This how I’m spending the 4 hours in O’hare, waiting for my flight to
Moline: Sam Adams, buffalo wings, and el chips.
Not nostalgic for film anymore.
I’m heading out for Iowa tomorrow, and decided to develop the last of the photos I took from when my friend Stephanie was pregnant (now several years ago). I had shot in black and white, and have everything I need to develop the film.
I was feeling nostalgic as I pulled out the chemicals, the tank, and the measuring cup. I loved that I still knew the steps by heart. I even went so far as to develop the two rolls I had just like every other roll I’ve ever developed – listening to Weezer.
When you’re developing film, you don’t get to see how the film turned out until it’s been in the fixer for a bit – so you know it won’t degrade. This step comes after about 20 minutes of sloshing chemical around.
When I opened up the tank, I found that the rolls were blank. I think my chemicals had gone bad. They looked all right when I inspected them before using them.
Beautiful photographs of a photogenic and glowingly pregnant friend – gone. My heart hurts.
Poker night
This weekend, my friend Amber came to visit from Davenport. Among other things, she’s incredibly intelligent, perky as hell, easy to please, and cute to boot. We’re very similar.
Amber is a sign language interpreter. For the past year or so, I’ve been teaching myself signs, and using her as my mentor. We’ve gone so far as to post videos on Youtube so she can critique me.
This weekend was fantastic for a buncha buncha reasons, including tromping around Boston and a quick trip into NYC. I don’t think we stopped talking the entire time (and I think Jason will attest to that). When we weren’t talking, we were signing. By the end of the weekend, we were having conversations using sign, which is incredibly satisfying to me.
One of the things Amber showed me was a Youtube video of someone interpreting a song. As you can imagine, someone deaf wouldn’t be able to hear the words, the tune, the beat, the pattern of chorus, verse, chorus, verse, etc.
I’ve watched this particular video a dozen times now. I’m impressed with the genre expression, the use of multiple backgrounds/costumes to indicate different parts of the song, and the type of signing I think Marilyn Manson would appreciate. (Note the word ‘No’ gets nibbled at a bit.) One cool thing about ASL is when you’re talking about someone saying something to you, you present the sign to yourself. So, in the song, when the crowd shouts ‘No!’ or ‘Yes!’, the guy signs it to himself, if that makes sense. Its these little details that helps really interpret the song. It’s this fantastic combination of performance, and the better you do it, the more homage you give to the original.
Without further ado, may I graciously present Marilyn Manson’s This Is the New Shit.
To be honest, I like this better than the original. I don’t know if that’s because I’m so interested in ASL, or if it’s just that good. Somewhere in the middle, prolly.
Weekend wrap-up
This weekend, my friend Amber came to visit from Davenport. Among other things, she’s incredibly intelligent, perky as hell, easy to please, and cute to boot. We’re very similar.
Amber is a sign language interpreter. For the past year or so, I’ve been teaching myself signs, and using her as my mentor. We’ve gone so far as to post videos on Youtube so she can critique me.
This weekend was fantastic for a buncha buncha reasons, including tromping around Boston and a quick trip into NYC. I don’t think we stopped talking the entire time (and I think Jason will attest to that). When we weren’t talking, we were signing. By the end of the weekend, we were having conversations using sign, which is incredibly satisfying to me.
One of the things Amber showed me was a Youtube video of someone interpreting a song. As you can imagine, someone deaf wouldn’t be able to hear the words, the tune, the beat, the pattern of chorus, verse, chorus, verse, etc.
I’ve watched this particular video a dozen times now. I’m impressed with the genre expression, the use of multiple backgrounds/costumes to indicate different parts of the song, and the type of signing I think Marilyn Manson would appreciate. (Note the word ‘No’ gets nibbled at a bit.) One cool thing about ASL is when you’re talking about someone saying something to you, you present the sign to yourself. So, in the song, when the crowd shouts ‘No!’ or ‘Yes!’, the guy signs it to himself, if that makes sense. Its these little details that helps really interpret the song. It’s this fantastic combination of performance, and the better you do it, the more homage you give to the original.
Without further ado, may I graciously present Marilyn Manson’s This Is the New Shit.
To be honest, I like this better than the original. I don’t know if that’s because I’m so interested in ASL, or if it’s just that good. Somewhere in the middle, prolly.
Fun with markers
Jason’s blissing out eating a pastrami sammich at Katz Deli in NY.
At Phantom of the Opera.
This is a nonfiction book about Iowans. This copy was in the 1/2 price
review copies section.
Amber colored me in.
Adventures at The Strand
Jason’s blissing out eating a pastrami sammich at Katz Deli in NY.
At Phantom of the Opera.
This is a nonfiction book about Iowans. This copy was in the 1/2 price
review copies section.
At Phantom
Jason’s blissing out eating a pastrami sammich at Katz Deli in NY.
At Phantom of the Opera.
Happy Jason
Jason’s blissing out eating a pastrami sammich at Katz Deli in NY.
Who’s hung over?
Stella has this annoying habit of getting overly excited when someone
is going to visit, and drinks too much the night before – presumably
to calm down, but then is kind of a wreck when the traveler arrives.
Amber is coming from Davenport to hang out for the weekend. She’s an
ASL interpreter, which may explain Stella’s excitement.
Wonderland
Would you believe this is called Wonderland? It’s just up the blue
line from where I live.