Week's End - Hot Off The Press

The BBC has a slideshow featuring some past winners of the Hasselblad Masters competition.

I sifted through the fashion/beauty category on the Hasselblad site & there's not enough time & bandwith (I finally typed it - bandwith, grrrr) to see as much as I'd like. I did not espy a new Tim Walker (yet). Benedikt Ernst's newspaper lady reminded me of the paper tutu by talented Kelly Murry/Jolis Paon.

The competition is open until 31 December. (There's an Up & Coming section, too, so don't count yourself out.) Here's the link to see the rules. Scroll all the way down to the very bottom of the page, the pertinent stuff is there. Hasselblad web-peeps, you should know better.

Can you tell I'm in a hurry? Oof. Need to wrap things up. I have an impatient cat & an impatient human on my hands. I'm outnumbered.

Still Life & Tabletop

No, I've not turned to drink. But I cannot see my tabletops right now & they are not "still life" in the classic sense. (Yes, I've tried squinting.)

Circumstances conspire to render me mostly silent (aren't you glad?) this week & post photographs & links & other people's giveaways. Circumstances do not involve my imminent capture by a butterfly-net wielding right wing lunatic (although, you never know). It's about the list of things I'm supposed to do/have said I will do. Many of them online.

There's a photography festival on here in DC (FotoWeek 2010). I'm trying to bite my tongue about the cutesy spelling...I've been guilty. More than once.

A couple of giveaways. Bleeding Espresso has one for a new cookbook (also reviewed), My Calabria. It's always fun to visit Michelle in Calabria, Italy.

The lovely & humorous Blue Gardenia has an exceptional giveaway that ends tomorrow (Tuesday, 9 November). It's a random generator winner, not an essay contest, & so can I just say something? Yeah, I can. Why do people shriek "I want I want" & the like on giveaways? It's so degrading. If the giveaway person gives instructions, I follow them. But I do not virtual-scream like a ninny. I'm sure you do not, either. The comments on this one, though, are tame compared to some sites I've seen. So no offense to BG readers. (photographs from Olga's Tabletop series)

Week's End - Docking & Mooring

I just lost an argument with a cat & feel ridiculous. (I could almost blast off like a rocket--so it really is about evil news abroad in the world. Julie & I see eye to eye on politics--that's a condition for living in this apartment. Otherwise, she'd kick me out.) Having returned from a lovely outing, I was going to post on it. But someone is not cooperating.

I have a new hat (a gift! I am a hat person) & coral geraniums for my window box. I'll have someone take a photograph over the weekend; perhaps with me in it (the hat, not the geraniums--I can't wear coral though I do love it). Part of me would rather walk across hot coals than post a clear photograph. Too many taken in a lifetime can make one camera-shy...I wouldn't have thought it. (No, I didn't ask Julie to take a photograph; merely asked her to sit still for two seconds (!) as part of a genius somewhat-still life. Have a great Friday/Saturday wherever you find yourself. [Rings bokeh by talented & generous Olga]

Blue Room, Gold Fish

Two more rooms I like...& one sleepy cat. Julie's meowing for her night-time CD to be played. I'm utterly serious. And yes, Happy Earth Day. I felt no need to post on it as there were so many. But the Clever Pup's post* reminded me of my first Earth Day. I saved a goldfish from an untimely & unnecessary death. Some mad scientist older boys were going to plop it into river water, thereby proving to junior high kids that their water supply was endangered. (Duh.) It might have been my first solo demonstration outside the family home. Can't remember. That was some philosophical/theological "discussion" - I cut it short by grabbing the fish bowl & running with it to the manse (of my church) across the street. We were given safe haven, of course. The fish lived in our aquarium several years. I wish someone had told me earlier: Senior boys - don't believe the hype.

*to be clear, Pup's reference to her brother was a nice one--it only reminded me of senior high school boys & Earth Day.

[blue room here; the second is an IKEA bed (yep) via a pretty blog called Trouvais (both via we heart it]

In Ombra - Monday Blues

In ombra is (in the shade) in Italian. Two more beautiful shots by Olga. Now, I'm going to go lie down & see if the world is a little better after that. As ever, I ask to be allowed my delusions. If you are part of the Twitterati, please go to juliethecat & follow or tell me to follow you. I'm pretty easy that way. I need to build a bit of a following so that I can harangue people in 140 characters about upcoming events. I'll try to be entertaining.

Other matter at hand, yesterday was Holocaust Memorial Day (& there was a lovely PBS production of Anne Frank's Diary on last night; it shall be repeated, don't miss it. This production--no offense to others--is when I finally thought: That's Anne, the writer). April 11-18 are the Days of Remembrance. Here's the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum with activities & online virtual stuff if you're not here in DC. This year's theme is an elaboration on last year's (What You Do Matters). This year: Stories of Freedom: What You Do Matters. Here's last year's Giulia Geranium post on what would have been Anne's 80th birthday in June. Darling photograph of Anne & Margot at the beach.

With gratitude to Olga for her generosity.

ciao

Week's End - Time to Go Home

Listen, things are just so awful in the news (everywhere) that my silly self--even with gallows humor--can't quite get it together tonight. (And I'm still trying to hypnotize Julie into downing pills.) So here's a stunning textured shot of via Roma (in Cambiago, Lombardy) by Olga.*

The title...it reminds me of an hour, probably golden, when it's getting on time to go home. Before you make la passeggiata in the evening. Or it's really, really sad. Or both. Song in mind, same title by the great Chris Smither. If that elicits a big 'huh'? Oh lord, click the link.

Sunday update: Worlds Collide Dept. Sudanese elections beginning Monday--though boycott growing. Those of you who check in at Giulia Geranium looking for updates - it's on spring break. Please check the usual suspect sites, Julie's Twitter account (juliethecat or under my name), & follow the string. Reuters Africa is a good place to start.

buona notte

[*The Benevolent Postcard Society blog had an Olga shot posted by Lori, our fearless leader. Hey, I try to include everyone. Some of the work is Creative Commons; this one is not. Via flickr mail, Olga & I had a bit of a chat & she gave me permission to use it. Mille grazie, Olga.]