To burn always with this hard, gem-like flame

Photo

Sun, 20 May 2012 11:49:30 -0400

Stephen King: tax me, for fuck's sake!

Thu, 03 May 2012 21:18:12 -0400

Stephen King is rich, wants to pay more federal taxes, and is pretty pissed off about it. (via Kottke)

Mitt Romney has said, in effect, “I’m rich and I don’t apologize for it.” Nobody wants you to, Mitt. What some of us want — those who aren’t blinded by a lot of bullshit persiflage thrown up to mask the idea that rich folks want to keep their damn money — is for you to acknowledge that you couldn’t have made it in America without America. That you were fortunate enough to be born in a country where upward mobility is possible (a subject upon which Barack Obama can speak with the authority of experience), but where the channels making such upward mobility possible are being increasingly clogged. That it’s not fair to ask the middle class to assume a disproportionate amount of the tax burden. Not fair? It’s un-fucking-American is what it is. I don’t want you to apologize for being rich; I want you to acknowledge that in America, we all should have to pay our fair share. That our civics classes never taught us that being American means that — sorry, kiddies-you’re on your own. That those who have received much must be obligated to pay — not to give, not to “cut a check and shut up,” in Governor Christie’s words, but to pay — in the same proportion. That’s called stepping up and not whining about it. That’s called patriotism, a word the Tea Partiers love to throw around as long as it doesn’t cost their beloved rich folks any money.

Richard Branson's Life Lessons

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:41:52 -0400

Richard Branson's Life Lessons:

youmightfindyourself:

I keep copious notes. Notebooks have always been a critical part of my life. If I’m on a Virgin plane, I’ll get up and meet staff, meet passengers, get feedback and write things down.

When I’m on Necker Island [in the British Virgin Islands] about all I’ve got on is SPF—Sun Bum and also Island Company sun cream.

Every day is different, absolutely fascinating and a learning experience. In Canada, I’m trying to get legislation passed to save the polar bear. I’m going to Madagascar to try to save the lemur. Yesterday I was on stage with Amnesty International; today I’m doing a bit of business with Virgin Atlantic.

I hate being in hotels with a thousand rooms. And I personally don’t like going into hotels where you’ve got formal check-in desks. I’d much rather come and sit on the couch and be checked in that way, or ideally be checked in before I’ve actually gotten to the hotel.

My watch is a Bulova Accutron limited-edition. Every time one is sold, a portion of the proceeds goes to Virgin Unite, my charity.

I’ve spent a lifetime trying to set an example to get the necktie abolished. I mean, I just find it so sad going somewhere like Japan, where they’re all wearing suits. You look at these lovely pictures of them 100 years ago in their beautiful robes, and you think, ‘how on earth did the necktie ever catch on?’ I just find them uncomfortable and restricting. I think it’s people who run departments of companies, who’ve had to suffer all their lives and are damned if the next generation isn’t going to suffer, too.

I love to kiteboard. My board of choice is Cabrinha.

I’m not a very religious person, but if anybody was going to convert me, it would be Archbishop Tutu. He set an incredible example to the rest of the world, I think, when he helped bring about forgiveness in South Africa after the apartheid regime collapsed.

The reason I got into the travel business originally was out of frustration about the ghastly experience we used to get on other airlines. We literally started with one secondhand 747, crossing the Atlantic from London to New York to see whether people would go out of their way to travel on an airline that offered something a bit more personal. Fortunately, people did.

Jeans are great because you can wear the same pair of trousers 365 days a year and get away with it.

The movies that really make a difference are documentaries. ‘Sharkwater’ is one that changed my life. It’s about all the sharks that get slaughtered just for their fins and are thrown back in to die.

I could live off English roast dinner. If business is good, I love a glass of Champagne.

As a leader it’s important to always look for the best in other people—never criticize. If I ever said anything bad about anybody when I was a child, my mom would make me look in the mirror.

I’ve always believed in befriending your enemies. Years ago British Airways went to extraordinary lengths to put us out of business. After the court case, I rang up Sir Colin Marshall, who ran BA, and said, ‘would you like to come out for lunch?’ I think he wondered why on earth I was doing it. But we had a delightful lunch at my house in London and became friends and buried the hatchet.

There’s no better gift than aphotograph. Stephen Colbert recently sent an enlarged, framed photo featuring him dressed as me, vacuuming, with a nude model on his back. It was similar to a photo of me kiteboarding, and it was gratefully received because the fire on Necker burned down my office and with it all my notebooks and photographs.

I love the music of Peter Gabriel, who is also one of my best friends.

I recently bought a pair of Allen Edmonds lace-up oxfords in Las Vegas. I wear them all the time.

I’ve just spent two days in the Silver Bank, where pretty much every whale in the Atlantic converges once a year. It’s about 600 miles off the Dominican Republic. I was swimming with these magnificent creatures. The babies come up and play with you—it’s definitely one of the 20 wonders of my life. I think we’re going to send my catamaran there in March and April of every year and share the experience with other people.

I find that taking pictures gets in the way of enjoying the experience. But I’m also lucky that there are so many people around me who are taking pictures.

letmypeopleshow: The Answer (on the L Train) Is Blowing in the...

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:39:18 -0400

letmypeopleshow:

The Answer (on the L Train) Is Blowing in the Wind:

We all know what it’s like to run for the subway doors, only to watch them close and the train pull away, but it took the particular sensibility of Neil Goldberg to turn the experience into an art piece. One of his photo series shows New Yorkers doing just that; another records people choosing salad-bar offerings. “Subway Trapezoids“ shows the piece of sky you see when you ascend the stairs. These and more, including a video of a wind gust moving through people’s hair at the Bedford Avenue stop on the L Train, are in “Stories the City Tells Itself: The Video Art and Photography of Neil Goldberg,” the first contemporary-video show at the venerable Museum of the City of New York. To help the artist explain how he transforms seemingly meaningless moments into profound and comical artworks, the museum turned to Maira Kalman, whose delight and empathy for the objects of daily life was so beautifully showcased in her recent Jewish Museum exhibition. This Thursday, they will both appear in a conversation at the Museum of the City of New York, hosted by Queens Museum director Tom Finkelpearl. The subject is how they make art out of the everyday. Go for the talk—but get there early for treats from Brooklyn’s Blue Marble Ice Cream.

Image from Goldberg’s single-channel video installation ”Wind Tunnel,” 2012. Courtesy Museum of the City of New York and the artist.

Beautiful

typeverything: Typeverything.com - Methane Studio Great colors

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:31:20 -0400

typeverything:

Typeverything.com - Methane Studio

Great colors

youmightfindyourself: True Life: I think I’m starting to like...

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:26:38 -0400

youmightfindyourself:

True Life: I think I’m starting to like bro things™

I don’t know what’s going on with me. Maybe it’s because I missed the entire tacky wash jeans phase, having worn raw denim for the past 6 years.

designcloud: Keep Calm Art Print by Michael Flarup...

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:26:06 -0400

designcloud:

Keep Calm Art Print by Michael Flarup @society6.com

thewhitedress: “They are mason jars hung from trees with...

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 12:30:07 -0400

thewhitedress:

“They are mason jars hung from trees with candles in them. AMAZING!”

Space: Everything you need to know to catch this weekend's Lyrid meteor shower(via @io9)

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 20:24:26 -0400

Space: Everything you need to know to catch this weekend's Lyrid meteor shower(via @io9):

This year’s Lyrid meteor shower is expected to peak between midnight and dawn on Saturday night/Sunday morning. That means two things. One: it’s the weekend, which means you have no excuse not to stay up.

Dyed lace pieces by rosanna hope on Flickr.

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:43:01 -0400

Dyed lace pieces by rosanna hope on Flickr.

The Loyal Opposition: Wars: Imagined and Real

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:34:12 -0400

The Loyal Opposition: Wars: Imagined and Real:

Despite right-wing bluster to the contrary, there really is a war on women, and the Republicans are the aggressors.

Henry Road now featured on Fab.Fab.comPaula Smail, a self-taught...

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 20:42:49 -0400

Henry Road now featured on Fab.
Fab.com
Paula Smail, a self-taught designer who has spent her life traveling the globe, owns a company that’s as bright and eclectic as her path has been. LA-based Henry Road specializes in colorful fabrics, reupholstered vintage seating, and eclectic home accents, easily combining the old and new.

Munky King is coming to Fab 04/09/12Fab.comThe Monkey King...

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 20:41:05 -0400

Munky King is coming to Fab 04/09/12
Fab.com
The Monkey King staged a coup against the Kingdom of Heaven using wits, cunning and a very big stick. So Munky King built a temple in his honor and asked revolutionary artists to create sculptural toys to embody his rebellious, creative spirit. These designer toys are a must for any collector of funky art.

Swoon

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 22:19:45 -0400

Swoon

Hibiscus-Marinated Leg of Lamb

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:31:18 -0400

Hibiscus-Marinated Leg of Lamb:

Could this be my new Passover main dish?

The Rude Pundit

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:00:35 -0400

The Rude Pundit:

The Rude One nails it, as ever.

How Communal Singing Disappeared From American Life - The Atlantic

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:58:11 -0400

How Communal Singing Disappeared From American Life - The Atlantic

How to Talk To Young Black Boys About Trayvon Martin

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:31:53 -0400

How to Talk To Young Black Boys About Trayvon Martin:

youmightfindyourself:

By: TOURÉ
TIME, 3/21/2012

1. It’s unlikely but possible that you could get killed today. Or any day. I’m sorry but that’s the truth. Blackmaleness is a potentially fatal condition. I tell you that not to scare you but because knowing that could possibly save your life. There are people who will look at you and see a villain or a criminal or something fearsome. It’s possible they may act on their prejudice and insecurity. Being Black could turn an ordinary situation into a life or death moment even if you’re doing nothing wrong.

2. If you encounter such a situation, you need to play it cool. Keep your wits about you. Don’t worry about winning the situation, your goal is to survive.

3. There is nothing wrong with you. You’re amazing. I love you. When I look at you I see a complex human being with awesome potential but some others will look at you and see a thug. Even if their only evidence is your skin. Their racism relates to larger anxieties and problems in America that you didn’t create. When someone is racist toward you—either because they’ve profiled you or spat some slur or whatever—they are saying they have a problem. They are not speaking about you. They’re speaking about themselves and their deficiencies.

4. You will have to make allowances for other people’s racism. That’s part of the burden of being Black. We can be defiant and dead or smart and alive. I’m not saying you can’t wear what you want. Your clothes are a red herring. They’ll blame it on your hoodie or your jeans when the real reason they decided that you were a criminal is you’re Black. Of course, you know better. Racism is about reminding you that you are less human, less valuable, less worthy, less beautiful, less intelligent. It’s about pre-judging you as violent, fearsome, a threat. Some people will take that prejudice and try to enforce their will on you in order to make sure you feel like a second-class citizen and to make certain that you get back to the lower-class place they think you’re trying to escape. The best way to counter them will not involve your fists but your mind. You know your value to the world and how awesome you are. If you never forget that, they can’t damage your spirit. The best revenge is surviving and living well.

5. Be aware of your surroundings. Especially when it’s dark. Or bright. Some people are on the lookout for muggers or rapists. You need to be on the lookout for profilers who are judging you. Don’t give them an opportunity to make a mistake.

6. So what do you do if you feel you are being profiled and followed, or worse, chased by someone with a vigilante streak? If you are hunted in the way it seems Trayvon was as he was followed by someone bigger than him, who was armed and hopped up on stereotypes like assuming you’re armed and on drugs and up to no good? Well then you need to act. By calling the police. That is the exact time to snitch. I know there are times the cops will be your enemies but sometimes calling 911 and letting the threatening person know that you’re doing so could save your life.

7. What if it’s the cops who are making you feel threatened? Well, then you need to retreat. I don’t mean run away. I mean, don’t fight or resist. Now is not the time to fight the power. Make sure they can see your hands, follow all instructions, don’t say anything, keep your cool. Your goal is to defuse things, no matter how insulted you are. Play possum. They may be behaving unjustly but never forget this: their lives aren’t in danger. Yours could be. If you survive you will be able to tell your lawyer what happened. If you don’t…

8. Never forget: As far as we can tell, Trayvon did nothing wrong and still lost his life. You could be a Trayvon. Any of us could.

must-be-the-monet: Vincent Van GoghRooftops, View From Atelier...

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:30:39 -0400

must-be-the-monet:

Vincent Van Gogh
Rooftops, View From Atelier The Hague, 1882
Dutch, Private Collection

mexicanfoodporn: En 1937, Frida Kahlo decoró con flores la mesa...

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 08:34:47 -0400

mexicanfoodporn:

En 1937, Frida Kahlo decoró con flores la mesa que esta en la Casa Azul para recibir a León Trotsky refugiado ya que estaba exiliado de Rusia

In 1937, Frida Kahlo decorated with flowers her kitchen table that is in The Blue House to welcome Leon Trotsky who was exiled from Russia