Rahul Owns My Soul

Wallace and Gromit!

2010-03-26T01:04:00.002-04:00

Wallace And Gromit - A Matter Of Loaf And Death

DANMAN | MySpace Video

This is the latest film. Love it!

Radiohead: The National Anthem

2010-03-26T00:55:00.001-04:00

I'll never forget seeing this on SNL. Life-changing.

Happy Holi!

2010-03-02T22:09:00.003-05:00

"Aanteni"

2010-03-02T21:58:00.003-05:00

One article described this short film as a "high-fashion space fantasy techno-thriller." That seems about right.

I'm still sad that he's gone

2010-02-20T14:24:00.010-05:00

Here's an amazing montage of Alexander McQueen's fashion shows, courtesy of my favorite blog.

Love for Roger

2010-02-20T10:35:00.009-05:00

I've hated on Roger Ebert for a lot of my post-adolescence. But lately I've been enjoying his reviews again -- they're not the deepest, or even particularly witty, but he's just so unpretentious and easy to read (which is a talent) that I find myself going to his website more and more. I'll always be grateful to him and Gene Siskel for introducing me to some great movies. When I was 12, I found this site, with all of their top 10 lists from 1969 until the present, and decided to try to see every movie that both of them had ranked. (Yes, I cross-referenced the lists - yes, I was a nerd. Also, some of those movies were really inappropriate for someone in middle school. Where the hell were my parents when I was watching Leaving Las Vegas?!)

Anyway, this recent profile of Roger in Esquire makes me love him -- it's amazing, and inspiring, and deeply heartfelt. I hope you'll all read it.

Tracey takes on...

2010-02-04T23:21:00.003-05:00

Brilliant, just brilliant. Courtesy of Amneris.

Salesmanship: "Homicide: Life on the Street"

2010-02-01T00:12:00.006-05:00

Root for the Underdog

2010-01-10T11:00:00.002-05:00

New Boyz: "You're a Jerk"

2010-01-04T23:13:00.000-05:00

There's something so endearing about this video. Does jerking remind anyone else of the pee-pee dance?

The National: "Apartment Story"

2009-12-12T09:32:00.007-05:00

I love how well-dressed everyone in this video is. This is always my fantasy in awkward social situations -- that someone will put on a good song and start dancing.

The National also have a pretty nice website, which loads a different photo each time you visit. Here are my favorites:

This makes me glad that I live in New York

2009-11-27T10:00:00.003-05:00

Parks & Recreation: Ron and Tammy

2009-11-26T11:16:00.001-05:00

Whoever edited the diner scene (and the drive to the hotel) is a genius!

God I love the Simpsons Halloween episodes.

2009-11-26T09:49:00.002-05:00

SNL Promo: Taylor Swift & Kristen Wiig

2009-11-07T21:36:00.003-05:00

So good.

Parks and Recreation: First Date Practice

2009-11-07T11:59:00.004-05:00

Parks and Recreation has become one of my favorite shows. I have a first date tomorrow and thought of this scene.

Subtle Sexuality!

2009-11-05T13:50:00.004-05:00

The best part about this song is how honest it is.

Where Immigration Detainees Are Kept

2009-11-03T10:36:00.003-05:00

I went to Varick Street a lot last summer as part of my work at the Bronx Defenders. I recommend reading this article about the conditions there.

Girls: "Lust for Life"

2009-11-02T00:42:00.005-05:00

I'm seeing this band on Friday! Their video kind of reminds me of Nan Goldin.

Save My Home State!

2009-10-29T08:08:00.006-04:00

I'm not a political news junkie, but Matt Bai's piece on the upcoming New Jersey gubernatorial election is just fantastic. A preview:

[Corzine] can no longer conceal his own defensiveness. With voters, [he] sometimes punctuates his answers with a single word — seriously — as if they otherwise might take him for a jokester. During our conversation in his office, I prefaced a question by acknowledging that Corzine had, indeed, gotten quite a bit done in his term. To my surprise, the governor leaned forward and cut me off. He seemed to think I was patronizing him. “No, Matt, I don’t know whether you believe this, but I think we have gotten a lot done!” he said, clearly exasperated. “That’s the thing people don’t get.”

Vineyard near Lake Leman, Switzerland

2009-10-28T14:27:00.006-04:00

Click on the photo to see it lifesize!
Photo by Denis Bailbouse for Reuters

Unreal

2009-10-26T23:52:00.003-04:00

From the New York Times.

Forever Wedding Dance

2009-10-24T10:29:00.001-04:00

I know everyone's seen these, but I had to have them on my site.

Andre J.

2009-10-11T20:46:00.005-04:00

I remember seeing Andre J. on the cover of French Vogue and thinking, "Hey, there's that guy from the neighborhood." I think he lived near my former apartment in Greenwich Village because I would see him all the time. I wasn't a huge fan of the beard, but I liked his long hair and that he always seemed to be walking with a purpose. I also liked how confident he was with his identity.

For Halloween this year, I almost considered dressing like him. But we'll leave that to the truly fabulous.

If you can think of a Halloween costume for me, I'm all ears!

(By the way, I don't mean to disrespect Andre by saying "him" -- I just used the pronoun because it was less creepy than saying "it.")

Bjork: Oceania

2009-10-10T09:56:00.003-04:00

Bjork lyrics

Oceania-Bjork Video - Bjork Music Videos

Music Videos by VideoCure

I'll be honest: I think the glittery face is kind of creepy. But I also love looking at the jellyfish and the water-flowers.

This makes me wanna give you all a low-five

2009-10-04T09:54:00.004-04:00

From Things Being What They Are.

Korea's (?) Best Dance Crew

2009-10-04T09:45:00.005-04:00

Another amazing find from Iwanttowearit.

More Television!

2009-09-30T06:55:00.003-04:00

This is exactly what happens when I ask women out.

Community has potential

2009-09-24T21:40:00.007-04:00

It's the new TV season! Lots of shows look good -- too many in fact (and as a proud couch potato, I feel obligated to watch all of them). This is a clip from Community, in which Senor Chang challenges your Asian stereotypes. Hasta luego!

Mr. Rogers: How Crayons Are Made

2009-09-24T21:12:00.005-04:00

Another video courtesy of Anna. Incredible! Mr. Rogers knew: You don't need snappy delivery when you're presenting material this good.

Conan: Kanye planned his outburst at the VMAs

2009-09-15T11:42:00.001-04:00

Creature Comforts: Cats or Dogs?

2009-08-29T18:45:00.006-04:00

My roommate just got a cat!

Mike Tyson on the Tonight Show

2009-08-28T17:38:00.005-04:00

Mike Tyson is just as amazing to watch in interviews as when he's boxing. I like how Conan's willing to let the segment turn a bit serious in Part II -- it reminds me of late-night shows from the 70s, like Dick Cavett or Tom Snyder.

Oslo, Norway

2009-08-23T09:33:00.006-04:00

From the New York Times.

I still love Better Off Ted

2009-08-19T20:40:00.006-04:00

Ted has touted a project that doesn't exist, Jabberwocky. Now he and Veronica have to present it to their co-workers. Amazing -- it reminds me of this (and, of course, The Emperor's New Clothes). Ah, modern corporate culture...if only the dancing were as good as Portia de Rossi's.

Another video about Dolly Parton

2009-08-08T09:06:00.005-04:00

My favorite part is watching Dolly's mother sing on the TV about 30 years ago (at the 10:20 mark). Also, don't miss Morley Safer's shirt-and-tie combinations! Amazing.

How to Get Wrinkles Out of Ties

2009-08-06T22:36:00.007-04:00

I love how matter-of-fact this woman is. Best of all, there's still hope for my recent shipment from eBay!

You can watch more how-to videos at eHow.com

Wildwood

2009-08-05T22:18:00.005-04:00

Some photos from my friend Colleen's flickr page.

NY Times: A Year of Struggle at the GAP Food Bank

2009-08-01T08:05:00.002-04:00

Hands off, Conan

2009-07-25T12:05:00.004-04:00

God I love Jack McBrayer.

Truer words

2009-07-22T18:02:00.003-04:00

Two quotes from Henry Louis Gates, Jr. -

"[W]hat happened to me, happens over and over and over to black men in America, and you sure don’t read about it on A1.”

"If you wonder why blacks seem particularly susceptible to rumors and conspiracy theories, you might look at a history in which the official was a poor guide to anything that mattered much, and in which rumor sometimes verged on the truth."

It's still smarter than CNN or Fox.

2009-07-18T16:18:00.004-04:00

New Live Poll Allows Pundits To Pander To Viewers In Real Time

I love how Duncan's numbers go down as soon as he says "It's not that simple." Also, Lauralee Hickok is not one to be trifled with.

[Note: On certain browsers the video is cut off on the right-hand side; just click on the link to see it on ONN if that happens. You want to make sure you're watching the poll results in real-time.]

Alexandra Deshorties

2009-07-14T19:45:00.006-04:00

This is a video of soprano Alexandra Deshorties singing "Addio del Passato" from La Traviata. David Sims photographed her for W Magazine. Do yourself a favor (a million favors) and check out the photos as they're arranged on my friend Anna's blog, Iwanttowearit. (The photos are towards the bottom of the post.)

Trailer: 500 Days of Summer

2009-07-12T09:49:00.016-04:00

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is so exceptionally handsome in this movie. I need to take notes on his style...and his genetic structure.

Also movie-related: Director Kathryn Bigelow talking about a scene from her latest film, The Hurt Locker. A lot of people are calling it an action movie, maybe to entice people (like me) who don't generally like war films. There is a lot of action, but the movie is much heavier than, say, the Bourne Ultimatum or Minority Report. That said, I think The Hurt Locker is the best war film I will ever see, and that it would be unfortunate to watch it on the small screen.

I love Better Off Ted.

2009-07-11T02:21:00.001-04:00

Go here to watch it on Hulu.

I knew this would happen

2009-07-09T07:35:00.006-04:00

Mexico Builds Border Wall To Keep Out US Assholes

On certain browsers, the video gets cut off on the right side. Just click on the link to see it on the Onion site.

Kelefa Sanneh on MJ

2009-07-04T23:57:00.014-04:00

Not quite as sad as the loss of Michael Jackson (even before he died) was Kelefa Sanneh's recent departure from the New York Times, where he was a pop music critic. He's now a staff writer at the New Yorker; I guess he was a little too amazing to focus only on music, but I still miss his recommendations.

Last week, Sanneh wrote a short tribute to MJ. You can tell it's by the same guy who came to the defense of Ashlee Simpson after her lip-syncing debacle on SNL. He sees the flaws, he doesn't condescend to Michael by calling him a hero, but he also reminds us that there are certain things you can't take away from him.

Beck - Interview with Robot

2009-06-21T10:53:00.004-04:00

This is a video that Beck put out to promote his 1998 album Mutations. Like a lot of things he does, it manages to succeed as both a gimmick and as genuine, holy shit knock-your-socks-off art. Plus (just as important), Beck is really cute -- check him out with the umbrella at the 6:29 mark. All of the photo montages are beautiful.

A Man's World

2009-06-14T10:30:00.002-04:00

Check out this video from the New York Times on the lives of Aghan widows.

Nurse Jackie

2009-06-01T06:16:00.002-04:00

This is the first episode of the new series. Overall, I think I'm in love. I recommend seeing it on the big(ger) screen over at Showtime.

ONN: Attractive Girls Union Refuses To Enter Into Talks With Mike Greenman

2009-05-30T09:03:00.000-04:00

I'm seeing the Beastie Boys in July!!

2009-05-25T14:16:00.001-04:00

Adorable!

2009-05-13T14:56:00.000-04:00

and coming soon.

The final way to make water taste the way it should.

2009-05-13T14:40:00.004-04:00

As someone who sees flavored water as a sign of late society (i.e., the imminent collapse of Western civilization), I really appreciate this. Enjoy!

If any good ever came of skinny jeans...

2009-05-12T14:19:00.004-04:00

it's this video from my friend Anna and her partner-in-crime Beka about the quest to find good jeans for women with curves. It's from a site they recently started called Full on Style.

$240 worth of pudding

2009-04-21T11:54:00.001-04:00

The State - MTV Shows

I am sure this sketch from The State will get old, but I don't know when. Long live Barry & LeVon.

Wild Thing

2009-03-26T23:54:00.005-04:00

This is the trailer that everyone's talking about. I'm obsessed with it. It makes me cry. It literally makes me cry. Epic. (You shouldn't even watch the version that I've posted. You can see a much better version on the Apple site.)

I've seen this enough times that I could do a John Madden-style freeze-frame analysis (with telestrator and all). That would ruin it though. I just need to have this on my site. The song, in case you don't know, is a re-recording of "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire.

Other good things:
- The poster for the movie (thank you Donna)

- Sinner's Crossroads (a radio show of religious music on WFMU) (thanks Emily!)

- Not kidding: For my journal at school, I have write an analysis of a piece called "Change, Dependency, and Regime Plasticity in Offshore Financial Intermediation: The Saga of the Netherlands Antilles"

Carhenge!

2009-03-12T09:31:00.006-04:00

So, this picture actually has nothing to do with the post, I just like it. It's Western Nebraska's version of Stonehenge, made from vintage automobiles. The photo was taken by my friend Cornelia.

I wasn't able to embed two videos that I want to share, but here they are.

The first one is brought to you courtesy of Sony BMG Latin, and is a music vid for "La Cumbia del Rio" by a group called Los Pikadientes de Caborca. It's basically a compilation of all the amateur dance routines that people posted on Youtube last summer (it was a pretty big hit in Latin America). I love it! (especially around the 1:00 mark)

The second one is of my Constitutional Law professor discussing the Supreme Court's ruling in Lawrence v. Texas -- which struck down that state's anti-sodomy law -- with some right-wing asshole named Mike Carvin. The whole video's good, but there's a pretty awesome smackdown that starts a little after the 19:00 mark. (You really only have to watch for 3 minutes.)

Enjoy!

Bullshit!

2009-01-31T09:35:00.007-05:00

This is the worst way to begin the day, but it demands to be read. My favorite part:

"Justice Scalia cited the work of a criminologist, Samuel Walker, to support his point about increased police professionalism. Professor Walker responded with an opinion article in The Los Angeles Times saying that Justice Scalia had misrepresented his work."

In other news, the Republican Party's timing makes me just a little cynical.

Finally (and not bullshit), check out the beautiful photos on Yuv's blog.

For the Love of Dolly

2009-01-25T21:30:00.004-05:00

This is a trailer for a documentary about Dolly Parton fanatics. My friend Amanda got it from a $1 DVD vending machine the other night and loved it. She and I both like her a lot -- maybe not "everything but her bras and panties," but definitely a few of her albums.

Escape

2009-01-15T12:22:00.003-05:00

I still don't understand why This American Life doesn't get as much love as Mad Men or 30 Rock. This episode is inspirational - take half an hour and treat yourself. You can purchase other episodes through iTunes.

Lost and Found

2008-12-28T14:06:00.004-05:00

Check out the trailer for the short film based on this book. It was shown in the UK on Christmas Eve and will be released in the US later this year.

Here's a description of the book from Oliver Jeffers's fantastic website:

What is a boy to do when a penguin turns up at his door?

Find out where it came from, of course, and return it. Even if it means rowing to the South Pole.

"Revolutionary Road" trailer

2008-12-24T21:29:00.004-05:00

Whatever I think about suburban suicide movies (especially doggerel ones by Sam Mendes), trailers are more about form than content, and this one is very moving. (Again, I'm a sucker for montages.)

I love near the end when you see Kate Winslet screaming and Leonardo DiCaprio covering his ears. And that voice! Nina Simone's creepy, androgynous voice. I wish I could have seen her live.

One comment about the content: I feel like the situation that the couple is in is hard to believe. Who would buy that house and expect it to be temporary? It makes no sense!

Also, check out the hilarious quote on the cover of the novel.

"Would Like to Nurture Elephants"

2008-12-22T15:19:00.002-05:00

Watch CBS Videos Online

For me, it's not puppies or kittens - it's elephants. For my journal at school, we had to fill out surveys that asked us our favorite books, favorite movies, etc. One of the questions was what kind of animal we would be. I was going to put down elephant but I thought it would be really conceited of me, since they're almost perfect. So I put down hippopotamus instead. Which was probably more appropriate anyway, since hippos spend so much time in the water. (Though I like to think I'm not as violent when I deal with humans.)

The quote above is what my friend Amshula thought after seeing this. I would too.

More great videos: International Laundry Day!

Cuba

2008-12-06T09:25:00.011-05:00

These images are from a slideshow on the NY Times' site. I just wanted to see them all lined up together.

Also, watch this tremendous interview with Diana Vreeland on my friend's site. I sometimes get obsessed with the way people talk -- in this case, how she's obviously old-money but without sounding even a little bit snooty.

Finally, check out the Life Magazine photography archives on Google. The first two things I thought to type in were "Madonna" and "Palestine," and the results were incredible.

The Wrestler

2008-11-30T00:33:00.003-05:00

I was skeptical about a movie that involves Darren Aronofsky, Mickey Rourke, and Evan Rachel Wood. Plus, as much as I like Marisa Tomei, she is playing the stripper with a heart of gold (right down to "giving key advice and serving as a go-between"). But I love the trailer, and I can't wait to see this.

My favorite part: when you see Mickey Rourke's and Marisa Tomei's characters talking about how "Cobain ruined everything." That's the way a lot of older people feel, that there was this tremendous optimism in the 80s -- in the music, in the politics -- and then the 90s kind of washed that all away (along with gallons of Aqua Net).

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-22T09:49:00.006-05:00

Nightclub
by Billy Collins

You are so beautiful and I am a fool
to be in love with you
is a theme that keeps coming up
in songs and poems.
There seems to be no room for variation.
I have never heard anyone sing
I am so beautiful
and you are a fool to be in love with me,
even though this notion has surely
crossed the minds of women and men alike.
You are so beautiful, too bad you are a fool
is another one you don't hear.
Or, you are a fool to consider me beautiful.
That one you will never hear, guaranteed.

For no particular reason this afternoon
I am listening to Johnny Hartman
whose dark voice can curl around
the concepts on love, beauty, and foolishness
like no one else's can.
It feels like smoke curling up from a cigarette
someone left burning on a baby grand piano
around three o'clock in the morning;
smoke that billows up into the bright lights
while out there in the darkness
some of the beautiful fools have gathered
around little tables to listen,
some with their eyes closed,
others leaning forward into the music
as if it were holding them up,
or twirling the loose ice in a glass,
slipping by degrees into a rhythmic dream.

Yes, there is all this foolish beauty,
borne beyond midnight,
that has no desire to go home,
especially now when everyone in the room
is watching the large man with the tenor sax
that hangs from his neck like a golden fish.
He moves forward to the edge of the stage
and hands the instrument down to me
and nods that I should play.
So I put the mouthpiece to my lips
and blow into it with all my living breath.
We are all so foolish,
my long bebop solo begins by saying,
so damn foolish
we have become beautiful without even knowing it.

Honey bee

2008-11-09T19:09:00.004-05:00

This is the cover of the new Lucinda Williams album.

More great photography: the William Eggleston show at the Whitney Museum in New York. Here's the trailer to a documentary about him. I love his drawl, and the way he puffs smoke out as soon as his cigarette is lighted (at the 1:10 mark) - it's like he's a dragon. (wow, I should not put the words "puff" and "dragon" in the same sentence)

Is Clint Eastwood Insane?

2008-10-29T00:06:00.006-04:00

Wow, I will never see this movie, but the trailer is hilarious. This is for Clint Eastwood's new film Gran Torino, coming out on December 17th. It has the same Edward Hopper-style cinematography as Million Dollar Baby, and kind of the same central character too (grizzled; skeptical of priests; rediscovers life through an ingratiating, twenty-something female).

But then it also has drive-by shootings, which is very not Million Dollar Baby. (neither are Asian gangs)

It all makes a little more sense when you find out that it's a Dirty Harry film.

Hitler Plans Burning Man

2008-10-26T22:55:00.007-04:00

Virginia Heffernan wrote about the recent popularity of videos that take the climax from the movie Downfall and replace the dialogue with Hitler talking about something else - everything from the candidacy of Sarah Palin to problems with playing Xbox live. None of them made me laugh as much as the one in which he plans a trip to Burning Man. As someone who is pretty sure that he hates anyone who goes to that festival, I get a special pleasure out of this.

Night night

2008-10-20T23:08:00.003-04:00

I'm so tired, but I had to post this. It's from Emily's page - Adventures in Low Zip Codes.

For some reason this mug reminds me that I need to buy new pajamas.

"Modern Guilt" by Beck

2008-10-19T22:54:00.003-04:00

Dolly Parton

2008-10-11T17:50:00.006-04:00

This is a great interview with Dolly Parton from Studio 360. I remember how Ms. Cusack in fourth grade would play her version of "I Will Always Love You" if we behaved well. (It was a nice way to end the day.)

I love her sense of humor - how self-depracating and disarming it is. My friend Amanda has a live album by Dolly, on which she dedicates one of the songs to the drag queens in the front row: "Y'all look more like me than I ever will!"

Canadian Geese on Overbrook Road...

2008-10-11T10:18:00.004-04:00

Who cares if they smell and always sound like they're balking at something? This is love at first sight! The geese are still around because of the Indian summer we're having, which feels even nicer than the actual summer.

My friend Amneris sent me this photo, which was taken in front of her house.

He'll always be Puff Daddy to me

2008-10-10T19:04:00.004-04:00

This is the video to "It's All About the Benjamins (Rock Remix)" by Puff Daddy, who now goes by "Diddy." (Your momma called you Puff for a reason - don't disrespect her!)

I'm actually not much of a fan of the remix or even the video, but from about the 0:55 mark to the 1:55 mark, it's pure genius! Puff and his crew crash a high school dance, where some black dude is singing "Everybody Hurts" by REM. It's the best version I've heard of the song, ever.

Also, check out Lil' Kim slow dancing.

The video is by Spike Jonze.

Culture clash

2008-10-09T16:27:00.007-04:00

It's so interesting to see what's acceptable in other cultures. If US military commanders were photographed sitting in plush leather couches, they would be ridiculed. But in Iraq it's apparently acceptable. (Not that I think many Iraqis would feel comfortable making fun of the military if they thought otherwise.)

The photo was taken from the BBC News site.

Cat Power

2008-10-03T00:36:00.004-04:00

This is the cover of her new EP. (I tried getting rid of the border and couldn't do it. If you click on the photo it doesn't have one.)

Creature Comforts!

2008-09-30T07:08:00.005-04:00

I'm obsessed with this show. It's from Nick Park & company, who also did "Wallace & Gromit." They interviewed members of the Great British Public about all sorts of things -- their jobs, what they like to eat, whether they enjoy the circus -- and then turned them into animals. Genius!

The first episode is called "The Pet Shop," and the second is called "Being a Bird."

You can also check out the very first "Creature Comforts," which won the Oscar for best animated short in 1989. It's much more lo-fi, but still worth your time (if only for the puma).

(Actual) Air

2008-09-30T07:05:00.004-04:00

This is a picture of the band Air performing at a club in Beijing. (Still not as great as the Olympics!)

Wipeout (I mean, Bailout)

2008-09-25T23:50:00.004-04:00

Ummm... when the President says "this sucker could go down," chances are it's your country that he's talking about. And when the Treasury Secretary gets down on one knee and begs for support from the Speaker of the House, chances are it's your Treasury Secretary doing that.

Yes We Can!

2008-09-22T00:06:00.003-04:00

I think this is a phenomenal campaign ad. I'm not usually one for endorsements because I don't trust politicians, and I would hate to tell everyone to vote for one guy and then watch him nuke some village in Kandahar. Still, I can't help getting chills -- and a little misty-eyed -- when I watch this.

It's all in the execution: documentary-like footage of individuals left in the dark during the Bush years, who come together at the end of the ad in arenas and parks to join Obama, just as the sun begins to rise (again). And at the end it says, "You can change the world."

Bravo to whoever decided that the music would fit. It's an instrumental version of a song by The National called "Fake Empire." I had always simply thought the song was a little sad because of the lyrics ("It's hard to keep track of you falling through the sky / We're half-awake in a fake empire"). But it rolls along nicely, and adds a really positive momentum.

It's not an opera... It's a stopera!

2008-09-18T00:32:00.005-04:00

I had to cancel my plans on Sunday night to make way for new ones. Specifically, the Whirling Dervishes of Damascus! A lot of people don't know what it means to whirl like a dervish. As usual, the combination of YouTube and Wikipedia lets me pretend like I do.

Whirling Dervishes are considered part of the Sufi order of Islam, which is rooted in mystical traditions. They whirl as a way of remembering Allah, and have even played to sold-out crowds in Denver!

About the video: I love how the cover that flies away comes back at the end. (you'll see what I mean) The video also has the best music out of any of the ones with dervishes on YouTube, which are many.

Becky and Marcus's Wedding!

2008-09-14T10:39:00.013-04:00

Ryan, Emily, Becky, Me, Matt, and Alex. Becky's holding a felt stitching of the ultimate tattoo - one that combines all the most popular cliches: a flaming skull with a rose in its mouth, whose one eye is a ying-yang and whose other is a peace sign. Ryan and Emily, who I recently visited in Vermont, made it.

I love this shot of Becky and her mom. Try to ignore the guy to the left.

Emily and her stick-on tattoo.

Becky and Marcus unwrap the ultimate.

Becky and I did not get married.

This Rahul's Life

2008-09-14T10:23:00.003-04:00

Robert Krulwich talked to This American Life about how he once mistook one his wife's memories for one of his own, which has definitely happened to me (not with a wife, obviously). John Kuramoto animated the story, adding some really nice touches. I love how Robert becomes like Genghis Khan (the 2:45 mark), and how he also seems to think that he raised the flag at Iwo Jima (3:30).

Unstoppable! (Tina and Amy, not Hillary and Sarah)

2008-09-14T09:13:00.007-04:00

I don't like either politician, but the idea of more sketches featuring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler sort of makes me wish for a joint ticket. I love so much about this: Hillary's rueful, incredulous laugh when Sarah says that "all you have to do is want it"; also, how Sarah can't help sounding flattered as she tells people to stop objectifying her.

Tina Fey does such a good job! Also check out her impression of Britney Spears in an interview with the TV Guide network. The Britney part really gets going at the 4:55 mark, but the whole interview is worth watching, if only to see how witless the interviewer is, and how badly she hides her disdain for him.

I'm back!

2008-09-10T22:22:00.005-04:00

According to Wikipedia, "the unbroken world record for spinning multiple plates, verified as a Guinness World Record, is held by David Spathaky, assisted by Debbie Woolley, who spun 108 plates simultaneously in Bangkok, Thailand on television in 1996."

My life seems a little more manageable after reading that. I'm gonna set a goal to post at least once a week, on Mondays, and stop letting my friends hog all the fun of the blogosphere.

You can see said hog-friends by clicking on the links to the right. Anna Yanofsky has already won a Lifetime Achievement Award. She is the greatest, hands down, holy shit. (Or maybe I just love anyone who gives out an award for most awkward fashion show.)

Luke Ramsey

2008-08-12T21:30:00.004-04:00

The trip to Vermont was wonderful. I didn't take any pictures because they would have looked small and stupid, and Vermont demands majesty!

Anyhoo, Ryan showed me a room that his friend Luke Ramsey painted for a nephew of his. Would the fruits have scared me as a kid? I was a very sensitive child...

Sorry for the sporadic blog postings - It's not school that's keeping me, it's the Olympics! USA! USA! (and all that stuff about international harmony as well)

"A consistent manifestation of unenlightened perversity.”

2008-08-08T07:02:00.003-04:00

It's so weird when you're going to Vermont and the featured article on the NY Times site - your homepage - is about going there. Well, more precisely, about a Depression-era travel guide for the state.

The title of the post, by the way, is the guide's take on how outside observers view the "creative chuztpah" that Vermonters have. Amen! I'm hoping to find a lot of such perversity when I visit my friends Emily and Ryan. If you go to the interactive feature in the article, you can even see a short slide show on Brattleboro, where they live.

North Korean Propaganda

2008-07-27T10:41:00.009-04:00

"Let's give a bigger part to the advantages of the socialist treatment system through greater effort!" (The translation is maybe a bit too literal.)

"Look! The face of American imperialism!"

These are both from North Korean Posters: The David Heather Collection.

North Korea is no longer evil, according to the Bush administration. I loved Andy Rash's depiction of the meeting between Condi Rice and Pak Ui-chun. Did they actually look that upset? I can't find any photos to corroborate this (or Mr. Ui-chun's eyebrows).

Patti Smith - Genius

2008-07-13T09:53:00.004-04:00

Patti Smith just did an interview for the NY Times Magazine. At one point the interviewer said, "You seem very sane for a punk rocker." I loved her response:

"I had a very good model. My mother had no end of tragedy in her life. She would make herself get up and take a deep breath and go out and do laundry. Hang up sheets. She told me that when she looked at the laundry, the sheets flowing in the wind, and the sun, it was like a fresh start."

The photo is by Annie Leibovitz. You can read the whole interview here. I also really like the part where she insists that she uses conditioner.

"Gamma Ray" by Beck

2008-07-11T05:57:00.003-04:00

What's the story here? Who cares? We get to see some great shots of Beck in wayfarers. I envy people who can wear them, just like I envy people who can wear levi's and converses (and trust me, not everyone can).

The song is off of his new album, which I'm kind of lukewarm about - though I do love one song off of it called "Chemtrails," which is this trippy, sad Skip Spence-influenced reverie with lyrics that keep asking "So many people / Where do they go?" Where indeed.

I will post music videos for people other than Beck, I promise.

America: Bigger and Badder (or at least bigger)

2008-07-06T21:17:00.009-04:00

The Centers for Disease Control posted a slideshow that chronicles how obesity has spread in the past 20 years. Scary stuff.

One of my friends thinks that the prevalence of obesity in America is a sign of "late society" - decline brought on by our own success and consumption. She likens it to how the Ancient Romans needed vomitoriums because there was so much binging going on (supposedly, anyway).

"Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometimes" by Beck

2008-07-04T21:30:00.004-04:00

I'm in love with this video. I wasn't even such a fan of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but it was beautiful to look at (Jim Carrey helped). Beck released a whole album of slow, sad songs in 2002, but none of them compare to this one.

The Korgis sang the original version of this song.

Men's Fashion - Spring 2009

2008-07-03T22:17:00.010-04:00

Here's an obvious winner. It's from Junya Watanabe, who's been collaborating with Brooks Brothers lately. Of course, this kind of idealization of the stylish traveler is a little absurd (those tight pants will get motherfucking hot on safari, prettyboy) - still, I like it.

This is from Dolce & Gabbana. Try to ignore the face and glasses, and just focus on how freakishly well this suit fits. As someone who wears a dress shirt size that Brooks Brothers doesn't even make (15" neck, 35" arm), I'm impressed.

This is from Miharayasushiro. I'm just going to focus on the top and the bottom. First, I like imagining that a very dark rain cloud is descending over this fellow - that it has darkened not only the collar of his jacket, but also his mood. (The gloominess is just a little more interesting than most models' I think.)

And then there's whatever's on his feet. Is this what Romans used when somebody sprained their ankle? The outfit is strange, but not so much that I think it's beyond the realm of good or bad. I like it - I'm a fan.

Obviously she's not a man. Think of this as a bonus. That hair! Brilliant!
(The dress is Alexander McQueen.)

Somebody's gotta pay...

2008-07-02T00:39:00.006-04:00

The US government is taking tips from Chairman Mao in conducting the War on Terror. Let's try to forget that for a moment, and focus instead on one of the more light-hearted (and less reprehensible) things I've come across in the NY Times recently. It'll replenish us for the rage ahead.

This is an article by Karen Karbo, in response to a query from the Times about the effects of rising gas prices. (The graph is courtesy of the National Retail Federation, and is actually pretty outdated. I just like the way it looks.)

Hair-Raiser
By Karen Karbo

In Portland, Oregon, embracing alternative transportation is on par with recycling: everyone does it. Or at least thinks really hard about doing it.

Our family was in this latter, slackerish category. But when the price of gas hit $4.35 a gallon at our local pump, we knew we had to park the car and haul out the bikes, which also meant digging out the bike helmets. And here’s where our family fails to reach a consensus on saving money, not to mention the planet.

It’s not about the bike, it’s the bike helmet, specifically the helmet hair that results after even the least strenuous pedal to the video store.

Portland is almost as bicycle-friendly as Beijing. Businessmen wander the streets in broad daylight with bicycle clips on the pant legs of their expensive suits and no one blinks. But businessmen are not teenage girls who’ve made a minor religion of keeping their sheaves of flat-ironed hair plate straight at all times.

My 16-year-old daughter will bike to the grocery store or gym, but if she’s headed to a social event (school qualifies), she insists I drive her. She claims the few extra dollars spent on gas now will save many thousands of dollars in therapy bills later.

I say, but what about the planet? She says she’ll deal with the guilt. I say, a little helmet hair will not ruin a good time, and anyway, everyone has helmet hair these days. She snorts: not everyone.

Which is the crux of the problem: until helmet hair becomes universally chic, we will never be free of our dependency on mom chauffeuring us to the mall.

Romance! Dragons!

2008-06-29T21:21:00.007-04:00

I'm stealing this from Virginia Heffernan. After watching this interview with Judy York, a top romance illustrator, I suddenly find the covers of those novels a lot more interesting. I never really thought before, "Hmm, I'll bet the Knight's Lady wishes she had some antibiotics and toothpaste."

My favorite quote has to be - "Dragonborn by Jade Lee is about a woman who is incubating a dragon." I actually admire that she doesn't see anything funny about that. (It is a really serious problem.)

And since we're talking about dragons:

This is cheating no more!

2008-06-08T21:14:00.005-04:00

I had a rule against posting things that were from any of the links to the right (--->). But no one was actually looking at those pages (even fewer than the number looking at Rahul Owns My Soul). So, times gotta change.

This is from Yuval Ben-Ami's blog. He's in Europe, the bastard (meanwhile, I get to travel to Bronx, NY everyday and go to housing court).

Without the Knights Templar, we might not have had the Crusades...or The Da Vinci Code. But we also wouldn't have magnificent churches like this, which is in the village of Alonei Aba, in Germany.

Six Points to Remember for Your AIPAC Speech

2008-06-08T10:29:00.005-04:00

I have my own worthless opinions on America's role in the Middle East, but that's not why I'm posting this graphical analysis of Obama's and McCain's speeches to the American-Israeli Political Action Committee (AIPAC). Rather, I just love how cleanly it exposes the ingratiating ways in which candidates present their ideas.

Umbrellas of Hanoi

2008-06-08T09:12:00.002-04:00

These are pictures my friend Devin took on his recent trip to Vietnam. The umbrellas served as a canopy for the outdoor seating area of a cafe he went to.

I'm famous! (sort of!)

2008-05-31T16:11:00.003-04:00

My friend talked about this jackalope postcard I sent her in a blog entry about the death of postcards (rumors of which have been greatly exaggerated).