7.27.2005 

do you like?


question: has santiago calatrava finally jumped the shark? now don't get me wrong. i really do enjoy his early anthropomorphic type work, but has he gone too far into the world of paperless, blob architecture?

7.26.2005 

happy birthday stan


stanley kubrick
7.26.28-3.7.99

Stanley Kubrick (July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director. In a career which spanned five decades, he created a notable body of work consisting of thirteen feature films, many of which are considered classics of 20th century cinema.

Kubrick's films, most of which were adapted from literary sources, are characterized by technical brilliance, inventive cinematic storytelling, and sardonic wit. His stylistic trademarks include long tracking shots and extensive zooms, as well as the clever use of pop songs and European classical music.

books
authorized site
master filmmaker
film guide
great story

7.25.2005 

the moving picture show


ifc center
323 sixth avenue
new york, ny 10014

i enjoyed a delightful afternoon yesterday at the newly renovated ifc center in the west village, watching the picture me and you and everyone we know. a great place to watch an entertaining movie. the new ifc was originally the historic waverly theater. to top it all off....you can enjoy a tasty grey's papaya a couple of doors up.

7.21.2005 

WWF it ain't


This, ladies and gentlemen, is "lucha libre," Bolivia's version of the wacky, tacky wrestling extravaganzas better known as World Wrestling Entertainment in the United States and Triple A in Mexico, which serve as a loose model. But there are no light shows, packed arenas or million-dollar showmen.

7.20.2005 

a little bit of everything


tracy & russ johnson

i like these guys stuff. check out the videos

 

12 step program


i can't stand the stuff myself, but i believe my lovely wife may have a problem with it. i firmly believe she and many other millions may be addicted to this glue stick for the lips.below i have earmarked some begining steps for those who may have an issue.....

conspiracy
psychology
lip balm anonymous
junkie
ebay?

ebay? if you are ordering chapstick off of ebay.....god help us all.

7.19.2005 

genius of the week


franz peter schubert
1797-1828

Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer. He wrote some six hundred romantic songs as well as many symphonies, sonatas, some operas and many other works. Public appreciation of his work during his lifetime for a long time was thought to be limited, but when he died at the age of 31 over 100 of his compositions had already appeared in print. He was never able to secure adequate permanent employment and for most of his life was supported by friends or employed by his father. Today, with his imaginative, lyrical and melodical style, he is counted among the most gifted composers of the 19th century.

7.18.2005 

dj bluewater


DAMN i say!
go directly now, and check out dj bluewater and his fantastic world of "funky 45" mixes. i have begun downloading all of the goodness, and can't seem to get anything else done today. along with the best soul/funk you could imagine, mr. bluewater has a beautiful flash section where you can see the actual 45 label art from the songs he has placed together. the collections are not really mixed, in the truest wax manipulation sense...but hey the shear quality of the music outweighs any technical shortcomings.....

7.11.2005 

work


very busy over here, trying to get some work done before I take a mid-week trip out west. please excuse my less than inspired posting. i may just take the rest of the week off....

7.08.2005 

safe deposit crazy


an interesting story via the new york times

7.07.2005 

album of the week


"it takes a nation of millions to hold us back"
public enemy
1988

In 1988, when this album was released, Public Enemy's music cut with a wholly revolutionary edge. Rarely has fear, anger, paranoia and anxiety been so masterfully compressed onto a record's grooves. The Bomb Squad's artistry is the keynote to the hard, lean delivery, while Chuck D's supremely pointed lyrics leave no stone of the black experience unturned. It is not comfortable listening, but on tracks such as 'Don't Believe The Hype', 'Night Of The Living Baseheads' and 'Rebel Without A Pause' the listener is left in no doubt that they are facing a fantastically potent force.

 

genius of the week


oscar niemeyer

Oscar Niemeyer was born in Rio de Janeiro Brazil in 1907. He graduated from the Escola Nacional de Belas Artas in Rio de Janeiro in 1934, and in 1935 he joined the office of Lucio Costa. In 1936 he joined the team of Brazilian architects collaborating with Le Corbusier on a new Ministry of Education and Health in Rio de Janeiro. This proved a formative experience for Niemeyer.

In 1942, Niemeyer created a series of recreational buildings which borrowed extensively from the expressive Brazilian Baroque style of architecture. In 1956 Niemeyer was appointed architectural adviser to Nova Cap - an organization charged with implementing Lucio Costa's plans for Brazil's new capital. The following year, he became its chief architect, designing most of the city's important buildings. The epoch of Niemeyer's career, these buildings mark a period of creativity and modern symbolism.

Niemeyer continued to work on Brazilia until 1964 when his political affiliation with the communist party forced him into exile in France. In the late 1960s he resumed his career in Brazil, teaching at the University of Rio de Janeiro and working in private practice. He was awarded the Gold Medal of the American Institute of Architecture in 1970.

"Here, then, is what I wanted to tell you of my architecture. I created it with courage and idealism, but also with an awareness of the fact that what is important is life, friends and attempting to make this unjust world a better place in which to live."
— Oscar Niemeyer. The Curves of Time: the memoirs of Oscar Niemeyer, p176.

7.05.2005 

star wars


han solo: "you're all clear, kid! now lets blow this thing and get outta here!"

When NASA's Deep Impact probe collided with Tempel 1, a bright, small flash was created, which rapidly expanded above the surface of the comet. This flash lasted for more than a second. Its overall brightness is close to that predicted by several models.

After the initial flash, there was a pause before a bright plume quickly extended above the comet surface. The debris from the impact eventually cast a long shadow across the surface, indicating a narrow plume of ejected material, rather than a wide cone. The Deep Impact probe appears to have struck deep, before gases were heated and explosively released. The impact crater was observed to grow in size over time.

A preliminary interpretation of these data indicate that the upper surface of the comet may be fluffy, or highly porous. The observed sequence of impact events is similar to laboratory experiments using highly porous targets, especially those that are rich in volatile substances. The duration of the hot, luminous gas phase, as well as the continued growth of the crater over time, all point to a model consistent with a large crater.

This image was taken by Deep Impact's medium-resolution camera.

7.01.2005 

happy 4th


Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs hosts an annual hot dog eating contest at the site of their first restaurant at the corner of Surf and Stillwell avenues in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York. There are other hot dog contests but none are as famous or claim to have a long a history as the Nathan's hot dog eating contest.

According to oral history, in 1916, four immigrants had a Nathan's hot dog eating contest at the site of the first Nathan's Famous stand to settle an argument about who was the most patriotic, though it may have been a publicity stunt. After 12 minutes, Irish-born Jim Mullen had eaten 13 hot dogs and the other three contestants could not go on.

Ever since, a 12 minute contest has been held every year on July 4, Independence Day, usually at noon (except for years 1939, 1940, and 1941 as a protest to World War II and 1971 as a protest to civil unrest). In 1993 There was a one time one-on-one contest under the Brooklyn Bridge between Mike "The Scholar" DeVito and Orio Ito.