Dec 26, 2003 4:03:08 PM

I've been doing my research on the 2004 Seattle Erotic Art Festival. I've figured out all three groups that are involved - the Seattle Sex-Positive Community Center (a.k.a. "the Wet Spot"), BurningHearts Burlesque, and "Viva Wylde" (who are curating the Sex on Screen element of the festival). Crazily enough Kathyn of Viva Wylde is someone I used to work with back in my pre-dot com ("the bad old") days. Glad to see she's doing something closer to her heart these days. Anyway, I've actually managed to do interviews with the women who run all three groups - how funny that a big event on sex is being pretty exclusively run by chicks! And ConWorks is apparently only providing the venue. I'm still working on polishing my story (which ends with a big "anti-censorship" screed), but for now I'm going to stick up the calendar for the performance stuff since I got it. (See "link"/"more" for schedule.)

Oh, and tonight we figured out my burlesque stage name: Rhoda Mann.
[more]

Posted by webcowgirl @ Dec 26, 2003 4:03:08 PM [Link]

Dec 23, 2003 8:24:12 PM

I'm excited that I have discovered my annual movie viewing averages out to a flick a week. I'm at 50 right now, and I only need to watch two more to hit 52 right on the mark. I've got the next two days off work, and I'm scheduled to see Return of the King next Tuesday, so I should be able to make it!

Afterwards I'll probably do a review of the best movies of 2003, although of course I'm supposed to see Cold Mountain, Master and Commander, and Mystic River in order to speak authoritatively about the good films of the year. I feel very safe about skipping Samurai, though. My current inclination is Lost in Translation and American Splendor were the best movies of 2003. It's sad that both of the Matrix movies were such disappointments. I'd give a dishonor out for these films if it were possible. Wait, did I just do it? I should add that the best movie I saw all year was actually Night of the Hunter, which was not, of course, new.
[more]

Posted by webcowgirl @ Dec 23, 2003 8:24:12 PM [Link]

Dec 11, 2003 11:22:42 PM

I heard Estrella Morente singing "La Noche" (the Night) on KEXP again tonight. I have got to remember to buy her CD. I guess it's called "Mi Cante Y Un Poema" (My Songs And A Poem), but for some reason I had got it in my head that the album is called "Dos Canciones Y Una Poema," which is probably why I couldn't find it. It should be pretty darn easy to find now, and easily available because it's on Real World.

[more]

Posted by webcowgirl @ Dec 11, 2003 11:22:42 PM [Link]

Dec 7, 2003 8:02:18 PM

When I was writing my study guide for Slaughterhouse Five, I had to do a bunch of research on World War II to understand what specific events were being referred to (somewhat indirectly) in the novel. What surprised me was that in all of the University of Washington library, I could only find about 5 references to the bombing of Dresden, and in fact the whole firebombing of Germany seemed to have been kind of swept into the dustbin of history. Based on the numbers of civilian dead quoted in Vonnegut's novel, I was really surprised that there was so little written about it. I was especially very curious to see if his descriptions were accurate, that the people had really been burnt so badly by the firestorms that they had been turned into little logs. I felt it was really important to understand if he was exaggerating, but I could find almost no proof that the scenes of hell he described accurately represented what had happened and weren't just works of authorial fantasy. There was almost no pictorial documentation of what had happened whatsoever.

However, a few days ago I read about a new book in the New York Times that appears to fill in this gap pretty substantially. It's called "Brandstätten" ("Places of Fire"), and it's by Jörg Friedrich. The reviewer seemed to find the book lacking in context, but he did fill me in on the reasons for the lack of images on the German side ... they were censored out by the Nazi propaganda ministry. Actually, the reviewer questioned whether or not that assertion was true, but I do think that there is very little coverage about what happened to Germany and this book helps fill in the gaps (although I haven't actually seen a copy of the book). I've attached the review to this entry so I can read it later at my leisure.

Update (1/13/04): I'm getting so many hits on this article that I'm uploading the photos I had saved on my hard drive that initially accompanied the story. Also, please do not link to these photos - copy them and host them on your own server.
[more]

Posted by webcowgirl @ Dec 7, 2003 8:02:18 PM [Link]

Dec 5, 2003 2:16:58 PM

Now that I'm working in Factoria I'm finding the urge to expand my culinary horizons. It looks like the nearby Teriyaki joints are numerous, but which are good? And what about the Thai and Indian options? I've already found the crappiest Mexican food joint on Planet Seattle (in the QFC parking lot across from Factoria mall, whatever its cursed name might be). Now I need to start doing reviews so other people can benefit from my mistakes.
[more]

Posted by webcowgirl @ Dec 5, 2003 2:16:58 PM [Link]

Dec 5, 2003 12:10:28 AM

My fortune, per Estrella at Marsh's Museum in Long Beach:
Laugh when you feel that way - it keeps the doctor away. It is not always the thing you laugh at - the effect pleases others.

We had a very Star Trek moment yesterday at work - like when they are trying to explain the fabulous technology that allows us to travel faster than the speed of light, or when Scottie is warning that the engine is about to die. To whit, my department supervisor said, "The HTX parser had a new unary operator established." I mean, reading that sentence, can you tell if that means something good or something bad has happened? I'm just glad I wasn't sitting at that meeting wearing a red shirt.


[more]

Posted by webcowgirl @ Dec 5, 2003 12:10:28 AM [Link]

Dec 2, 2003 4:00:54 PM

The other poem I think of this time of the year, when the weather is such shit (4 PM: is it really almost black outside? will I really never see the sun today?), the first poem being "Rage, rage against the dying of the light:"

Winter is icummen in,
Lhude sing Goddamm,
Raineth drop and staineth slop,
And how the wind doth ram!
Sing: Goddamm.

Skiddeth bus and sloppeth us,
An ague hath my ham.
Freezeth river, turneth liver,
Damn you, sing: Goddamm.

Goddamm, Goddamm, 'tis why I am, Goddamm.
So 'gainst the winter's balm.
Sing goddamm, damm, sing goddamm,
Sing goddamm, sing goddamm, DAMM.
[more]

Posted by webcowgirl @ Dec 2, 2003 4:00:54 PM [Link]

Dec 1, 2003 3:52:06 PM

I'm still turning over the idea of making Harry Nilsson's "The Point" into a play. I found I'm not alone in this idea: someone did it for the Minnesota Fringe Festival this year as well as for the Boston Rock Opera. This leaves me still in the dark as to whether there was an officially sanctioned play/musical/book for this show. I think I still have something to contribute to the ever-evolving tale of Oblio, however: something non-campy (the costumes for both of these shows are a horror) and fairy-tale like.

I also found another article about dating in the New York Times I thought was worthy to save for posterity. It's attached.
[more]

Posted by webcowgirl @ Dec 1, 2003 3:52:06 PM [Link]