efficiency

I got things done today.

First off, I finished off my shopping. Well, I have two more gifts to get. I just realized, looking at the stuff I bought, I've been buying more for the kids than the adults. That's what they get for begetting kids. But at the same time, I'm not getting anything from my aunts, uncles, and godparents. Maybe because I've become an uncle and godfather too. I've been bumped up and all the good stuff are going to the kids, damnit.

I also got a whole bunch of DVD-Rs. That's for archiving a year's worth of work. That's getting done while I write this thing up. It might take a while though. I think I'm barely one-fifth done.

Been getting a lot of new music lately. Liking MGMT and Silver Jews is up next.

I also finished watching Milk this morning. That was pretty good. It's so easy to make a mediocre biopic. Just get the guy to overcome some hurdle in life, or die trying, then cue the dramatic music. Well Milk does all that but it does it pretty good. Gus Van Sant gets awesome work out of Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch and company. He gets Harris Savides to light it like they're rioting in the 70's again. But at the heart of it, I mean aside from the solid acting, is the really great writing (Dustin Lance Black). I like what was said, how it was pieced together, and how they chose to show the end. It was just good filmmaking by Van Sant.

Just now, between archiving and writing, I set up my brother's laptop so my mother could talk to her sister in LA over Skype. They squealed like high schoolers. They're talking about yesterday's Christmas lunch menu and discussing New Year's menu already.

That's how I'm spent my day-after-Christmas. Very productive. But the two more gifts I have to get are actually for my parents. So I have to hurry up on those.

favorites

Chris Farley by Chris Buck from A Photo Editor

One of my few favorite portrait photographers, Chris Buck, gets interviewed on A Photo Editor. Chris talks about how living with your parents is good for your career while assisting isn't. Also how to work with publicists and his 10 year old lists of ideas.

Interview part 1.
Interview part 2.

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photos by Alec Soth

Another favorite, Alec Soth's last project commemorates the end of the George W. Bush era. This is just me but I feel that The Last Days Of W isn't as strong as his older work. It might be because I feel some fatigue for what seems to be the visual contemporization of conservative, anonymous, middle-America. But I don't doubt that it's very personal work for Soth, whose rise as photographer coincided with the years of W's presidency.

Alec Soth talks more about this body of work on PDN. The "Either Dusk or Dawn" interview is here.

goodbye Computer!

Majel Barrett, wife of Star Trek creator, Gene Roddenberry, erstwhile Number One (for the pilot, The Cage), erstwhile Nurse Chapel, whose love for Spock was forever unrequited, and also known as the voice of many a Federation Starship Computer died a couple of days ago.

Majel Barrett's video round up at the National Post.

lists

I think this is one of my few breaks in this hectic week. And it's actually just downtime between editing sessions. So here I am, checking out bands on Myspace, chatting people up... blogging.

I like that this is the season for making lists. And I'm not even talking about Christmas wishlists. Yet. 'Tis the season for Top 10 lists. Websites, bloggers are coming out with their own take on the top movies and music of the year. And it's season where I mooch off the opinions of others. Sure I make an effort. I list down songs from TV shows that I watch (haha), I watch trailers, read the reviews, interviews. But sometimes time is short so you trust the taste of selected buddies and the criteria of people who might know a thing or two more.

So in this little break I have, I'm writing this down, listening and liking Bon Iver a lot, and downloading Parts and Labor. Will source The Fall and Let The Right One In later.

Saka na yung Christmas wish list ko.

Stella Kalaw at Silverlens

Stella Kalaw at Silverlens. January 8, 2009.

I've been waiting for this show and I'm glad it's finally happening.

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It's been tough lately. I mean work coupled with the whole holiday stuff is taking its toll. While the whole country will be closing shop, I might be shooting during the week of Christmas. Then there are those 16-20 videos I have to produce by this weekend. Technically, I've been producing them for a couple of months now. But I've got a supplier who's just been very delinquent. It's nerve-wracking.

Seriously, the only break I think I've gotten was that three-day Iloilo trip where we only worked for one day of it. It was a good break. I made progress with my reading and I even caught two NBA games on the hotel's cable. Then I got back last Friday night, too late for meeting I was supposed to be at, but in time for one of many, many Christmas events.

Anyway, I'm just trying to keep it together. Hopefully everything will pass and I make it to celebrating Christmas on the day itself.