This might not make as much sense as it does to people that live in Chicago but CPS sent out high school acceptance letters today and OHMYGODHIGHSCHOOLIGOTINACEDTHETESTSOEXCITEDTHISISAWESOME. Actually, that phrase-word right there might not make sense to anyone, but basically I got into a really good high school. Public! Selective Enrollment! System non-fail (er, win).
“YO SPENCER I’MMA LET YOU FINISH, BUT I AM ONE OF THE COOLEST PEOPLE OF ALL TIME. ALL TIME.”
I am relieved, and excited, and can’t wait to join the Jewish Students Union and the Federation of Balloon Hat Wearers and the Something Involving Other Obscure Subjects club at my new school. It is sad to be saying goodbye to this school, though – everybody here has been like an extended family to me for almost ten years. We’ve learned together, lived together, used the miniature toilets in preschool classes together (during preschool, of course)… It’s also sad that I won’t be with a lot of my friends going to other schools. But it will be HIGH SCHOOL, no matter what, and I’m your next American Idol, America*. (* what?)
Achem, now while the attention is turned to my marvelous achievements~~~ I want to mention the Record Club tracks before I forget and bring it up at a random time such as now. I was on one, after all! Or two, maybe three (if you count that one that my dad insists that I’m on, but there’s no drum track/shot). I was reeally happy to see these.
can’t hear the drum track till like the end but.. I’ll take it (of course).
hittin’ the pads.
Ah, good day. Soon enough I’ll have a mustache and a Mini Cooper and be required by my peers to spend all my savings on a commissioned group of European scientists to fund their new deodorant technology so I don’t stink up my class (puberty + Mini Cooper [as if all of this wasn't already happening {minus the Mini Cooper / mustache}]). Thanks for all the congratulations everybody.
OY SCIENCE FAIR. Excuse me while I present, uh this:
I tested (or tried to test) the effect of detergent on plants. As you can see from this sophisticated chart, data was found inconclusive (it represents all of the plants, by the way, including the non-detergent control). I just talked about how detergent can be dangerous to our environment by helping this one algae grow and thus coating ponds and killing ecosystems and stuff … FINE, I WAS RIDING THAT ONE KID’S HOVERCRAFT IT WAS JUST SO COOL.
Yeah, so.. I don’t know. Before the fair we went to Chipotle. They were playing an old Wilco semi-b-side, ~as usual~. There were a bunch of little kids running around and simultaneously PIERCING everyone’s eardrums. Sammy and I stood on a pile of snow.
While I’m on the topic of “Re: Exactly What Is In My Head At This Exact Moment Exactly” I would like to mention some pictures from last fall when I took a cheap disposable camera on my class canoe trip to Wisconsin. At the time, I thought all the light leaks and such were “bad” – now I’m like, “ooooowhwhawkjhg this is the best camera in the world how is it fi’ dollaaa????” The first three are outtakes I never scanned, others just my favorites.
Mmmm.
1-2 from before the trip. testing out the camera. 4-5 so icky to see that gross highway in the middle of this amazingly beautiful river. p.s. this. 6 FAV. 7 the leaks, oh the leaks.
Weekend win! I got to see Wilco play in Madison (rocked, obvz, duh, durr) and subsequently (consequentially? coincidentally?) my dad, who’s on tour (aka not home) (parentheses). I even caught a ride back on the band bus early yesterday. Really early, actually, as in three-hours-into-the-day early. I stumbled out of the cozy womb-like bunk, in which I only slept a few hours, back into Chicago, where I only slept for another few hours. I proceeded to stay in pajama pants the whole day and take commissioned photos of Joey’s (Sam’s best friend / practically honorary brother) family. Later Noah (Sam’s best friend / practically honorary brother’s two-year-old nephew) was brought over while my mom showed something to his parents. They left him in my room to play drums and be fascinated by a lamp with “bubbles” in it.
(note: top, 2 dollar bill with self photoshopped on it. est. 2005)
OOH.
NO MATTER WHAT, THIS CHILD WOULD ONLY HOLD THE STICKS BACKWARDS. Send him back to the stork, whydon’tyou,parents.
New blog (a la Black Cab Sessions) of toddlers playing these drums. Yes? I think it could be awesome.
Anyway, Wisconsinland was vurry (burry, hah, punny, like burr, because it’s cold) fun; I’m mad at myself for literally not taking one single photograph there, especially in its snowy-ness/”winter wonder land” state. Hopefully we’ll take a trip up north again sometime before the snow melts.
Polka-dots or stripes? Picnic table or picnic blanket?
Stripes. Blanket.
I love your photography. I have been considering trying to embrace my love of photography by taking more pictures, but I feel like it may be silly, or I may be too old to start (I’m 25). I know nothing about it, and have no clue where to start. Help an old fart out! What kid of camera/film do you use?
Too old?!?! Just start playing with whatever camera/s you have and experiment with every button/setting/film you can. Google things like “ISO” and “aperture” and “shutter speed” and you’ll find some helpful internette destinations. I have a Canon T1i (digital) and an Olympus OM-1 (film), mainly. (thanks!)
Hey spencer, do you ever get tired of all those formsprings talking about Wilco? No offense to them, i think they are awesome. Love your blog.
No, not really. It’s only annoying when that’s ALL they care about. Most people are really, really nice (and respectful). Thanks.
why do all the cool blogs have pictures of supernovas in the sidebar??
Large possibility that mi familia y yo may be visiting Chicago for Spring Break. What do you recommend that we do/see/hear? QUICK…. before, uh, March!!
Go to Millennium Park, downtown and all that. Then you must eat Superdawg and Garrett’s Popcorn.
you look quite different in your banner compared to the picture with you in sunglasses.
Yeah, I know. I don’t like either of those pictures. I need to redesign this ‘weblog’.
if you were on a desert island and could pick one companion, (but there was an unavoidable clause in the contract you have to sign to pick that person) where after 2 weeks they would turn into a tennis ball, who would you pick, and would you pick them based on the fact that they would turn into a tennis ball?
I don’t know.. I can’t think of anybody that I’d want to be stuck on an island with AND turn into a tennis ball. This sounds like some bizarre Scandinavian horror movie.
so hey, i’m a lefty too. did you know that only 11% of the world is left handed? and if you thinking NO WAY, uhm yes way, it’s totally legit. :)
REPRESENT.
your little box on your profile says that you like to think. I SURE DON’T, it keeps me up at ungodly hours of the night, such as RIGHT NOW, not fun not fun. do i have to ask a question? oh wait, i just did, didn’t i? oh look, another one!
I think thinking and the personality (or old-man-ness [wisdom-like quality]) it brings (can bring) is worth painful late night ickyfeelings.
Hiya Spencer! Do you know about Punk Rock Kittens? I love them and think you may as well. Check it out: http://www.rathergood.com/punk_kittens/. P.S. I freaking LOVE your photography.
Dude, yes, they were “all the rage” in 5th grade. Thank you.
Now that you’ve been using Formspring for a while, are you glad that you started doing it? Or, have you regretted opening this up to the public?
I am really behind on answering but some pretty cool stuff has come out of it. It’s really flattering to hear so many people say nice things.
are you on TEAM COCO?!
100%.
When you buy new albums that you’ve never heard before, what do you prefer buy it on? iTunes/MP3s, CDs, Vinyl… My brother buys new albums on vinyl, and I buy CDs.
I don’t buy much of my own music because luckily most of the things I want to hear/import/have are already in my house. All of the above kind of equal each other, I’d say. HAVE TO KEEP IT DIVERSE IN THIS DAY AND AGE, YA KNOW.
How many emails do you think you get a day from people that read your (awesome) blog?
I get a good amount of electronic messages. Not a ton (not as much as some people I know), but a nice-sized postage bag of letters.
I love the little images you use for your links on the sidebar. Do you make those all yourself? What program do you use?
They are taken from the archives of Astronomy Picture of the Day and inspired by Tavi. I cropped them in Photoshop.
Hi Spencer. I just want to start off by saying I like your name. it’s so cool. Okay, anywho, I have an idea for you: Create a time capsule. How you ask? I say since it’s still the “New Year” write down all your goals, aspirations, and things you want for yourself in the future. Write down where you are in life now, what inspires you, what you love, hate etc. Also write down questions you want to ask yourself 10 years from now. Make it as personal as you want… it is yours to create. Then seal it in an envelope, maybe with some cash (beer money) and write on it: Do not open until 2020. Save it for 10 years in a safe place, and open when it’s time. Read it and see how far you have come, then take yourself out for a beer. Repeat for the next ten years. That’s my idea. hope you like it. Take care.
Thanks! I like having a semi-uncommon name. I think time capsules are really really cool. I want to find one (and make one).
DID YOU DELETE YOUR LAST.FM?!?! :(
Nope! Still there. Not going to link to it just because… Okay here it is.
So young mr tweedy, what is your ideal girl like? Very cliche question, but I’m quite curious.
She has to be really geeky and artsy and wear glasses and read and not like Miley Cyrus (Selena’s passable, however) and… Joke, REAL ANSWER: pretty, not an idiot Abercrombie butt-nugget, listens to good music, nice and un-insane (to a certain degree).
i live in chicago, you live in chicago. you’re pretty cool, and i’m not to bad myself. i think we would be great friends. so lets be friends?
Sure! Sushi? 4PM? AM? K okeydoke cya later gator.
so the other night i had this dream where you, your dad, and your mom all came to this BBQ at my friends house. Every one was pretty red neck. Your mom and my mom hit it off great. your dad didnt have any fun, despite attempts of us trying to get him to play some party games, he wouldnt have any of it. also, you werent very impressed with the video games or other toys i had to play with.
SORRY YOUR ‘TOYS’ AREN’T GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME.
yo yippie spencer me boiii, i was wondering where you get your film developed (cheaply) in the chi-town. and as a side note do/did you prefer your diana or holga? and as another side note, please marry me.
Central Camera has got it goin’ on. My Diana is broken so I would probably go with Holga (it looks cooler too / has a multicolored flash). You’re invited to sushi as well.
My tea is very hot currently, and I’m waiting for it to cool. However, due to my impatience, I will likely attempt to drink it too early, thus burning my tongue and preventing me from enjoying the rest of the tea. Have you ever encountered this type of situation?
I like this little formspring. doodle ee doo skibba da be bop a lop. Here is another question for you. What is your favorite season and why? I think my vote is for fall although summer is a super close second. P.S. KEEP HAVING GREAT HAIR! you rule! no, seriously I really like you.
I really like winter because I can stay inside and feel warm and drink hot chocochoco and listen to Bobby D in Michigan and go sledding (fun to the max). You can bundle up to your… warm body’s content in the cold but you can’t take your skin off in the summer. Unless you’re some horribly messed up person (or another really disgustingly evil person). WAIT WHAT? Your scatting has scrambled my mind.
Uuuuggh I’m sick. My nose and mouth and forehead hurt. I was mistaken for a girl. Two times. Twice. Once in the male restroom. Once by a dude selling a free newspaper on the street. (this hasn’t happened in years.) BASICALLY FEEL SORRY FOR ME OKAY? No, just kidding; it (the latter) just means Sheba does so well on my hair it sparkles like a gargantuan golden unicorn (which I guess isn’t perceived as very manly but believe IT IS). Otherwise I just have a cold.
On a narcissistically informative note yesterday two friends and I went to Wrigleyville to take pictures for a school project. We felt all grown-up-y and proud that we were able to navigate there with public transportation (aka NOT get on the wrong bus and end up in the SUBURBS *shudders*).
me being kissy/pouty with the Cubs sign.
nothing is complete without Spiderman, anyway.
Oh, there have been a few questions about what I’ve used to process photos lately. This week I discovered and have been using Toycamera Analogcolor. It’s really really really cool and works awesomely. It makes it almost too easy to get nice “vintage-y” or “film-ish” effects. Just another step in my experimentation~~ with digital photography. You could say the app is cheating a little bit, but, like I said, I think it’s good to experiment (and it looks good / is fun for now!). Alllllso note these were done in a quick-time before-bed have-a-cold head-hurts mannerism.
GRACIAS AND GOODNIGHT.
peepee es: I’m going to Wisconsin this weekend and probably won’t make any of them post things. There is a formspring in the outbox, though.
