can't say enough good things about it. I saw a few of the episodes during the season, but mostly out of context. Watching it straight through has given me a much better appreciation for the show and how funny it is. I love Tina Fey and Tracy Morgan. That combination couldn't get much funnier. I know people love Alec Baldwin, but I have never been such a big fan. I know he's a good actor and can be funny and all that, but I felt like I've never really gotten what all the fuss is about. I think this show has opened my eyes a bit. Not that I'm going to go back through his repertoire of films, but this role is perfect for him and he plays it so well. I watched the episode last night where he's supposed to be in one of the sketches as a GE executive and his assistant plays back the tape of him trying to film the GE in company ad. So funny. I love how the tape of his bloopers just goes on and on. Normally on a show it would play for like 10-15 seconds, and I swear this goes on for about 2 minutes or so. Please re-watch this if you have the DVDs, also re-watch in the second episode when they have to re-shoot the promos for the newly re-titled TGS with Tracy Jordan. The show has such a great cast and the writing is so sharp and witty. I love how it doesn't underestimate the intelligence of its audience. I also loved how when it won the Emmy for Best Comedy Series Tina Fey thanked the, "dozens and dozens of viewers."

I also re-watched last 6 episodes of last season's Grey's Anatomy. I kind of lost touch and missed a few episodes last season, so when I did actually watch the season finale it didn't make much sense. Now I sort of get it. It will be interesting to see where that show goes this next season. I'm kind of off and on with it, but I'm always interested and a supporter of Shonda Rhimes, T.R. Knight and Katherine Heigl.

In all of this television madness, I have neglected Weeds - funny how the title kind of alludes to neglect as weeds sprout up in places that are neglected - that's a stretch and off-topic. Anyway, I am too embarrassed to admit after all my excitement of the new season starting that I have only watched the series premiere! I know, I know. I will catch up. I have to, especially since Mary-Kate Olsen is on this season! I have watched the promo with her and she looks amazing. This is one of the best cast additions since Janeane Garofalo joined 24. Head to head, it would be hard to choose which takes the cake for best addition.

I have yet to check out Extras and The Wire, two television series that I have been meaning to rent but haven't gotten around to yet. I've heard really good things about both of them. I watched some of Friday Night Lights during the season and it seemed pretty good. I'll put that in my queue too.

And I haven't even mentioned that new season premieres are just around the corner! The Office, Grey's Anatomy, 30 Rock all start next Thursday night - and one hour episodes for the first four episodes of The Office (I think...I know the premiere is one hour). Plus, Amy Sherman-Palladino's new series and Private Practice, the Grey's offshoot...might be good, might be bad. I also want to check out Gossip Girl, Josh Schwartz's new series on the CW, just to see what it's all about. And this is just all I can think of off the top of my head...I'm sure there's more out there.

It's a small screen revolution!

Cinema 16

This looks like a great DVD compilation of short films by various European directors that will be released September 25. Gasman is a great film. Laura, you saw Wasp right? I remember you saying it was really great. Six Shooter won the short Oscar last year. It's directed by the Tony-award winning playwright Martin McDonagh, who wrote The Beauty Queen of Lenane and The Pillowman, among others (there was also an interesting New Yorker profile on him awhile back...like a year ago). There are a lot of other exciting filmmakers on here, and a few I haven't heard of that I'm sure are doing interesting work.

I believe that it the entries for Lars Von Trier, Ridley Scott, and Christopher Nolan are their first films, so I'd be interested in seeing those.

Here's the actual description:

Cinema 16 is pleased to announce the US release of Cinema 16: European Short Films. This two-disc edition features previously unseen short films and early works by some of today's most notable filmmakers, as well as award-winning films from its rising stars. In addition to the films, the set contains over three hours of commentaries and a 16-page color booklet.

Film Listing:

1. The Man Without a Head- Juan Solanas (France)
2. Wasp- Andrea Arnold (United Kingdom)
3. Doodlebug- Christopher Nolan (United Kingdom)
4. World of Glory- Roy Andersson (Sweden)
5. Je T'aime John Wayne- Toby MacDonald (United Kingdom)
6. Gasman- Lynne Ramsay (Scotland)
7. Jabberwocky- Jan Svankmajer (Czech Republic)
8. Fierrot Le Pou- Matthieu Kassovitz (France)
9. Rabbit- Run Wrake (United Kingdom)
10. Copy Shop- Virgil Widrich (Austria)
11. Boy and Bicycle- Ridley Scott (United Kingdom)
12. Nocturne- Lars Von Trier (Denmark)
13. Before Dawn- Balint Kenyers (Hungary)
14. Election Night- Anders Thomas Jensen (Denmark)
15. Six Shooter- Martin McDonagh (Ireland)
16. The Opening Day of Close-Up- Nanni Moretti (Italy)

I know you can buy it at Amazon. Not sure where else. Hopefully it'll be available on Blockbuster Online and Netflix soon.

St. Vincent live

I rotated this before I posted it, but for some reason it ended up sideways. I would try and fix it but I don't have the time or patience right now. The video takes a little while to load, and it was already my second try. You're just going to have to tilt your head sideways. I apologize in advance for the neck ache. But this song is awesome and not on the album, so I think it's worth it.

St. Vincent/The National show

Just got back from the St. Vincent/The National show at Slowdown. St. Vincent played solo, no band. It was more electronic based than when she played at The Waiting Room. She opened with a new song I haven't heard and she played what I will refer to as "Bang Bang" which is a really great song that she played at her other show. I don't know why it's not on the album. Hopefully it's on the next one.

The National sounded great on the Slowdown sound system, but I'm just not that into them. I was really there for St. Vincent and got really tired and didn't stay for the whole National set. The crowd seemed really into them though and, like I said, they did sound crisp and full. I do like the drumming in a lot of the songs.

I am pretty much brain dead, so I will offer photos rather than my words...and a video or two if you're lucky.

Two things.

1. I've been using a new toothpaste and it's awesome! It is Crest Natural Expressions Mint + Green Tea Extract.

2. Finished 24 Season 4. We're on record pace. Season 5 is on its way. There is no stopping the 24 train. After catching up to the current season I plan to start again at Season 1 Disc 1 and keep a running tally of how many times the phrases "Dammit!" and "I understand" are uttered. What is it with "I understand"? I guess when you reach a certain level of government and power "yeah", "sure", "right", and "got it" just don't cut it. You don't want to get your words minced when you are the defenders of the nation's security.

Baseball!

Tigers vs. Twins. Tigers won 4-3. They scored four in the first and relaxed for the rest of the game. That's the way to do it.

fifteen

Golden Gophers

I visited Minneapolis for the first time this past weekend. It was a family trip. We accomplished a lot in a short amount of time: Rilo concert, Tigers vs. Twins game (in person), Nebraska vs. USC game (on TV), a trip to Trader Joe's, a tour of the University of Minnesota campus (where my sisters are currently matriculating), some shopping, and more. Fun times were had by all. Since it was such a fun-filled weekend, I may have to dedicate a few posts to the trip. I'll start with some photos of the city/campus.



The bridge that connects the West Bank (where my sisters live) to the East Bank (where their classes are). At least it has a pretty view. Maybe not so pretty when it's 40 below.



On the left of the photo is a piece of the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum, designed by Frank Gehry.



Ultimate frisbee, the ultimate college pastime.



Jamie and Erin present Middlebrook, their dorm.




The club Jamie and Erin are hoping they are cool enough to join.

Rilo in Minneapolis

What better place to see Rilo than at First Avenue, the setting of Purple Rain?

The show was, once again, really fun -- extra fun to see them with Jamie and Erin. The only downside was that they played the same setlist as the previous night. The upside was that this show included a blacklight. And new outfits - well, at least for the females.

I have to say once again, that I'm loving Smoke Detector, Breakin' Up, and Fifteen live. Also, Jenny refers to Give A Little Love as an ode to LL Cool J. As much as they tried to do a more rock live version of the song, there were still clearly some slow-jam head bobs from the band with accompanied slow jam expressions on their faces (read: confident, sexy, smooth, a little attitude -- pursed lips and near squinting).

I also wanted to note that I thought the opening band Grand Ole Party was really good. Their album, Humanimals was produced by Blake Sennett. Check it out if you get the chance...they have a MySpace page where you can hear a few songs. The lead singer has a strong, distinctive voice, and she plays drums. There are also two guitarists named John Paul and Mike. They're from San Diego and their songs are pretty catchy and danceable in a rock way.

Rilo at Sokol!

Awesome. They always put on a good show. Jenny's got some new moves for their new songs - especially Smoke Detector, which follows in the tradition of The Frug in its celebration of random (and made-up?) dance moves. There were lots of smiles; the band looked like they were having fun and the crowd was into it. They played a good mix of old and new stuff. I totally forgot about the song I Never and it was great live. Jenny's voice sounds better than ever. I think she has acquired more range; loved hearing Close Call and her vocal stylings near the end of the song.

Hearing the new songs live makes me like them even better. The disco/cheesiness/ballad/beats/performance/fun vibe really works in a live setting -- so much better than on the cd. There was a definite dance party going on during Breakin' Up, and Fifteen is a really fun, lively song, especially for being about creepy internet stalkers preying on underage girls. There's all this talk about the 70s influence and Fleetwood Mac, and while I can definitely hear the 70s influence, the record is also very 80s to me. Some of it could really be the result of hitting the "demo" button on an old Casio...and this band has never disguised their love of the 80s. And I don't think it's an ironic/tongue-in-cheek kind of love either, it's the real thing. That's what I love about them. That was a bit of a digression...just on my mind.

Greetings in Braille (which I've been listening to a lot lately even though it's years old...it really is a good song) and Rise Up With Fists were thrown in there. They opened with It's a Hit, closed with Does He Love Her? and had a bunch of good songs in between, including Portions for Foxes, Spectacular Views, Wires and Waves, and With Arms Outstretched (always a crowd favorite, sing-a-long style).

I'm heading to Minnesota tomorrow, where I get to see them again with my sisters - reunion! I'm excited. More to come.

Lomo archive v.2

Lomo archive v.1

I've been scanning some old photos taken with my old Lomo camera (that is sadly now broken) to create a lomo wall/home at the Lomographic Society, something I've been wanting to do just for about, oh, nine years now. Finally I am on my way.

In honor of my newfound motivation, and to continue my wave of nostalgia, I will be posting a lomo photo a day for the next few days, or until I tire of it.

Pop Culture Trivia

First one to correctly guess what this line is from wins a prize.

"We did. We had a time."

Clint and I

While You Were Out Memo

To: Michigan Wolverines
From: Lindsay Trapnell
Time: 4:05. 2 minutes to halftime against Oregon. I guess you were out playing, if that's what you call it.
Message: Seriously? No, but I mean, really. Are you kidding me? It's not funny.
Return call: Please do not.

holga photos, finally

I left a roll of film that I finished awhile back with LH in L.A. to get developed at Freestyle, thinking it would be harder to find a place that develops medium format film here in Omaha. I recently received the photos, so here are some of them.



From L to R: Rakiya, Tavis, Bersabell and Laura on my old street, Lyman Place.



Sunny C.A.



Hangin' on Vermont St.

I've really been wanting to take more film photos lately as opposed to digital, and this only increases my motivation. Film has a quality that you really can't replicate with digital, especially with the Holga and its imperfections. Half of the roll was shot because of a light leak. I'm going to take care of that and shoot some more. I also have another Holga with colored flashes that I have yet to put to great use. I tend to ration and save things I really love, so much so sometimes to the point of not using them.

back to the basics

Today I had my second day of training for my second job in the Academic Resource Center at MCC. The intent for the training days are for me to become familiar with the different computer programs that the students will be using in the center. Yesterday I was doing long division, dividing decimals, and calculating fractions. I started without scratch paper and quickly realized that was a mistake. Today I tested my reading comprehension and speed.

From the reading passages alone, I learned about Gail Borden, who invented evaporated milk by heating it in a vacuum. At that time, there was no refrigeration, and spoiled milk led to many deaths of infants and children. He also recognized a need for portable food that would not spoil easily. He also started using health inspections to ensure that the machinery and process was sanitary. He was really a pioneer for modern food processing and its inspection processes. I also read about workaholics, ritual apologies, WW II women spies, and Frank Lloyd Wright.

One of the reading training games would quickly flash words (it starts with one and progresses to four) and then you have to find and click those words amongst a large group of words. Sometimes the word pairings create unlikely phrases. My favorite was, "talented boys cry politely." I agree.

College Nostalgia

The back to school fall craze and my sisters embarking on their own college experience has me thinking back to the good old days.



Ah, 118. You will always have a special place in my heart. A group of seven of us resided here Sophomore year. That's my window to the left right above the porch roof. Yes, I did go out there sometimes.



The house where Jamie, Laura and I lived Senior year on Church Street in beautiful Ann Arbor.



The Graduate Library where I diligently worked in the Stacks shelving, organizing, call number reading/checking, wheeling my squeaky cart around, listening to music, and surreptitiously reading. I braved my allergies because I loved the job so much. I had to take a speed filing test on both the Library of Congress and Dewey Decimal system to get the job and passed with flying colors.



The incomparable NYPD. That's New York Pizza Depot. So good. Spent a majority of my hours, especially late night ones, with friends within these walls.

D.C. Vacation Slideshow

pack rat

I was very grateful today for being the type of person that can throw hardly anything out. After my first Moving Image Lab class today, I realized that it would be very helpful for the students to have a sheet detailing camera settings, what they mean, and what the student should most likely have to set it to. Then I groaned about how much work that would be until I remembered that I was given such a sheet in 507, one of my earliest classes at USC. I was very happy for a moment until I considered what my chances were for finding that specific handout...especially considering that most of my possessions are residing in boxes. Well today was my lucky day. I came across it within the first 10 minutes of looking, sparing me a lot of time and effort. Proof that when you look at a random item, proclaim "I may need this someday," and tuck it away where it sits taking up precious space, your foresight may come in handy someday, even five years from now.

In an unrelated note (possible ties: nostalgia and visual media), I have been re-watching episodes of My So-Called Life, and man, that show was really good. Too good for its own good, really. I would say ahead of its time, but I'm not sure it would fare so well today either. The outfits also looked much more dated and embarrassing than I ever remember, a testament that time is indeed flying by. However, the writing, acting, themes, and emotion feel as present and real as ever.

Book and life update

Finished Vendela Vida's And Now You Can Go. Liked it a lot. Started Jonathan Franzen's book of essays, How to be Alone.

I am back from Wisconsin. I had a great time. Jamie and Erin are gone. They left for Minnesota. My Moving Image Lab class starts tomorrow. I am exhausted.