Sunday, July 23, 2006

House cleaning post...

I found this chick's website where she has the most incredible collection of roadside America photos. There is a special section just on signs (click here). Great stuff. I think she travels around showing dogs and spends a lot of time on the road. She seems to have an appreciation for the same aesthetic I do, so if you liked those neon signs I had below, you're going to find a lot to love in her sign section. It's cool because you can click on the state and look at regional signs. All the route 66 states will have great signs, of course. She also has sections on art deco roadside architecture, any kooky/beautiful/peculiar 20th century design movement is represented here, including some fabulous old gas stations. Click here to go check it out, but make sure you have plenty of time to spend poking around there - one of my favorite sites ever.

I don't remember who it was that insisted I give a listen to Imogen Heap, but thank you thank you thank you. Bought it this week and am loving the crap out of it. In fact, it sat in the bag since Wednesday until today, and I opened it as I was doing some house cleaning. Then I remembered that I'd left the new sewing machine I bought today out in my car, so as I walked through the door with the sewing machine in my arms, the chorus of one of the songs burst through with a line that mentions sewing machines. How odd is that? Of course, it doesn't mean anything, but it's one of those strange coincidences that make you feel like it sorta does.
Same thing if you're driving down the road and a word someone says or sings on the radio happens at the very instant you see that same word on a billboard. Meaningless, but neat, anyway.

Saw The Devil Wears Prada today. Loved it. Gorgeous movie, beautiful fashions, not even remotely bitchy enough, though. It was more Bitch Lite™. Seriously. Despite the gorgeous styling, the characters should have been WAAAAY more ugly. But then maybe I have low(high?) standards when I honor someone with the title of "bitch."

9 comments:

FatQuarterQuiltFarm said...

Thanks for the cool signs link. You were right , I need way more time to peruse though! I didn't see one that she needs in her collection however. It's from the now defunct FrosTop rootbeer stand in this area.It was the place in town my parents( and my generation) would "cruise" through on the typical weekend .I had the good fortune to know the original owner John Hannon.After he passed the land was sold and the sign was bought and moved by a local restaurant owner hoping to bring some luck to his new drive-in.His didn't last long. The town was so up in arms about this giant rotating neon root beer mug that it still stands today. A local bank now occupies the space and hands out root beer candies.
Wierd about the sewing machine
thing! I love it when that stuff happens though!

Barbara Bruederlin said...

I'm saddened to hear that The Devil Wears Prada isn't bitchy. I was watching the commercial for it the other day and said "I hope they don't make her all nice in the end". Sounds like my fears have come true.

Imogen Heap is a very interesting musician - I have to listen to more of her as well.

phlegmfatale said...

schnoobie - that spinning rootbeer thing sounds awesome, and I can understand why folks would be up-in-arms about the issue. It's too bad the other guy's business folded, but good for that bank for preserving a local icon.
And yeah, those little coincidences sorta put a little extra twinkle in your tiara, don't they?

barbara - It's still bitchy, and some of the one-liners are exactly what you'd hope for - I guffawed several times. If you've any remote interest in fashion, it's worth seeing. It's beautifully shot, and there are even runway backstage scenes where the picture goes actual-film-grainy and it's a stunning spectacle. I haven't read the book, but it sounds like the Devil is the maven of assholishness with no rhyme or reason. The film version devil is a little more formulaic, and it takes a nerdy "fat"(size 6, which is the new size 14, we are told) girl to figure out and finally perfect the art of anticipation, providing the outlandish for the unreasonable boss before she even knows what she wants next. It's worth seeing, just don't expect it to reflect the actual fashion world. Oh, and THE 2 standout performances are Stanley Tucci as the creative director ( a character of surprising depth who has a genuine instant of heartbreak - brilliant performance ) and young Brit Emily Blunt who plays Emily, the Devil's first assistant - she's natural and canny, deftly delivering many of the best and funniest lines of the film.

phlegmfatale said...

It's still bitchy, just not THAT bitchy, which can't possibly be realistic. Oh, there are some truly cold-blooded moments...

:P fuzzbox said...

It's a bit sad seeing all those old delapidated drive ins. Although there are still a few survivors, the broken down screens and weed grown lots are a bitter reminder of that time that has passed.

LJ said...

Hey there! Finally, blogger is going to allow me to comment!
Saw this film the other day - and KD & I were observing that it's a great study of a woman who is going to keep power - Streep's character. She doesn't ever let go of it, not for a minute. Her only weakness is her kids. I loved her performance. And "Emily" it seemed to us, wanted to be like that but couldn't entirely pull it off.
Didn't think it would go into the books as a brilliant film...rather more a Sex In The City kind of film...but Streep, as usual, was amazing.
And I agree - the other bitches, male and female - weren't quite bitchy enough.

Dick said...

After seeing the Keller's sign, I now have this unstoppable desire to go down to Harry Hines and snag a double cheeseburger and a cold beer at lunch today.

Becky said...

I, too, though they could've been bitchier in Devil. Miranda was softened quite a bit in the film version, esp. at the end. What was up with THAT?

phlegmfatale said...

Leazwell - Stanley Tucci rocks. Brilliant actor, oh and I loved the Big Night - ANYTHING with Isabella Rossellini.

fuzzbox - yeah, and half of the grand old drive-ins went porno before their ultimate demise. Tragic loss of a great slice of Americana. But that's progress, innit? Do you think someday people will be mourning the loss of the Megaplex? The coolest thing about drive-in theaters was the sputnik style lighting = very galaxy style - I love that

lj - I totally agree - I left the film with more respect for Streep's character than any other. Even the "cerulean" scene simply made a whole lot of sense. Yes, it was done in a withering way, but it rang totally true - she was operating from a plane of the most elevated deliberateness. Streep was amazing,and her bare shoulders looked so creamy and lovely. Oh, and that bajillion $$$ strand of dark gray baroque pearls (seriously, I'll bet that strand was a million bucks) set my little heart aflutter. Decadent! No dessert for me, thanks!

dick - Keller's - ? I'll have to check that out. Going to motor up Harry Hines one day on lunch with my camera. Some good oldsignage survives up there.

becky - The job recommendation and the teeny smile of approval? Bull-smegging-shit! They just couldn't stand leaving it alone and having her end as the ice-veined career woman. I didn't read the book, but I figured she was waaaay more harsh in writing and even more unreasonable.

Still, it was a gorgeous film and I'll prolly get the dvd