Archives: November 01, 2006

Meet the new boss

Monday, 27 November 2006 07:14 PM

David Caruso on CSI: Miami: king of the tacky one-liner.

(Thanks to Defamer.)

Something To Be Desired

Monday, 27 November 2006 12:19 PM

Some nice press in today's Post-Gazette about Pittsburgh's own web-based soap comedy, Something To Be Desired:

"Something To Be Desired," or "STBD" for short, is a hybrid of sitcom and soap opera. Its characters live in Pittsburgh and mostly work at a fictional radio station --WANT-FM -- which is going quickly down the tubes. Their lives, relationships, career struggles, roommate issues and other comic situations are the story arcs of the weekly Web-only series.

I found out about STBD only recently, when creator Justin Kowanacki and others organized PodCampPittsburgh, so I'm having to catch up with the characters and the stories. It's good stuff, especially Season 4 -- check it out, and if you like it send them some cash to keep going.

A Picasso at the City Theatre

Thursday, 23 November 2006 11:56 PM

1. I have two Picassos. Of course they are reproductions, and small ones at that, little prints in beat-up frames. My grad school roommate Sharon gave them to me -- she found them in an antique shop. They depict two harlequins, one on a horse and one with a black mask in hand. The one carrying a mask seems to be a self-portrait: the face is detailed and realistic and resembles a young Picasso, the hands look strong. On the back each bears a sticker, "Made in Italy." Why it would be an advantage for such a print to be made in Italy isn't clear; Picasso was Spanish and created his great works in France.

2. Last Wednesday I attended the opening night of A Picasso at the City Theatre in Pittsburgh. Being an opening, there was free wine available for all before the show, and an afterparty at Folino's Ristorante afterward with more free wine and delightful snacky appetizers. It would seem that the theatre was trying to sweeten up the crowd, dispose them to like the play. Such tactics weren't needed, because the show was excellent. Striking set design (I especially liked the sidewalk grate in the ceiling, through which we heard the sounds of the street above), invisible lighting (which is the best kind -- when you don't notice the lighting, it means it was done exactly right), perfect sound (see street noises above), spot-on costuming, excellent direction, and strong performances by both actors.

3. I should note that without the gratis wine and appetizers, I might still have been disposed to enjoy the show because I had been invited to attend free, as author of this blog. It is now my strong hope that all the theaters in the area will consider blogs -- or at least My Brilliant Mistakes -- as real press, and they'll all send me free passes to lots of shows.

Like any reviewer, I shall endeavor to maintain a sense of duty and write truly, not allowing myself to be influenced by free tickets or food or drink or delightful small but elegant gifts.

At it happens, the City Theatre doesn't want me to review their plays. The newspapers do that already, following time-honored formulae for reviews. So instead, the theatre invited me to attend and maybe write about it, and thereby to expand the conversation and see what would happen.

So, let's continue this post and see what happens.

4. What is the play about? It's about the meaning and value of art, and the relationship of artists with their art, and of society with art and artists. Was Picasso's Guernica a political work? An emotional reaction of anger and sadness to an event, or a protest to an unjust act of war?

Some notes from the program:

I'm not exactly sure that art is terribly effective as a form of protest, but I do think it is effective as a form of reaction and reflection...

I don't think Guernica stopped World War II, but it certainly was an expression of war...

It's as if finally all the disparate parts of [Picasso's] artistic instincts, his style, his concerns, finally roar up together in one thing. The mere fact that Guernica comes to people's consciousness when you talk about art and war shows just how powerful it is. --Jeffrey Hatcher [playwright of A Picasso], interview for Philadelphia Theatre Company

Does art matter? Does it matter what a work of art means? Is a person worth more of less than a piece of art? What is vulgarity? Can anyone be truly non-politcal? Is art a lie?

The play asks these questions and doesn't tell the audience what the answers are. This is part of what makes it a great play -- a work of art.

5. Implicit in these questions is another: What is art? I've thought about this often lately, as I've been sketching almost daily for DrawMo. The sketches I've made, particularly the ones created late at night, dashed off before heading to bed so I don't fall behind my goal of 30 by the end of the month -- these are not good drawings. Some look a little like the things they represent, some show something about what I think of the things I'm sketching, but none look like anything I'd hang on my wall.

I'm accustomed to writing badly. The first draft of anything -- a short story, software manual, even a blog post -- can be quite lousy without hurting the final version, because the good stuff comes in the editing and rewriting. Drawing so far doesn't feel like that. I can't revise a drawing the way I can revise writing. I also feel I'm lacking basic skills and techniques that I could use to make things look as I see or interpret them.

So I might expect to feel that these DrawMo sketches are a waste of time. But I feel quite the opposite. The end results are icky, but the process of making them is really interesting, different from other processes.

It helps a lot that there are other DrawMonauts, struggling to get their sketches done each day and posting them. The others' drawings look terrific to me -- some extremely accomplished, others raw but done with charm and wit. Some people post without comment, others complain about where they feel the work fell short. I'm reassured to know they're like me, I'm like them, and we're all trying this hard thing for no reason other than to do it.

Is that art?

6. Another quote from the program to A Picasso:

To me, there is no past or future in art. If a work of art cannot live always in the present it must not be considered at all. --Pablo Picasso

Creative Cafe of Elisco Advertising

Wednesday, 22 November 2006 02:13 PM

New creative/social venue opening in Lawrenceville:

Elisco Advertising will open up its Creative Cafe located in Lawrenceville to bring together artists, musicians, poets and chefs for regular happenings, just to get the creative juices flowing. And the public will be invited to many of them. Elisco has a reputation for alternative advertising. But they also love cooking and fine wine. The Creative Cafe is an opportunity to bring creatives together from all corners of Pittsburgh to feed off each other, if you will. The caveat - the theme will always be food. And, it's FREE.

The first happening will be Thursday, November 30th from 5:30 to 7:00 PM with a wine and cheese reception to launch the food-inspired photo exhibit of Pittsburgh photographer Duane Rieder. Come meet the photographer, mingle with fascinating people. and enjoy the Elisco touch.

Sazarac

Saturday, 18 November 2006 09:59 PM

Saturday night in Boston, and I'm too tuckered to take advantage of it. Between late night discussions the last two nights and early morning start times each day (OK, 9am, but it felt early), I'm worn thin.

So I've settled for a few moments in the hotel bar. I love hotel and airport bars, the feeling of transience and the little ways we spoil ourselves when we're away from home. I'm able to pick up the hotel wi-fi here, and I'm watching the various couples and groups, and the cabs and others cars struggling through the construction and pedestrian traffic outside.

The bar stereo is playing John Coltrane, but I also hear The Hollies' "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" leaking down from a party in the mezzanine. A couple on a couch in front of me has had an argument and is trying to find common ground. A guy behind me is telling his female companion about what he does, explaining why it's so very hard and how something he accomplished recently is important.

I'm sitting at a table by the window. A guy walking by just gave me the thumbs-up -- I'm guessing because he saw the glowing Apple logo on my computer.

I'm sipping on a Sazarac.

Sazarac

1 1/2 oz. Bourbon (in this case, Old Overholt Rye)
1/2 tsp. Pernod
3 dashes Peychaud Bitters
twist Lemon
2 tsp. Sugar Syrup

Coat rocks glass with Pernod. In shaker (no ice) mix Bourbon, sugar syrup and Bitters. Shake and pour into glass. Add lemon twist.

It's a classic New Orleans cocktail. I've never made it because I can't easily get Peychaud bitters -- so I was thrilled to see this drink on the menu. This is a perfect example of what makes hotel lounges great: they make the classic cocktails, and they make them right. In this case, I feel like I've found my ideal cocktail. It's sweet (not too sweet), it's tart, it's spicy, it's red, It's eccentric, it's grand. This drink is perfect, and every now and then I hear the bartender shaking up something else delightful for some other patron. So nice.

Outside, the trees around Faneuil Hall are clothed in lights -- holiday season. At Starbucks yesterday I heard my first Christmas music for the year. It's still too early for this stuff. Wait until next Friday at least.

Since I was cooped up in the Media Lab building for the last two days and missed walking through the MIT campus in daylight, for tomorrow morning I'm planning to head back over the Longfellow Bridge and wander a little. My back is a nest of knots, from the tensions of travel and from sitting in auditorium seats for hours on end, and I need to move around more. Then I'll head to the airport, try to catch some of the Steeler game on a TV somewhere. Not likely though -- the Patriots are sure to be playing at the same time. Then I'll be back in Pittsburgh, then Butler.

Much to do in the coming weeks. Lots of work for clients, a new venture to move ahead, plus Thanksgiving and another trip -- to Baltimore for another event.

Now from the event upstairs coming the unmistakable sounds of Numa Numa. I boggle at the convergences coming down on me. (Here's a detailed history of the Numa Numa phenomenon.)

I'm listening to the conversation to my right: It's a couple of generations, mostly sisters in their (I'm guessing) 60s, with a spouse and a child or two, describing a past event in classic Boston accents. I should know which neighborhood they're from -- I'm tempted to say South End but I'm unsure.

Now from upstairs we've got "You Shook Me All Night Long," and it's clear that I need to wrap it up for the night.

But I feel a need to come up with a final thought.

(Now the upstairs DJ has mixed together Guns and Roses' "Sweet Child of Mine" and something else that'll come to me in a minute. It might even be a cover of "Sweet Child." Gotta wrap this and retire for the night, or I'll have to crash that party for the sheer ridiculousness.)

The hotel lobby has made a transition from wayplace for the weary traveler to gathering spot for eager visitors. I dislike drawing a labored parallel with the discussions of the conference. but it's so easy to see disparate groups of people within the same physical markets, ships passing in the night. The trick of this lobby is making everyone feel welcome, and to a great extent it succeeds. That's what each online space wants to do too. And to make money along the way, if possible.

But that's not a final thought ... because each time the environment changes, our expectations change. The key skills become agileness, nimbleness, adaptability. Great companies are those that are able to focus on the bottom line while fully supporting their clients.

Is that different from the rest of the world? No.

My lasting thought for the night is that everything has changed, yet I need to continue on the current course. The thoughts can't be reconciled, but they have to be.

The fun bit is that this is a world in which I'm completely comfortable.
For me, that's the best result of all.

Immersed in the environment

Saturday, 18 November 2006 01:53 PM

Continuing my Cambridge/Boston nostalgia trip: I ate lunch at Legal Seafoods. When I was an undergrad, my parents were apparently concerned that I would not eat properly. So my dad gave me a credit card, and instructed me to eat at Legal Seafoods once a month. He'd eaten there when bringing me up to school for the first time, and been particularly impressed by the clam chowder.

As I remember it, I said I didn't want to go to a restaurant alone, so I was allowed to bring one person with me for my nutritious meal of the month. My favorite items were the bluefish pate and the ice cream bon bons. I took various friends to dinner in turn. I don't think my visit did much to affect my health and nutrition, but they did create in me an appreciation for fresh fish.

When I came back to the area for grad school, I didn't eat at Legal's very often, but now and again my dear friend Sharon and I would get lunch there, chowder and a sassy beer from the tap.

So today for lunch I ordered a cup of chowder, a salad with goat cheese, apples, and avocados, and a pint of Harpoon I.P.A. The chowder was fine, although a couple bits of grit snuck into my cup. The salad was uninspired. But the beer was cold and crisp, a lovely compliment to a chilly fall day.

Of course, I'm not actually enjoying much of the lovely, chilly, sunny day. I'm in a theatre in the basement of a building on the MIT campus (Bldg E15, for those in the know), for day two of Futures of Entertainment. Now I'm settling in to listen to people from Linden Labs (makers of Second Life), Multiverse.net, and MTV talk about virtual worlds, online spaces, and immersive experiences. Just before lunch we had a spontaneous countdown, from ten to one, bidding tongue-in-cheek farewell to Web 2.0 (this morning's panel talked about MySpace and fan-based communities) and welcoming in Web 3.0.

Like many people, I have opened an account in Second Life and created a self, but haven't done anything with it (her?). In fact, she's only half designed, wearing some weird combination of default clothes and appearance. At some point I'll get back to her and finish the setup, and go through the training area to learn how to make my way around. I'd like to understand more about what's available in these kinds of environments -- it's a rapidly changing space, and there's no way to know what will happen. As with much in this conference, I'm pleased to listen, watch, and learn.

Futures of entertainment

Friday, 17 November 2006 05:23 PM

UPDATE: I rarely use the "extended entry" feature of my very old version of MovableType, so I didn't realize it was broken. The extended part of this post was out of reach because of the error, so I've pulled it into the main entry. Sorry for the bug.

Today and tomorrow I'm in Boston for the Futures of Entertainment conference at MIT. This conference is looking at "developments such as user-generated content, transmedia storytelling, the rise of mobile media and the emergence of social networking." (Find liveblogging by members of the Convergence Culture Consortium here.)

This is conference month for me: Last weekend I participated in PodCampPittsburgh, a two-day conference "for people who create, enjoy or are interested in learning more about the following: blogs, vlogs, audio podcasts, web video, content networks and new media monetization." In the end, the weekend was mostly about putting video and audio media on the web and trying to make money from it, but there was talk too about content in general and more.

There's so much to say about both these events, and about the trip in general. I'd like to take the time to put my thoughts together, but that would mean delay, and I'd rather get some things online quickly. So here's a rapid-fire list of unconnected thoughts.

1. It's tempting to compare this Futures of Entertainment conference with PodCamp: the topic areas overlap significantly, in that they both include online media. But they're really quite different. PodCamp was an UNconference, in that people could and did spontaneously generate sessions, where this conference is a series of panel discussions by big industry leaders like Flickr, DC Comics, CBSNews.com, and more. Last weekend was lots of how-to, this weekend is big thinking about what new media means, where it's all going, what we know and don't know.

Last weekend I spent the whole time meeting people and making connections. So far today I've spoken briefly to only one person, and have otherwise been listening and making notes. I feel nearly at cognitive overload, soaking stuff up and processing it, thinking how to apply it to projects I have on hand and will be starting in future. I'm still processing the stuff by last weekend, so partly I may be just cumulatively full for the moment.

Another unexpected difference: PodCampPittsburgh invited sponsors, and so despite even though the conference was free to attend, there was great free food throughout the event and lots of swag. Futures of Entertainment, also free to attend, has no corporate sponsors but some academic sponsorship, so we had a small (nice) continental breakfast this morning, some terrible MIT Catering coffee throughout the day, fend-for-yourself lunch, and a little wine and cheese event on campus tonight. I don't mind that there's no free lunch here, but I think some networking/discussion opportunity has been lost.

Then again, we're not being hit on the head with particular sponsor messages, which is nice. It's a different vibe. (I am tired of the Flickr and YouTube worship, incidentally.)

2. When I stepped out of the Government Center T station last night, walking to my hotel by Faneuil Hall, I felt a rush of joy at being back in Boston. This morning, taking the T to MIT, I was positively elated, smiling at strangers and skipping through puddles. All day I've felt that I'd like to move back here. I think that feeling will wear off, and what it really means is that I should visit here more often than only every eight years.

3. An area where the two conferences are alike: Mac users seem to outnumber Windows users. By a lot. I believe this is due to Macs having a combination of better online and media generation tools and greater cool factor.

4. At home in Butler, I frequently find myself explaining what blogs are and why they're neat. Here, everyone knows already. I am among my people. That's kind of nice, but then again I feel like I have more to offer the folks back home. Again, this probably means I need to take more trips and see what's out here, and take it home with me.

5. The MIT campus is prettier than it was in the 1980s. It's still kinda ugly though.

6. After PodCampPittsburgh, I felt it was urgent that I get moving and get into online media. Today, in the middle of this conference, I'm practically in a panic about it. I'm having trouble staying in my seat, so great is my desire to run back to the hotel and work. But then, the information here is so interesting and valuable I also can't leave, for fear of missing key pieces. This may also help explain why I'm not talking to anyone: I'm so tense I've temporarily lost my ability to socialize.

7. The Media Lab's open wi-fi is terrific. But having a constant connection to the web during a panel discussion is beyond distracting. I'm having to shut the computer so as not to miss things.

OK, must get back to listening. Will post more later.

My loves collide

Monday, 13 November 2006 08:44 PM

One of my favorite short story writers is Matthew Klamm. (See Sam the Cat and Other Stories.)

The one vlog I watch every day is by one of my all-time favorite people on the web, Ze Frank.

Sunday's New York Times Magazine includes an article by Matthew Klamm that features Ze Frank, along with other popular web video series like Ask a Ninja.

The article is sort of odd, but then it would have to be. You should still read it though.

City Theatre special event: "Stage Directions"

Monday, 13 November 2006 09:13 AM

Unique discussion TONIGHT (Monday 11/13) at City Theatre: "Stage Directions," a discussion by the Artistic Director Tracy Brigden and Artistic Associate Kellee Van Aken.

From the e-newsletter:

[They] will lead a talk about casting and directing plays that have never been done before. Free and open to the public, the discussion takes place at City Theatre on Monday, November 13 at 7 pm.

Designed for both theatre professionals and audiences who appreciate new work, topics include how an actor creates a character when there are no models for the role, ways to solve problems in a script when there are no proven right answers, and the challenges and rewards of totally inventing a play from scratch.

Man Is Man at the Sage Building

Friday, 10 November 2006 09:50 AM

Something to do tonight or tomorrow night (if you need a break from PodCampPittsburgh):

A new adaptation of "Man Is Man," the anti-war comedy by Bertolt Brecht, with live music, performed in an abandoned children's clothing store.

MAN IS MAN by Bertolt Brecht
November 8-11, 2006 at 8 pm
The Sage Building
1029 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219

Adapted and Directed by Kathleen Amshoff
Music by Chris Dimond and Michael Kooman
Sets: Gianni Downs
Costumes: Sasha Ludwig-Siegel
Lights: Samuel Zarn

Tickets are FREE and available at the CMU School of Drama box office or at the door. Call 412-268-2407 or visit the website.

BlogFest 8: The Ocho Wrapup

Friday, 10 November 2006 09:31 AM

BlogFest 8 was a small and very fun gathering. We must remember to take pictures at these things -- but even that wouldn't quite capture the sense of the evening.

More representative would be a short video of someone looking at their watch and saying, in some consternation, "It's 9 o'clock already?"

Lots of bloggers told us they found out about the event too late and so couldn't make it. So, Pittsburgh Bloggers is starting an opt-in email list for announcements of event such as this. I'll post info when that comes to pass, and you can also check pghbloggers.org for updates.

BlogFest 8 tonight!

Thursday, 09 November 2006 08:50 AM

Tonight tonight tonight! Will we see you there? Please say yes!

Details here.

Write vs. draw

Thursday, 09 November 2006 08:46 AM

Nearly a third of the way through November. How am I doing on the various NaSiUFToMuMo* projects?

I'm just over 6,000 words into the NaNoWriMo novel. This being the 9th day of the month I "should" have 15,000 by the end of today, so that 6K isn't as awesome as it might seem at first glance. Worse, I haven't written a single word since Sunday. Work has me totally swamped. (OK, I did take a break to see "The Departed" ... which was excellent and well worth the lost time.) Today I have a big chunk of unplanned time in the middle of the day, and I plan to spend it writing. Under ideal circumstances I can write 1000 words in an hour. My goal for today is 4000 words.

DrawMo, on the other hand, is going astonishingly well. It doesn't take as long to make a drawing -- at least, not at the quality level that I can manage -- and a notebook and pencils are easier to port around and use than even my lovely PowerBook. My drawing ability isn't necessarily improving, but I'm loosening up and being a little freer with what I do. Most importantly, I'm slowly getting over my fear of drawing -- of doing something quite badly. I'm not subject to that kind of fear in other areas of life, and I don't know why drawing and painting would be different. But at this rate, by the end of the month drawing and painting will be my friends.

You can follow my NaNoWriMo progress here, and see my DrawMo results here.

Oh, and you already know how NaDruWriNi went: awesomely well. But perhaps that was to be expected.

* NaSiUFToMuMo = National Sign Up For Too Much Month

Waiting for the controversy

Tuesday, 07 November 2006 08:50 PM

I wish I'd thought ahead and had some of these made to hand out today.

Here come the pod people

Monday, 06 November 2006 09:39 PM

This is a great week for geeks in Pittsburgh.

On Thursday evening we have Pittsburgh BlogFest 8 -- meaning the second anniversary of our little shindigs. Our blogging directory has grown from a few dozen blogs to around 500. Huzzah! It will be great fun, as always ... but it will be especially great fun if YOU are there.

WHAT: Pittsburgh BlogFest 8
WHEN: Thursday, November 9, 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM and beyond
WHERE: Finnegan's Wake (near PNC Park, 20 General Robinson St., North Shore, 412-325-2601), in the Pub Room
WHO: All bloggers and blog readers
AND: Creating Text(iles), Inner Bitch, Grabass, and My Brilliant Mistakes

As always, if you plan to attend, please RSVP by e-mailing blogfest AT closkey.com.

And then the very next night begins PodCampPittsburgh, wherein people who create video for the web explain to those of us who don't create video on the web how to do it, so that we too can join in the fun.

PodCamp is a FREE UN-CONFERENCE for people who create, enjoy or are interested in learning more about blogs, vlogs, audio podcasts, web video, content networks and new media monetization. Show up, meet people, make connections.

Friday, Nov 10, 2006: Evening Meet-n-Greet, 6-8 PM @ The Art Institute of Pittsburgh
Saturday, Nov 11, 2006: 9 AM - 5 PM @ Pittsburgh Filmmakers
Saturday Night Dinner: @ Bossa Nova (Time TBA)
Sunday, Nov 12, 2006: 9 AM - 5 PM @ Pittsburgh Filmmakers

Pittsburgh Filmmakers is located at 477 Melwood Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

More information and registration are available at the PodCampPittsburgh wiki.

I'll be hosting a panel discussion the morning of November 12, talking about using various media on the web, choosing video or audio or text or photos or drawings, how the content dictates or affects the choice, etc. Jump over to the PodCampPittsburgh wiki and find out more about all the terrific sessions.

Tiny bubbles

Saturday, 04 November 2006 10:14 PM

This is My Brilliant Mistakes post for NaDruWriNi. In direct violation of blog protocol, most recent updates are at the bottom -- because it's easier to read things top to bottom. But I'll summarize the most recent update here at the top, so you know whether to bother scrolling down.

Recently: Done

8:01pm: We begin

Drink: Death in the Afternoon

Status: Nimble-fingered

I have already violated the rules several times, just in the course of writing the intro to this post. That is, I have corrected several typos. But the thing is: Were they drunken typos or just standard-issue, ordinary typos? I make mistakes all the time while I type. Who's to say these were due to the two glasses of red wine I had with dinner? I considered them a base for the evening -- as noted earlier I don't expect or want to be sloshy drunk, but then again what fun is this even if one is all steady handed and even keel? So two glasses of wine before the real festivities begin ensures at least a little bit of the unexpected.

Incidentally, this is what a Death in the Afternoon looks like:

The recipe suggests a champagne flute, but I'm using one of my grandparents' champagne glasses. I believe that the bowl styloe of (NOTE: I left in a typo!) champagne glass is American, while the flute is European. Given the provenance of the drink, a flute is more appropriate. But the flutes I have are downstairs in a box, while these glasses are in the kitchen. Also, note that the stem of the glass is hollow, so the champagne gets to bubble up the narrow channel to the big bowl above. It looked really cool when I first poured in the champange. (It is really hard to type "champagne.") I will try to get a pic of that for the next drink.

In the meantime, I need to get writing. Wrote 2000 words for NaNoWriMo earlier today. Weekends are so super for making up for lost progress. I plan to write 1000 more words, and then I'll check in again.

What I'm noticing already is that I become much, much more verbose in my writing when I'm drinking. This bodes well for NaNoWriMo. But in the time that it toolk to write this post I drank my drink and now I have to make another. That does not bode well.

9:07pm: We are distinctly drunk
Drink: Death in the Afternoon #3
Status: Slurred, not stumbling
I finshed about 1000 more words for NaNoWriMo. The story is moving glacially. This is typical in the early stages, until panic or inspiration hit.

ABout the drink: If you don't like licorice, ploease avoid anything that incldues Pernod, Galliano, or Absente. (I am finding it really hard to not go back and correct those typos. Honectly I think I would make any of them other than "Honectly" whether drinking or not. Also, I'm aware that the lady doth protest too much.) Does the champagne add anything to the Pernod other than a little extra kick? No and yes. The fizz is nice. The winey taste of champagne plays counter to the astingent licorice of the Pernod. The first one wasn't great, the rest have tasted fine. Draw your own conclusion.

After the first writing segment of the evening, the second bit is drawing for DrawMo!. I have chosen to sketch in color a famous absinthe poster I have, fitting the current beverage and the current plot of the book. I love it when a plan comes togetehr.

9:57pm: Still drunk, glad there's no one on hand
Drink: Pernod on ice
Status: Muddling through

Today at the coffeshop -- every Saturday morning at the local coffeeshop, a bunch of people meet informally. It is quite bit more complicated than that, but it can't be xplained easily and explaining would frankly ruin it. But so. This morning at the coffeeshop I told the cabal that I'd recently remebered Joe Jackson, the pianist/musician, on account of having heard "Look Smart" at Mr. Small's while waiting to see Frank Black.

This started of a sries of jokes abut "are you dating [such and such person]." All talking about this same guy. There is apparently some fellow in Butler who's famous for liking Joe Jackson.

Small towns are very, very small.

But back to tnight. In addition to writing, I'm drawing. Hopefullyt in a connected way. Here's tonight's effort:

This is an absenthe poster I've blogged previously. Please search for more info on Leonetto Cappiello, the father of the modern advertising poster and my great hero. Also now Somehow Involved in a Manner That Will Be Revealed in my current novel.

I couldn't help but correct tfour typos in this post. :)

10:45pm: Stumbling level, fortunate not to have to get into a cab or car
Drink: Knob Creek on the rocks
Status: Bitterly determined to get another 1000 words

Hi there, fellow NaDruWriNi-ers! All five of us. There may be more who are having trouble posting their exploits. i confess that is has taken at least a minute to type this paragraph.

I just made and ate a bowl of angel hair pasta with EVOO -- by the way, I am not a fan of Rachel Ray but EVOO is an excellent abbreviation -- and Parmesan cheese, by way of laying in an unstable second foudation for the rest of the evening. Good heavens, it's not even 11pm.

It occurs to me that potential clients will come across this entry and wonder whether they should trust their website projects with me. To there people I say: You should. I have references. This here is all hype to show how I'm in tune with the social media. I would put a smiley face here if it weren't so goofy looking.

11:25pm: Done
Drink: Knob Creek on the rocks (same drink as above)
Status: Boringly introspective
My last two attempts at a post were eaten by the Internet gods, and I view this as a blessing. I am toasted on both sidees. I wish the best to anyone still standing. Also, I promise to make up the missing 1000 words tomorrow.

Kisses,
Cindy

NaSiUFToMuMo

Friday, 03 November 2006 09:38 AM

It's the third day of NaNoWriMo: I wrote 1,037 words the first day (well under the 1,667 words/day target), and none yesterday. So that project is well behind.

It's also the third day of DrawMo! I sketched a red onion the first day. It came out much more squished-looking than the round and firm original. Yesterday started sketching a salt shaker but my fajita arrived before I could finish. Later at night I sketched my cellphone, which is recognizable as a cellphone but not necessarily mine.

So these do-an-impossible-amount-of-work-in-a-month projects are not off to the best starts. On Saturday I will get to make up for it...and not just because i'll have more time to get in several thousand words of novelling and to try erasing as part of the sketching process (innovation!).

Saturday night is NaDruWriNi -- National Drunken Writing Night.

If you are unfamiliar with the rules, here are the top two:

1. The goal is to drink while you write and write while you’re drunk. Drink as much as you want, write as much as you want, but be responsible, and don’t blame me if you write/do anything stupid.
2. NaDruWriNi is not just for bloggers. Use this as a writing exercise to free yourself of inhibitions. Write in a Moleskine. Write in a spiral notebook. Write on a bar napkin if you must. Just write.

I have enough going on in my life that I can't afford to get sloppy drunk even on a weekend night. But I have noticed that any amount of drinking while writing fiction coats the writing with a slippiness that's amusing. So it can be helpful in the early stages of a novel, when the concept is starting to fill in and the characters take form.

As always, I plan to post periodically here through the evening, so you can track the progressing slippiness and laugh at the typos.

Incidentally, I'm not worried about my progress on either NaNoWriMo or DrawMo. After last year's novel writing, I know that I can pull the whole thing together in the final two weeks of the event, if need be. I'd like not to fall so far behind again this year, but it's reassuring to realize that I have backup resources.

And I have undertaken DrawMo not to make great drawings, or even to improve my drawing ability, but to see what happens. After a few weeks of sketching daily will I start to notice different things about the world around me? Will my creativity change? Will I suddenly become the doodler I have never been? It's all up for grabs, and it's all good.

Also: NaSiUFToMuMo = National Sign Up For Too Much Month

UPDATE: I had thought I would drink bourbon during NaDruWriNi, as I typically do. And probably there will be a little liquid maize at some point in the evening. But in my web stats I see that someone came to this blog by searching for Death in the Afternoon drink -- which this blog was able to answer nicely. And I think that's exactly what I should drink during tomorrow night's festivities -- especially with the Hemingway angle. An exotic cocktail will surely suit the evening.

Copyright © 2004 – 2007 Cynthia Closkey