I have to wonder what happens when the cameras are off. Do the other reporters take their “work” seriously, or do they secretly agree but do what they must to get a paycheck. I picture it like the Siouxsie and the Banshees song Peek-a-boo, about an adult dancer and her seething contempt for the audience she’s forced to titillate.

I also have to wonder if Lemon’s actions and Stewart’s spotlight will lead to change, either Lemon moving on to a more serious but less visible news stream or CNN acting with a little more decorum.

He tweets at @donlemoncnn, and his book, Transparent, is on my so-neglected reading list.

QFest is here again! I’ve scheduled 32 movies for this year with another 5 maybes depending on mood, weather, and word of mouth.  Hope to see you around town and at the movies!

Recommendations

Eating Out – Drama Camp
Q. Allan Brocka’s reliably delivered fun films in previous years.

Finisterrae
“Spanish. Unclassifiable. Award-winning.”  Therefore, a must-see for me.

Jitters
Iceland produced two of my favorite shorts in previous years.  Time to try a feature.

The Night Watch
Waters’ Affinity and The Secret Diaries of Miss Annie Lister are two of my top rated.

Karate-Robo Zaborgar
Such films can be hit or miss. When they hit, I need a respirator; e.g., Surive Style 5+

My QFest 2011 Page

Check out my web page for schedules, reviews, and running tallies on this year’s QFest. My goal is to update it daily before my first film, but a long night before an early weekend film may cause some lag.  For up-to-the-minute information, follow me …

On Twitter as @thecorefiles or with hashtag #qfest

This year I will continue to tweet movie and event reviews along with general festival goings-on.  The official hash tag this year is simply #qfest, so please remember to tag when you tweet about the festival so all fest-going Twitterers can see.

Philadelphia QFest 17 Official Website

Many of the films this year have trailers, so check them out if you’re undecided from the blurbs in the guide.There don’t seem to be many changes in the website itself this year.  It’s perfectly functional, although I do miss the social media features when B-Side hosted it.

UPDATE 03:02 — This is not the artist’s only glimpse into an electro-pop Lovecraftian nightmare. There is also this: The Cows of Cthulhu get down in the Meadows of Madness …

My QFest 2010 Page

The Official QFest Home Page

On Twitter:

• @thecorefiles — my reviews and reports from the festival
• @QFest — the official festival twitter account
• #QFest — the official hashtag

Festival Tips:

• All venues this year are Ritzes. Not as convenient the g’ho, but no cross-town rushing and no Prince Black Box.  Hooray!
• Not sure about one film versus another? Many of the movie pages on the official sites include links to trailers.
• If you tweet about the festival, be sure to add the hashtag #QFest so everybody can find it.

Why learn now? It’s pretty simple: To get around town more, enjoy city sights like Schuylkill Banks and the Ben Franklin Bridge, and find a form of exercise I don’t hate. Philadelphia is an up-and-coming bike town thanks to groups like the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, and it would be crazy not to take advantage of the cross-town bike lanes a block from my home.

This time I overcame the previous week’s GPS FAIL. Turns out that Valley Forge BikeLine inhabits what was once my favorite suburban Chinese (with dumplings!) buffet joint. The real-life intel I gathered was great thanks to the very helpful Joel, but he raised some interesting points, and I headed back to the Internet for more research.

At first I liked the 1.0′s basic feature set and not-overwhelming 8 speeds. Joe the Realtor made a good argument as we stuffed ourselves at Percy Street Barbecue: The best bike is just a few more billable hours; more gadgets and more comfort will probably encourage me to ride more. Plus those unforgiving Philly streets make the 1.0′s lack of suspension much less appealing. Sometimes simpler isn’t better.

And then there were two. The 2.0 and 3.0 use the same frame, but most of the 3.0′s components are a step up from the 2.0′s. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s demonstrably better for a newbie like me. I can’t appreciate the subtleties of tires, cranks, and derailleurs yet. Here’s where I am right now:

• The 3.0 MSRP is $130 more than the 2.0.
• The 2.0′s Satin Evergreen is my favorite color, but the 3.0′s blue resembles my CRX. *sigh*
• The 3.0 can lock its suspension; the 2.0 can only adjust the stiffness. Ahem.
• The 3.0 shifters are levers instead of the twist shifters on the 2.0.
• The 3.0 handlebars have something like palm rests; the 2.0 has simple tubes.

Right now the 3.0 is winning, but who knows what will happen when I hit BikeLine this Wednesday or Thursday. Comments are welcome, but the clock is definitely ticking!