PicoBlog

One of the unexpected parts of my job as an apprentice arborist — and one my inner four-year-old is stoked about — is the amount of time spent in and around big, diesel-powered trucks. Hauling live trees, logs and wood chips isn’t easy work for a motor, nor is towing a 4-ton wood chipper, so we have some horsepower around the equipment yard. Two things I’ve learned about these trucks have stuck with me, in part because of their funny names, but also because of their ingenuity.

Good morning. Let’s basketball. L’Atelier Rouge; Henri Matisse; 1911 Last week I looked at the penultimate fan voting release for the NBA All-Star starters’ race and surmised who would get the nods based on what we know about player and media voting. My predictions finished 9/10. Honestly, there were only two real questions: the second backcourt spot in each conference. In the West, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander needed to win either the media or player vote and have Anthony Edwards pass Stephen Curry in player or media vote.

Black Film Archive is a living register of Black films from 1898 to 1989. This Substack is its blog. Thank you for being here. Also: Join me in LA Feb 10 - 25, I’m guest programming a film series on tenderness in Black film at the Academy Museum. I hope to see you there. "Do you, as a Black person, feel that you are able to use your career, your profession, only for so-called entertainment purposes?

People of Substack! Pedro Almodóvar, one of Spain’s most important directors, made a movie called Jamón, Jamón! Only in Spain can you find a blockbuster romantic comedy starring nutty cured pork. But it makes sense because ham, or jamón as we call it, is a national treasure!  Sure, there are a lot of good pork products out there. Italians have prosciutto, Americans love bacon, and the French…I know some French people who like pâté…but we Spanish have a special relationship with pigs.

The 2023 January/February Topic is, Resolved: Justice requires open borders for human migration. A total of 662 coaches and 2,637 students voted for the resolution. The winning resolution received 39% of the coach vote and 37% of the student vote. https://www.speechanddebate.org/topics/ ncG1vNJzZmiumZjBsL7Ym6minZaoe7TBwayrmpubY7CwuY6pZqOZnmKzpq6MpZtmrJ%2BltqR5yKxkqKiVo3qju9GdnKur

I love Janet and Tupac in this scene it was so very intimate and showed a vulnerability between the two that showed they had chemistry. I have always been a fan and love Janet, and she's always been so humble and so sweet and has never taken all the credit for her achievement but has said man, many times how blessed she is. My only thing with this article and people in general is why does beyonce's name have to be brought into the conversation when it's not about her.

Hello readers! I think I’m in the top 1% of people who are the most excited for the new start that January 1 provides. Mind you, I’m never excited for January itself, given that it means more dark work days and freezing cold temps, but I just love the sense of renewal the turning of the year begins. I’m a huge fan of clean demarcations in time, which is…

As 2023 drew to a close, a good friend who lives part-time in Hawaii wrote to me that he was there. I immediately thought, “I should join him.” Even though he didn’t specifically ask me to come this time, he’s asked me in the past. (So why not assume I could drop by anytime?) Because of the distance it’s not an easy trip from Paris, so once again, I missed my chance to get some sunshine, sushi, and beachtime.

(Painting, collage, and photo by Amy Lewis)At a time of year when we’re deluged with reminders of all the fresh starts and new intentions we’re supposed to be initiating, we invite you to do the opposite. Instead of plastering a whole new goal on your vision board, what about committing to doing more of the same? Specifically, we’re thinking of #AcWriMoments. Back in November 2023, you signed up to receive writing prompts throughout the month to help you enter into SACRED (strategic, artisanal, creative, reflective, embodied, delicious) moments of communion with yourself and your research each day.