30 Century Man

Recently released in the US, this documentary on Scott Walker is a glimpse into the fascinating, elusive musical figure. I'm excited to see it.

Website here.

Crude

Saw this trailer today. Check the website here.

The Garden

Those who read Beckie's blog know that we started our gardening adventure this summer and are happy about the results. We planted corn, tomatoes, green peppers, onions, basil, zucchini and some flowers. With exception of the flowers, everything has shown significant progress. We were very happy to see our first tomatoes a couple of weeks ago. We also picked our first pepper this weekend. The lone zucchini plant has quickly taken over a large part of the garden. We've picked over a half-dozen last week alone. We can't keep up. If you'd like some zucchini, please let me know and I would be more than happy to bring you some.

Below, I just put some before and after pictures along with what we picked just a couple of days ago.

BeforeAfter
This weekend's harvest

Film Noir Quiz

I logged off of my email yesterday morning and, to my surprise, on msn there happened to be a short film noir quiz. Thinking myself pretty adept at the genre and seeing that the quiz was only 10 questions, I decided to take it. I rushed through it guessing on a couple and didn't get the score I hoped for, a 7/10. Go ahead and try it yourself.

*Above: Ava Gardner and Burt Lancaster in The Killers (Siodmak)

Ken Sanders Books

This weekend was tiring. I traveled up to Salt Lake not once, but twice to pick up a friend on Saturday and then to visit some family on Sunday. Whenever I go to SLC there are a couple of places I like to go, among them is Sam Weller's bookstore. Truthfully, I have a love-hate relationship with the store. I love the atmosphere and their collection but at the same time, they have a deceivingly small amount of used books. It's hit and miss whenever I go there. On Friday I was very lucky and found a copy of Octavio Paz's biography on Sor Juana for a good price but the last few times I've gone I've come back empty.

Yesterday, while in Salt Lake visiting some family, we made a discovery. Beckie wanted to go to a couple of vintage furniture stores while I decided to check out a bookstore I had never been to before, Ken Sanders Rare Books near 300 S. and 200 E. For some reason, I had passed this place several times but had never gone in. Maybe it was the fact that it had "rare" in the title and I wasn't looking for hard-to-find first editions. So, after entering the building and checking it out for awhile, I was pleasantly surprised. They not only have have a great selection of rare books and first editions, but their used book collection is the best I've seen since visiting the Strand in NYC. Although their Spanish-language selection wasn't great, their philosophy, literature, history, and Hispanic literature (in english) sections were excellent. I picked up a like new copy of Pablo Neruda's memoirs for cheap.


P.S. Ken Sanders is holding their annual July sale on everything in the store. I'm really itching to get back up there soon (during the sale). If anybody would like to come let me know and we could make a short road-trip.

What is Art?

Vhils

I rarely ever remember any of my dreams. The images fade away as quickly as they are formed but still, the ideas remain. Although I don't remember the content of my dreams, most often I remember some kind of feeling or ideal that it invoked. Last night was one of these nights. I vaguely remember random people in my life, including professors and friends, telling me what was true and what wasn't about random things, most of which I don't remember. But, as I woke up, the idea of what art was ingrained into my memory.

Who defines art? What is it? and how can somebody label it as good or bad? These questions seem unanswerable to me. Creation is art. But, is destruction art? So many questions, so few answers. But, as I think about it more, I'm not so sure that I want any. Art is freedom, the ability to create and express oneself and ideals. The idea of confining art within parameters of definition seems like an inhibitor to real creation and expression. Maybe somehow, I like not knowing exactly what art is.

joeblack
picasso
DuchampDamien Hirst
EPOS 257

Snikimminentdisaster

unknown

A Few Mixtapes

Kid Cudi and Cookin' Soul put together this MJ mix the day after Michael's passing. Overall, it's pretty good. Not the best thing I ever heard but still quite fun. Highlights include, "Don't stop 'Til You Get Enough" feat. Jay-Z, and "I Want You Back feat. Lil Wayne". Click here for more info and free download.


Awhile back Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher criticized Glastonbury's decision to have Jay-Z headline the festival. Read about it here. Hov had some fun with it and decided to hit back by playing Oasis songs at the festival. Check it out on youtube. Anyway, as result of this, Cookin' Soul put together "Jayzis" a mixtape of the two performers. Highlights include "Supernova Hello" and "Dec4th Masterplan". Click here to download.


A Weezer/Jay-Z mixtape? I don't really need to say much about this one. It's some crazy stuff. Highlights include "Only In A Moment of Clarity" and "Say It Ain't December 4th". Click here to download.


Quite different from the other mixtapes on this post, this collection of Nas' latest is just a solid collection of some of his recent work. Click here to download.