Happy Halloweenie

Haunted Basement

Tonight I'm going here and I'm scared. It's at the Soap Factory, a cool gallery, and yeah. Last year I went to a haunted mansion/maze/cornfield/crazy and made a fool of myself. Granted it was in the middle of nowhere and who knows who are behind those masks (I mean, yeah, they're not really monsters, but I don't want some creeper country bumpkin, nor anyone for that matter, touching me.) Last year I was literally running away from d. bags in flannel and masks, and flailing enough to hit and grope my close relative inappropriately. It all comes back to the time when I was about 11, 12 or so, and had to go through the Bonne Bell-sponsored Haunted Highschool that the older kids at BHS put on. A big, black gorilla came barelling on all fours up to my friend Ashley and I and I screamed and kicked him in the face. Pretty high-strung for a 12 year-old but hey, what can you do. I also do NOT like men dressed up as Santa Claus nor Easter Bunnies. For tonight, I plan on being a bit altered when I go, just so the ghosties don't seem so ghost-like. Nerrrves.

If You Like Ani...

...you'll like Jaspar.

Book IMDb

This would be so, so awesome. As someone who likes to watch the entire movie to the end of the credits and all (thanks David Sanford), I would love the opportunity to see whole book production teams online. Having "intelligent reviews" is good too but the lead team is going to have a hell of a time editing all those, and there will most likely be overlap with Amazon et. al. I''m just saying, I mean, if they need help 'n all, they know where to go, right?

http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/10/21/a-dedicated-book-review-site/

http://community.toc.oreilly.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2142645%3ABlogPost%3A2741

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/on/internet_book_database_98668.asp

Dreaming Meat and Laughing.

meat.rtf

Couplet.

I like how things look black and white
in the night.

French Quarter Apartments

PA200887, originally uploaded by alexsmith458.

Not too shabby. And more on flickr.

If I Was to Die Keep Your Hands Off My Pants

I'm reading this collection of essays called I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley and stumbled on a little trailer by MilkProductsMedia inspired by it. Okay. By stumbled I mean sought it out cryptically. But that doesn't reflect badly on the essays themselves as they're smooth, easy to read, and very, very reflective of a young woman's personal and professional life in NYC and book publishing stratosphere. Bam.

pretty

much instantly obsessed.

We're Really Rollin'

So many things to write, so little time and recollection of all of the profound/deep/emotional/thoughts of the past week. Aren't I just the center of everything?

I read somewhere on the vast internets that sometimes, in life, it's not about who you are. I assume that the second half of this phrase could logically be "but what you do." Writing it, it looks a little Go US Army, but I think the first part at least is a good one to keep on the mind I think. Unless the person who you are is a happy, productive, engaged, curious, with-conviction, lover-of-life and society, well, sometimes you have to plug on through. Though even this seems a bit Minnesota-conviction-nice-stuff. Blech.

Another thing that has been happening lately is my realization that, horror of horrors, the restaurant isn't bringing in as many people as it did over the summer. This more than likely has a little something to do with no more outdoor seating (it's 36 degrees here today!) and a little with the financial "crisis." Either way, I approached the owner with a proposal to dink around on the internet (i.e. promoting the place) when there are no customers there (which has happened for a couple of hours a few times in the past week.) Currently there's no ads out for the place, which is fine and all (I prefer a no-marketing, word-of-mouth type approach to promotion myself) but certain indominatable factors like the location of the place can't be overlooked any longer, especially with this dearth of customers and moo-lah. Now nobody out there go getting worried - I am all wrapped up and safe in a security blanket of a healthy personal checking account and another little stash from when I worked here, but you know - it's always good to stockpile, so when I get the courage up to make those big jumps that life invariably includes, I can do so without being held back by not having enough capital. Monies, monies, monies - not the most interesting topic.

In addition to more work less pay-off, I've been reading a shit-ton of Virginia Woolf and also a shit-ton about writing, books by emerging writers, shit like that. I will say that once in a while I snap out of it and realize that, for now, reading about things is a thinly-veiled substitute for actually doing thing, because, well, nobody's going to write something that's thought-provoking or even emotionally-charged by not adventuring themselves. I keep in mind that since writing is what i'm pursuing, well, I fucking have to do it then. Write write write write write. Blech.

I don't know if I can verbally throw-up anymore. My stomach has purged itself of words. And last night's ill falafel is a distant memory. I'm going to go downtown and right the situation. Thanks for reading (if I've kept you through this far.)

Retch,

A.

JMG le Clézio = Nobel Prize for Lit. Winner 2008

(+ some of his bookcovers.)

The committee said Le Clezio was an "author of new departures, poetic adventure and sensual ecstasy, explorer of a humanity beyond and below the reigning civilization." Also, his initial's are the same as my wife's (Jessa Metcalf Goldstein.) Bodes well.

Hot Date for Celine?

"hola, alex, the computer said alexandra is busy., you may be interrupting. call me whenever you have time to chat about nothing. i went out with an 81 yr old man this week. aunt celine."

Jay Walker's Library

Um, is that a raptor skeleton with a cache of fossilized eggs? Yes, it is. And it's only one of the wonders. Can I hang here? I mean, even in my current, low-decibel state (yesterday was crazed) I would so appreciate curling up on one of those red-leather couches, fooling around with the One Laptop per Child XO and gazing out the Questar 7 telescope for a break. I need dis, now. Kthx.

Scourged Halloween Plans.

I would've been happer if he had signed his email "Turtle Power!"

***

Howdy Alex,

I'm afraid that no companies have licensed April for Halloween costumes, I'm sorry.

Thanks for writing!

Cheers!
Dan Berger
Mirage Studios' Official Web Dude
http://www.ninjaturtles.com

Vueve for Audrey.

Her favorite thing, for wonderful news. Congratulations - now go get your soul sucked, girlfriend!

Diamondz ™

Since our market is tanking, I think we should start investing in diamondz. In these diamondz. Diamondz.

I know, I know, commodities, blah, Sierra Leone, etc, but just suspend those harsh (very true, I know) realities and think: do you want a stock that tanks, or a vehicle to pass on sparkles and prejudices to the younger generation?

(I'm a bit cracked now, just taking a break from My Moments of Being.)

Helvetica ~ Switzerland

This movie really got me going. Type, designers talking about type, history of the font along with its predecessors, driving score: very nice. Also, a bunch of contemporary design studios that I may order prints from for the new place. The only bad thing is that now I can't find Helvetica to use anywhere! Maybe I just have low-rent version of Word, but can't get it there, in MS Paint, even to post on this blog. And I was so excited about it too - why should American Apparel ads have all the fun when they so nasty?