Friday, February 4, 2005

GREETINGS FROM ALMA MELODIOSA GREETINGS FROM ALMA MELODIOSA, WE HOPE YOU CATHCH US AT OUR NEXT EVENTS: SAT. FEBRUARY 5: MADONNA INN MARDI GRAS PARTY IN SAN LUIS OBISPO SHOW STARTS AT 8:30 PM http://www.madonnainn.com & FEBRUARY 12: OWLS CLUB IN ROSEVILLE w/ PLANET PULSE (15 NE OF SACRAMENTO) SHOW STARTS AT 9 PM http://www.owlsclub.net HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THE SHOW ALSO: NEW DVD COMING OUT NEXT WEEK, CHECK OUR SITE FOR INFO http://www.almamusic.net BE SAFE AND HAPPY, ALMA MELODIOSA 7:33:01 AM

Seattle Public Library Wi-Fi Newly Rebuilt Seattle Branch's First Phone Call: Do You Have Wi-Fi?. The Greenwood Branch of the Seattle Public Library system opened Jan. 29: My officemate and I stopped in to take a look at this fantastic building a few blocks from our office and chatted with the branch manager. We asked, "Is there Wi-Fi?" She said, no, but there's a plan afoot to roll it out to branches soon. But she noted that the first phone call they received after re-opening was from someone asking the same question! It's a trend. The library was funded by Libraries for All, a truly remarkable levy that helped fund our tremendous new downtown branch (Wi-Fi throughout, Vocera badges in use by librarians), and revamp or rebuild a number of aged neighborhood libraries that were incredibly overused. Some libraries are four times as large, and the community is overjoyed. We're apparently the readingest, bookbuyingest city in the U.S. I'm hoping that the libraries will come before citizens again soon and ask for a levy to fund operator expenses: we need more library hours, more staff, more books. The libraries are well used here, and people seem to like to pay for them (indirectly). I know I do. Ironically, a coffeeshop half a block from the library has been hoping they'll add Wi-Fi: the shop is too small to handle more than its usual packed array of regulars and passers-by, so they hope to shunt the Wi-Fi needy over to what will be a free service at the library.... [Wi-Fi Networking News] 7:22:45 AM

The Thin Man The Thin Man. The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett (1933). Another volume of Hammett -- this was his big pop hit, and unfortunately seems to have stymied his art. It was pretty much the end of the line. Much more light-hearted than his earlier works, The Thin Man is the story of Nick and Nora Charles, a wealthy and charmingly tipsy couple on holiday in NYC. A murder occurs, and ex-detective Nick has the case uninvitedly dropped into his lap. It's a good story, told with sophisticated wit, but the hard edge of Hammett's earlier work is not there. Which is probably why it was a hit. Great entertainment, though. I also re-watched the 1934 movie version, and while William Powell and Myrna Loy are charming (and I can see how it set off that whole series of movies), wow, did the plot ever get scrambled up (and the remaining edge buffed away). Well, whattaya expect? [Irregular Orbit] 7:05:48 AM

From CinemaMinima.com Spain: Goya Award 2004 Winners. André Soares By André Soares. Hollywood (Cinema Minima) — Goya Award 2004 Winners. MAR ADENTRO | THE SEA INSIDE won 14 out of 15 nominations for the Spanish Academy's Goya Awards. Javier Bardem may have been snubbed at the Oscars, but he came out with the Best Actor Goya for his role as the tetraplegic who is determined to die. Pedro Almodóvar's LA MALA EDUCACIÓN | BAD EDUCATION lost in the four (not two, as this writer — who is actually quite good in math — had erroneously reported) categories in which it had been nominated, including best picture and best director. Full list of Goya Awards 2004 nominees and winners. [Andre Soares: Hollywood] André Soares is Cinema Minima's Senior Editor for Reviews. He publishes the Alternative Film Guide. He is the author of Beyond Paradise: the Life of Ramon Novarro Mobile phone edition: http://winksite.com/cinemaminima/hollywood Subscribe to Andre Soares's RSS news feed [Cinema Minima] 7:01:30 AM