Words to live by…

“If a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing badly”

– G. K. Chesterton

Something to Ponder

Men’s figure skating took your breath away? I don’t usually disagree with Dom but here im going to have to object. Men’s figure skating is obscenely ridiculous. What I don’t understand is why they have to be so flamboyant? Has there ever, EVER been a non flamboyant mens figure skater? What is it about figure skating that brings out this flair??

Now don’t get me wrong, i have nothing against being flamboyant. But Im stunned that an entire sport can be that flamboyant. Is it a rule? Is it a requirement that there costumes are composed of 90% glitter?

I guess the question I am really getting at is can you ice dance and not look flamboyant? I think its possible. I think that it might be the next great thing for the sport. Someone who pushes the boundaries and moves the sport forwards. Minus sequins. Now that I would be impressed with. So I challenge the entire figure skating community. Can you do it? Only time will tell.

Quick Note: Olympics

I’m too addicted to the Olympics to blog properly. Men’s figure skating was heart stopping. I’m pretty sure I didn’t breathe for the last half hour.

I will do my best to post tomorrow.

For the romantic inside everyone

I won’t argue with anyone who calls me a cynic: I seek out patterns, prefer tangible evidence to emotional claims, and generally speaking, am quite scientific in my overall decision making process.

But if you were to strip away the rational, logical layers of my mind, what you’d find is a hopeless romantic*. Yes– I love seeing people saying goodbye in the airport and little old couples who are still crazy about each other after 50 years together. That said, it’s worth mentioning that I have a lower tolerance for cheesy lines and contrived moments than some of my friends, but I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for a well crafted Hollywood love story. So, in honor of Valentine’s Day– a holiday dedicated to the institution of love– I’ve carefully compiled a list of my five favorite movie kisses. On behalf of the romantic that I believe is inside us all, here they are:

5. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999): 
No, I’m not kidding. Think about it for a second– paintball, a roll in the hay, and Semisonic– need I say more? Other notable romantic moments in that flick; Heath Ledger singing ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You‘ to Julia Stiles– accompanied by a marching band. Yes.

4. Spiderman (2002):
I know that this particular scene shows up in quite a few “best kiss” lists, but there’s clearly a basis behind its repeat appearances– classics are classics for a reason. The anonymity… the rain.. the upside-downess… you just can’t argue with any part of that.

3. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961): 
First of all, if you haven’t seen this movie, we’re not speaking until you do. Beside being on my favorites, this is one of the most romantic movies of all time, period. It makes sense then that it’s final scene ends with one of the most romantic kisses of all time. Audrey Hepburn is perfect, George Peppard is perfect, the rain** is perfect, and the cat is, you guessed it, perfect. Enjoy.

2. Slumdog Millionaire (2008): 
I know it seems like a cop out to put such a recent movie on this list, but let me explain. The beauty of this moment is situational; through the movie Jamal and Latika’s love is purely psychological. I feel that Hollywood tends to use physical intimacy to solidify its portrayal of love, so the fact that director  Danny Boyle manages to create such a beautifully convincing love story without so much as a peck on the cheek is amazing to me. The film ends at the simple moment that Jamal and Latika’s lips first touch– I know that I could be wrong, but to me, this sweet, chaste conclusion does more to illustrate the nature of human love than anything else I’ve seen. Note: I couldn’t find a way to embed the whole last, but I’ll tell you right now that the buildup to that last moment makes it 82% better. If you’re feeling sentimental, here it is.

AND my favorite movie kiss of all time is….

[drumroll, please]

.

.

.

.

.

.

1. Lady and the Tramp (1955): 
I just don’t think it gets better than this– the music, the stars, and accidental nose bump when they unknowingly share the same noodle combine to make what is in my humble opinion, the most romantic movie kiss of all time. And the cherry on top? The fact that the Tramp offers Lady the last meatball. God, it just melts my heart.

*Note: hopeless romantic is just a nice way of saying ridiculous sap.


** I know, I know… rain again, but for some reason inclement weather just does it for me. 

Need a last minute Valentine’s gift?

Sorry, I don’t have an answer. And nor does the lovely Ellen Degeneres. Here’s a quick treat in preparation for my fourth* favorite holiday**– Valentine’s day. That  said, I’ll be alone tomorrow so expect an epic post.

* 5. Fourth of July, 4. Valentine’s day, 3. Thanksgiving, 2. Christmas, 1. My Birthday


** So I realize that ‘holiday’ is sort of a relative term and that Valentine’s day doesn’t really exist outside of America, but I don’t mind that we’ve commercialized it. The way I see it, all the fuss just means that everyone in our fine country has to celebrate love. And I love love. 

To all the hippies with whom I went to college:

It is my unfortunate task to inform you that Walter Fredrick Morrison, the inventor of the frisbee, died today at the ripe old age 90. We can all personally attest to the contention that he left a lasting legacy for college quadrangles world wide. And border collies.

Read more here.

Poster Boy

A number of you– particularly you New Yorkers– may have heard of Poster Boy, the anonymous guerilla artist who- using only a razor blade- rehashes self-adhesive subway advertisements such that the result is a satirical representation of ‘political reality*’

For those of you who haven’t, you should look into it. Using his 50¢ boxcutter, he cuts pieces from one** ad and collages them onto another so that a billboard that once promoted, say, the Star Wars DVD box set*** ends up something like this:

The reason that I bring it up today is that yesterday, my contributing author– the lovely Mr. Nicholas P. Wing– brought it to my attention that on March 2nd, Mark Batty Publisher will release a compilation book titled Poster Boy: The War of Art. As you might have guessed, it will feature some of the reclusive artist’s best work. Further details are still sketchy, but here’s the description offered by Amazon.com:

“The New York Times dubbed him an ‘anti-consumerist Zorro with a razor blade, a sense of humor and a talent for collage’; the Guardian UK said of his work, it ‘is witty, web-savvy and economical . . . and the only materials it requires are chutzpah, imagination and a 50 cent blade.’ Poster Boy tweaks corporate copy, replacing it with incisive and playful puns and turns of phrase rich with innuendo and political punch. Beautiful models turn ghastly and iconic spokespeople become the mouthpieces for Poster Boy’s ideas. Poster Boy: The War of Art collects his best work yet”

Check out more of Poster Boy’s pieces on his Flickr photostream. If you’re stoked about that, you can pre-order the War of Art for under $13 at Amazon. And finally… if you find yourself liking Poster Boy’s subway art, have a look at the Subway Art Blog and further broaden your urban art horizon.

* à la George Orwell’s Animal Farm


** or two… or twelve…


** I guess it could also be a Star Wars marathon at some artsy NYC movie theatre. Either way, you get the idea. 

Young, broke and (unfortunately) fabulous

As is often the case with recent college graduates, I’m really, really poor. Now, this particular situation is largely accepted and manageable amongst we, the young and broke. Here’s the problem: though I fit comfortably under the umbrella of both young and broke, I am further embedded into a small subset of the demographic; the young and broke with expensive taste.

In order to address this problem I’ve been sentenced to self-imposed exile from any retail establishment outside of Walgreens, SuperTarget, and Safeway. This, however, doesn’t prevent me from masochistically browsing the internet domains of my favorite designers and retailers. I’m sad to say that it’s not uncommon for my roommates to walk in on me wistfully surfing NeimanMarcus.com, trying to justify $365 for a pair of ballet flats* while eating a bowl of Top Ramen. It’s twisted.

My latest online window-shopping obsession? Mulberry, British purveyor of flawless shoes and handbags, amongst other truly fabulous things. The iconic Bayswater tote in green ostrich leather may or may not have changed my life.

*Ok, in my defense, they truly are the most unbelievably fantastic ballet flats you’ve ever seen. Look. 

Pigeon: Impossible

I, like most people who find themselves to be participating members of digital society,  do a little spring cleaning in my email inbox every once in a while. Today I was doing just this and came across a message from November that linked to an unbelievable animated short film aptly titled Pigeon: Impossible. This said, the video might be old news to you guys, but it’s so perfect that I had to share again:

Here’s a little background- Pigeon: Impossible represents writer/director/producer/animator Lucas Martell’s first attempt at 3D animation. And there’s no typo there, I did say his first attempt. Even more impressive is that Martell is not actually trained as a film maker– he graduated with a degree in commercial music.

According to Martell, the project began as an excuse to learn 3D animation, however, five years and $10k later, the final cut of Pigeon: Impossible is clearly more than the aimless experimentations of some 28 year old computer geek. Somewhere along the line, focus shifted from the technicalities of 3D animation to using those techniques as a means to tell a great story. Correct me if I’m wrong but  to me, the result is an independent short film technically and narratively equal to anything coming from a studio. The kicker? Not only was it accomplished for under 10,000 bucks, Pigeon: Impossible was made exclusively during Mr. Martell and his few volunteers’ free time.

Not to beat a dead horse or anything, but like I said, it’s unreal. The animation is flawlessly rendered, the soundtrack is awesome, and most importantly, the story line is engaging, hilarious, and charming enough to warm even the coldest of hearts.

If want to learn more about the film, check out the website here.

Now, be honest with me

Who here watches the SuperBowl just for the ads? Ok, maybe just me but still… if you’re trying to get a little refresher of some of last year’s commercials*, Hulu has made this delicious widget available to bloggers and webmasters everywhere– and, by default, their readers. You guys. Enjoy:

* or even if you aren’t