Thursday, December 13, 2012

It's a Portmanteau

I've posted 26 days in a row and am still behind.  I've been so busy at work that I've fallen up to five months behind in my posts.  When I rank order the activities in life, it would be 1) work, 2) going to the movies, 3) going to the gym and 4) writing  about the movies I have watched.  I've been trying to change.  First, I have pledged to  always accept a social invitation above plans to go to the movies.  That may not sound like much but when some screenings are one time only, it's a sacrifice.  I left myself a loophole.  If I have pre-purchased tickets, I allow myself to go to the movies because there is a cost incurred.  Of course, that cost is sunk and basic economics teach that we should ignore sunk costs but I overlook that tenet.

This pledge will be put to the test during the first quarter of 2013.  The following festival dates have been finalized.

January 17 to January 24 - Mostly British Film Festival
January 25 to February 3 - Noir City
February 7 to February 21 - SF Indiefest
February 26 to March 10 - Cinequest
March 14 to March 24 - SF International Asian American Film Festival

I notice SFIAAFF has rescheduled their festival so that it does not overlap with Cinequest.  Previously the last weekend of Cinequest overlapped with the first weekend of SFIAAFF.  Also the Mostly British Film Festival moved their festival up several week.  It was scheduled during Indiefest for the past few years.

I've been attending those festival conscientiously for the past few years.  If I attend each day in 2013, it's 57 out of 67 days.  2013 might be the year where something has to give; i.e. I am contemplating skipping at least one of those festivals.

§§§

Recently, I was introduced to a woman and had the following exchange.  If you find it amusing, we probably share the same sense of humor...which when combined $2.75 will get a latte at my morning coffee place.  I will present the conversation in transcript format.  It is verbatim to the best of my recollection.

D = Dan
A = Anonymous Woman

A: I went to a small school.  You probably never heard of it.
D: What's the name?
A: I went to CalArts.
D: It has a well regarded film school.
A: Yes it does but typically for graduate work.  I went there for undergraduate.  Did you study film?
D: No, I studied engineering but I consider myself a cinephile.
A: What's that?
D: A cinephile?
A: Yes.
D: It's a portmanteau.
A: What's a portmanteau?
D: It's a word that is formed by combining two other words or parts of two other words such that the meaning of the portmanteau can be inferred if you know the meaning of the two root words.  An example is infomercial which combines information and commercial.
A: What are the root words for cinephile?
D: Cinema and pedophile.

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