When I saw Dennis Hopper on the news this week it deeply saddened me and reminded me of how big a fan I am of his craft. The clip above shows Dennis from his early days. Currently, in a battle for his life against cancer I prefer to share more of a living tribute and send our well wishes to Dennis and his family. I can only hope that the rumors are true and the MoCa museum will be featuring an exhibit dedicated to the photographer’s ’60′s period pieces. Dennis Hopper starred in such film classics as Rebel Without A Cause, Easy Rider (which he co-wrote and won Best Original Screenplay at Cannes), Blue Velvet and Apocalypse Now. Hopefully, more people will also be able to share and experience Dennis Hopper the photographer, painter and sculpture.
My buddy Topher first turned me on to Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears and ever since I can’t stop that craving for their down and dirty soulful rhythm & blues. For a minute, I even had to DJ their stuff off of YouTube but it’s a sure thing to set the party in the right mood.
According to their bio, Anatomy texts might not show it, but the greatest soul and blues music leaves no doubt that the hip bone is directly connected to the heart –– a fact that’s driven home in every note laid down by Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears. As they prove on their Lost Highway debut, Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is, the Austin–based combo has the kind of gritty attitude and deliciously greasy groove–consciousness that’d pass muster in the toughest juke joint.
To paraphrase Ike and Tina Turner, Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is gives Lewis the chance to play nice and easy as well as nice and rough. He and his bandmates take the latter route more often –– as on the fiery, brass–laced opener “Gunpowder” and the unabashedly horndog anthem “Big Booty Woman.” But there’s far more than one trick up their collective sleeve, as borne out by the dark New Orleans march “Master Sold My Baby.”
As the above video shows, they can jam live. Be sure to check them out in a city near you! For tour dates, music and more check out Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears official Site here.
Civic duty of the day accomplished, we just completed filling out our 2010 US Census. We Can’t Move Forward Until You Mail It Back. Honestly, I don’t understand why everyone is so paranoid about what information about us the Census collects. Sure you might have your reasons for being skeptical or not trusting Big Brother or Uncle Sam but consider for a second that you have to provide more personal data just to get a cell phone contract.
C.N. Le, Professor at University of Massachusetts, Amherst states, “…an accurate count of the U.S. population forms the basis for many important but often overlooked political, economic, and social decisions that are made that end up affecting our daily lives.”
The US Census web site comments, That’s why it’s so important that you fill in the form and promptly mail it back. Census information affects the numbers of seats your state occupies in the U.S. House of Representatives. And people from many walks of life use census data to advocate for causes, rescue disaster victims, prevent diseases, research markets, locate pools of skilled workers and more.
When you do the math, it’s easy to see what an accurate count of residents can do for your community. Better infrastructure. More services. A brighter tomorrow for everyone. In fact, the information the census collects helps to determine how more than $400 billion dollars of federal funding each year is spent on infrastructure and services like:
- Hospitals
- Job training centers
- Schools
- Senior centers
- Bridges, tunnels and other-public works projects
- Emergency services
For more information check out the US Census 2010 web site.
PUMA Ocean Racing takes it to a whole different level of bad ass with their PUMA Moth World Anarchy in Dubai. I grew up racing 420′s and always cherished the feeling of being in the harness outstretched hiking out over the ocean barely skimming along the surface but PUMA’s new Moth racing class is just crazy. Imagine a Lotus Elise hydroplaning over the water…I’ve got to check out what ‘Foiling’ is all about.
National Geographic COO Digital Strategy, Edward Prince Jr. is interviewed by Rafat Ali from PaidContent.org during the Abu Dhabi Media Summit last week. Check out the video interview here.
I’m a huge fan of Nat Geo the brand, the magazine, the cable channel, the photography and pretty much everything they have done since I can remember digging through my father’s extensive collection that dated back to the late 60′s when I was a kid. There is something special about the experience you feel turning from page to page and the remarkable job they have done to curate, archive and share some of the most compelling cultural works of art+science known to mankind.
National Geographic, I anticipate, will also be one of the thought leaders spearheading the way in which content & media companies migrate from old traditional media to new emerging digital mediums and business models.
Edward speaks about the company’s digital strategy and discusses how Nat Geo utilizes its two key pillars; their cable channel and magazine to draw a % of revenue and re-invest into the digital space (Web, Content Syndication, Gaming, Mobile and ePublishing). While many media companies rely mainly on an advertising revenue model, Nat Geo is developing apps and going into gaming. Their website is ad supported but they are banking heavily on the fact that consumers will pay for mobility and see mobility as a great value. I don’t know about you but I’m willing to compare how that full page print photo compares to the on screen version on the iPad.
Design your own Banana at Eat A Chiquita.com. Kudos to the marketing mastermind at Chiquita Banana who was cool enough to recognize what their consumers were doing with the stickers on the fruit after they had finished eating the banana. I’m sure we have all been guilty of this at some point, I’m partial to slapping the stickers on Drive-Thru intercoms and Taxi Cabs. Created by Art Director DJ Neff, many of the graphic faces take their design cues from Japanese anime or skateboard culture each with their own fun personality. Check it out and even design your own stickers. I’m curious to see what other designs people create.
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Mash-Ups aren’t just limited to music anymore. Get ready for some pop-culture jamming with Lil Wayne’s Hustler Musik mixed with the theme to The Office by DJ Clockwork.
One of the feature songs from David Byrne & Fatboy Slim’s double concept record Here Lies Love (4/6 release) is Please Don’t featuring Santigold on vocals. The video is made entirely of stock news footage of the widow of former Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos, Imelda Marcos who interestingly seems to be the inspiration for the project. Download the song for free and check out more about the project here on David Byrne’s website.
Broken Bells played The Troubadour in Los Angeles on March 14th and we were fortunate to score tix. I had only been exposed to The High Road and was instantly into it as previously posted (and the video is certainly a strong companion to the wonderful composition). I only had time to check out the album the day of the show and I think unconsciously I went into it with the preconceived notion that Danger Mouse had his production fingers all over this.
What I saw and heard next blew me away. James Mercer made his name with The Shins…I honestly was in awe over his vocals…and completely with how great the band sounded. Yea The Troubadour was packed and the kitchen was pumping out fries and hummus plates but I hadn’t been to a show in a long time where the sound out performed the quality on the record. These guys sounded good and the instruments sounded better than the recording.
What? That is exactly what I thought. I mean, didn’t Danger Mouse have his magic touch on this. He may of but these guys rocked. They jammed and song after song James delivered with a tone that is both angelic and soulful.
Just in time to cure some of your post carnival celebration hangover and in anticipation of the upcoming World Cup Nike drops some supa-dupa dopeness with the Nike Brasil Black Pack.
As a 5-Time International Footbol Champion, Brasil is one of the most feared teams in the world. Their signature bright yellow, blue and green uniforms and style of play showcase a level of toughness that is proven in their ability to win. Nike designers followed with one of the most radical concepts to take the Brasilian yellow and turn it black. “It is the Brasilian Yellow that Scares Them,” A Brasilian player once told the Nike design team.
The entire Black Pack collection is simply fresh but the Packable Jacket (below) is my personal favorite.
Where Amazing Happens. The NBA got something right here. Big Shots. Crunch Time. One Second Left. Jay may not like it (his Nets! either) and it may be March Madness time but this spot has got me pumped. Thinking about what’s coming around the corner. This year’s NBA Playoffs should hopefully display some entertaining drama.
When it comes to late night, I was always with Coco and more recently I think Jimmy Kimmel is hands-down the king. Jay is done and Letterman will continue to have his moments. Newcomer, George Lopez and Lopez Tonight are slowly making a name for themselves and are featuring the cast of The Jersey Shore all week in a series of parody skits. The Jersey Shore Presents: The Hurt Locker is classic and one has to wonder what’s next for the cast…
I recently attended a continuing education class in The Art of Negotiation. I’ve taken a few classes like this in the past and will honestly say that this class had been the most beneficial yet. The thing is, everyone regardless of age or gender anyone can gain from being a skilled negotiator – whether in your personal life or professional life. The class was an all day 8 hour seminar where we learned the fundamentals of negotiations and how to create ‘Win/Win’ deals. Hands-on exercises included a range of material from how to buy/sell a used boat to how to resolve a disagreement with your spouse.
Watching History Channel’s, Pawn Stars , there are also many beneficial insights one can apply to successful negotiations strategy. “My philosophy on life is be nice until you have to be an A$$.” “This ain’t McDonald’s, This ain’t Burger King because we’re gonna have it our way.”
If you’re interested also check out The Golden Rule of Negotiation and from A Whole Lot of Nothing The Art of Negotiation According to Pawn Stars.
Los Angeles based Gallery Nineteen Eighty Eight is featuring Castle Greyskull Under the Influence: Master of the Universe tribute art show. By the power of Greyskull, don’t miss this show the art is disturbingly powerful.
Combining two of my favorite things, Rio and Playmobil – creator Rodrigo Pereira who is a popular art/intervention artist in Rio, Brasil has produced other public installation works in Rio previously but none as playful and creative as this Playmobil parking barricades ‘public works improvement project.’
Part street-art, part graffiti, this is a public art intervention that is not only brilliant but also additive to the community. More urban communities should welcome and support local artists for more of the same. I mean who really wants to stare at a bunch of grey concrete barriers anyway? When I was a kid Playmobil was the shit. I remember thinking I was so cool for having the Playmobil pirate ship, that was until my best friend’s older brother became completely obsessed and created an entire Playmobil universe in their basement complete with spaceship and castles. Thanks for the memories. Check out Rodrigo’s Flikr for more pix.
Put your hands up, yeah you got me! Is it me or are today’s online parody videos displaying a greater level of production quality? Put aside the fact that Tik Tok is a smash hit guilty pleasure, this parody which is quickly approaching 50,000 views on YouTube in a matter of days is an awesome clash of pop-culture. Kudos to creators Eddie King & Tyler Marshall who have provided some added life to the song before it becomes completely burnt out.
