Tuesday night, Deb and I met up at Northsix in Williamsburg for a show featuring the John Stamos Project, Emanuel (from Louisville, Kentucky), Dirtbike Annie, and the Mr. T Experience. Of the four, the John Stamos Project was surprising fun. A threepiece playing your standard Ramones-Screeching Weasel-Queers pop punk, the band played a fun and snotty batch of songs. The bassist wore his instrument about as low as it could go, and the bruiser of a singer sported mirrored shades like Ponch. A solid set, and they just released an EP on Knock Knock Records.
Next up came Emanuel, a foursome that ambled between screamo hardcore and melodic choruses. Occasionally throwing in nice breakdowns with stabbing guitars, the band wasn't really my cup of tea. That said, the lead singer and guitarist wore his guitar as high as JSP's bassist held his low. It takes all kind. Dirtbike Annie put on their usual high-energy crowd pleaser of a show, with Adam and Jeanie working their customary jumps and jostles. I was a little disappointed that Mike of the Ergs is no longer sitting in with them, but to everything there is a season. And as much as I geek to DBA's rock 'n' roll shenanigans -- they are a true crowd pleaser -- I was struck by the lack of variation in their performance. They are tight, well choreographed (without seeming sketchy) -- but there are very few highs and lows, breakdowns, and other attempts to throw surprise into the mix. Nevertheless, if you've never seen DBA before, you should. No reason to wear a long face.
Finally, Dr. Frank and the Mr. T Experience. Deb and I had a chance to say hi to Frank just as he was heading up to the stage, and it's refreshing to be a long-time fan of a musician who also blogs actively. Because we were concerned about the L train running where we needed to go after 12, we headed out a little early, but the handful of songs we caught -- including several off their new record and a fave of mine, "Swallow Everything," did please. I'll stick around for the whole show next time they swing through, and it was fun to perch by the bar near Jym -- and try to palm off a request for "Dictionary Girl" to Ted while he was making the set list. No go, but Ted said I had a 60/230 chance. Good to know.
It's also good to know about Corn Mo, his band .357 Lover, and the little scene they're part of. Occasionally touring with They Might Be Giants, Corn Mo breaks out the accordion when performing solo, but in the full band getup, he rocks the mic and bangs on the keyboard. Blending Tenacious D-like stage antics with appreciative classic rock and metal stylings, Corn Mo's songs are by turns personal and comedic. My favorite had to be "Hava Na Gila Monster," which he reportedly performed at a bar mitzvah. The crowd was one of the most engaged and attentive I've seen in a while, and showgoers appeared to be in other bands loosely in Corn Mo's orbit. Supposedly, the band is playing again Sunday with an all-woman Black Sabbath cover band.
Friday, February 27, 2004
The Movie I Watched Last Night LXXXVII
Notorious
Now, this is how movies ought to be made. Written by Ben Hecht. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Starring Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. This atmospheric 1946 suspense has all the makings of a wonderful watch. And the cast and crew deliver. Grant's debonair secret agent enlists -- and woos -- Bergman's free-wheeling socialite to spy on Nazi agents in South America. With some wonderful aerial views of Rio de Janeiro and the 710-meter high Christ de Redemer statue that tops Corcovado Mountain, the movie is largely an old-house film focusing on the familial and political intrigues of the German plotters and the American songbird in their midst. The scenes in which Grant and Bergman share screen are downright sizzling in that great late '40s/early '50s way -- in which people fall in love at first sight and spend so much time talking about just that. And Edith Head's costume design drapes Bergman quite nicely. While suspenseful and intriguing, the film falls short of so many film noir attempts -- and doesn't totally scream Hitchcock. Regardless, Hecht's script is impressive, as is the movie's pacing.
Bellmore
Wednesday night, Deb and I headed to the Pioneer Theater at Third and A for the New York premiere of Frank Fusco and Jim Muscarella's documentary about the Long Island hardcore scene in the mid-'90s. Having first emailed the director and producer earlier this year after reading about the movie in Newsday, I was happy to be involved in their first New York screening. The movie is an interesting slice of life in a scene that most participants describe as not a scene. Nevertheless, Bellmore birthed a number of bands, including the Eggplant Queens, Not Saved, Zombula 451, Rat Bastard, Spacemaker, and Justified Violence -- and Jim Colletti, former drummer for Agnostic Front, plays a notable role as a scene linchpin and connection to the outside world. While the movie runs a little long -- 30 minutes could easily be edited out, and the documentary drags a little near the end -- the film's biggest weakness is its lack of focus. Is the contention that Bellmore is not a scene stroung enough a hook? Should the filmmakers have further explored the intrascene politics, the reasons so many people don't leave the city, the aspect of aging within the scene, and the "unscene"'s context in the broader hardcore world? Perhaps. Nevertheless, it's a valid project -- more little-known scenes should be as well documented -- and if you're at all interested in punk and hardcore sociology, Bellmore is a worthy watch. The March 16 screening at CB's will feature a performance by the Eggplant Queens, as well.
Now, this is how movies ought to be made. Written by Ben Hecht. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Starring Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. This atmospheric 1946 suspense has all the makings of a wonderful watch. And the cast and crew deliver. Grant's debonair secret agent enlists -- and woos -- Bergman's free-wheeling socialite to spy on Nazi agents in South America. With some wonderful aerial views of Rio de Janeiro and the 710-meter high Christ de Redemer statue that tops Corcovado Mountain, the movie is largely an old-house film focusing on the familial and political intrigues of the German plotters and the American songbird in their midst. The scenes in which Grant and Bergman share screen are downright sizzling in that great late '40s/early '50s way -- in which people fall in love at first sight and spend so much time talking about just that. And Edith Head's costume design drapes Bergman quite nicely. While suspenseful and intriguing, the film falls short of so many film noir attempts -- and doesn't totally scream Hitchcock. Regardless, Hecht's script is impressive, as is the movie's pacing.
Bellmore
Wednesday night, Deb and I headed to the Pioneer Theater at Third and A for the New York premiere of Frank Fusco and Jim Muscarella's documentary about the Long Island hardcore scene in the mid-'90s. Having first emailed the director and producer earlier this year after reading about the movie in Newsday, I was happy to be involved in their first New York screening. The movie is an interesting slice of life in a scene that most participants describe as not a scene. Nevertheless, Bellmore birthed a number of bands, including the Eggplant Queens, Not Saved, Zombula 451, Rat Bastard, Spacemaker, and Justified Violence -- and Jim Colletti, former drummer for Agnostic Front, plays a notable role as a scene linchpin and connection to the outside world. While the movie runs a little long -- 30 minutes could easily be edited out, and the documentary drags a little near the end -- the film's biggest weakness is its lack of focus. Is the contention that Bellmore is not a scene stroung enough a hook? Should the filmmakers have further explored the intrascene politics, the reasons so many people don't leave the city, the aspect of aging within the scene, and the "unscene"'s context in the broader hardcore world? Perhaps. Nevertheless, it's a valid project -- more little-known scenes should be as well documented -- and if you're at all interested in punk and hardcore sociology, Bellmore is a worthy watch. The March 16 screening at CB's will feature a performance by the Eggplant Queens, as well.
Thursday, February 26, 2004
Tuesday, February 24, 2004
Take That, Big Apple V
I took another step toward settling in Brooklyn today, as a second wave of unfinished bookshelves were delivered by Gothic Cabinet Craft this morning. There's a showroom within easy walking distance of my new apartment, and I ordered several earlier this year. Now full, they needed friends, so I ordered four more. That's seven new bookshelves! As soon as I empty book boxes to fill these shelves, I should have enough floorspace to get a fold-out couch or futon. Wanting to support neighborhood businesses, I'll probably start at the futon showroom just to my north on the way to Gothic. It'll be good not to have to sit at the kitchen table.
Television-Impaired XVII
Warner Bros. shot an episode of Third Watch in Brooklyn today. They fliered the streets warning of tow trucks scheduled to arrive last night at 8, and this morning, I woke to light snow and an empty street in front of my Brooklyn abode. Several workers who'd just put out traffic cones sat on the hood of a car smoking, and around the corner, a long row of trailers lined up, lingering. I think that a couple of the trailers were bathrooms, but then there was one that seemed to be dedicated to the talent. Not that I would have recognized anyone from the show, but I was hoping to see someone involved in the production. I was left with masking tape labels marking the ready rooms for "Svensky" and "Stunts." I wonder whether they were dramatizing the block fire earlier this year -- and what the episode's air date is.
Happy Birthday to Media Dieticians XX
Event-O-Dex XCIV
Tuesday, Feb. 24: Pecados, The John Stamos Project, Emanuel, Dirtbike Annie, and the Mr. T Experience kick up their heels at Northsix.
Thursday, Feb. 26: Corn Mo's band .357 Lover goes off half-cocked at the Parkside Lounge in New York.
Thursday, Feb. 26: Corn Mo's band .357 Lover goes off half-cocked at the Parkside Lounge in New York.
The Best of the Web V
I'm a nominating judge for the Webbies again this year, in the Community category. We're starting to discuss candidates for the nominations, and I'd like to pick your brain. If you'd like to recommend any Web sites or services for our consideration, let us know, and we'll add them to the mix.
Saturday, February 21, 2004
Newspaper Chase VI
Even if you don't regularly read the New York Post, if you're a Media Dietician worth your salt, you should at least pick up the Monday editions. Every Monday, the Post publishes "On the Newsstand: A Weekly Magazine Summary" in the business section. Weekly, writers take a look at pre-release editions of the major newsweeklies -- Newsweek, Time, and The New Yorker -- hitting the highlights of the most-recent issues. In addition, the writers pick a section of the newsstand to profile other magazines you might not be reading. Jan. 19, the subject was skiing. Feb. 2, music. Feb. 9, women. Considering rival titles in the same niche, the column addresses content as well as design -- and context. While the 0- to 4-star ratings are next to useless -- and a waste of a good four column inches -- the roundup is well worth reading. By turns summary and snarkiness, it's a lively eye on the newsstand. Kudos to the Post! Thanks for helping make Monday my fun day.
Pieces, Particles XV
The following stories spotted recently in print publications might be worth a look. Heads and decks, only. Heads and decks.
Adieu, Tiny Lawsuits by Cynthia Cotts, Village Voice, Feb. 4, 2004
Lingua Franca freelancers fight back
All My Things Considered by Gillian Kendall, The Sun, February 2004
At McSorley's, Dusty Bones Conjure Ghosts by Dan Barry, New York Times, Feb. 18, 2004
Aural History by Jennifer Baumgardner, Bitch, Winter 2004
With the women's liberation rock bands, second-wave feminists kicked out the jams long before Riot Grrrl.
Automaton City by Steve Ditlea, Daily News, Jan. 25, 2004
New York robots are showing off their skills everywhere from Brooklyn to Mars
Banking on Billyburg's Future by Tiffany Elliott, Greenpoint Star, Jan. 8, 2004
The Beat of Iraqi Insurgency by Borzou Daragahi, Newsday, Jan. 18, 2004
Banned jihad tunes become a hot item
Blah, Blah, Blog by Paul McFedries, IEEE Spectrum, December 2003
Technically speaking
Book Smart by Maureen Shelly, Time Out New York, Feb. 19, 2004
Get the latest literary buzz from these well-read bloggers
Consumed: The Treo 600 by Rob Walker, New York Times Magazine, Jan. 25, 2004
A status gadget implies almost limitless functionality and practicality. This is conspicuous utility.
Designing Men by Keith Mulvihill, Time Out New York, Jan. 22, 2004
Chermayeff & Geismar get a retrospective at Cooper Union
Divers of the Dead Pool by Paul Krassner, New York Press, Feb. 11, 2004
A fantasy league for the morbidly inclined.
Everyone's a Historian by Edward L. Ayers, Newsday, Jan. 25, 2004
Online, the past comes alive in documents that can challenge our very identity
The Evil Geniuses of Kiddie Schlock by Emily Nussbaum, New York Times, Feb. 15, 2004
Recalling the Saturday morning psychedelia of Sid and Marty Krofft
Funny Business by Jon Hanc, Newsday, Jan. 28, 2004
Since capturing the public's fancy in 1934, comic books have been a wellspring of creativity. But with a shrinking audience, where do they go from here?
Gimmick Rock by Mary Huhn, New York Post, Jan. 25, 2004
Meet the most bizarre cover bands in town
Great Brawl of China by Ian Mount, Time Out New York, Feb. 5, 2004
The Green Lama by Kendra Crossen Burroughs and Karen Ready, Tricycle, Spring 2004
"I think I'll go home and meditate... on murder!"
The Help Desk, New York, Feb. 16, 2004
A Friend's Blog... Old, Unpaid Bills... Ex's Leftover Art
Hike on Newtown Creek? It Isn't Quite That Awful by Jim O'Grady, New York Times, Feb. 15, 2004
The Internet School Scam by Todd Oppenheimer, The Nation, Feb. 16, 2004
A questionable plan to wire poor schools has turned into a business boondoggle.
Introducing a Cartoonist Named Crumb by Tessa DeCarlo, New York Times, Feb. 15, 2004
"It's Not News" by Rich Cohen, Harper's, February 2004
What today's high school journalist is taught
Kid Nabbing by Melanie Wells, Forbes, Feb. 2, 2004
Procter & Gamble has assembled a stealth sales force of teenagers -- 280,000 strong -- to push products on friends and family. A brilliant move -- or marketing gone amok?
Labor of Lust by Sara Stewart, New York Post, Jan. 18, 2004
Meet the girls behind "Sweet Action" -- an updated indie version of "Playgirl"
Lingua Bancarupta by Cynthia Cotts, Village Voice, Jan. 14, 2004
Magazine returns from the grave, suing
Lip-Synching Gets Real by Chris Nelson, New York Times, Feb. 1, 2004
The new technology and the etiquette of faking it
Listening Lab by Lisa Sweetingham, Time Out New York, Feb. 5, 2004
Give your favorite yarn-spinner a place in history
Little Murders by Jesse Sunenblick, Columbia Journalism Review, January/February 2004
Thirty years ago, editorial illustration in our mainstream media was provocative and smart, driving the words as often as following them. Today much of it is literal and safe, more decorative than idea-driven. How did this happen in an age where image is everything?
Low Life by L.B. Deyo, Time Out New York, Jan. 8, 2004
A subterranean warren in midtown allows winter-weary urban spelunkers to shop, explore, even admire art, in a balmy springtime climate
Mad Artist Woodbridge Dies, Comics Buyer's Guide, Feb. 13, 2004
Also specialized as military-history illustrator
MediaTalk by David Carr, New York Times, Feb. 2, 2004
New Yorker writer accumulates points in corporate circles
Missionary Positioning by Ed Halter, Village Voice, Jan. 21, 2004
Indie Mormon cinema attempts a mainstream conversion
A Moody, Craggy Majesty, Like That of Lost Ruins by Christopher Gray, New York Times, Jan. 18, 2004
The 1909 structure offers a grand aesthetic experience.
My Big Fat Obnoxious Prank by Joy Press, Village Voice, Feb. 18, 2004
The lawless and ever-expanding world of hidden-camera TV
Native Son by Michael J. Agovino, Time Out New York, Jan. 22, 2004
Tour guide Maurice Valentine alters the public's perception of the Bronx, one van ride at a time
Newsmen and Con Men by Nicholas Stein, Fortune, Feb. 23, 2004
That trustworthy Canadian accent work very well with American TV audiences. But trustworthiness has an evil twin...
The Ombudsman's Ombudsman by Andrew Chaikivsky, Esquire, March 2004
How good is your ombudsman, really?
Once Underground, Ant Farm Burrows Out by Michael Rush, New York Times, Jan. 25, 2004
A collective's activist, in-your-face style set the course not for art, but for TV news.
One "Swede" Park Put More Green in the Point by Tiffany Elliott, Greenpoint Star, Feb. 12, 2004
Orchestrating War by Carter Burwell, Harper's, February 2004
Partita
Queer Eye for the 50s Guy by Michael Bronski, Utne, January-February 2004
The popular fiction of postwar America was -- are you ready for this? -- gay-friendly
Reading the Consumer Mind by Douglas Rushkoff, New York Press, Feb. 18, 2004
The age of neuromarketing has dawned.
The Real Deal on Popeye and His "Goil"?, Newsday, Jan. 18, 2004
Self-Publish and Be Damned? Not Always by Andy Kessler, Wall Street Journal, Jan. 20, 2004
Should Comics End When Creators Die? by Dave Astor, Editor & Publisher, January 2004
Cartoonists debate whether or not strips should be passed down to successor artists, and also comment about "Peanuts" reruns
Some Landmarks Are Just Meant to Be a Problem by Tara Bahrampour, New York Times, Feb. 1, 2004
Neighborhood report: Fulton Ferry
Soulless, Maybe, but Dig the Heavy Metal by Noah Shachtman, New York Times, Feb. 19, 2004
Special Ops by Joshua M. Bernstein, Time Out New York, Feb. 12, 2004
Frugal artists flock to OfficeOps' affordable studios
Strange Find in Iraq by Denis Hamill, Daily News, Jan. 25, 2004
No, not weapons of mass destruction -- but a famous movie location
The Streets Where History Lives by Russell Shorto, New York Times, Feb. 9, 2004
A path would link a Sept. 11 memorial to a nation's past.
Take Neutral Approach to Greenfield's Gravity Hill by Nathan Cobb, Boston Globe, Jan. 31, 2004
Skeptics face an uphill battle at a legendary location in Greenfield
Take the Long Way by Joshua M. Bernstein, New York Press, Feb. 11, 2004
San Keller likes to walk. And walk. And walk...
Theme Park of the Gods? by Eric A. Powell, Archaeology, January/February 2004
Alien astronauts have a new home in the heart of the Swiss Alps.
This Is My Story by Chrissy Persico, Daily News, Feb. 22, 2004
An oral history project in Grand Central Terminal chronicles the lives of ordinary New Yorkers
Toil, Tears and Sweat in Brooklyn by Julie Salamon, New York Times, Feb. 6, 2004
The way people used to work
Trademark Kings by Sara Bonisteel, New York Resident, Jan. 12, 2004
Graphic design firm Chermayeff & Geismar has iconic retrospective at the Cooper Union
Triumph of the Shill by Jennifer L. Pozner, Bitch, Winter 2004
Part One: Advertisers rejoice as Hollywood satirizes product placement.
The Tyranny of Copyright? by Robert S. Boynton, New York Times Magazine, Jan. 25, 2004
A number of influential lawyers, scholars and activists are increasingly concerned that copyright law is curbing our freedoms and making it harder to create anything new. This could be the first new social movement of the century.
United, They Syndicate by Dave Astor, Editor & Publisher, February 2004
A day in the life of a company that traces its roots back to 1902 -- and tries to offer features relevant to 2004
UPP with People by Billie Cohen, Time Out New York, Jan. 29, 2004
The Urban Pioneer Project wants you -- and your living room
Venting, Down East, February 2004
One phone in Lewiston has been ringing off the hook lately.
The Very, Very Personal Is the Political by Jon Gertner, New York Times Magazine, Feb. 15, 2004
Political parties are using enormous databases to learn everything about you so they can tailor their pitches for candidates just for you. Are campaigning and voting becoming just marketing and consumption?
Vintage Radio, Down to Farm Reports and School Menus, Is Signing Off by G. Patrick Pawling, New York Times, Feb. 1, 2004
The Virus Underground by Clive Thompson, New York Times Magazine, Feb. 8, 2004
Philet0ast3r, Second Part to Hell, Vorgon and guys like them around the world spend their Saturday nights writing fiendishly contagious computer viruses and worms. Are they artists, pranksters or techno-saboteurs?
Web Innovator Eyes Print Ads by Barbara Bedway, Editor & Publisher, February 2004
He's about a Mover
A Well-Imagined Star by Neil Strauss, New York Times, Feb. 2, 2004
Unearthing a trove of albums that never existed
The World at Ears' Length by Warren St. John, New York Times, Feb. 15, 2004
IPod's wall of sound puts the city on mute.
Adieu, Tiny Lawsuits by Cynthia Cotts, Village Voice, Feb. 4, 2004
Lingua Franca freelancers fight back
All My Things Considered by Gillian Kendall, The Sun, February 2004
At McSorley's, Dusty Bones Conjure Ghosts by Dan Barry, New York Times, Feb. 18, 2004
Aural History by Jennifer Baumgardner, Bitch, Winter 2004
With the women's liberation rock bands, second-wave feminists kicked out the jams long before Riot Grrrl.
Automaton City by Steve Ditlea, Daily News, Jan. 25, 2004
New York robots are showing off their skills everywhere from Brooklyn to Mars
Banking on Billyburg's Future by Tiffany Elliott, Greenpoint Star, Jan. 8, 2004
The Beat of Iraqi Insurgency by Borzou Daragahi, Newsday, Jan. 18, 2004
Banned jihad tunes become a hot item
Blah, Blah, Blog by Paul McFedries, IEEE Spectrum, December 2003
Technically speaking
Book Smart by Maureen Shelly, Time Out New York, Feb. 19, 2004
Get the latest literary buzz from these well-read bloggers
Consumed: The Treo 600 by Rob Walker, New York Times Magazine, Jan. 25, 2004
A status gadget implies almost limitless functionality and practicality. This is conspicuous utility.
Designing Men by Keith Mulvihill, Time Out New York, Jan. 22, 2004
Chermayeff & Geismar get a retrospective at Cooper Union
Divers of the Dead Pool by Paul Krassner, New York Press, Feb. 11, 2004
A fantasy league for the morbidly inclined.
Everyone's a Historian by Edward L. Ayers, Newsday, Jan. 25, 2004
Online, the past comes alive in documents that can challenge our very identity
The Evil Geniuses of Kiddie Schlock by Emily Nussbaum, New York Times, Feb. 15, 2004
Recalling the Saturday morning psychedelia of Sid and Marty Krofft
Funny Business by Jon Hanc, Newsday, Jan. 28, 2004
Since capturing the public's fancy in 1934, comic books have been a wellspring of creativity. But with a shrinking audience, where do they go from here?
Gimmick Rock by Mary Huhn, New York Post, Jan. 25, 2004
Meet the most bizarre cover bands in town
Great Brawl of China by Ian Mount, Time Out New York, Feb. 5, 2004
The Green Lama by Kendra Crossen Burroughs and Karen Ready, Tricycle, Spring 2004
"I think I'll go home and meditate... on murder!"
The Help Desk, New York, Feb. 16, 2004
A Friend's Blog... Old, Unpaid Bills... Ex's Leftover Art
Hike on Newtown Creek? It Isn't Quite That Awful by Jim O'Grady, New York Times, Feb. 15, 2004
The Internet School Scam by Todd Oppenheimer, The Nation, Feb. 16, 2004
A questionable plan to wire poor schools has turned into a business boondoggle.
Introducing a Cartoonist Named Crumb by Tessa DeCarlo, New York Times, Feb. 15, 2004
"It's Not News" by Rich Cohen, Harper's, February 2004
What today's high school journalist is taught
Kid Nabbing by Melanie Wells, Forbes, Feb. 2, 2004
Procter & Gamble has assembled a stealth sales force of teenagers -- 280,000 strong -- to push products on friends and family. A brilliant move -- or marketing gone amok?
Labor of Lust by Sara Stewart, New York Post, Jan. 18, 2004
Meet the girls behind "Sweet Action" -- an updated indie version of "Playgirl"
Lingua Bancarupta by Cynthia Cotts, Village Voice, Jan. 14, 2004
Magazine returns from the grave, suing
Lip-Synching Gets Real by Chris Nelson, New York Times, Feb. 1, 2004
The new technology and the etiquette of faking it
Listening Lab by Lisa Sweetingham, Time Out New York, Feb. 5, 2004
Give your favorite yarn-spinner a place in history
Little Murders by Jesse Sunenblick, Columbia Journalism Review, January/February 2004
Thirty years ago, editorial illustration in our mainstream media was provocative and smart, driving the words as often as following them. Today much of it is literal and safe, more decorative than idea-driven. How did this happen in an age where image is everything?
Low Life by L.B. Deyo, Time Out New York, Jan. 8, 2004
A subterranean warren in midtown allows winter-weary urban spelunkers to shop, explore, even admire art, in a balmy springtime climate
Mad Artist Woodbridge Dies, Comics Buyer's Guide, Feb. 13, 2004
Also specialized as military-history illustrator
MediaTalk by David Carr, New York Times, Feb. 2, 2004
New Yorker writer accumulates points in corporate circles
Missionary Positioning by Ed Halter, Village Voice, Jan. 21, 2004
Indie Mormon cinema attempts a mainstream conversion
A Moody, Craggy Majesty, Like That of Lost Ruins by Christopher Gray, New York Times, Jan. 18, 2004
The 1909 structure offers a grand aesthetic experience.
My Big Fat Obnoxious Prank by Joy Press, Village Voice, Feb. 18, 2004
The lawless and ever-expanding world of hidden-camera TV
Native Son by Michael J. Agovino, Time Out New York, Jan. 22, 2004
Tour guide Maurice Valentine alters the public's perception of the Bronx, one van ride at a time
Newsmen and Con Men by Nicholas Stein, Fortune, Feb. 23, 2004
That trustworthy Canadian accent work very well with American TV audiences. But trustworthiness has an evil twin...
The Ombudsman's Ombudsman by Andrew Chaikivsky, Esquire, March 2004
How good is your ombudsman, really?
Once Underground, Ant Farm Burrows Out by Michael Rush, New York Times, Jan. 25, 2004
A collective's activist, in-your-face style set the course not for art, but for TV news.
One "Swede" Park Put More Green in the Point by Tiffany Elliott, Greenpoint Star, Feb. 12, 2004
Orchestrating War by Carter Burwell, Harper's, February 2004
Partita
Queer Eye for the 50s Guy by Michael Bronski, Utne, January-February 2004
The popular fiction of postwar America was -- are you ready for this? -- gay-friendly
Reading the Consumer Mind by Douglas Rushkoff, New York Press, Feb. 18, 2004
The age of neuromarketing has dawned.
The Real Deal on Popeye and His "Goil"?, Newsday, Jan. 18, 2004
Self-Publish and Be Damned? Not Always by Andy Kessler, Wall Street Journal, Jan. 20, 2004
Should Comics End When Creators Die? by Dave Astor, Editor & Publisher, January 2004
Cartoonists debate whether or not strips should be passed down to successor artists, and also comment about "Peanuts" reruns
Some Landmarks Are Just Meant to Be a Problem by Tara Bahrampour, New York Times, Feb. 1, 2004
Neighborhood report: Fulton Ferry
Soulless, Maybe, but Dig the Heavy Metal by Noah Shachtman, New York Times, Feb. 19, 2004
Special Ops by Joshua M. Bernstein, Time Out New York, Feb. 12, 2004
Frugal artists flock to OfficeOps' affordable studios
Strange Find in Iraq by Denis Hamill, Daily News, Jan. 25, 2004
No, not weapons of mass destruction -- but a famous movie location
The Streets Where History Lives by Russell Shorto, New York Times, Feb. 9, 2004
A path would link a Sept. 11 memorial to a nation's past.
Take Neutral Approach to Greenfield's Gravity Hill by Nathan Cobb, Boston Globe, Jan. 31, 2004
Skeptics face an uphill battle at a legendary location in Greenfield
Take the Long Way by Joshua M. Bernstein, New York Press, Feb. 11, 2004
San Keller likes to walk. And walk. And walk...
Theme Park of the Gods? by Eric A. Powell, Archaeology, January/February 2004
Alien astronauts have a new home in the heart of the Swiss Alps.
This Is My Story by Chrissy Persico, Daily News, Feb. 22, 2004
An oral history project in Grand Central Terminal chronicles the lives of ordinary New Yorkers
Toil, Tears and Sweat in Brooklyn by Julie Salamon, New York Times, Feb. 6, 2004
The way people used to work
Trademark Kings by Sara Bonisteel, New York Resident, Jan. 12, 2004
Graphic design firm Chermayeff & Geismar has iconic retrospective at the Cooper Union
Triumph of the Shill by Jennifer L. Pozner, Bitch, Winter 2004
Part One: Advertisers rejoice as Hollywood satirizes product placement.
The Tyranny of Copyright? by Robert S. Boynton, New York Times Magazine, Jan. 25, 2004
A number of influential lawyers, scholars and activists are increasingly concerned that copyright law is curbing our freedoms and making it harder to create anything new. This could be the first new social movement of the century.
United, They Syndicate by Dave Astor, Editor & Publisher, February 2004
A day in the life of a company that traces its roots back to 1902 -- and tries to offer features relevant to 2004
UPP with People by Billie Cohen, Time Out New York, Jan. 29, 2004
The Urban Pioneer Project wants you -- and your living room
Venting, Down East, February 2004
One phone in Lewiston has been ringing off the hook lately.
The Very, Very Personal Is the Political by Jon Gertner, New York Times Magazine, Feb. 15, 2004
Political parties are using enormous databases to learn everything about you so they can tailor their pitches for candidates just for you. Are campaigning and voting becoming just marketing and consumption?
Vintage Radio, Down to Farm Reports and School Menus, Is Signing Off by G. Patrick Pawling, New York Times, Feb. 1, 2004
The Virus Underground by Clive Thompson, New York Times Magazine, Feb. 8, 2004
Philet0ast3r, Second Part to Hell, Vorgon and guys like them around the world spend their Saturday nights writing fiendishly contagious computer viruses and worms. Are they artists, pranksters or techno-saboteurs?
Web Innovator Eyes Print Ads by Barbara Bedway, Editor & Publisher, February 2004
He's about a Mover
A Well-Imagined Star by Neil Strauss, New York Times, Feb. 2, 2004
Unearthing a trove of albums that never existed
The World at Ears' Length by Warren St. John, New York Times, Feb. 15, 2004
IPod's wall of sound puts the city on mute.
Thursday, February 19, 2004
Workaday World XLV
Dave Strand has created a wonderful Web tour of the now-empty and -vacant former Fast Company offices on North Washington Street in Boston. Weird how much of a shell the place now seems. We had a good seven-year run on the edge of the North End, though.
Wednesday, February 18, 2004
Rest in Peace V
Just days before tonight's homage to Sarah Jacobson at the Two Boots Pioneer Theater, the indie filmmaker died Friday in New York. Fans of the director of Mary Jane's Not a Virgin Any More are already gathering online to express their sadness, condolences, and memories -- and the screening tonight is sure to inspire some strong emptions. Rest in peace, Sarah.
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