The 2013 Northwest Animation Festival

It's May!  The leaves are out, the sun is shining!  Let's go inside and watch cartoons!

Did I say "cartoons"?  I meant "animation," of course.  The Northwest Animation Festival is now in its third year, and is bringing a copious -- copious! -- volume of funny, provocative, moving, beautiful, and/or startling animation to the City of Roses.  Specifically, to the Hollywood Theater, where there are afternoon and evening programs May 17-19.

Having watched EVERY SINGLE MINUTE of EVERY SINGLE FILM last year, I really can not recommend this thing highly enough.  The varieties of technique, narrative style, and mood available under the umbrella of "animation" is just dazzling.  I suggest you out-of-towners see if you can find some cheap airfare.  We'll put you up at the Castle, or something.

Here's the link: http://www.nwanimationfest.com/

Now, last year I rather rashly offered to buy a big bag of candy for anyone who found me at the Festival and identified themself as an IAT reader.  I had the candy all ready, but no one came forward.  This led to an unfortunate overdose on "Reese's Pieces" which I do not wish to revisit.  No special offers this year.  The festival will be its own reward.  Promise!

The 2012 Northwest Animation Festival

I should like to recommend an upcoming event for those of you in the City of Roses, its surrounding rural districts, and nearby metropolitan areas!

This is the second year of the Festival.  Mrs.5000 and I turned out last year, and we were dazzled.  Dazzled, I tells ya.  We laughed!  One of us cried!  And we were amazed by the consistently high quality of a wildly diverse range of animation styles, technologies, and narrative approaches.

Those are dead links, because I just lifted the image off the Festival Website.  The URLs you need are:

• The Northwest Animation Festival
• Hollywood Theatre on the beautiful East Side.
• Buy them tickets!!

Special Offer!!!  Special Offer!!!  Special Offer!!!

I plan to be at the Festival both nights.  If you find me there (just ask around for Michael5000) and identify yourself as an Infinite Art Tournament reader, I will personally buy you a bag of your choice of Reeses Pieces or M&Ms from the Hollywood Theatre lobby.  Offer good for first 50 readers per night only.

The michael5000 Community Calendar -- Dec. 2009

Coming Events

Thursday, December 3rd, 6 p.m. PST -- The Civil War. Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oregon. It is the first instance in the history of time that the annual contest between the University of Oregon and Oregon State University will result in the winner going to the Rose Bowl. It is entirely possible that this is not as exciting to you as it is to me, in which case I suggest smiling politely and uttering a chipper "Go Ducks!" Portland's sports radio franchise is offering thirty hours of pre-game coverage, which began at noon on the Second. I am not joking.

December 2nd - 6th -- Holiday Ale Festival. Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland. "More than 50 potent winter ales are featured at this year's event," says the website, "all of which are created specifically to bring warmth and cheer to the holiday season." If I read this correctly, it indicates an opportunity to get trashed in public in a genteel setting.

Thursday, December 10th -- Earliest Northern Hemisphere Sunset. Rejoice! As far as going home from work in the dark like some kind of mole-person, today is as bad as it gets!

December 10th - 17th -- Hanukkah. A relatively minor Jewish religious holiday with big time secular importance, especially among UnitedStatesians. Awesome because: yo, eight days long!

Friday, December 11, 6:30 PST -- Housewarming Hannukah Horn Jam. See comments for details.

Sunday, December 13th, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. PST -- the Super Colossal Crafty Wonderland. L&TM5K regular Margaret and 199 other crafty artisans will be selling their wares at the Oregon Convention Center. Admission is free, but spending a huge wad on the wares is considered excellent form.

­­Sunday, Decem­b­er 13th, 4 p.m. CST -- Handel's Messiah. The Dayton Philharmonic is joined by the Dayton Philharmonic Chamber Choir in a performance of the popular holiday masterpiece. Westminster Presbyterian Church, Dayton, Ohio.

Wednesday, December 16th -- Beethoven's Birthday. Cue up some of The Classical Music and celebrate the man.

Friday, December 18th and ongoing -- Rebel at Castle5000. Fresh from her adventures in exotic Thailand, Honorable Vice-Dork Emeritus Rebel will be staying briefly at the Castle. No doubt it will be your big chance to get the inside scoop on the dirt michael5000 doesn't want you to know!

Saturday, December 19th -- The Annual Castle5000 Holiday Party. We are hoping to beat last year's mid-blizzard attendance figure of, um, five. If you have not been invited, but would like to be, let me know.

Monday, December 21st, 9:47 a.m. PST -- Winter Solstice. From here on out, the net daylight will increase daily for six wonderful, wonderful months. Spring is coming.

Friday, December 25th -- Christmas. A Christian feast day and a secular holiday of gift-giving celebrated by many Americans.

Thursday, December 31st -- New Year's Eve. A traditional drinking holiday. Last day of the aughts. Also, a Blue Moon in participating locations (see comments).

Friday, January 1, 2010, 1:30 p.m. (PST) -- It's the Freakin' Rose Bowl Baby!!!

Thursday, February 11th -- Portland Opera, Cosi Fan Tutte. As I mentioned last month, this production of my favorite opera should be awesome. There will be four or five showings; the Thursday show is the one Mrs.5000 and I are going to.

• If you would like to add your event to the michael5000 Community Calendar, say so in the comments.

The L&TM5K Advent Calendar
December 3

From the In-Laws5000 family postcard collection.

The michael5000 Community Calendar -- Nov. 2009

I've done a lot of posting on this blog about events I've been to, which of course has a natural logic to it. But I've been thinking maybe I should talk from time to time about upcoming events, so that instead of saying "damn, that would have been fun" you can say "damn, I should go to that!" Unless you are a well-spoken person who doesn't say "damn" very often.

Coming Events

In Progress -- DorkFest. The DorkFest judges are currently in conclave. Once they have reached a decision, the new Dork and Vice-Dork will be announced in these pages.

Tuesday, November 3rd -- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The Academy Theater. Mrs.5000 and I are in the habit of watching the movies of the Harry Potter franchise as they come down the pike. By "down the pike," I mean "when they get to the second-run theaters." Mrs.5000 and I don't do first-run theaters. Note: This movie may be playing at other dates and locations as well.

Friday, November 6th -- The Dark Season. This date is half-way between the Fall Equinox and the Spring Solstice, and is thus the first day of the darkest, grimmest, most horrible quarter of the year for those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere. Note: Those of you who live in the Southern Hemisphere may be laughing now, but let's talk in May.

Sunday, November 8th -- Willamette Falls Symphony "Russian Adventure" Concert. Oregon City's amateur orchestra presents a concert headlined with Tchaikovsky's loveable and popular 5th Symphony. I talked about the WFS back here. Ten bucks gives you the chance to support a community orchestra and, as a special bonus, check out the trumpet stylings of frequent L&TM5K commenter Ben.

Sunday, November 8th -- Discussion begins for the Early Modern Underground's Collaborative Online Reading of the play ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore, by the approximate Shakespeare contempory John Ford. The EMU is wrangled by frequent L&TM5K commenter Jennifer and is an inclusive group; I'll be joining them for this reading.

Saturday, November 14th -- Consonare Chorale "Music of the Spheres" Concert. Classical and semi-classical vocal pieces on the themes of "the grandeur of the universe and smallness of the individual coexisting simultaneously." Featuring frequent L&TM5K commenter Kate.

Friday, November 20th -- Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" Concert. I really can't recommend Portland's semi-professional orchestra highly enough. Great sound, great venue, great value. This concert of Shakespeare-inspired works is also the official kickoff event for the Renaissance Man Shakespeare-reading project.

November 21st - November 29th -- Home Improvement Fest 2009. Mrs.5000 & I will take a one-week "staycation" in a spasm of labor thrown at the maintainance and improvement of Castle5000. In specific, we will attempt to finally make some discernable progress on the venerable upstairs bathroom project.

Thursday, November 26th -- American Thanksgiving

Thursday, February 11th -- Portland Opera, Cosi Fan Tutte. Hey, it's still a long ways off, but this production of my favorite opera should be awesome. And the nice thing about opera is that the seats right up close to the stage and off to the side -- where I just happen to like to sit -- are considered undesireable. They are at the fire-sale price of $25. Tickets aren't formally on sale yet, but if you call the box office and ask nicely, they'll hook you up.

• If you would like to add your event to the michael5000 Community Calendar, say so in the comments.
  
  
• If you would like to remove your event from the michael5000 Community Calendar, fair enough.
  
  
• If you would like to join Mrs.5000 and/or I for any of the above events, let us know! This applies in particular to Home Improvement Fest 2009.