*Do you have any random thoughts/queries you'd like to share with the group?
What, exactly, does "lying in state" mean? Specifically, the "state" part?

"State of decomposition" is the first thing that pops into my mind.

Little Children was great. I also read Joe College by Perotta which was decent. Still trying to track down Election.

i'm glad you liked the Perotta, rossi. I recommend The Wishbones if you want to continue with him. It's very different from Little Children but equally enjoyable. His short story collection Bad Haircut contains 'The Weenie Man,' one of my all-time favorite short stories (and no, it's not even remotely dirty).

I also met Perrotta at a reading. Really nice guy, gracious and polite.

Hey...where have you been, YouCanCallMeAl? It's nice to see you!

I was surprised by how much I liked his writing style and how many little details he got right--like not wanting to push your kid on the swing because it's too hard to get them to stop. And I was very pleased with the ending. I'm never pleased with endings.

I'll definitely read more from him, so thanks for the recommendations.

I like Desmond. It meets the vital MGL criteria of being unusual enough where he'll be the only kid with that name but not so weird where no one has ever heard it before. Alas, though, that is the only random thing I can offer an opinion on.

I've read it, and I like it pretty well--probably my favorite Perotta book. Election is readily available in your local library's young-adult section.

I also like Desmond Dekker.

Despite an affinity for unusual names, I'm not feeling Desmond. Although I just watched the first two seasons of Lost on DVD, and Desmond from the hatch pulls the name off well. And there's always the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Desmond to be reminded of. Would you call him "Des" for short?

Congrats on getting a Holga, jrossi! They're so fun.

What kind of film did you get? Is it 120? Color or bw?

After you load it and start winding it there should be a series of lines or dots or something that you can see through that little red window that indicate when the #1 position is coming up. When you get to the #1, take a photo, and if you want a double exposure, leave the film where it is, otherwise wind it to #2. If you've covered over that red window (it does help with the light leaks if you cover it...) then you have to wind and count 34 clicks every time you take a picture. Also, do everything it says to do on this page!

It really and truly is a toy. A piece of crap toy.

So when you load the film, tear off a little bit of the cardboard of the film box and jam it under each spool - the film spool and the take up spool. It keeps the film tight.

I aim for the psychedelic, insane look with lots of light leaks, personally. So the more mistakes I can make with it, the better. I've sold a few holga shots to various people, and everyone likes the trippy ones.

Good luck finding someplace to develop medium format film. Jack's Cameras will usually do it, and so will The Camera Shop. The Camera Shop sends all 120 out, and Jack's Cameras may too, unless you luck out and find a nice guy willing to develop your color film for you instore. But they have to send the bw to NY. Such a pain in the arse. You can send the film to bh photo online, or you could learn to develop it yourself too, if and when you get serious about it. If you can find a little indie camera shop to do it, so much the better, because you can probably establish a rapport with the owner. The people in the big box camera places think you're "cute" when you come in with your 120 film.

I have wanted a Holga for a long time. I don't remember why I started wanting one, but it had something to do with my trip to Germany last year.

Oh yeah don't let CVS or Walgreen's etc etc anywhere near the film. They'll tell you they can develop it. They can't, and they just ruin it.

What, exactly, does "lying in state" mean? Specifically, the "state" part?

It's "state" like a government, because it's an official viewing of the body of a former government official in the primary government building. In the US, only presidents and congresspeople get it.

Oh hooray. I knew I was going to the right place for advice. Thanks, ico.

I got color and bw film. Right now I've got the color film in there, but I can't find any numbers on the film. I think I'm being conservative in my winding and not going far enough. And I'm definitely going for the trippy look. I'm not quite serious enough to develop my own, but that may change.

And, yeah, it would be Des for short. "Hey Des! How's it hangin', Des-mon'? Deeessss!" But I may hate it tomorrow.

on preview: Get one youngergirl! They're cheap and people look at you funny when you pull it out.

I think I'm being conservative in my winding and not going far enough.

Yep. You have to wind and wind and wind and wind...

I have wanted a Holga for a long time.

Dude, they are like 20 bucks. Go buy one!

I prefer my holgas to be shot with a 1000 dollar camera with a 300 dollar lens and 500 dollars of software. Thank you very much!

Desmond is totally hot.

I think I forgot about getting a Holga until this post... I am online shopping right now.

*Anybody have "Time" by David Bowie that they can YSI me?

I think I do. However, the computer on which it is possibly stored, Dr. Jones, is incapacitated at the moment. Boo. I will check back with you when Dr. Jones is feeling better.

Get well soon, Dr. Jones!

"Desmond" is lovely.

I believe that you can get it if you really want.

The only random thoughts/queries I can come up with are A) Jrossi, i think you're totally the coolest; and B) How did you get so cool?

Desmond has his barrow in the marketplace.....

Perotta and Todd Field are coming to the Lincoln Center branch of Satan's bookstore (B&N...RIP Coliseum) on the 8th at 7 to discuss the Little Children screenplay.

time

- Little Children was really good. It's the first (and only) book I've read by Perotta and I'm looking forward to more.

- I want a Holga too, but I don't know if anyone local sells them and I don't know if I want to put up with the hassle of having to get film developed.

- I don't like Desmond. Seems like one of those names that would get you beat up in school. Oddly enough, I like the nickname Des or Dez.

- "State of Decomposition" is what I'm going to think of whenever someone mentions "Lying in State". Thanks for that.

Not-so-random thought - it's 2:30 a.m. and I can't sleep; I've been awake since midnight. Insomnia can bite my ass.

I'm not feeling Desmond.

Desmond doesn't do anything for me if it's an American kid. Way too British. Like Clive, Aubrey, or Niles.

Arse_hat to the rescue! Thanks so much. That song was the source of many drunken college sing-alongs.

And thanks for the Dekker, taz.

No one is cooler than the mudpuppie. No one.