Still Creepy

Although many of you more adventurous web surfers have most likely stumbled upon these bizarre creations before, I find it important to remind everyone just how bad one's taste can get. Photoshop is a powerful tool. Please use wisely.

Do something better than watching TV tonight.

The Board of Governors and the Photography and Fashion
Committees of The National Arts Club cordially invite you
to a lecture and book signing to celebrate
the new limited edition book
PARIS 1962
Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior | The Early Collections

Photographs by Jerry Schatzberg
Lecture by cultural historian Kohle Yohannan
Published by Empire Editions
Wednesday, November 7th
7:00 – 8:00 PM Cocktails & Hors d’Oeuvres
8:00 – 8:30 PM Lecture
The National Arts Club
15 Gramercy Park South

“Nostalgia finds another form in the forthcoming Paris 1962 (Empire Editions), a stunning
series of images shot by Jerry Schatzberg, who documents the grand salons at Yves Saint Laurent
and Dior over the course of a single runway season.” - Vogue, September 2007

www.empireeditions.com

In Rainbows

I just got my download of the album. Listening to the first track. Bliss.

It's sounding like it will be worth whatever you decide to pay.

Go get it.

About a Son

I think the trailer speaks for itself. I'm more than interested.

Amazing

Check out her paper sculptures and drawings. Brilliant.

Good Morning

To Do

Hipster Olympics

I live in Williamsburg, ground zero of hipsterdom. From the craigslist melees to the newspaper op eds, the debate, fascination, disaproval, and envy of the label has been a constant hum in the soundtrack of everyday life here. Will this phenomenon will ever wane? Who knows, but it still yields some great satire!

Trampolines in Music Videos: Trend or Coincidence

This one brings out the inner geek in me. You computer jockey's know what I'm talking about. (link via Robin)

And this one just makes me smile.

This post has already gone downhill and this is just the title

So i was walking down Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn yesterday when I happened upon the now defunct Ex Lax factory. A peek inside revealed a sign on the wall proclaiming "the chocolated laxative" which confirmed my finding.

According to Nancy McKiernan Realty,

"No “cookie cutter” apartment here. This 1200 square foot loft is the unique one bedroom, plus den/office (a potential second bedroom) space that makes the apartment search rewarding.Unique: An all new huge chef’s kitchen with acres of stone countertops, a 5 burner DCS range, Jenn-Air double door refrigerator, Bosch dishwasher, breakfast bar, and space to prepare a banquet. Unique: A flexible entertaining space that can let your imagination create a configuration that suits your personal style. Unique: 13 foot tall ceilings, 7 large tall south facing windows giving both tons of light, and great distant views. Unique: More closets and storage than you can imagine…a huge floor to ceiling storage room, 3 separate large clothes closets, and a linen closet too.Unique: Located in Boerum Hill in the building-with-a-history, the former ExLax factory, it is just steps to 11 subway lines and all the restaurants and shops on Atlantic Ave. Smith St. and Brooklyn’s Fifth Ave. And the building has an enormous landscaped roof deck for your use."

I'm concerned that she doesn't mention the bathroom.

But that wasn't the reason I'm writing. Atlantic Avenue has a lot of antique shops, some are full of 18th Century guilded crap and some are warehouses for the coolest shit this side of Ex Lax. Boar heads and Chester A Arthur my friends. Well above my tax bracket but fun to look anyway. The site seems to have older pics unfortunately.

Jesus, it's been a while.

I've been in Hong Kong for a bit. It was fun while it lasted but I'm glad to be back in the states.

While I was there I visited Wanchai and went to the Agnes B. Gallery. I didn't know that Agnes B. had galleries. Apparently they also have a movie theater.

Anyway the current show was called "The Changing Face of Portraiture" and featured portraits by people like photographer Rankin, web guru Joshua Davis, and designer Hillman Curtis. The above image of Bruce Lee was by Eboy. Actually most any illustrator or designer who has gotten buzz over the years thanks to the internet was probably showing. It's a traveling show that was born from the book. I believe there were about 100 portraits. Some of them were clever, others were beautiful, but all were digitally printed and somehow looked cheap. Perhaps the medium was appropriate.

IDN was one of the sponsors of the HK show and they have a few more images of the gallery space.

The authority of course would be the WIWP site, check out the impressive list of artists.

YouTube Music 3-14-07

Frank Zappa has appeared on TV countless times and he's always seemed uncomfortable. Here's a great clip of Frank on the Steve Allen show playing a bicycle, clean shaven and as awkward as ever.






Fast Forward to Frank several years later. I prefer this version of Montana to the 1981 show (with wanker Steve Vai) that's also posted on Youtube.

Yet Another Social Network

So has anyone signed up with Virb? I had no idea it existed until Jeremy Cowart pointed it out on his flickr page (he happens to be featured on the front page). I'm assuming it's another myspace with a marketing tweak. The interface looks tons better than myspace. I just wonder if it's really worth the hassle to create yet another profile, find all of your friends again, etc.

If anybody has tried it out and would care to share their experience with everyone, please comment!

On the Johnny Cash Show

As countless others do, I routinely mine youtube for musical content of gold. And just like others, I have decided to start posting my favorite finds.

Most people cringe at the thought of "Feliz Navidad" when they hear the name José Feliciano. A small minority of this generation; however, recognize that he is a bad ass and was blind at birth. Witness amazing muscle memory!

DIVA Fair

Their moniker is a bit misleading. It's actually the acronym for Digital Video and Art Fair and they have a very clever way of displaying work. I was walking around near Chelsea when I discovered one of their "galleries" sitting next to the sidewalk. I had not yet discovered it's purpose and was surprised to find a small projector displaying video art onto a screen at the end of the small metal container. A black curtain separated the experience from the daylight.

You can find a map of all the different containers here.

If you don't live in the city you can still watch the films online.

You know what I think of this day? oh nevermind.

Happy Valentine's Day to my lovely wife, Katie. Im still getting use to writing the words "my wife".

Now I'm just waiting for the flying car.

I was shocked and horrified to learn that the Pentagon has unveiled a new "non lethal" weapon for crowd control called ADS or Active Denial System. It is a heat-ray gun. Beam my f'n ass up Scottie. We have a heat-ray. Brought to you by the same folks who made the microwave oven, Raytheon.

Mounted from a Humvee this gun sends a silent beam that reportedly penetrates 0.4 millimeters into your skin to give you an awful burning sensation as if you might catch on fire. Beautiful.

Some light reading.

Democracy Now interview with Marc Garlasco, non-lethal weapons expert at Human Rights Watch and Gary Anderson, retired Marine Colonel and defense consultant.

Link referred by Raytheon

Proof that I still get out and Dystopian road trips

Things have calmed down a bit and it has afforded me the opportunity to do things like drop by Headquarters Studio to see the gallery show, "I'm Celebrating My Love for You With a Pint of Beer & a New Tattoo". It was a collection of collages by Matt Maust, bassist for the Cold War Kids. Some real lovely typography.
To be honest I missed the bandwagon and never heard their music but my friend, Lucy, enlightened me. You can read more about the show here and here (not very informative, but sports my likeness).

I also finally got around to seeing Children of Men and it lived up to my hyped expectations. Alfonso Cuarón is now on my awesome list. The cinematographer ain't to shabby either – the much talked about single take action sequences were absolutely stunning. It was also quite refreshing to sparesly see any gadgetry that will inevitably read as dated 10 years from now. If there is a 10 years from now :) Plus, it's the only movie I've contemplated seeing twice in the theater this year. My wife wasn't as thrilled, however.

Urban Sprawl

As I was driving back to Brooklyn from TN after the holidays I started thinking about the immediate geography.

Here is a collection of links I have made in honor of urban sprawl. Enjoy.

The paintings of Josh Keyes who was selected for the juried exhibition in print, New American Paintings.


The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs

100 Largest U.S. Urbanized Areas ranked by square miles of sprawl.


Flickr photoset for the documentary, Subdivided.

David Maisel's series, Oblivion.

Urban Sprawl and Public Health by Howard Frumkin and Lawrence Frank


Maps

Google Maps at Night

Sprol's Google Map Mash-up

Head (Cold) in the (dave) Cloud(s)

I've started the new year with a hearty strain of the common cold. It's bittersweet because I feel like hell, but I finally get a chance to slow down. The holiday from the holidays if you will.

And now our narrative will be tainted by NyQuil.

My friends Brian and Elizabeth came up from Nashville to see the Tropicália exhibit at the Bronx Museum and were staying with us for the weekend. Somehow, over a glass of wine, our conversation turned to Dave Cloud and the Gospel of Power who Brian was once a member of. I asked about finding some of their recordings under the assumption Dave's heyday was over. Yet, the opposite was true and I was directed to their new UK label, Fire Records, and a compilation cd called that was released in 06'. Plus, they are touring in Europe!


This video however was the Christmas miracle I have been waiting for.