I’ll tell you one thing: Liveblogging a four hour television spectacle may seem like pancakes to you, but it requires a decent amount of effort. Not the same kind that’s needed for building pyramids, say, or composing an opera…whatever. It’s astonishing how quickly the awards passed by. I feel rather like a cement shed in the middle of an Oklahoma trailer park after a tornado’s passed through. I’m still here, but where did all the dwellings go? It’s a ton of typing, and keeping up with the names whilst attempting humourous asides is akin to juggling torches whilst eating a sandwhich and reciting the alphabet backward. But without the fire…
I was pleased with my Oscar picks. Out of the 18 awards that I predicted (there were 24 total awards given out), I got nine right. Okay, fifty percent, not that great, right? I’d normally agree, but let’s face it, the only awards we peons actually care about are the major ones. Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Actress and Best Supporting Actor and Actress. Others are incidental and we only pay them the feigned homage of peasants too cowed by our peers to say we don’t care about the technical awards or the “little films” that seem almost like charity awards. Don’t shoot me, I’m just the guy saying what’s written in the eyes of every cretin who tunes into the schlockfest (myself included).
At any rate, my nine correct picks were almost all for the Important Categories. I missed both Supporting awards, but I got the six other majors, which I feel pretty good about. I think it means that I have a finger on the pulse of Hollywood. Now I just need to squeeze.
Amusing, sentimental moment of ego-boosting fun: M left a message on my cell, wherein she had the mid-Oscars epiphany that one day I would be up there, accepting an award. This girl is smart. She asks me to bring her as a date for one of my (many) visits to the Oscar ceremony (she said she didn’t have to be at my first). Thinking ahead.
I have smart friends, and I surround myself with people who are nothing if not forward thinkers. I’ve already got requests to stay at my house when I make it big, act in a film, be the recipient of large cash donations, and now this! It’s all coming together, like a well-oiled head of hair.
In other news, I have been told that several regular readers find my new blog layout/setup to be less than accomodating. I believe the term used was “user unfriendly”. Specifically, complaints about the (lack of) ease of finding past posts seemed to resonate with particular vehemence. This person also made the observation that it seemed that posts are only available on the front page for a day. Actually, articles stay up for three days, but this was considered to be a drastic enough change from my previous format of seven day stays on the front page to cause undue swelling and crimping of certain readers’ blog stalking style. I was told to consider it in terms of length (and you may use any body part or object that strikes your fancy); what’s better? Seven inches, or three?
Whilst I appreciate the biological and physiological implications of the new format, I’m not certain the complaints are entirely warranted.
A) Since instituting the new blog design, my hit count has increased. Possible attribution to the natural growth in traffic, but I’m more inclined to think it’s the formatting and archival methodology. The psychological implications of reduced front-page status could cause an increase in hits. If a chap or lady reading my blog knows a post won’t be up for a week, they’re more likely to visit more often. Supply vs. demand = Fringe wins. I don’t know if that’s even a valid equation, but it works for me.
B) The new format does not exist purely to attract more traffic. Fringe altered its posting inclinations at the beginning of the year, and now focuses on longer, more “conversational” pieces that should be read and digested in their own “space”. The less there is on the main page, the more impact the current piece will have. At least, I think that’s how it works.
C) There’s something to be said for simply trying out a new thing. If what I’ve got set up here doesn’t work…well, hell’s bells, I can always change it down the road.
If you’re are regular reader and have taken issue with these facets of the new Fringe, here are a few pointers that may help overcome your aversions:
The Archives is the gateway to all past articles. Not only are they divided by year and month, but also by category as well. Additionally, the twelve most current posts are listed last, giving you a pretty quick access tool for posts a week old or more. Should that method fail you, the search (which I know is not pretty) actually works pretty well. Use these tools.
Finally, you can also subscribe to receive notifications of new posts. It’s a once-a-day update, so you won’t be inundated with emails, but it will let you know what I’ve posted for the day. Just insert your email address into the box on the right, and hit Subscribe. I promise, your email won’t be shared with anyone, nor will it be harvested by the evil spambots from Galaxis 12.
We’ll revisit this sometime in the future. For now, you can let me know what you think of the site by sending me a personal email (also on the right). Now, you know what you have to do. Go, do it. Catch ya tomorrow.