Capri

Spring of 2010 my niece went with some fellow students to Italy and Greece. This lovely shot of Capri, taken by one of her friends, is a favourite of ours. All of the pictures that Nicole took, sadly were deleted from her family's computer, so this is one of only five pictures of the trip that she was able to steal from friends' myspace pages.

(photo by Sam K. Class of 2010)

On the Bus

My niece was messing around on the bus on her way to school last semester and took this brilliant photo. The blur of Philly rowhomes out the window, the cockeyed angle of the shot and the whooshing movement against the stillness of the woman make for a simple yet complex and mesmerizing picture.

(photo by ashlee)

Wishing on a Star

I've had Luka Bloom's version of this song by Billie Rae Calvin rolling around my noggin for well over two weeks. I love every line.

I'm wishing on a star
To follow where you are
I'm wishing on a dream
To follow what it means.

And I wish on every rainbow
That I've ever seen
I'm wishing on the people
Who really dream
I'm wishing on tomorrow
Should it ever come
I'm wishing on the loving
We have ever done.

I never thought I'd see
A time when you would be
So far away from home
So far away from me.
I think of all the moments
That we spent
I just can't let you go
For me you were meant
I didn't mean to hurt you
But I know
That in the game of love
You reap what you sow.

I think it's time we should make up
I think it's time we should get back together
Make the best of things
Whether or never make the best of things

I'm wishing on a star
To follow where you are
I'm wishing on a dream
To follow what it means

I'm wishing on a star
I'm wishing on a star...

(lyrics kidnapped from lyricsmode)

700 Sundays

Reading Billy Crystal's book I was struck by something that his grandfather said at Billy's father's funeral. He said, "Time is a bastard: When you're sad there's too much of it, and when you're happy there's never enough." So damn true.

Frances Bean Cobain

Stunning photographs by Heidi Slimane

Bethlehem Steel

Shaun O'Boyle photographs of Bethlehem Steel in Bethlehem, PA.

I have no memory of when or how I first came across this man's photographs, but I love to stare at them. My eye is always drawn to ruins; torn down homes, broken windows, and burnt out farmhouses. Shaun O'Boyle's photos are exactly the subject I would most like to study. Each picture is mesmerizing and leaves me daydreaming of what the building was like in its heyday. Who walked there and what became of what it once was are the questions that plague my mind.

Cerpts Music Survey

Back in the day Cerpts sent out this list of artists and here are my answers for my fave songs by each of them:

LITTLE RICHARD: Lucille
CHUCK BERRY: Johnny B. Goode
FATS DOMINO: Ain't That a Shame
THE ROLLING STONES: Paint it Black
JAMES BROWN: It's a Man's Man's Man's World
ELVIS PRESLEY: You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
DAVID BOWIE: Life On Mars
ELTON JOHN: Daniel
LED ZEPPELIN: Fool in the Rain
SIMON AND GARFUNKEL: The Only Living Boy in New York
MARVIN GAYE: 'T' Plays It Cool
THE CLASH: London Calling
BOB DYLAN: Like a Rolling Stone
SAM COOKE: Cupid
PAUL SIMON: Me & Julio Down By The Schoolyard
THE RAMONES: Slug
BOB MARLEY: I'm Hurtin' Inside
NICK DRAKE: One of These Things First
LYNYRD SKYNYRD: Free Bird
JANIS JOPLIN: Summertime
EARTH, WIND & FIRE: After the Love is Gone
CURTIS MAYFIELD: Superfly
ARETHA FRANKLIN: Think
STEVIE WONDER: I Love Every Little Thing About You
JONI MITCHELL: Carey
AL GREEN: Let's Stay Together
BLONDIE: Call Me
JOAN ARMATRADING: Down to Zero
THE SMITHS: Cemetry Gates
RUN-DMC: It's Tricky
SLY & THE FAMILY STONE: Everybody is a Star
METALLICA: Mama Said
DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES: I Hear a Symphony
THE TEMPTATIONS: Ball of Confusion
THE SPINNERS: I'll Be Around
REM: I Don't Sleep, I Dream
QUEEN: Somebody to Love
PRINCE: Scandalous
THE KINKS: Dedicated Follower of Fashion
THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS: For the Love of Ivy
NIRVANA: Scentless Apprentice
PEARL JAM: Wishlist
FLEETWOOD MAC: Silver Springs
DURAN DURAN: A View to a Kill
SARAH VAUGHAN: One Mint Julep
ELLA FITZGERALD: I Hadn't Anyone 'til You
DINAH WASHINGTON: Blue Gardenia
BILLIE HOLIDAY: Strange Fruit

Walkin' Though the Woods

Today my niece Nicole and I went for a little stroll in the woods near my brothers' home. I love autumn and I love to photograph my nieces, so joining the two is always an ideal combination.

Then later we lept from the car and I snapped a picture of Nikki by this sign, because we are both lunatics.

The Son-in-Law

by Shag

Aunt Charlotte's

Located just a few towns away, Aunt Charlotte's is one of the best candy shoppes ever.

Coffee Time

Live from the diner on the outskirts of The Dark Forest, Coffee Time marks the sixteenth broadcast of my favourite radio programme. Rickster Rick is hosting this episode from a tan naughahyde booth way in the back corner of the diner where Alonso the barista has played on him a cruel joke. He slipped our darling host a cup of the Borders Blend. Bleck! What could possibly be worse? What Rickster Rick doesn't know is that I dropped in earlier that week and told Alonso to change our hero's usual cup of decadent black-as-pitch coffee to one known in several circles as Satan's urine sample. After recovering, Rickster Rick treated us to many a fabulous song dedicated to that divine drink made from a plant. This is one of the best broadcasts in my opinion because the host and I first met in a small café where I slung coffee so many years ago. But let's get back to the music, shall we?

In between tracks like Bob Marley's "One Cup of Coffee" and "Java Jive" by the Ink Spots are Maxwell House adverts from George Burns and Gracie Allen as well as the jingle for Chock Full of Nuts (that heavenly coffee). The gem of the evening was listening to Bob Dylan wax philosophic about "The amber liquid of life...the common man's gold and like gold it brings to every person the feeling of luxury and nobility." Later in the broadcast, Dylan quotes Charles Maurice de Talleyrand's idea of the perfect cup of coffee: "Black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel and sweet as love. And as good as a cup of coffee is, it's even better with a cigarette." You got that right, Bobby. Otis Redding most certainly agrees with that sentiment with his gorgeous "Cigarettes and Coffee."

Other fabulous tracks are The Boswell Sisters' "Coffee in the Morning and Kisses in the Night," Marlene Dietrich's "You're the Cream in My Coffee," Jen Rathbun's "Coffee, Chocolate, and Men," and Kate Bush performing "Coffee Homeground." After Scatman Crothers tells us to "Keep That Coffee Hot!" we move on to Ella Mae Morse's "Forty Cups of Coffee" which has our host, Rickster Rick state in his dry sense of humour, "Talk about jittery..."

The evening's classic moment is when Rickster Rick advises Squeeze after their performance of "Black Coffee in Bed" that "stirring a little black coffee in bed is really not a good idea, folks. Uh, stain the sheets, ya know." Let that be a lesson to you coffee-in-bed drinkers. The evening draws to a close with Lullatone's "Morning Coffee" which truly does sound like coffee percolating. Another splendid broadcast from The Dark Forest.

Covered Bridge Road with Ash

Marc's Garage

I snapped this photo of my brother, Xavier and his buddy Marc at the garage when they were working on Truman. There are few things in this world as fabulous as men that work with their hands.

Fabulous Tattoo

Don't know where I saw this, perhaps over on The Dainty Squid blog, but it most certainly bears repeating because I think it's spectacular.

Scott Caan

Kids on Porch with My Nikon in Little Rock, Arkansas

This is the world's most precious face. I adore this photograph.

Marilyn's Library

(photograph of Ms. Monroe by Elliott Erwitt)

Crooked Smile...

...busted up knees, cute dress, and super cool shoes. Funnily enough, I'm pretty much the same 'cept I don't wear dresses.

Creepy, Disturbing, Beautiful

Edvard Munch's Madonna is, to me, a visual companion to an Edgar Allan Poe poem.

Lackawanna Trail

Shoelaces

Nina Simone "Feeling Good"
Strawberry Alarm Clock "Incense & Peppermints"
Felix da Housecat "Money, Success, Fame, Glamour"
Gordon Lightfoot "If You Could Read My Mind"
The Smiths "This Night Has Opened My Eyes"
The Blow Monkeys "You Don't Own Me"
Cream "Sunshine of You Love"
Evan Dando "The Ballad of El Goodo"
Depeche Mode "I Want You Now"
Kenny Rogers & The 1st Edition "Just Dropped In"
Michael Nyman "The Heart Asks Pleasure First"
Barbra Streisand "Gotta Move"
Bob Dylan "Like a Rolling Stone"
David Soul "Don't Give Up On Us"
Mickey & Sylvia "Love Is Strange"
U2 "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
Iron Butterfly "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"
Five for Fighting "Nobody"

~June 4th, 2004

(it needs to be stated that the last track on this mix was put on as a joke because epiphany and i HATED listening to it at the hellmouth back in the day. it's so bad it's actually funny.)

Subtle Genius

John Cazale. What an effortless talent. Growing up I'd always known his name because his line in Dog Day Afternoon, "Wyoming" stood out for my father and grandfather. They often spoke of what a hilarious moment that was in the film. My mother on the other hand did not care for the language - "utterly abhorrent!" - but to this day still loves to quote Fredo in Godfather II. Since I have four or more stars for each of John's films in my Netflix account, they finally got around to recommending I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale the other day. I only wish it was a longer documentary with more about the man than about his craft. It was so awesome to hear his peers and colleagues speak so highly of him. The DVD also boasts special features that include a short film that John starred in (The American Way) as well as one that he filmed (The Box). Definitely check out all things John Cazale because the man does not disappoint.

(photo kidnapped from bam)

Hesher

(photo kidnapped from filmofilia)

Sad
Frightening
Bizarre
Realistic
Endearing
Brilliant
Disturbing
Heartbreaking
Infuriating
Funny
Disjointed

Hesher was all of the above and then some. Give it a look.

WAHOO!!!!!!!!

Best news ever - Arrested Development is coming back!! I was having a super crappy day and trying not to bawl my eyes out at my desk and this just made all the annoying bullshit disappear. I can't wait!!!!

(photo kidnapped from superpowerbros)

Bad Ass Tat

Back in my Aisle days, I worked with a gal named Tina who had the baddest, nerdiest tattoo ever. See for yourself:

Marina In Armenia

Marina sent me some photos of her town in Colombia and I am in love with the street in Salento that her roommate, Dave photographed. It's a fabulous picture with a gorgeous navy blue sky.