In case you haven't heard:
http://www.9news.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=127533&catid=346

I bought a book on millinery on Amazon only to realize I already own the book, just with a different publishing company (different cover, etc). It's a reproduction of Jane Loewen's 1925 book on hat-making techniques. The book is brand new and I am selling it for $20 which is slightly cheaper than what I paid for it.
Any takers?

I've had this song in my head all morning....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TINA!!!!!!!

It's true. Billy Mays is now looking down on us from that great big infomercial in the sky.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,529328,00.html?mep

Reposted from an IRC channel:

If anyone is on twitter, set your location to Tehran and your time zone to GMT +3.30. Security forces are hunting for bloggers using location/timezone searches. The more people at this location, the more of a logjam it creates for forces trying to shut Iranians' access to the internet down. Cut & paste & please pass it on.

E! They're releasing a Live in Brussels album this summer.


El Gatillo!

Ok. The twitter updates on Live Journal = irritating. Like I know what the hell you and your fellow "tweeters" are talking about.

Really.

Man, I have been so busy that I missed Joey and John of Calexico at the Ogden a couple of nights ago AND Leonard Cohen's show has been rescheduled at Red Rocks for this Thursday night, to which I'm not sure if I want to spend $50 or if it's sold out. I should go see Leonard. When will I get the chance to see him again? But I am so busy with rehearsals all week after work in preparation for my performance at the People's Fair on Saturday too.
It hurts the brain!

ARGH! Hummers! Those stupid-ass, gas guzzling, road-hogging, pieces of crap! Hummer drivers equal douchebags.
And I hate when I go to a restaurant to get something to go and they have to individually wrap every item stick them in separate bags and then then still all of those bags into one. My fries are NOT going to cross-contaminate by hamburger!
*end rant*

Bill Moyer's Journal on PBS showed this INCREDIBLE documentary tonight. I still haven't watched the beginning (but I'm going to now) so just to warn you, it's shocking and angry making.
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/torturingdemocracy/program/index1.html

My mom and I were driving to Costco this evening and a dog ran out in front of our car while going about 50 mph. I shrieked the split second I saw him. I heard a thump and looked back to see the dog still running along the grassy median and then quickly back into traffic causing other cars to brake.
Good god.
We kept on driving so as far as i can tell he just ran into the side of our car. I'm hoping someone got out and called him to safety. I've never seen a dog try and play with cars like that before. On our way back I looked around and didn't see him lying anywhere. I just hope he made it back to his home and hopefully his stupid owners will keep him from getting out again!

To cheer myself up I bought the third installment of the TCM Forbidden Hollywood collection at Costco. It's six pre-code films from director William Wellman. Once I finish up my Mae West biography/Marathon, I plan on having either a William Wellman, Peter Sellars, Alec Guinness, Wallace Reid, or Ernst Lubitsh marathon. Maybe I'll alternate from male to female each time.
*Note: All movie marathons are viewed in order of production date while reading a biography or autobiography on the person.*
I someday hope to tackle the James Cagney marathon as one of my instructors did at GEH. That was intense.

This weekend equals Anne. That's right. I'm selfish. So what?
I am going to dye my hair, start my next sewing project, clean, sleep in, practice some swoooord while shakin' my booteh, and lie awake at night wondering whether or not that poor dog is okay.
*sigh*

Every so often on the A.M.I.A Listserv (Association of Moving Image Archivists), this archivist from Argentina posts these wonderful updates on his current film and audio restoration projects. I love these so I'm just going to share one with all of you. Perhaps play the video (no image) and listen as you read!
Oh! It just sweeps me away into a beautiful place, this guy's stuff!
*swoon*

Good evening:

It took me a long while to post this. I had it ready for a while and it took me even more time to make it available.

A few months ago I was able to get a version of José A. Ferreyra’s final silent film, PERDON VIEJITA (1927). However, and although it is an abridged version, I always knew that there was a Sidetone (Vitaphone) soundtrack and I was desperate to get the recording of the main theme from the original soundtrack.

This recording, an probably the entire disc soundtrack, has been preserved by Héctor Lorenzo Lucci, although the version of main theme that we all have was obviously not recorded by him but our mutual friend Juan Angel Russo. Russo was a great gentleman, but his recordings rank among the worst of all times. Fortunately, I was always able to repair most of the uninteded damage and I really miss him along with other collectors and friends that have died in the last years.

PERDON VIEJITA is a great film, probably Ferreyra’s best. But I think that we are never going to be able to watch a good restoration since it seems that there is no interest, at least outside Argentina, Most people reading this will probably never be able to even see it.

The thing I hate about the available version is that when the new credits were created Ferreyra was not listed including his middle name initial (as in all of his previous and later films) and the fact that the names of the composers of the tango that originally inspired the film was also ommitted: bandoneon player Osvaldo Fresedo and lyricist José Antonio Saldías.

Here is the recording of the main theme of the film directly lifted from the soundtrack after cleaning and reparing the tape recording. By watching the film, we have an idea of where this musical piece should be included could have been originally included because there is a scene in which actress María Turgenova appears singing in a café. It is Turgenova herself singing in the recording but, however, I’m not so sure.

Based on information from Carlos Picchio (who gave the recording, after rescuing it from a damaged cassette) this is a recording of the SIDE studios orchestra conducted by Luis Moresco in 1927, following information reportedly provided by Lucci. I disagree: SIDE was established one year after this film was released and Moresco appears in there as an actor.

The orchestra in the recording is actually conducted by Alpidio Fernández, a forgotten musician, who prepared a musical soundtrack for its 1932 reissue, when it had more press than in original run. Fernández composed a series of melodies for almost the entire film (LA PRENSA published a breakdown, reel by reel, of all of the musical themes). This tango, obviously, was not written by him, but the arrangement is trying to emulate a recording that Fresedo himself made with his orchestra to coincide with the original premier of the film.

As it circulated through tango collector only, up to this moment, the recording ended with an audience applauding. But when you begin to realize what you were hearing the applause was abruptly cut. Since I was unable to repair that and because I am not so sure that those applauses were originally in the recording, I decided to remove them.


It is ironic, and sad: this recording has now far better quality than the film for which it was originally recorded:

Enjoy it.

This was never my favorite holiday. The reason being, is I do not like pastels and I also get really creeped out by chubby-faced smiling, baby chickens and rosey-cheeked bunnies in overalls hiding pastel-colored "snacks" in my living room. And the resurrection of Jesus is supposed to fit into all of this somehow?! You've got to be pulling my leg.

However, if there is one thing I now can look forward to on every Easter from now on, it would have to be my appreciation for Peeps and the peeps who come up with these funny ass dioramas!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/09/AR2009040903818.html

Who wants to see Queensrÿche with me at the Paramount Theater on Tuesday, April 28th?!

also....

Beats Antique at Cervante's on Saturday, April 25th?

I'm just going to post this because every Sunday night I look forward to this intro and it's just so damn beautiful that it gets me a little teary-eyed every time.


The Hollywood series hosted by James Mason in the 70's were 13 episodes about the Silent Era that aired on television. Again, the intro is too beautiful for words. You have to watch about a minute of Al Jolson singing before it kicks in. I should make everyone just start watching this series.

I heard a song on KBCO at work on Wednesday and it took me some internet searching through their backlog to find it, but it's Satellite by a band called Guster. I love this song! Has anyone heard the whole album and do you like it? Or should I just purchase this one song?

http://www.amazon.com/Ganging-Up-Sun-Guster/dp/B000FNNI88/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1238181506&sr=1-1

*EDIT* Of course, I then realize, that I can listen to excerpts of each song on the amazon link I just posted. oof. I'm a slow one today, kids.

A long day at work... excuse me, I meant TWO long days at work can easily be cured with a pint of cold, creamy, silky Boddingtons.
Ah, I love a good buzz.


:)

Alright. I am just going to come right out and say it...



I am really starting to dig Kelly Clarkson's songs.