What is a Vertigo shot? Also known as a dolly zoom, this is when a camera physically moves on track inward (or outward) while a zoom lens counters this move at the same speed. This creates a distortive effect, where a subject in focus will look the same, but the background will change in size.
I’ve seen David Byrne live a zillion times but I’ve never seen him play the stuff I love the most. Until now. “The Great Curve” live? He probably hasn’t done that since Adrian Belew and Bernie Worrell were in the touring band. Has “Help Me Somebody” ever been played live??
I’m still kinda getting my head around this show and its awesome, clever choreography – one of the best concerts I’ve seen in my entire life.
There are some awesome pics at Brooklyn Vegan. Jon Pareles in the New York Times must have been at some other show, as he panned it and, therefore, is an idiot. Further proof that print is dead! I further resolve never to buy a newspaper again (not that I’ve paid for a paper in years.)
I’ve had to do some shady assignments at the shop that I’m not too proud of. But I’ll be immune to that for at least six months thanks to this masterpiece.
I can’t remember when I’ve been so proud.
Enjoy the Top Worf Moments.
photographed at L’Astral Dans Le Concorde, Quebec City, Sept 30, 2008
I’ll fill this in with a little context later, but for now, just enjoy the pic.
Back when Letterman was still something of a local New York show, he’d often have Brother Theodore, the performance artist and concentration camp victim, on as a guest. There’s nothing like this happening anywhere, anytime. Schaffer’s music choice is a nice nod.
For some reason I have a summer cold (or sore throat at least) and it was too stinkin hot to go outside. So I stayed in. Did I take this opportunity to read one of the 50 or so unread books on my shelf? Did I take this opportunity to listen to new music? No – I mastered the art of running on walls in the 5 year old XBox game Prince of Persia: Sands of Time.
The joke was on me. After devoting (literally) hours to this endeavor – including one weak moment when I had to resort to the Internet to figure out how to find one particularly squirrrely secret passageway (I went to a website with three letters in it; I’m embarrassed to say which) – I was shocked to learn that I had only completed 10% of the game. I was CERTAIN I was nearing the end.
As they say in ancient Persia: oy vey!
I saw this video at a museum a million years ago and never thought I’d see it again. It is the greatest thing you’ll ever see.
2008 is a year about taking big leaps, big changes, big decisions.
To that end, I have taken the full plunge and enlisted in auto-pay for ConEd, Verizon and Time Warner Cable. This coupled with my direct deposit from work, means that I am entrusting a system of computers to correctly monitor the ebb and flow of my financial status. The pro is that I will never be late with a bill again, the con is that I will never know how much dough I’ve got in my bank account at one time. And, of course, I am trusting machines not to make mistakes. Sure, I can always cry foul at a deduction that seems unreasonable, but what are the chances I’ll ever win such a fight? Or even catch such a mistake? I liken this to a fiscal rhythm method. For now, it feels fantastic.
If I sound busy when you call me during the day it is because I am hard at work in the office.
Before anything else – I want Shappy Seasholtz to know that if I could’ve brought him I would’ve. It was a total last minute thing.
Anyway, the prophecy has been fulfilled: I met, albeit briefly, Leonard Nimoy.
It was at the 2008 Licensing Expo at the Javitz Center, where bare cereal boxes go to find branding. L-Nim was there for sixty short minutes, allowing Nerds to get polaroids with Spock. That’s all I did. I got a press pass, allegedly covering the event, zipped up in a cab, got my photo(s) and zipped back.
I waited on line, stepped up, said “Mr Nimoy, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” I pronounced Nimoy correctly. (It is NiMOY, not NEEEmoy.)
When I gave my Vulcan Salute he said, “Ah, very good!”
And that was it. I wanted to say something funny to him, or something M-O-T (like “You’re a Space Tzadik!”) but all I did after was smile.
Here is the moment from a different POV.
So – I got my picture taken with Leonard Nimoy. I guess it is all downhill from here, eh?
Listen, I’m as bad as you are when it comes to Staten Island. It’s a total mystery. Frankly, I don’t understand why people who live there don’t just move to New Jersey. As far as I can tell, it is just New Jersey with higher taxes. The Ferry is nice and all, but once you get there you can walk to one used book store or one Sri Lankan restaurant and that’s it. If you want to drive there: boom! $10 at the Verrazzano. Staten Island does have one thing the other four boroughs do not have: a kick-ass cajun restaurant.
There are some so-so cajun places in Manhattan, but none to rival what you can actually get in New Orleans. Bayou, located deep in the heart of Staten Island (not within walking distance of the Ferry, alas), has the skills what pay the bills.
I had something called the Seafood Gone Wild and I am still thinking about it three days later. They also have lots of fun, multi-colored drinks. There is also frequent live music.
But enough of my yakkin – take a look at the menu and let me know when you wanna pitch in for the bridge fare to go again.
I know I speak in hyperbole a lot, but, seriously, the best subs anywhere on the planet are at Sorrento’s in Freehold, NJ.
It’s a combo of the bread (soft), fresh tomatoes, awesome meats & cheeses, proper ratio of onions, oil, vinegar, hot peppers. Even the paper plates have something special about them.
Look at these photos and weep.
The hippest place to be this weekend was the library off Route 9 in Manalapan – to see Courtney Lin Kaita perform Elgar, Schumann and Bach, but also just to drink in the civic awesomeness. This is the library of my youth, it can so beat up your library, and I was thrilled to show Ann around the place.
