Stick Another Yellow Ribbon on Your SUV!

Joanna sent this my way today and it made me smile. Thought I would share.

Ballard Street Makes Me Happy

Ive always had a serious Ballard Street problem. Andre's at a loss. Hopefully someone else out there finds it all as amusing as I do.

Fluish

Around all the little ones this weekend and caught a bug. Bleck! Sore throat, 101 temp and overall acheyness. Flu? Sounds like it to me.

Luckily our five hour drive back today was sunny and pleasantly uneventful. Even took a little detour through Newton Grove to avoid the direct sunlight in our eyes. Sort of looked like Iowa for a bit.

Now we're home and happily settling in for the night. Got my lesson plan written up for both classes tomorrow and now, off to bed.

Almost Thanksgiving!

Its almost Thanksgiving! God the year has flown by. We're leaving for Virginia tomorrow morning to spend the holiday with my Grandmother and all my aunts, uncles and cousins on my mom's side of the family.

Thought I would take a quick minute to write out a few things Im thankful for this year:

*That Im married to Andre.
*That Im working at UNCW.
*That my students are so friggin' enthusiastic and cool.
*That the FST faculty is filled with good-natured, talented and dedicated professors who love their jobs.
*That my mother's foot is finally healing after she broke it in September.
*That my baby sister is having such a great time being a newlywed.
*That Im visiting my middle sister twice a year now (after not having seen her for 16 years!).
*That Ive met so many great people through Women's Studies - yeah Susan and Donna!
*That Cucalorus is in Wilmington and happens every year.
*That Im living in the south and not experiencing below zero temps this winter.
*That we're going to Austin for Christmas!
*That Michelle has promised to give us surfing lessons next summer.
*That my MKA film is finally happening.

Im sure there is much more and I will have to add to the list as the week goes on...but for now...think about what you're thankful for and if you have time, leave it in my comments section.

Slim Goodbody

This guy use to be on PBS or something. He creeped me out. Thought I'd share.

Just in Case You Ever Wondered...

Ken was introduced to Barbie in 1961 and get this...he has a last name: Carson.

Ken Carson. Who knew?

Withdrawal Symptoms

Definition: Physical and mental effects resulting from withdrawal of addictive substances by patients who have become habituated or addicted to them.



Yes, its true, Cucalorus wrapped last night and already I'm feeling the withdrawal symptoms kicking in. Especially that sad little pit that grows larger when I take a deep breath and reflect on the fact that it will be an entire 12 months until the town is so filled again with film, filmmakers, film enthusiasts and rowdy film anarchist. Definately three days that made me so very happy to have moved to Wilmington, NC. Thank you Cucalorus!

So for those of you who care for a list of my favorite films from the fest, I'll post below. Keep in mind that I saw about 3-4 blocks a day (sometime feature, mostly shorts), but there were at least five blocks a day that I missed but wanted to see. So, I'll give you a list of favorites from the shows I did get to and hope you'll comment with anything I missed but should catch at other fests or should check out from Cucalorus' library (access with membership baby!).

1) Angelmakers

Director: Astrid Bussink

The Angelmakers is an observational portrait of the sleepy village of Nagyrev in rural Hungary. The forgotten story of the women who killed their husbands. An intriguing web of stories unfolds though the characters’ memories which recapture old but ever-lasting tales of life, death and the struggle between the sexes.

2) Escape Velocity

Director: Scott Ligon
www.ligon-art.com

Digital Artist Scott Ligon has recently completed his first animated short film, “Escape Velocity”. The film explores the connection between A.D.D. and creativity using his own life in self-deprecating, humorous examples. Scott forms a stream of consciousness, multi-layered narrative that attempts to emulate the day to day A.D.D. experience.

3) Old Joy

Director: Kelly Reichardt
www.kino.com/oldjoy/

OLD JOY is the story of two old friends, Kurt (Will Oldham) and Mark (Daniel London), who reunite for a weekend camping trip in the Cascade mountain range east of Portland, Oregon. For Mark, the weekend outing offers a respite from the pressure of his imminent fatherhood; for Kurt, it is part of a long series of carefree adventures. As the hours progress and the landscape evolves, the twin seekers move through a range of subtle emotions, enacting a pilgrimage of mutual confusion, sudden insight, and spiritual battle. When they arrive at their final destination, a hot spring in an old growth forest, they must either confront the divergent paths they have taken, or somehow transcend their growing tensions.

4) The Abortion Diaries

Director: Penny Lane
www/theabortiondiaries.com

The Abortion Diaries is a new documentary by Penny Lane featuring 12 women who speak candidly about their experiences with abortion. The women are doctors, subway workers, artists, activists, military personnel, teachers and students; they are Black, Latina, Jewish and White; they are mothers or child-free; they range in age from 19 to 54. Their stories weave together with the diary entries of the filmmaker’s to present a compelling, moving and at times surprisingly funny “dinner party” where the audience is invited to hear what woman say behind closed doors about motherhood, medical technology, sex, spirituality, love work and their own bodies.


5) Tim's Island

Director: Laszlo Fulop & Wickes Helmboldt

On August 29, 2005 the worst natural disaster in US History hit the Gulf Coast region. Sixteen people, seven dogs and eight cats took shelter in an old dairy in Mid-City, New Orleans. When the Force of Hurricane Katrina breached the levees, they found themselves surrounded by eight feet of water. Soon they had to escape the flooded city. This cinema verite-style documentary is a wry sociological study of group behavior as the members of the group cope with survival.

6) Cold

Director: Norwood Cheek

A man wants to find some clothing and to find the warmth that he has lost. His wish quickly comes true, answered from the heavens above. This one-shot, one-take film shot on one 50 foot cartridge of ektachrome super 8 film in Singapore, March 2006.

7) The Drill

Director: Joel Davenport

During a 1950's nuclear bomb drill, 3 grade school boys learn to come to terms with the era in which they live.

********Also, didn't get into three screenings on my planned list (by the time we got to the venue the house was at full capacity and we were turned away!), but I have seen three films that played in those blocks that I would highly recommend catching when you can***************

1) The Girls of Elizabeth Street

Director: Tad Davis

A ten-year-old-boy deals with the changing feelings in his life when it comes to the opposite sex. An autobiographical account f coming of age in the 1970’s.

2) Her Heart is Washed in Water and then Weighed

Director: Sasha Waters

When you die, everything you know disappears. A love letter to the abject beauty of human frailty with bubbles and a story about roast chicken.

3) Ringo

Director: Dave Monahan

Lawman saves Outlaw, Lawman loses Outlaw, Lawman becomes Outlaw. A rapid-fire found-footage saga of male bonding with a vengeance.

The Time They Are A Changin'

Then - Scary Man "Grrrrr..."




Now - Happy Film Festival "Prrrr..."

The Bones Brigade is still cool, right?

Went to Cucalorus tonight and saw a pre-screening of Catching the Lotus a doc that looks at the evolution of American surfers. Was glad to see that Stacy Peralta was included and that there was mention of the skateboard scene that branched out of the surfing in Venice Beach. My 9th grade boyfriend had the Tony Hawk board you see above. He also had a 1/4 pipe in his back yard where I tried my best to learn to skate, but with no luck. I spent more time bleeding than actually skating, but it didn't matter. My boyfriend was actually quite good and I liked the skateboading competitions where we would watch Tony Hawk and Lance Mountain in action. I'll always be a Powell & Peralta girl at heart.