No, not talking about mudslides or anything, but a new project upon which I’m embarking which should hold some interest particularly to family members. Today I took delivery on a Konica/Minolta film and slide scanner. I intend to scan in all the family slides (currently under Steve’s care) and make CDs for everyone. I’ll take temporary posession of the slides next month; in the meantime I’m practicing on my own small collection.

Maybe you’ve noticed the Galleries item in the right sidebar of this page. I’ve had pictures from the Paris 2002 trip there, and now I’ve added a Slides gallery, consisting of a few slides – nothing fancy, nothing has been cleaned up or adjusted (except as noted), no estimate of when they were taken (some I can identify as late 1973), but take a look and let me know what you think.

It was a wonderfully relaxing weekend, happily catching up on some sleep and just knocking around. Carol and I saw North Country starring Charlize Theron (otherwise known as ‘my girlfriend’) – the movie isn’t as good as the hype – pretty much in the Norma Rae vein.

Then we tucked into an Oktoberfest meal at the Matterhorn Chef for some roast pork shank – yummy!

Carol was a presenter at the 21st annual Media Access Awards on Sunday night at Universal Studios Hollywood, and I was fortunate enough to be her escort. The Media Access Awards (from the program) ‘…acknowledge productions, individuals, and corporate activities in television, film, theater, and print. The awards seek to recognize and encourage the employment of people with disabilities, as well as accurate portrayals that transcend stereotypical language and images of people with disabilities.’

Carol was a co-presenter (with a colleague from the CSA) of the Casting Society of America Award to Jeanie Bacharach, (who worked on Ally McBeal and Judging Amy, among others) for her commitment to hiring performers with disabilities. Other notables present included David Hall, who plays the coroner on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation on CBS and Deanne Bray, the star of Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye on PAX. Aside from the ten-page acceptance speech from the guy from HBO, it was a fantastic and inspirational event, very entertaining and moving.

There was even a red carpet (but only one photographer)!

A few items to mention on this fine Monday…

16 years ago today, at 5:04 PM on October 17, 1989, the San Franciso Bay Area was shaken to its foundations by the Loma Prieta earthquake. I was managing a check-cashing store in East Palo Alto when my good ole Ford pickup started rocking back and forth in the parking lot, the store stereo speakers fell off the wall and the power went out. I counted out, locked the doors and made my way home in about three hours on a commute that normally took 20 minutes. I was living in a second-floor apartment, and the only damage was a couple of speaker grills that cracked when the floor-standing speakers fell forward, and the top popped off a wind-up chime clock that was sitting atop one of the speakers.

I spent the rest of the evening listening to the scanner and watching the TV news people operating on emergency power, covering the collapse of Oakland’s Cypress freeway, the partial collapse of the upper deck of the Bay Bridge, and the fires burning in the Marina. Attention was diverted from Santa Cruz, which was much nearer the epicenter, where many historic downtown buildings collapsed and many died.

In other news, it’s stormy in LA today. I was awakened at 2:15 this morning by a HUGE clap of thunder, followed by lots of rain. The thunder has continued through the morning and into the early afternoon, with rain still falling intermittently.

Some good news to report – my car has a side mirror again. The auto body shop found a salvage part that was in perfect condition – even the right color, so they didn’t have to try to match the paint.

Carol and I took in two movies this weekend – Two For The Money (about sports touting and betting), starring Al Pacino and Matthew McConaughey (eh, so-so) and Good Night, And Good Luck (focusing on Edward R. Murrow’s battle with Joseph McCarthy in the ’50s) starring David Strathairn and George Clooney. Frank Langella almost stole the movie on that one – highly recommended.

One final note – Nancy has been in Lafayette LA for the past weeks, and will be through the end of the month, helping care for the many indigent dialysis patients displaced by Hurricane Katrina. It’s a volunteer effort, and I am impressed (but certainly not surprised) by her sacrifice and willingness to help. If you want to drop a line, she’s at phillin(at)sutterhealth.org (replace the (at) with the @ sign). BTW, our divorce will be final on February 19, 2006.

From Judaism 101:

“Yom Kippur is probably the most important holiday of the Jewish year. Many Jews who do not observe any other Jewish custom will refrain from work, fast and/or attend synagogue services on this day. The name “Yom Kippur” means “Day of Atonement,” and that pretty much explains what the holiday is. It is a day set aside to “afflict the soul,” to atone for the sins of the past year.

“Yom Kippur is a complete Sabbath; no work can be performed on that day. It is well-known that you are supposed to refrain from eating and drinking (even water) on Yom Kippur. It is a complete, 25-hour fast beginning before sunset on the evening before Yom Kippur and ending after nightfall on the day of Yom Kippur. The Talmud also specifies additional restrictions that are less well-known: washing and bathing, anointing one’s body (with cosmetics, deodorants, etc.), wearing leather shoes (Orthodox Jews routinely wear canvas sneakers under their dress clothes on Yom Kippur), and engaging in sexual relations are all prohibited on Yom Kippur.”

I guess I should have known that the weekend would be – unusual, let’s say – when I witnessed an accident on each end of my Friday commute – admittedly minor ones, but how often do you see an accident happen before your very eyes? Not often, I’ll wager.

Among my personally distressing events last weekend was one during which my passenger side mirror got creamed while in a parking lot – completely destroyed. I took the car in to the insurance adjuster this morning and, much to my surprise, the repair will be completely covered by the deductible, so no claim on the insurance.

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson Directed by Jane Anderson Dreamworks, 2005

Evelyn Ryan has 10 kids, an alcoholic husband, and a talent for winning contests. In fact, it’s due to her success at writing prize-winning jingles that the family has a brand-new washer and dryer, a freezer, and $5000 to put down on a house (just as the family was being evicted from a rental).

Based on The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less by San Francisco author Terry Ryan, the movie focuses on the ups and downs of a family reliant on shopping sprees to feed the family because dad spent the paycheck at the liquor store. Somehow, Evelyn stays relatively buoyant, keeping up the kids’ spirits while negotiating with the milkman. Moore is very likable as the prize winner, with lots of warmth. Harrelson does his job by being somewhat unlikeable, but manages to grow on you as the film unreels. A good choice when looking for a couple of hours worth of entertainment.

This GIANT sized Emmy statuette stands in the courtyard of the Televison Academy, surrounded by the busts and statues of many of TV’s pioneers, such as Jack Benny, Lucille Ball, Milton Berle, Steve Allen, Burns and Allen and many more.

Carol and I saw a couple of movies over the weekend in rather unique settings – the theater at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (the Emmy people) in North Hollywood (where we saw The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio), as well as the Samuel Goldwyn Theater at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences once again (where we saw Capote). After having experienced three of these special screenings, I’ve come to the conclusion that this is the only way to really see a movie:

• Both theaters are large, comfortable and luxurious, with plush seating and plenty of leg room.
• Both theaters have large screens (with curtains, like the old days), and state of the art sound systems.
• No food or drink is allowed, so no rattling of wrappers or sticky floors.
• The movie starts on time, and the pristine print is in perfect focus.
• No previews, no commercials – just the movie.
• All attendees are adults connected to the industry who care about motion pictures, so they are respectful, quiet during the screening, and when the movie is over they stay and applaud each of the major actors, directors, producers and other names as they appear in the end credits.

Gee, it’s too bad that you can’t see movies like that, but don’t feel bad – I won’t be seeing movies in places like that forever.