This is really damn cool. Simple, beautiful photographs of performers and stars we’ve loved over and over this year. The Oscars are coming up, with co-hosts (an unusual idea and I think one of the first, or only time they’re doing this) Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin…how can you lose?! Sunday March 7th –next Sunday!!
Check out today’s New York Times Magazine, its the feature.
First of all, J.D. Salinger died today. He was 91. The Times Arts Beat blog has been all over it. Also I am sure it will make front page but unsure if it will be above the fold. – - Little known fact/some trivia for you. I’ve read Shoeless Joe the book that Field of Dreams is based on. And instead of Terrance Mann (played by James Earl Jones) the real author is supposed to be Salinger and lame title The Boat Rocker in the movie is meant to be The Catcher in the Rye. Try that one on for size.
Another famous author died yesterday, Howard Zinn. I’m sure you recognize this:
It has been around since 1980 and I am almost sure that every single bookstore has at least one copy of this book. Yes, its one of those. Reading one chapter is overwhelming let alone cover to cover. It is dense, tremendously well done and in the category of the life achievement. Although he died suddenly of a heart attack at 87, he lived a fulfilling life.
After speaking about this with others I’ve given myself some time to think. It is sad that these great American minds are gone. But now it is time for new Americans of a new generation to have new ideas. You are an American. And you have ideas. Have you explored a new idea yet?
I now bring these words to you from a new world I was exposed to today (inquire within for story.) Go out and do something and make yourself a part of something completely different than you and what you are. Write something new. Write anything, compose. Tell someone something you’ve been meaning to say. And be well.
Lately I’ve been on a karma kick, trying to do good and pay it forward. I feel wonderful and I can only tell you to do the same.
Also, I am blown away by this. Yes, another free download from our friends at notdrugs (bookmark this.) Its Ithaca and its remarkable.
Sorry friends, for those avid ‘cant readers. After spending time setting up shop on my sister’s pull out couch in Cambridge and then making room in my sister’s bed in Steamboat Springs, CO- I’ve been blowing off radio break staff and traveling. Inadvertently, I’ve spent no more than four consecutive nights in any one place this entire break. With plenty of time to think I’ve had a lot of realizations and crazy adventures. Its been a great time for all involved.
Last night was the Golden Globe Awards. Here you can find a slide show of all the winners. Its the best, quickest way to get your information. Also, the New Yorker lets me fall in love with it every edition. A personal fave, if you’ve never read his writing I recommend it. Woody Allen pops up every once in a while and it just makes me glow. Even though he married his adopted daughter (which is totally weird and unacceptable) I still love him.
look at that face
Also, I’ve tried to read Youth in Revolt but it didn’t work out. Pawned as a journal then realizing it was actually fiction, I just couldn’t do it. But my sister’s excitement about the movie makes me think I should give the typecast Michael Cera a chance. Debroah Soloman did. Her ‘Questions For…’ column surprised me with this. A great interviewer at that, here is her latest…check it out.
Life has been all over the place. Home in JERRR SEEE and then back to the homeland of Ithaca tomorrow. Will be there indefinitely. (Well, maybe to Buffalo soon too.) I need to plan more adventures to see Wilco (sadly for the first time, but not the last) in Feb. and Dr. Dog by the end of the month. –If you haven’t started listening to Dr. Dog you’re crazy and our friendship is at risk. They are playing Syracuse on Jan. 30th and I am definitely going. Any fans who want to join, must. Their youtubes aren’t the best. But check them out: they pride themselves, or categorize shall I say, with dissonance, harmonies and minor chords. A favorite of mine, I can’t help but pass it along.
This semester brings shenanigans – so lets have some fun, eh?
the title still remains a mystery
I am unsure of whether or not I have ever mentioned this man on this blog. I do know that I have lent his books out (and not yet gotten them back….) and recommended them to people for reading because I know certain individuals, Riley especially, would really enjoy his content, writing and overall demeanor. He has been one of my favorite writers since eighth grade and I have been seeking him out since. The summer before I went to college I had the pleasure of seeing Chuck Klosterman in person in a Philadelphia Borders Books, hearing him read, and even talked to him (but not enough.) He signed my hard copy of Killing Yourself To Live: 85% A True Story with the sentiment “Sarah, Stay Alive- Chuck Klosterman.” Hopefully he will stumble upon this and go on a book tour again so I can rightfully make lots of conversation with him.
Famous for Sex, Drugs and Coco Puffs, CK has been chronicling popular culture, media, and its history for almost a decade. Born in Minnesota and having grown up in rural North Dakota he was fired from SPIN for reasons I am still unsure of, writes occasionally for the New York Times Magazine, had a column in Esquire and contributes to ESPN. His latest book that I literally finished less than ten minutes ago is called Eating the Dinosaur. After having finished it I can still say that I still have no idea why it is called that. But I can say it is probably some of the most interesting writing of his and is creeping to become my new favorite. It is an almost-sort-of grown-up-yet immature philosophy about everything you never thought you cared about, or knew existed. Klosterman writes about why time travel is a meaningless conversation. It helped me realize that the only time I will talk about time travel in the future is to address its complete silliness, tell people about said silliness and maybe pull out some theoretical questions (which he is hilariously famous for.)
Basically is what I am trying to say is you should be reading his writing. All of it. Particularly you Riley. I will gladly lend some books out if only they are returned. As a writer and reader I know that any unconventional form of writing (like CK) is motivational. Mainly, writing is motivational, so why not share?
Alright. OK. It is the end of the year and there is endless press about the ending decade that keeps fueling my fire. How can I not? When I come across something new, I like to add it here. Now, I have a bit more for you.
GOOD magazine: start reading it (if you haven’t already!) Here is a link to their homepage. The topics that they have put together are a listography including: the environment, design, culture (already posted) and of course politics. You may think that they sound boring, but even ‘design’ surprised me in how interesting and important design changes have been in the last decade.
Fellow IC students and, well let’s be honest, superior bloggers from notdrugs have also been sharing their end of the year lists and some Christmas fun. Check it out.
The New York Times will always be it. At least to me, it is the end all be all of a news source. And if you creep around enough on their website you can find some pretty interesting stuff. The online version of the Times is the best example of how (and why) modern papers are better off online: free, easy to use, an endless plethora of information, and did i mention free? My personal favorite are their interactive features. This summer at the 40th anniversary of Woodstock we couldn’t get enough of them. This hails from the op-ed area, my other NYTimes favorite. Every once and a while they feature art, graphs, charts and visuals in the ‘op-ed’ (opposite opinion) that can simplify information. ‘Picturing the Past 10 Years’ is a chart with doodles and images on a yearly time line. With such a small space there is a lot going on.
click the pic to enter the caption contest for this cartoon
And of course there is the New Yorker. An old favorite, I’ve realized that this magazine is like play time for grown ups. It has some of the best movie review writing (the latest) and well, some of the best writing overall. And what other publication can you think of with a national cartoon caption contest for adults (you all know that I love me some adult imagination and cartoons, or as some readers prefer mature instead of adult?) Here we have a ‘What Do You Call It?’ about naming our decade. And ‘2009 The Quiz‘. Also a great contribution from readers, its readers’ photos from the decade.
mmmmm vegetables
These are just some of the things I personally enjoy, like the above And now I’ve realized that I don’t need an excuse to post about food, health and nutrition. So here’s something new: the C.E.O. of Whole Foods John Mackey has something to say. Check it out.
Hope that everyone had a Happy Christmas, etc. Also- Happy New Year!
OK- so maybe I am reading a little bit too much about the end of the year. And posting a bit too much about it. But what is better than cultural reviews of whats been going on here and around the world? Nothing!
What this means is, I’ve found another. This one hails from GOOD magazine. If you have not heard of, or do not read GOOD- you should be. Its one of those things.
Also, go here and subscribe to some free podcasts to listen to on your (long?) trip(s?) to wherever you may be going. There is nothing better than human stories, I promise.
...ahhh its love at first sight!
Recently I have discovered how I can define my favorite bands. I mean it can be as simple as the fact that I like them best out of all the music that’s out there, but if you put some time into how it is personally definitive to you, you can have some fun. I’ve realized that my favorite bands are comprised of musicians that have gotten me to look and listen to music in an entirely new way. New ways that I could never have imagined without these minds. And I know we call it a top five, but right now I am stuck with just four. One of which is the Velvet Underground.
I’ve never discovered a band from an era that I thought I knew so well so late in the game. The Velvet Undeground is responsible for a lot of musical genres, movements, experimentation and adventures. People call them the first punk band. Their earlier records feature John Cale’s electric Viola droning in and out in sync with the guitars. They can appeal to everyone if you keep your mind open enough and give them a chance. I knew about them forever because they always ranked in the “…greatest of all time” lists. But I think it came at a later point when I was mentally ready for it. It was then that I realized how Lou Reed’s lyrics are like poetry.
The Velvets are not a mainstream band- and well, they are underground. Which sometimes makes their, I can’t find a better word here, memorabilia very hard to find and usually more expensive than you ever expect it to be. When I just saw this, I was excited at the thought of learning more about a band that only really loving fans seem to know anything about. But when I saw the price at $300, I was disappointed.
Of course coming from the New York Times Magazine, the Style Magazine nonetheless, it chronicles alternate record covers, ticket stubs, lyric notes, film stills and letters. It is a big book I hope to get my hands on soon. I have also recently discovered a love for cultural histories of New York City- and if you didn’t know, the Velvet Underground are a big contributor to that.
–Now, I read the biography of Andy Warhol and a lot of people associate this band with him. And I would like to set readers straight that he did fund and design their first imfamous record cover. He is also why Nico was included in the first place. She was a commodity (one of Warhol’s earliest muses)- she had to sing solo, or along with Reed, and be featured in the record of Warhol was not going to fund anything. This is how she won her American fame. She was already a popular German singer-songwriter.
Even though their music can be depressing, I truly, really love this band because the Velvets are the ultimate poets of the 60s. It is euphoric. Maybe that is due to Lou Reeds addiction to heroin, but I like to look beyond that. I recommend going for The Velvet Underground, the self titled record. Or even Loaded which is a lot of people’s favorites, including mine. Once you understand those, you can get the full effect of The Velvet Underground & Nico. One of the most musically layered and complicated records that exists. I now understand why it always made those “….greatest of all time” lists.
Do something new this break. New to your brain. Try out the velvets. I hope they don’t disappoint you. (Also, let me know how it goes.)
29 years ago today John Lennon was assassinated by Mark David Chapman outside of the Dakota Hotel on the upper west side of New York City. If you have not made it to Strawberry Fields, I recommend it. When my senior class in high school got the week off to go to Disney in Florida, I did the unnatural thing and stayed home. My dad and I spent one of those days in the city and seeing Strawberry Fields was one of our activities we wanted to do together. While we were there, we saw countless tourists just like ourselves, a man propose to his girlfriend and two homeless men who looked like they had experienced the full effect of the 1960s. Its a cool place to visit. Maybe next year I’ll make it on December 8th for the 30th anniversary. But I figured it would be cool to go at 40 and especially 50 years- which we will definitely see the day of.
Its a story among us Beatle fans that is kind of common sense once you reach a certain age. It is as memorable in comparison to ask ‘where were you when JFK was shot?’ Lennon and Yoko had returned from the recording studio. He was in the midst of making Double Fantasy. Released three weeks before his murder, its his best selling solo album and won him the 1981 Grammy for Record of the Year. Mark David Chapman was posing as a fan, trying to get his autograph and then he shot him. The story is unclear to me as to why MDC wanted to murder one of the most peaceful and beloved human beings. A movie was made about Chapman were Jared Leto played him and Lindsay Lohan is in it too. But that’s besides the point. The point is, don’t see this movie. I’d rather you read the Wikipedia article on him if anything.
Last weekend on the Breakfast with the Beatles show I did a feature of all John Lennon solo work and his best Beatles stuff. It was really fun, actually and very well received by my normal listeners. Although he is not my favorite Beatle (George is, of course) I still have a hard time recognizing his extreme amount of talent. After I read John by Cynthia Lennon, his first wife, I kind of lost respect for him because of how he broke Cynthia’s heart and was an absent father letting his family fall to pieces as he fell for this artist, Yoko, and continued on with life as if nothing existed before her. Cynthia even came home from a weekend away with girlfriends to find them sitting on their living room floor in their his & hers bathrobes. But every once and a while someone will remind me of why he was everyone’s everyone. This time I think it was explained the best.
The beauty about John Lennon as an artist is that from the beginning when you sat him down to interview him, or just to talk whether or not it was an audience of five or five million, he always poured his heart out. He treated everyone like his brother, being honest and pleasant just, literally, trying to make the world a better place. That is what made Lennon so likable. It is what continues to make him so lovable. Despite his many, many, faults and crazy life, he was a genius. But he was also a tortured soul. People of every generation will continue to fall in love with him and his music. Lennon just wanted to tell the truth and sometimes it really pissed people off (like when he said the Beatles were bigger than Jesus Christ- who can argue with that….?!) But the truth is the best policy, maybe not all the time. But it was for him. Lennon wanted truth, peace and love. I think we can give it to him.
Also if you are interested there is an exhibit going on at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex Museum in NYC commemorating his life in New York City- his favorite part of his life and his favorite city to be in. It opened this May and I’m quite sure it goes through next month. Every time I look for an end date, I can’t seem to find one. So check it out. Also, if you have not yet seen A Hard Day’s Night- watch it. Funnier than anything: it is English comedy before Monty Python. Also, Help! is also tremendously funny.
"are you listening to me, Lennon??"
So if you haven’t yet today, play a little Lennon. Do something he would do. Happy December 8th.
Just a little Thanksgiving fun. It’s a contest to see how many different kinds of foods and random substances can be made into the shape of a turkey. Check out the slide show at the bottom of the page.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving, turkey, family and delicious day!
Found by a friend who likes to find his findings and send them my way (thanks Charlie!) See how some pretty random stuff ranks on a list of unimportant things that lets us really enjoy the tid bits of life on a daily basis. This list is completely random and only serves us happiness. Like #652: Using any item within reach to help grab the remote control so you don’t have to move. Or, moving indoor furniture outdoors (beer tasting party anyone?) Whats better than that? I can’t stop reading.
beauty
my favorite minute game to play
almost time for this....
...for those of you who enjoy ---