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Spooky says,
kylecassidy has tweeted "Rhode Island. It's not an island. Not even close. I have discovered this." He is a wise man. Oh, and he also just tweeted, "They really should change the name of that to A-Squid-Neck Island*. In honor of Lovecraft. Obviously. Fo shizzle." I think he's high.
Today, Hubero's name is Bill Murray. Just until midnight. This began when Spooky posted the following to Facebook: It's that kind of morning... discussing how funny it would be to change Hubero's name to Bill Murray. "Get down off that counter Bill Murary!" "Dust bunnies will kill you, Bill Murray!" Yeah, that one was for the Jim Jarmusch aficionados. Shit. Hold on. Bill Murray is eating coffee grounds out of the garbage.
Um...back now.
Yesterday, I worked. On, you know, The Secret.
And then I went to the Apple Store and bought an iPad. Yes, this may well mean the end of Western Civilization, and I am ashamed to the core of my being, and I apologize. But I'm going to need it for work soon, and it's tax deductible. Now, time was, writers didn't need Star Trek gadgetry to...write. They needed fingers and ink and paper and a quill. Later shit got fancy with pens and typewriters. Luxuries? Those were whiskey and cigarettes. This was the life of the writer, and they roamed the plains in vast and wordy herds. But now, writers must have gadgets. Yes, they must! Or the other writers make fun of them. Gonna have to get an iPhone soon, too...but that's gonna wait a few more months. Meanwhile, I will endure the peer pressure and limp along with my sad little 2009 cellphone. Anyway, yes. An iPad. And man, you wanna know how Sirenia Digest was meant to be seen? Look at #70 on an iPad. I had no bloody idea! Anyway, lest anyone gets too worried, no. I WILL NOT READ EBOOKS ON MY iPAD. Except magazines and newspapers and comics, because that's different. Why? Because I say so. Also, my basement is filled with cardboard boxes of National Geographic that a) weigh a ton, b) will never again be opened in my lifetime, and c) I can't bear to throw out.
My iPad's name is Kermit. First time I have ever given a computer a male name.
My thanks to Josh Cruz (
subtlesttrap) for sending me the new Ladytron album, Gravity the Seducer. And to Melissa, for reminding me that I've fallen in love with St. Vincent. Sometimes, I forget my nouveaux amoureux (and that I don't actually speak French).
Anything else? Bill Murray, you are not helping.
Oh! I know. Since when did publishing start thinking that anyone who has a blog, seems to be able to read, and can write halfway coherent sentences qualifies as an actual "book reviewer"? You know, those people who write "book reviews." Once, we had real book reviewers, who wrote actual book reviews for newspapers and magazines. In fact, we still do. Not as many as we used to, and, sure, few of the reviewers can match the Golden Days of Reviewers, the likes of Dorothy Parker's "Constant Reader" in the pages of The Atlantic. But, every goofball with a WordPress or TypePad account? Really? Fine, call me arrogant. I don't care. Call me meritocratic. I can live with that just fine. I can't live with BookVoreLady's "review" of The Red Tree being quoted by my publisher (I made up "BookVoreLady," but you get the idea), and I diligently have those "reviews" removed when they turn up in the opening, promotional pages of my books. Maybe this is the wave of the future, an age when merely being able to read and write automatically grants one the status of being a bona-fide book reviewer. But I don't have to like it or go along with it. Reviews have always been a questionable affair, but at least when the reviewer has a name and a face and you know their educational and professional pedigree, intelligent decisions based upon their opinions can be made. I may disagree vociferously with reviewers, but I do at least tend to respect the opinions of the learn'd and experienced.**
But what do I know? I bought an iPad and named it Kermit.
So, without further ado, eight more "making of" photos (chosen at random!) from the past weekend's shoot for The Drowning Girl: A Memoir book trailer. These were taken by Ryan Anas, who was Kyle's PA for those three days. Ryan rocks the casbah, by the way. I'm not labeling any of these photos. You can all make a grand parlour game of guessing their provenance. Or not. Your call. Speaking of calls, Ryan took these with his phone, which sort of looked like an elephant had stepped on it, so he gets extra points for moxie. And speaking of moxie...
Hey! Bill Murray! Get away from the microwave! (This is why we can't have nice things.)








All photographs Copyright © 2011 by Ryan Anas
*Aquidneck Island
** No, this is not–most emphatically not–any sort of condemnation of those of us (as I am included) who write about books, perhaps in great detail, in our blogs or what have you. But I've never yet written anything in my blog I'd dare have the hubris to call an actual review. The world, I think, needs a hubris extractor.
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Today, Hubero's name is Bill Murray. Just until midnight. This began when Spooky posted the following to Facebook: It's that kind of morning... discussing how funny it would be to change Hubero's name to Bill Murray. "Get down off that counter Bill Murary!" "Dust bunnies will kill you, Bill Murray!" Yeah, that one was for the Jim Jarmusch aficionados. Shit. Hold on. Bill Murray is eating coffee grounds out of the garbage.
Um...back now.
Yesterday, I worked. On, you know, The Secret.
And then I went to the Apple Store and bought an iPad. Yes, this may well mean the end of Western Civilization, and I am ashamed to the core of my being, and I apologize. But I'm going to need it for work soon, and it's tax deductible. Now, time was, writers didn't need Star Trek gadgetry to...write. They needed fingers and ink and paper and a quill. Later shit got fancy with pens and typewriters. Luxuries? Those were whiskey and cigarettes. This was the life of the writer, and they roamed the plains in vast and wordy herds. But now, writers must have gadgets. Yes, they must! Or the other writers make fun of them. Gonna have to get an iPhone soon, too...but that's gonna wait a few more months. Meanwhile, I will endure the peer pressure and limp along with my sad little 2009 cellphone. Anyway, yes. An iPad. And man, you wanna know how Sirenia Digest was meant to be seen? Look at #70 on an iPad. I had no bloody idea! Anyway, lest anyone gets too worried, no. I WILL NOT READ EBOOKS ON MY iPAD. Except magazines and newspapers and comics, because that's different. Why? Because I say so. Also, my basement is filled with cardboard boxes of National Geographic that a) weigh a ton, b) will never again be opened in my lifetime, and c) I can't bear to throw out.
My iPad's name is Kermit. First time I have ever given a computer a male name.
My thanks to Josh Cruz (
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
Anything else? Bill Murray, you are not helping.
Oh! I know. Since when did publishing start thinking that anyone who has a blog, seems to be able to read, and can write halfway coherent sentences qualifies as an actual "book reviewer"? You know, those people who write "book reviews." Once, we had real book reviewers, who wrote actual book reviews for newspapers and magazines. In fact, we still do. Not as many as we used to, and, sure, few of the reviewers can match the Golden Days of Reviewers, the likes of Dorothy Parker's "Constant Reader" in the pages of The Atlantic. But, every goofball with a WordPress or TypePad account? Really? Fine, call me arrogant. I don't care. Call me meritocratic. I can live with that just fine. I can't live with BookVoreLady's "review" of The Red Tree being quoted by my publisher (I made up "BookVoreLady," but you get the idea), and I diligently have those "reviews" removed when they turn up in the opening, promotional pages of my books. Maybe this is the wave of the future, an age when merely being able to read and write automatically grants one the status of being a bona-fide book reviewer. But I don't have to like it or go along with it. Reviews have always been a questionable affair, but at least when the reviewer has a name and a face and you know their educational and professional pedigree, intelligent decisions based upon their opinions can be made. I may disagree vociferously with reviewers, but I do at least tend to respect the opinions of the learn'd and experienced.**
But what do I know? I bought an iPad and named it Kermit.
So, without further ado, eight more "making of" photos (chosen at random!) from the past weekend's shoot for The Drowning Girl: A Memoir book trailer. These were taken by Ryan Anas, who was Kyle's PA for those three days. Ryan rocks the casbah, by the way. I'm not labeling any of these photos. You can all make a grand parlour game of guessing their provenance. Or not. Your call. Speaking of calls, Ryan took these with his phone, which sort of looked like an elephant had stepped on it, so he gets extra points for moxie. And speaking of moxie...
Hey! Bill Murray! Get away from the microwave! (This is why we can't have nice things.)








All photographs Copyright © 2011 by Ryan Anas
*Aquidneck Island
** No, this is not–most emphatically not–any sort of condemnation of those of us (as I am included) who write about books, perhaps in great detail, in our blogs or what have you. But I've never yet written anything in my blog I'd dare have the hubris to call an actual review. The world, I think, needs a hubris extractor.
no subject
Date: 2011-10-20 06:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-20 06:11 pm (UTC)Is that a real card catalog? Other than the ones at the Folger, I haven't seen one of those in YEARS!
Yes. The Providence Athenaeum still has a functioning card catalog. Sadly, everything after (I think) 1999 is on computer.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
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From:no subject
Date: 2011-10-20 06:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-20 06:11 pm (UTC)I loved that card catalog. If I could get the brass hardware, I'd build one for myself.
It's almost like pornography, that card catalog.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2011-10-20 06:10 pm (UTC)Why Kermit?
no subject
Date: 2011-10-20 06:12 pm (UTC)Why Kermit?
It has a green cover thingy.
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2011-10-20 06:11 pm (UTC)I highly recommend looking at marwar hard plastic backing for ipad 2 (http://www.marware.com/ipad-cases-and-covers/ipad-2-cases/microshell-ipad-2-case) or ipad 1 (http://www.marware.com/ipad-cases-and-covers/ipad-1-cases/microshell-ipad-case).
It's a godsend for the iPad 2 and works with the "smart covers".
no subject
Date: 2011-10-20 06:12 pm (UTC)Thank you! I'll have a look.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2011-10-20 06:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-20 06:13 pm (UTC)it's a device that found its application after time for me, but now i think it's indispensable.
That's how these insidious devices work. They suck us in with the shiny, then make us think we can't live without them.
no subject
Date: 2011-10-20 06:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-20 06:20 pm (UTC)Well, I had an eloquent and passionate comment about online reviewers and their current worthlessness, but LJ ate it. And so it goes.
That fucking sucks, and I blame Bill Murray.
All I can tell you to do is ask Jeff VanderMeer, the next time you see him, about the "reviewer" who was plagiarizing book reviews from other reviewers in order to keep getting free books coming her way.
Um...I'm not even surprised.
no subject
Date: 2011-10-20 06:38 pm (UTC)I just got a new mobile phone after 2 years. The touch screen is weird to get used to. But it has a slide out keyboard as well.
no subject
Date: 2011-10-20 06:40 pm (UTC)Does your secret have to do with SG?
No.
no subject
Date: 2011-10-20 06:48 pm (UTC)..because he is sexually amphibious? (aside from being green)
loved the squid action picture... something about tentacles..
no subject
Date: 2011-10-20 06:50 pm (UTC)..because he is sexually amphibious?
No. Because it's not easy being green.
loved the squid action picture... something about tentacles..
Yeah, somehow I missed that whole octopus rape thing. Imagine my disappointment.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
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From:no subject
Date: 2011-10-20 07:33 pm (UTC)In seriousness, though, what about the iPad is tipping you over into using these newfangled fangles? Is this just more accessibility due to your eyesight or portability? Or is this related to the multiple special projects which remain behind the curtain of NDA?
no subject
Date: 2011-10-20 07:47 pm (UTC)Oh dear, October 20, 2011 - the Day Bill Murray puked on the living room carpet and Caitlin was replaced by a iClone.
You make it sound so sordid.
Is this just more accessibility due to your eyesight or portability? Or is this related to the multiple special projects which remain behind the curtain of NDA?
I can reply with a blanket "yes."
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2011-10-20 07:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-10-20 07:48 pm (UTC)Oh, and the Brian Eno app for music is fantastic.
This is starting to hurt.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:Oh, and...
From:no subject
Date: 2011-10-20 08:12 pm (UTC)There's a youtube demo of it here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmi2OyuMKrg) which shows it off.
(no subject)
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From:a paraphrase from the underside of my brain ...
Date: 2011-10-20 08:10 pm (UTC)"Technology is at the top of the food chain!"
this smells like Thomas Pynchon but
could marshall McCluan (sic?)
Re: a paraphrase from the underside of my brain ...
Date: 2011-10-20 09:22 pm (UTC)Hmmm. Never heard that one. Tried googling it, but came up cold. Google fu! You fail me now?!
De Nada
Date: 2011-10-20 08:50 pm (UTC)You are most welcome. I hope you are blasting it. There isn't a bad track on the LP. "Mirage," "Moon Palace," "Altitude Blues," & "White Gold" are my faves. The album has this dark, icy mysticism, but also sounds more open and airy than any of their other work.
Re: De Nada
Date: 2011-10-20 09:23 pm (UTC)I hope you are blasting it.
Not now. But I blasted it all morning.
The album has this dark, icy mysticism, but also sounds more open and airy than any of their other work.
I keep thinking of David Lynch and Julee Cruise doing jpop.
Re: De Nada
From:Re: De Nada
From:no subject
Date: 2011-10-20 11:37 pm (UTC)I'm in the throes of grading undergraduate essays, and only half flippantly suggest that those possessing the mere ability to read and write belong to an increasingly elite group.