James Franco, star of Milk, Pineapple Express, and the Spider-Man movies, is coming to Yale for a Ph.D. in English after getting his M.F.A. at Columbia. Here are some facts about Franco:
Byron, Shelley, and Keats are descending from heaven to publish new poems for James Franco to include in his dissertation.
James Franco's dissertation reveals who Shakespeare's sonnets' Rival Poet was: JAMES FRANCO.
James Franco's diss. doesn't have rough drafts. It just has the parts forthcoming from Verso, Routledge, & @UChicagoPress.
James Franco cites in neither Chicago nor MLA style. Actually, he does not cite at all—he stands on no giant's shoulders.
James Franco won't have a tenure hearing. He'll have a tenure concert, open to the public, proceeds to other Ph.D. students.
James Franco won't get a named Chair in English Literature. He'll get a named Living Room Set.
James Franco doesn't hire research assistants. 1. He doesn't need help. 2. He doesn't search; he has already found.
James Franco is allowed to drink in Special Collections. His reflexes guarantee no coffee spills on rare books.
James Franco never pays for photocopies at the library. Why kill trees while neglecting a photographic memory?
James Franco's dissertation is not a "contribution to the field." It *is* the field.
James Franco doesn't take notes in class. Sure, his memory is great, but, more, it's that the lecturers are quoting him.
JSTOR granted James Franco full PDF access for life.
James Franco won the culture war.
Debates about the canon are solved by looking at James Franco's iBooks library.
James Franco begged & pleaded w/ Hegel for months & finally succeeded. "Thesis, Antithesis, Franco" was scrapped.
James Franco asks all the questions at his job talks.
James Franco writes marginalia in library books in pen. Librarians and scholars thank him.
James Franco doesn't know the rules about Fair Use. Congress exempted him from copyright infringement in 1982.
SUNY Albany cut French in order to endow the James Franco Chair in James Franco Studies.
From The Chronicle.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Watches I Have Been Outbid On - EBay
 |
Raketa ANTARCTIC Vintage Soviet Polar 24 Hours Watch |
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DOXA Antique WWII NAVY Military Wristwatch |
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LONGINES DAY/DATE AUTOMATIC MEN'S WATCH |
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Hamilton Man’s Swiss Automatic Round Wristwatch. 59K |
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RAYMOND WEIL GENEVE DATE AUTO MEN'S WATCH, GOLD DIAL |
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Restaurant Review: Guu Izakaya
Well, I finally went, and it was everything I expected. On Tuesday night, I went to Guu Izakaya with a couple of friends. I had been looking forward to this restaurant for a very long time, since I've gotten great reviews from friends, and I love "different" restaurants. Well, Guu really lived up to the hype - what a fun place. It reminded me so much of Japan. The atmosphere and food were unlike anything I've been to in Toronto (maybe a little like Kenzo Ramen on Dundas, but more over the top) and it felt so authentic. Anyway, here's the review.
We arrived at about 7:00 pm and we were informed the wait was about 1-1.5 h. Wow. I was expecting this because I've been told the wait was usually long, but come on. A Tuesday night! Anyway, wait we did, and it wasn't so bad. They don't exactly have an indoor waiting room, but there is a side room heated by heat lamps, and we sat there. Fortunately, you are able to order drinks in this room, which is a HUGE plus, and definitely made the time go by. Sure enough, we waited for an hour and a half.
When you walk in to the restaurant for your table, everyone working shouts "hello!" at you, really loud (I presume it is something like hello, but it's in Japanese). It's like they are celebrating that you finally got a table! They do it for everyone, and they do when you leave to (Goodbye!) so you can imagine how lively the place is. The restaurant is rather small, which explains the long wait. It is decorated pretty modernly and there is an open kitchen that takes up about 25% of the space. All the waiters wear name tags and the kitchen staff wear various kinds of toques. They are all hipster Japanese people who don't really speak much English, which adds to the feeling of authentic Tokyo.
When we asked the waiter for recommendations, he told us everything was good. Very helpful. We ended up ordering the following:
"GOMAAE" Boiled spinach with black sesame sauce;
"MAGURO TATAKI" Loghtly seared B.C. albacore tuna sashimi with ponzu sauce and garlic chips;
"SALMON NATTO YUKKE" Chopped salmon sashimi with seven friends(Natto, shibazuke, takuan, wonton chips, garlic chips, green onion and raw egg yolk). Mix them up and wrap it in NORI seaweed;
"NASU MISO" Deep fried eggplant with sweet miso sauce;
"TOKYO FRIES" French fries in ketchup and other Japanese sauces;
"GINDARA" Grilled black cod with SAIKYO miso and white wine; and
"KAKIMAYO" Grilled oysters with spinach, garlic mayo and cheese on the top.
Seems like a lot but they are all just like tapas - very small dishes.We tried to get a variation of styles, and we definitely did. The food came really quickly, which was great because by the time we sat down, we were starving.
Well, where to begin. The Gomaae was delicious. We really liked the sauce it was covered in. The Maguro Tataki was also delicious - I've never had sashimi with pepper seasoning, and it went really well, more like a beef carpaccio flavor. The Salmon Natto Yukke was definitely the most interesting dish. The "7 friends" come separated in a bowl, but the waiter has this intense mixing routine that he performs at the table, essentially turning the friends into an eggy muck. This muck is then rolled up in nori (seaweed) by us and eaten with our hands. Really fun, good flavor, but the the look of the muck could definitely turn people off. The Nasu Miso was pretty basic and similar to one of my favorite dishes at Sushi on Bloor. Good, filling, cheap, but nothing really interesting or special. The Tokyo Fries are pretty much the one thing that one of my friends would eat, because they were just fries in Asian sauces (he is picky). Basic, but delicious of course. The Gindara was excellent. I love black cod and try to order it whenever I see it. If you haven't tried it, then you definitely should as soon as possible. It melts in your mouth, this heavenly fish, and has a great flavor. The portion was rather small, which was expected because it's an expensive fish, but you don't really need a lot. The Kakimayo was definitely the favorite of the night. They shuck the oyster, take out the meat and puree it with potatoes and cheese, then stuff it back in to the shell and bake it.
To sum up the food, very interesting and delicious, but very different from the traditional Japanese we were used to. If you are looking for something different and authentic, this is your place.
The bill came to $100, including tax, tip, and drinks (2 glasses of wine, 1 beer, 2 Diet Cokes). Not bad considering how good it was.
Rating: 9/10, I will return as soon as I get the chance.
Guu Izakaya is located at 398 Church St., a couple of blocks south of Carlton. No reservations so expect long waits.
We arrived at about 7:00 pm and we were informed the wait was about 1-1.5 h. Wow. I was expecting this because I've been told the wait was usually long, but come on. A Tuesday night! Anyway, wait we did, and it wasn't so bad. They don't exactly have an indoor waiting room, but there is a side room heated by heat lamps, and we sat there. Fortunately, you are able to order drinks in this room, which is a HUGE plus, and definitely made the time go by. Sure enough, we waited for an hour and a half.
When you walk in to the restaurant for your table, everyone working shouts "hello!" at you, really loud (I presume it is something like hello, but it's in Japanese). It's like they are celebrating that you finally got a table! They do it for everyone, and they do when you leave to (Goodbye!) so you can imagine how lively the place is. The restaurant is rather small, which explains the long wait. It is decorated pretty modernly and there is an open kitchen that takes up about 25% of the space. All the waiters wear name tags and the kitchen staff wear various kinds of toques. They are all hipster Japanese people who don't really speak much English, which adds to the feeling of authentic Tokyo.
When we asked the waiter for recommendations, he told us everything was good. Very helpful. We ended up ordering the following:
"GOMAAE" Boiled spinach with black sesame sauce;
"MAGURO TATAKI" Loghtly seared B.C. albacore tuna sashimi with ponzu sauce and garlic chips;
"SALMON NATTO YUKKE" Chopped salmon sashimi with seven friends(Natto, shibazuke, takuan, wonton chips, garlic chips, green onion and raw egg yolk). Mix them up and wrap it in NORI seaweed;
"NASU MISO" Deep fried eggplant with sweet miso sauce;
"TOKYO FRIES" French fries in ketchup and other Japanese sauces;
"GINDARA" Grilled black cod with SAIKYO miso and white wine; and
"KAKIMAYO" Grilled oysters with spinach, garlic mayo and cheese on the top.
Seems like a lot but they are all just like tapas - very small dishes.We tried to get a variation of styles, and we definitely did. The food came really quickly, which was great because by the time we sat down, we were starving.
Well, where to begin. The Gomaae was delicious. We really liked the sauce it was covered in. The Maguro Tataki was also delicious - I've never had sashimi with pepper seasoning, and it went really well, more like a beef carpaccio flavor. The Salmon Natto Yukke was definitely the most interesting dish. The "7 friends" come separated in a bowl, but the waiter has this intense mixing routine that he performs at the table, essentially turning the friends into an eggy muck. This muck is then rolled up in nori (seaweed) by us and eaten with our hands. Really fun, good flavor, but the the look of the muck could definitely turn people off. The Nasu Miso was pretty basic and similar to one of my favorite dishes at Sushi on Bloor. Good, filling, cheap, but nothing really interesting or special. The Tokyo Fries are pretty much the one thing that one of my friends would eat, because they were just fries in Asian sauces (he is picky). Basic, but delicious of course. The Gindara was excellent. I love black cod and try to order it whenever I see it. If you haven't tried it, then you definitely should as soon as possible. It melts in your mouth, this heavenly fish, and has a great flavor. The portion was rather small, which was expected because it's an expensive fish, but you don't really need a lot. The Kakimayo was definitely the favorite of the night. They shuck the oyster, take out the meat and puree it with potatoes and cheese, then stuff it back in to the shell and bake it.
To sum up the food, very interesting and delicious, but very different from the traditional Japanese we were used to. If you are looking for something different and authentic, this is your place.
The bill came to $100, including tax, tip, and drinks (2 glasses of wine, 1 beer, 2 Diet Cokes). Not bad considering how good it was.
Rating: 9/10, I will return as soon as I get the chance.
Guu Izakaya is located at 398 Church St., a couple of blocks south of Carlton. No reservations so expect long waits.
un-Karl Farbman-like.
BRETT: I feel terrible about your friend Jerry. He's upset that I gave Kramer
that chest of drawers, isn't he?
ELAINE: Why? Why d'you think he's upset?
BRETT: How could he not be? Living in that cramped little apartment. And
outdated furniture, so terribly... un-Karl Farbman-like.
...
that chest of drawers, isn't he?
ELAINE: Why? Why d'you think he's upset?
BRETT: How could he not be? Living in that cramped little apartment. And
outdated furniture, so terribly... un-Karl Farbman-like.
...
Polishing Women's Shoes
My good friend Madelaid asked me about polishing women's shoes. Here's some advice:
Essentially, there isn't any difference in taking care of women's shoes versus men's shoes, but you will often hear men say, "oh, I don't know how to polish women's shoes." Here are a few trick and tips to help you out.
1) Color polish - Most often women's shoes require a shoe color polish match as they tend to not be the standard black or brown that men's shoes are. Get as close to the color of the shoe as you can without going darker. Using a darker polish can permanently change the shoe color. Use a clear polish if you can't make a good match.
2) Fabrics and materials - Women's shoes are more likely to combine materials and you will often find a mix of leathers or materials forming the shoe. This just requires that more care and delicacy be used in polishing the leather parts. Using a cotton swab can help you apply polish to small areas.
3) Suede and patent - You will encounter suede and patent leather more with women's shoes. Suede is an inner split of the hide that doesn't have any tanned surface. Patent leather has been treated to harden and make the outer surface of the hide glossy. Both need to be cared for differently than regularly-tanned leather.
Essentially, there isn't any difference in taking care of women's shoes versus men's shoes, but you will often hear men say, "oh, I don't know how to polish women's shoes." Here are a few trick and tips to help you out.
1) Color polish - Most often women's shoes require a shoe color polish match as they tend to not be the standard black or brown that men's shoes are. Get as close to the color of the shoe as you can without going darker. Using a darker polish can permanently change the shoe color. Use a clear polish if you can't make a good match.
2) Fabrics and materials - Women's shoes are more likely to combine materials and you will often find a mix of leathers or materials forming the shoe. This just requires that more care and delicacy be used in polishing the leather parts. Using a cotton swab can help you apply polish to small areas.
3) Suede and patent - You will encounter suede and patent leather more with women's shoes. Suede is an inner split of the hide that doesn't have any tanned surface. Patent leather has been treated to harden and make the outer surface of the hide glossy. Both need to be cared for differently than regularly-tanned leather.
I Can Smell your Ovaries.
"The 21-year-old woman was carefully trained not to flirt with anyone who came into the laboratory over the course of several months. She kept eye contact and conversation to a minimum. She never used makeup or perfume, kept her hair in a simple ponytail, and always wore jeans and a plain T-shirt.
Each of the young men thought she was simply a fellow student at Florida State University participating in the experiment, which ostensibly consisted of her and the man assembling a puzzle of Lego blocks. But the real experiment came later, when each man rated her attractiveness. Previous research had shown that a woman at the fertile stage of her menstrual cycle seems more attractive, and that same effect was observed here — but only when this woman was rated by a man who wasn’t already involved with someone else.
The other guys, the ones in romantic relationships, rated her as significantly less attractive when she was at the peak stage of fertility, presumably because at some level they sensed she then posed the greatest threat to their long-term relationships. To avoid being enticed to stray, they apparently told themselves she wasn’t all that hot anyway."
Where else? NYTimes.
Each of the young men thought she was simply a fellow student at Florida State University participating in the experiment, which ostensibly consisted of her and the man assembling a puzzle of Lego blocks. But the real experiment came later, when each man rated her attractiveness. Previous research had shown that a woman at the fertile stage of her menstrual cycle seems more attractive, and that same effect was observed here — but only when this woman was rated by a man who wasn’t already involved with someone else.
The other guys, the ones in romantic relationships, rated her as significantly less attractive when she was at the peak stage of fertility, presumably because at some level they sensed she then posed the greatest threat to their long-term relationships. To avoid being enticed to stray, they apparently told themselves she wasn’t all that hot anyway."
Where else? NYTimes.
On McDonalds Oatmeal
"There’s a feeling of inevitability in writing about McDonald’s latest offering, their “bowl full of wholesome” — also known as oatmeal. The leading fast-food multinational, with sales over $16.5 billion a year (just under the GDP of Afghanistan), represents a great deal of what is wrong with American food today. From a marketing perspective, they can do almost nothing wrong; from a nutritional perspective, they can do almost nothing right, as the oatmeal fiasco demonstrates."
"The oatmeal and McDonald’s story broke late last year, when Mickey D’s, in its ongoing effort to tell us that it’s offering “a selection of balanced choices” (and to keep in step with arch-rival Starbucks) began to sell the cereal. Yet in typical McDonald’s fashion, the company is doing everything it can to turn oatmeal into yet another bad choice. (Not only that, they’ve made it more expensive than a double-cheeseburger: $2.38 per serving in New York.) “Cream” (which contains seven ingredients, two of them actual dairy) is automatically added; brown sugar is ostensibly optional, but it’s also added routinely unless a customer specifically requests otherwise. There are also diced apples, dried cranberries and raisins, the least processed of the ingredients (even the oatmeal contains seven ingredients, including “natural flavor”)."
Via, guess where, NYTimes.
"The oatmeal and McDonald’s story broke late last year, when Mickey D’s, in its ongoing effort to tell us that it’s offering “a selection of balanced choices” (and to keep in step with arch-rival Starbucks) began to sell the cereal. Yet in typical McDonald’s fashion, the company is doing everything it can to turn oatmeal into yet another bad choice. (Not only that, they’ve made it more expensive than a double-cheeseburger: $2.38 per serving in New York.) “Cream” (which contains seven ingredients, two of them actual dairy) is automatically added; brown sugar is ostensibly optional, but it’s also added routinely unless a customer specifically requests otherwise. There are also diced apples, dried cranberries and raisins, the least processed of the ingredients (even the oatmeal contains seven ingredients, including “natural flavor”)."
Via, guess where, NYTimes.
Iran the Big Weiner!
"I think the Saudis are worried that they’re encircled — Iraq, Syria, Lebanon; Yemen is unstable; Bahrain is very uncertain,” said Alireza Nader, an expert in international affairs with the RAND Corporation. “They worry that the region is ripe for Iranian exploitation. Iran has shown that it is very capable of taking advantage of regional instability."
SWEET. Read the rest o'er at the Times.
SWEET. Read the rest o'er at the Times.
Black Keys In Toronto
07-03 Minneapolis, MN - Roy Wilkins Auditorium
07-05 Council Bluffs, IA - Stir Cove Amphitheatre
07-07 Toronto, Ontario - Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
07-10 Quebec City, Quebec - Festival D'Ete
07-11 Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre
Did I post this already? Maybe, but it's worth the double post. Thanks Pitchfork.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Girl Talk in Toronto
06-09-12 Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo Festival
06-18 New York, NY - Governors Ball Music Festival
06-25 New Braunfels, TX - Whitewater Music Amphitheater
07-08 Toronto, Ontario - Sound Academy
07-10 Quebec City, Quebec - Quebec City Jazz Fest
07-30 Lake Tahoe, CA - Wanderlust Music Festival
Last Girl Talk show I was at, girls were throwing their panties at the stage and taking off their shirts. Or maybe that was just me. Anyway, it was wild. Thanks Pitchfork.
NBA All-Star Steez
Great round up by GiltManual of the NBA All-Stars last weekend. Hate to say it but Bosh shines. Melo is the big loser here. Take a look.
Sweet Spot Watch
From hodinkee:
"When you think of the 1960s horology, you can't help but think of Hamilton. They produced some top-notch timepieces in those years, the types you, yes, would see on the Don Drapers of the world.
For Basel 2011, Hamilton has a new model with a old name, the Thin-O-Matic....
Now the Thin-O-Matic is back in a handsome execution that while certainly vintage inspired (notice the retro "H" logo) is a thoroughly modern dress watch. The movement inside isn't a micro-rotor movement, it's the ever reliable ETA 2824. But the case is stepped and angled to provide for a very slim wrist presence.
The new Thin-O-Matic comes in two difference case sizes: 38mm and 42mm. We prefer the 38 for two reasons - first, this is a vintage inspired dress watch, it should be under 40mm. Second, Hamilton chose to to have a date aperture on this model but based on the constraint on the ETA 2824 movement, that aperture remains at the same distance from the center of the dial in both the 38mm and 42mm executions. What do this mean? It means that while on the 38mm version, the date is positioned nicely against the 3 o'clock marker, on the 42mm version (pictured above), the date aperture is floating out in the middle of the dial. Not a huge deal, but could be a little cleaner if they had just removed the date aperture on the 42mm version. Still, we're sure many modern gentlemen will prefer the larger case size.
Both sizes of the Thin-O-Matic are available on either a brown leather strap, or a metal stretch bracelet. A third option for the Thin-O-Matic is a gold PVD coating.
Price for the 38mm version will be $795 and for the 42mm, $875. Over all, these are really nice looking dress watches with solid automatic movements from a reputable brand at a very reasonable price. A winner in our book, on all accounts."
I would go 38mm brown strap, cause I have fossy wrists.
"When you think of the 1960s horology, you can't help but think of Hamilton. They produced some top-notch timepieces in those years, the types you, yes, would see on the Don Drapers of the world.
For Basel 2011, Hamilton has a new model with a old name, the Thin-O-Matic....
Now the Thin-O-Matic is back in a handsome execution that while certainly vintage inspired (notice the retro "H" logo) is a thoroughly modern dress watch. The movement inside isn't a micro-rotor movement, it's the ever reliable ETA 2824. But the case is stepped and angled to provide for a very slim wrist presence.
The new Thin-O-Matic comes in two difference case sizes: 38mm and 42mm. We prefer the 38 for two reasons - first, this is a vintage inspired dress watch, it should be under 40mm. Second, Hamilton chose to to have a date aperture on this model but based on the constraint on the ETA 2824 movement, that aperture remains at the same distance from the center of the dial in both the 38mm and 42mm executions. What do this mean? It means that while on the 38mm version, the date is positioned nicely against the 3 o'clock marker, on the 42mm version (pictured above), the date aperture is floating out in the middle of the dial. Not a huge deal, but could be a little cleaner if they had just removed the date aperture on the 42mm version. Still, we're sure many modern gentlemen will prefer the larger case size.
Both sizes of the Thin-O-Matic are available on either a brown leather strap, or a metal stretch bracelet. A third option for the Thin-O-Matic is a gold PVD coating.
Price for the 38mm version will be $795 and for the 42mm, $875. Over all, these are really nice looking dress watches with solid automatic movements from a reputable brand at a very reasonable price. A winner in our book, on all accounts."
I would go 38mm brown strap, cause I have fossy wrists.
Cheap Shoes - Mostly Loafers
Check it out. Mostly loafers (Ralph Lauren and Allen Edmonds). Very good quality, amazing prices and lots of sizes. I've bought shoes of this board before and it's all kosher. I was this close to buying the RL drivers this summer for like $200, and here they are in my size for $60. So close to pulling the trigger, but my shoe collection is a bit big.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Restaurant Review: 7 Numbers
Me and Danielle went to 7 Numbers (Eglinton location) on Saturday for dinner. I've been there a bunch times, and while I could never say that I love the place, they offer consistently good food at an extremely reasonable price. Probably the best value Italian I've had in Toronto. Anyway, we shared a panfried calamari appetizer, Danielle had a small oriechiette with ricotta and cherry tomatoes and I had a large veal lasagna. The calamari is always delicious here. Neither deep fried or grilled, they are able to create a nice salty flavor with minimal batter. Nice, light, delicious. The lasagna was good (not great) but a little salty. If you go, make sure you ask for the chilly oil, which is delicious with the bread or on pasta. I had a martini and Dan had a Caesar. The food came very quickly, and we finished dinner in under 45 minutes, which was fine because we were in a rush, but would have been annoying if we wanted to take out time.
Total: $50.50, incl. tax and tip. Pretty good deal.
7 Numbers is located at 516 Eglinton Ave. W, just west of Avenue Rd.
Sidenote: Tonight is Guu! Full write-up coming soon.
Total: $50.50, incl. tax and tip. Pretty good deal.
7 Numbers is located at 516 Eglinton Ave. W, just west of Avenue Rd.
Sidenote: Tonight is Guu! Full write-up coming soon.
From today's NYTimes:
"In principle, every American citizen has an equal say in our political process. In practice, of course, some of us are more equal than others. Billionaires can field armies of lobbyists; they can finance think tanks that put the desired spin on policy issues; they can funnel cash to politicians with sympathetic views (as the Koch brothers did in the case of Mr. Walker). On paper, we’re a one-person-one-vote nation; in reality, we’re more than a bit of an oligarchy, in which a handful of wealthy people dominate.
Given this reality, it’s important to have institutions that can act as counterweights to the power of big money. And unions are among the most important of these institutions.
You don’t have to love unions, you don’t have to believe that their policy positions are always right, to recognize that they’re among the few influential players in our political system representing the interests of middle- and working-class Americans, as opposed to the wealthy. Indeed, if America has become more oligarchic and less democratic over the last 30 years — which it has — that’s to an important extent due to the decline of private-sector unions."
Read the rest here.
"In principle, every American citizen has an equal say in our political process. In practice, of course, some of us are more equal than others. Billionaires can field armies of lobbyists; they can finance think tanks that put the desired spin on policy issues; they can funnel cash to politicians with sympathetic views (as the Koch brothers did in the case of Mr. Walker). On paper, we’re a one-person-one-vote nation; in reality, we’re more than a bit of an oligarchy, in which a handful of wealthy people dominate.
Given this reality, it’s important to have institutions that can act as counterweights to the power of big money. And unions are among the most important of these institutions.
You don’t have to love unions, you don’t have to believe that their policy positions are always right, to recognize that they’re among the few influential players in our political system representing the interests of middle- and working-class Americans, as opposed to the wealthy. Indeed, if America has become more oligarchic and less democratic over the last 30 years — which it has — that’s to an important extent due to the decline of private-sector unions."
Read the rest here.
What I Just Downloaded:
New feature, where I tell you what albums I download.
Neutral Milk Hotel and Jeff Mangum Collection: (On Avery Island, In An Aeroplane Over The Sea, Beauty, Everything Is, Live At Jittery Joe's, Major Organ and the Adding Machine, Orange Twin Field Works (Vol. 1)).
I have a couple of these, but I am currently obsessed with NMH and I need to get everything. Side note: Jeff Mangum tix go on sale Friday.
Neutral Milk Hotel and Jeff Mangum Collection: (On Avery Island, In An Aeroplane Over The Sea, Beauty, Everything Is, Live At Jittery Joe's, Major Organ and the Adding Machine, Orange Twin Field Works (Vol. 1)).
I have a couple of these, but I am currently obsessed with NMH and I need to get everything. Side note: Jeff Mangum tix go on sale Friday.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Ovearheard at The Ace Hotel
Girl: I’ve been really getting into Buddhism lately, but the chanting has actually been kind of stressful.
Weird Rich Dude: People think having a doorman would be great, but it’s actually kind of a hinderance. I feel like I’m answering to Mom and Dad whenever I come home drunk or something. It’s bullshit.
Weird Rich Mom: I gave August (her toddler son) some Ambien on the flight. Worked like a charm. Ugh, sleeping pills are a must for the kids when we travel.Get the rest at thought catalogue.
Mind Games
Secrets of a Mind-Gamer tells the story of a reporter training for a memory competition, but also explores the background of memory training generally. These people compete in memory competitions (ie. memorizing the order of two shuffled packs of cards) using techniques invented over 2000 years ago by a Greek named Simonides. None of them have "super memories" (as demonstrated by lab research) but they are able to accomplish amazing feats through training and these techniques. This theme runs throughout the article - that great memories are made, not born. Anyway, this is a great read, definitely one of the better ones I've posted, and it has a great ending.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Lawyer superstition is rampant. What's yours?
I will only do the robot on dance floors during a trial.
I will only do the robot on dance floors during a trial.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Things I'm Really Excited For This Week:
Guu, japanese tapas:
"KURAGE" Marinated jellyfish and vermicelli
"TAKOWASABI" Cooked octopus with chopped wasabi stem and vegetables
"SALMON NATTO YUKKE" Chopped salmon sashimi with seven friends(Natto, shibazuke, takuan, wonton chips, garlic chips, green onion and raw egg yolk). Mix them up and wrap it in NORI seaweed
...and so on.
Rodney's Oyster House, oyster bar:
Menu varies according to the time of year, coastal fishing quotas and weather conditions. Shuck-to-order from a selection of 9 to 26 different oysters daily.
Fuck yeah reading week.
"KURAGE" Marinated jellyfish and vermicelli
"TAKOWASABI" Cooked octopus with chopped wasabi stem and vegetables
"SALMON NATTO YUKKE" Chopped salmon sashimi with seven friends(Natto, shibazuke, takuan, wonton chips, garlic chips, green onion and raw egg yolk). Mix them up and wrap it in NORI seaweed
...and so on.
Rodney's Oyster House, oyster bar:
Menu varies according to the time of year, coastal fishing quotas and weather conditions. Shuck-to-order from a selection of 9 to 26 different oysters daily.
Fuck yeah reading week.
Sideways Button Hole
From valet:
Q. I have a few dress shirts where the bottom button hole will be stitched in a contrast color (red or blue) and positioned horizontally rather than vertically like the rest of the button holes on the shirt. Why is that?
A. The bottom buttonhole, along with the top button at the collar, are usually sewn horizontally to allow the button to take more stress from pulling and movement without stretching out the shirt or the hole itself. It's also why they can often have reinforced stitching with thicker thread. Traditionally, this was done with a thread of a different color. The thread color has stuck around more as a stylistic choice. But the horizontal buttonholes remain imperative to reduce the chance of a popped button.
And there you have it.
Q. I have a few dress shirts where the bottom button hole will be stitched in a contrast color (red or blue) and positioned horizontally rather than vertically like the rest of the button holes on the shirt. Why is that?
A. The bottom buttonhole, along with the top button at the collar, are usually sewn horizontally to allow the button to take more stress from pulling and movement without stretching out the shirt or the hole itself. It's also why they can often have reinforced stitching with thicker thread. Traditionally, this was done with a thread of a different color. The thread color has stuck around more as a stylistic choice. But the horizontal buttonholes remain imperative to reduce the chance of a popped button.
And there you have it.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
New Radiohead Album: The First Review
From Vice:
Good news for robots who are scared of crossing the road and catching Spanish flu; your poets laureate have returned. Yesterday Radiohead announced they were releasing their new album, The King of Limbs on Saturday. Of course it’ll be heralded as a triumph, but no-one has actually heard it yet. No-one except us that is.
Vice are extraordinarily lucky; thanks to Ed O’Brien’s abiding fondness for our Behind The Music column, the Oxford quintet have agreed to offer us sole, unprecedented access to the record–access obtained deep within the bowels of XL’s Ladbroke Grove headquarters, where the only existing promo copy is presently under firm lock and key.
Below, we’ve written up a complete track-by-track guide to give you a foretaste of this most salivated-over cultural obelisk.
1. INTRO 1
Johnny Greenwood’s lush orchestral opener contains virtually no words, except for a brief refrain at the end, where Thom intones over and over in his most morose vocal: “War. Killed. Me. I. Died. In. A. Big. War.”
2. INTRO 2 (INTO THE BATTERY FARM)
“Babies’ eyes/Babies’ eyes/cancer, flies, thyroid pies,” laments Thom, on this beastly overture, reminiscent of “The National Anthem”, or perhaps “Killer Cars”, while Johnny Greenwood plays a timpani with a zither as though the planet’s alternative fuel options depended on it.
3. P£T£R P£PP£R
The first of the tracks that Radiohead composed by riffing over whatever was playing on Fearne Cotton’s Live Lounge during that day then erasing the original track, “P£T£R P£PP£R” is Thom’s deeply personal reaction to the events of the banking crisis. It is an angry rant at the 12% per annum depreciation in the value of his Oxford mansion over the past three years, for which he holds Sir Fred Goodwin personally responsible, juxtaposing the dramatic collapse of RBS and a local tableau of his house-selling circumstances.
Key lyric: “Cardboard boxes/Files for the shredder/Did Foxtons call, hon?/End of my tether.”
4. THE OBSERVER
Where would the ‘world’s first newspaper album’ be without the ‘world’s first newspaper song’? An interlude similar to “Fitter, Happier…” in which Victoria Coren’s Observer columns are read chronologically by the late WWI Tommy, Harry Patch, over a nine minute slice of “Bieber 800%”.
5. TAILBACK ON THE LUNAR EXPRESS
Radiohead’s most challenging composition yet. Consisting in its totality of a single note on an acoustic guitar played in a metronomic four beats to the bar, it reputedly took the group two years just to build the studio set-up that would allow them to create the perfect take, during which time Nigel Godrich had three nervous breakdowns and began hallucinating that he was a tick on the rump of Aztec king Montezuma.
6. RAPE ALARM
Like “Nude” on In Rainbows, this is Radiohead stripped bare: a song that will send goose-shivers up your spine, down your aorta, straight into your left ventricle, killing you. Only play if you’re on statins and have a BMI of less than 25.
7. CREEP II
A Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps-style updating of the material that first won them fame, “Creep II” is a tender ballad that finds the same character approaching middle-age, reflecting on his traumatic unrequited love, looking her up on Facebook, then expressing a high degree of schadenfreude in finding out that she’s fat, newly divorced from her jock asshole high school sweetheart, working in a call center for EDF Energy in Stratford, and lists Amy McDonald and The Beatles as her favorite musicians.
8. CALLS WILL COST £1 PLUS STANDARD RATE. CALLS FROM MOBILES MAY BE CONSIDERABLY MORE
A hurricane scree of “Idioteque” electronic noise and acid jazz with a bassline sampled from the Fat Albert theme-tune and replayed on a baguette, over which Thom spits his most barbed lyrical darts yet.
Key lyric: “Louis/Liar. Cheryl/Chernobyl. Dannii/Dachau. Simon/Srebrenica. Pouty face/Cross face. Backstory/Sob story. Red tops/Top off. Best bits/Montage. Black one/Gay one/Old one/Comedy one. Vote me off/Lead me on/Put. Me. Down.”
9. FML
A clear marker that the Oxford quintet have been keeping pace with the most cutting-edge music of the 20th Century, this is a gloopy, ethereal noisespace that sounds like Burial jamming with M. Ward in a nightbus at the bottom of the Thames on a mixing desk made of ennui and marmalade. Lyrically, the Iraq Inquiry comes under Thom’s microscope as he contrasts Tony Blair’s testimony with the sex scenes glimpsed in his memoir, A Journey, and directly addresses Cheri Blair.
Key lyric: “Mrs, how did your huge mouth kiss his lips that lied?/Did you moan as the Iraqi children cried?”
10. OUTRO II (INTRO)
As a stuttering, almost tango beat builds from wafts of diaphanous electronic noise in the background, three minor chords ring out insistently on a grand piano, and a single cello etches a heartbreakingly rich, redolent tattoo of warm, regretful passions, over which Thom Yorke sings about how much he loves pussy.
Key lyric: “Pussy. Pussy. Pussy/Slurp. Slurp. Slurp.
Slap dat, lick dat, split dat, spit dat.
Girl your coochie get so moist/I ain’t got no other choice.
Big ones small ones fat ones thin ones/Don’t give a fuck/Long as I’m in one.”
Instant verdict?
Another classic: one that marries the taut electronica of Pablo Honey with the anthemic Britpop belters of Kid A and the complex prog of The Bends. A radical reinvention that fuses timeless langour with post-modern darkness over towering ziggurat electronica. It is a quantum leap; in the sense that it transplants you inside the body of a West Virginia stripper in 1967 who has to solve her brother’s murder with the help of a computer called Ziggy. Innovative use of physical product… saving record industry… blah… reluctant stars… contrarians… pioneers… Godrich, their fifth Beatle… still ahead of the curve… blah shellfish… Glastonbury… picnic… shoes… bus… car crashes… Global warning… more than just an album… etc.
Hahahaha. Can't wait for a first listen.
Vice are extraordinarily lucky; thanks to Ed O’Brien’s abiding fondness for our Behind The Music column, the Oxford quintet have agreed to offer us sole, unprecedented access to the record–access obtained deep within the bowels of XL’s Ladbroke Grove headquarters, where the only existing promo copy is presently under firm lock and key.
Below, we’ve written up a complete track-by-track guide to give you a foretaste of this most salivated-over cultural obelisk.
1. INTRO 1
Johnny Greenwood’s lush orchestral opener contains virtually no words, except for a brief refrain at the end, where Thom intones over and over in his most morose vocal: “War. Killed. Me. I. Died. In. A. Big. War.”
2. INTRO 2 (INTO THE BATTERY FARM)
“Babies’ eyes/Babies’ eyes/cancer, flies, thyroid pies,” laments Thom, on this beastly overture, reminiscent of “The National Anthem”, or perhaps “Killer Cars”, while Johnny Greenwood plays a timpani with a zither as though the planet’s alternative fuel options depended on it.
3. P£T£R P£PP£R
The first of the tracks that Radiohead composed by riffing over whatever was playing on Fearne Cotton’s Live Lounge during that day then erasing the original track, “P£T£R P£PP£R” is Thom’s deeply personal reaction to the events of the banking crisis. It is an angry rant at the 12% per annum depreciation in the value of his Oxford mansion over the past three years, for which he holds Sir Fred Goodwin personally responsible, juxtaposing the dramatic collapse of RBS and a local tableau of his house-selling circumstances.
Key lyric: “Cardboard boxes/Files for the shredder/Did Foxtons call, hon?/End of my tether.”
4. THE OBSERVER
Where would the ‘world’s first newspaper album’ be without the ‘world’s first newspaper song’? An interlude similar to “Fitter, Happier…” in which Victoria Coren’s Observer columns are read chronologically by the late WWI Tommy, Harry Patch, over a nine minute slice of “Bieber 800%”.
5. TAILBACK ON THE LUNAR EXPRESS
Radiohead’s most challenging composition yet. Consisting in its totality of a single note on an acoustic guitar played in a metronomic four beats to the bar, it reputedly took the group two years just to build the studio set-up that would allow them to create the perfect take, during which time Nigel Godrich had three nervous breakdowns and began hallucinating that he was a tick on the rump of Aztec king Montezuma.
6. RAPE ALARM
Like “Nude” on In Rainbows, this is Radiohead stripped bare: a song that will send goose-shivers up your spine, down your aorta, straight into your left ventricle, killing you. Only play if you’re on statins and have a BMI of less than 25.
7. CREEP II
A Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps-style updating of the material that first won them fame, “Creep II” is a tender ballad that finds the same character approaching middle-age, reflecting on his traumatic unrequited love, looking her up on Facebook, then expressing a high degree of schadenfreude in finding out that she’s fat, newly divorced from her jock asshole high school sweetheart, working in a call center for EDF Energy in Stratford, and lists Amy McDonald and The Beatles as her favorite musicians.
8. CALLS WILL COST £1 PLUS STANDARD RATE. CALLS FROM MOBILES MAY BE CONSIDERABLY MORE
A hurricane scree of “Idioteque” electronic noise and acid jazz with a bassline sampled from the Fat Albert theme-tune and replayed on a baguette, over which Thom spits his most barbed lyrical darts yet.
Key lyric: “Louis/Liar. Cheryl/Chernobyl. Dannii/Dachau. Simon/Srebrenica. Pouty face/Cross face. Backstory/Sob story. Red tops/Top off. Best bits/Montage. Black one/Gay one/Old one/Comedy one. Vote me off/Lead me on/Put. Me. Down.”
9. FML
A clear marker that the Oxford quintet have been keeping pace with the most cutting-edge music of the 20th Century, this is a gloopy, ethereal noisespace that sounds like Burial jamming with M. Ward in a nightbus at the bottom of the Thames on a mixing desk made of ennui and marmalade. Lyrically, the Iraq Inquiry comes under Thom’s microscope as he contrasts Tony Blair’s testimony with the sex scenes glimpsed in his memoir, A Journey, and directly addresses Cheri Blair.
Key lyric: “Mrs, how did your huge mouth kiss his lips that lied?/Did you moan as the Iraqi children cried?”
10. OUTRO II (INTRO)
As a stuttering, almost tango beat builds from wafts of diaphanous electronic noise in the background, three minor chords ring out insistently on a grand piano, and a single cello etches a heartbreakingly rich, redolent tattoo of warm, regretful passions, over which Thom Yorke sings about how much he loves pussy.
Key lyric: “Pussy. Pussy. Pussy/Slurp. Slurp. Slurp.
Slap dat, lick dat, split dat, spit dat.
Girl your coochie get so moist/I ain’t got no other choice.
Big ones small ones fat ones thin ones/Don’t give a fuck/Long as I’m in one.”
Instant verdict?
Another classic: one that marries the taut electronica of Pablo Honey with the anthemic Britpop belters of Kid A and the complex prog of The Bends. A radical reinvention that fuses timeless langour with post-modern darkness over towering ziggurat electronica. It is a quantum leap; in the sense that it transplants you inside the body of a West Virginia stripper in 1967 who has to solve her brother’s murder with the help of a computer called Ziggy. Innovative use of physical product… saving record industry… blah… reluctant stars… contrarians… pioneers… Godrich, their fifth Beatle… still ahead of the curve… blah shellfish… Glastonbury… picnic… shoes… bus… car crashes… Global warning… more than just an album… etc.
Hahahaha. Can't wait for a first listen.
Best In Breed: Westminster Dog Show
Here are some of the more hilarious looking dogs that won best in breed yesterday:
I want this dog.
Ugh. Get the hell away from me.
What's with this shape? Sort of arbitrary.
Albino rasta?
It's like his face was altered with that iphone application.
What the hell is this thing?
In conclusion, some does are cute, but most look stupid. See the rest here.
In conclusion, some does are cute, but most look stupid. See the rest here.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Things I Want: Rooney
Rooney is an unbelievable store in Montreal. It was extremely difficult to choose one of each article of clothing. There's a ton of ties, briefcases, scarves and shirts that I really like. Anyway, I'm heading to Montreal in a few weeks, and this will definitely be a stop.
Taylor Supply The Railworker Shirt in Sun Faded Red: $190.00 CAD
Levi's Made & Crafted Drill Chino in Wheatgrass: $198.00 CAD
Our Legacy 3 Button Rolling Blazer in Angora Blue: $360.00 CAD
Dolbeau Tie in Beige Wool: $140.00 CAD
Mark McNairy Longwing Brogue in Waxy Brown Leather: $370.00 CAD
Pendleton Knit Muffler in Brodie Plaid: $70.00
Filson Original Briefcase in Otter Green: $290.00 CAD
Dolbeau Tie in Beige Wool: $140.00 CAD
Kaberle Movement
From espn:
The Kaberle deal is where Burke has a chance to hit a home run, though. He told reporters last night Kaberle and his agent Rick Curran have insisted on total secrecy, but this is the guy Burke has to move given his failed attempts to get something for the asset in the past. I think Burke will score big because the market is so thin for this type of player. Hard to see the Habs giving up a Max Pacioretty or the Bruins giving up on a player like young Brad Marchand, but you know Burke will be asking for the moon. Will he get it?I'm skeptical of a "home run".
LeBrun: The impediment for Burke is Kaberle won't go just anywhere. Montreal, Boston, Tampa, Philadelphia, the New York Rangers ... not sure if Kaberle would OK a deal anywhere else. We'll see. But there's big-time pressure on Burke; he can't let Kaberle walk away for free July 1.
Etiquette For The Modern Classicist
From closeupandprivate:
Slim cut suits with short legged trousers go a long way.
Buy a pair of wingtips and loafers.
The Beatles sir, listen to them – and do so regularly.
Owning at least 3 oxford shirts has never done a man any harm.
Be a gentleman towards women.
Own several ties – n.b. Four-in-hand knots only – mix things up with a bow tie.
Watch all movies by Andrei Tarkovsky. Re-watch them.
Always consider a well-fitting navy blazer with gold buttons.
Serge Gainsbourg looked smart in a trench coat and so do you.
Own a classic cashmere v-neck and a round-neck pull-over.
Kaki chino trousers are as essential as they are basic.
Choose your pair meticulously.
Cherish a good relationship with your parents.
Sometimes looking at a nice black and white picture of your grandfather as a young man wearing his Sunday-suit can learn you more about classic style than reading 20 fashion magazines.
A watch – you do own one do you? - should be flat, vintage, and have a leather band.
Be punctual.
Ray Ban sunglasses matter.
Stay current.
Trust the classics.
I'm into it, for the most part. I don't love slim cut suits and I like a little break in my pants. Shoe advise, well, I've got those covered now but I think cap-toe oxfords are essential as well. Maybe add "no square toes, ever". Oxford shirts: I have 3, so right in the sweet spot (white, blue, grey). The Beatles, I guess, sure, why not. Four-in-hand knots: always. Windsors are huge and ugly. Bow ties? Maybe these are in my future, but I'm not positive that I can pull them off. Blue blazer yes, but I don't really agree with the gold buttons, a little too flashy for me. Trench coats: yes please, I've been looking for an affordable one for a while not, ever since my duster was stolen from the Brass in Kingston. Chinos: yeah sure, I have yet to get the perfect pair. The watch - yes I think this advice is dead on, and I've been looking for the perfect one for a while now (can I find an automatic Omega Seamaster for under $300?). Ray Bans: sure, why not, I have a couple knock-off pairs.
Slim cut suits with short legged trousers go a long way.
Buy a pair of wingtips and loafers.
The Beatles sir, listen to them – and do so regularly.
Owning at least 3 oxford shirts has never done a man any harm.
Be a gentleman towards women.
Own several ties – n.b. Four-in-hand knots only – mix things up with a bow tie.
Watch all movies by Andrei Tarkovsky. Re-watch them.
Always consider a well-fitting navy blazer with gold buttons.
Serge Gainsbourg looked smart in a trench coat and so do you.
Own a classic cashmere v-neck and a round-neck pull-over.
Kaki chino trousers are as essential as they are basic.
Choose your pair meticulously.
Cherish a good relationship with your parents.
Sometimes looking at a nice black and white picture of your grandfather as a young man wearing his Sunday-suit can learn you more about classic style than reading 20 fashion magazines.
A watch – you do own one do you? - should be flat, vintage, and have a leather band.
Be punctual.
Ray Ban sunglasses matter.
Stay current.
Trust the classics.
I'm into it, for the most part. I don't love slim cut suits and I like a little break in my pants. Shoe advise, well, I've got those covered now but I think cap-toe oxfords are essential as well. Maybe add "no square toes, ever". Oxford shirts: I have 3, so right in the sweet spot (white, blue, grey). The Beatles, I guess, sure, why not. Four-in-hand knots: always. Windsors are huge and ugly. Bow ties? Maybe these are in my future, but I'm not positive that I can pull them off. Blue blazer yes, but I don't really agree with the gold buttons, a little too flashy for me. Trench coats: yes please, I've been looking for an affordable one for a while not, ever since my duster was stolen from the Brass in Kingston. Chinos: yeah sure, I have yet to get the perfect pair. The watch - yes I think this advice is dead on, and I've been looking for the perfect one for a while now (can I find an automatic Omega Seamaster for under $300?). Ray Bans: sure, why not, I have a couple knock-off pairs.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Chrissy Teigen F'ing Rules
From wwtdd.com:
Supermodel Chrissy Teigen can be seen in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue that goes on sale tomorrow, and tonight she’ll be on David Letterman, but last night she was at the Grammy Awards with her boyfriend John Legend.Read the rest here.
He was busy winning three more awards (he now has 9).
She was busy doing what she always does, which is make fun of people and be entertaining as hell on her twitter.
- “Christina has like 500 letters in her alphabet judging by her over singing.”Aretha Franklin didn’t really die, by the way. Chrissy just said she did. She also implied that Justin Bieber was getting her wet. Because why wouldn’t she?
- “So I guess we are really just gonna do this Madonna thing without shame eh Gaga?”
- “Madonna must be spinning in her grave.”
- @brooklynddecker “I have the (Bieber) fever now too. But it’s….down there.”
- “I didn’t think (Gwyneth Paltrows website) goop could be more pretentious but the addition of a ‘music’ section would help.”
- “I 100% just definitely frightened justin bieber.”
- “Some guy just asked me for my credentials. Apparently saying ‘deez titties’ doesn’t work.”
- “3 things I learned at the Grammys: Lea Michelle is really popular, Esperanza Spaulding exists, and Aretha Franklin died.”
New Epidode From Put This On
Put This On, Episode 4: Grooming from Put This On on Vimeo.
I personally think that some of the previous episodes (work and shoes in particular) are a little more helpful, this one is still clever and informative. Great blog, by the way, if you aren't a reader.
Canadian Whiskey History
Canadian whiskies have long been synonymous with rye in the mind of the public – because traditionally, rye was the predominant grain in the mash bill. But along the way the rye percentage dropped and the corn percentage rose. Most Canadian whiskies still use rye to an extent, but the lowered rye percentage has created a category that is largely unexciting – especially to the mixology community.
...Interestingly, the original Canadian Club bottles did not hold up well during shipping, so the Walker family developed a different type of bottle in order to reduce breakage during shipping. The new bottle shape turned out to be very beneficial for smuggling as it was concave on one side and could easily slip inside a person’s boot.
It doesn't seem like bartenders have a particularly high opinion of Canadian Whiskey. Fuck that, pass the Crown.
Read the rest.
Dressing to Match Your Date is a No No.
My girlfriend once tricked me in to matching with her at a wedding. I was taken aback by her underhanded behavior and hopefully she knows never to do this again. However, as if any confirmation was needed to demonstrate that matching your date was uncouth, here you go.
Dressing to match your date is a no-no. 'Nuff said.Got it, Danielle?
NEW RADIOHEAD ALBUM?!?
Did anyone know about this? Why am I seeing this in the National Post for the first time?
Update: More from Pitchfork.
Billed as a “Newspaper Album,” the band has set up a number of different purchase options, all of which involve definitive amounts of money and not the clever “pay what you will” initiative made famous by 2007′s In Rainbows.This is great news to wake up to on a Monday morning.
Update: More from Pitchfork.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
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