Stutter Shades

Today I saw my first awkward preteen without style wearing shutter shades in a town without a street style blog. Where did this girl even hear about these? Does she read a lot of blogs? My confusion surrounds the notion that shutter shades never seemed to actually be cool, just something Kanye did for an album promo. And now they're being mass marketed by fred flare/forever 21 for the mainstream alt who forever wants to be barely legal? No one started wearing leopard print Russian hats when M.I.A.'s (RIP) album Kala came out last year (is that even what's on her head?) Anyway, wasn't Kanye just copying LeVar Burton's character in Star Trek The Next Generation? Apparently, the future is now.

OMG

OMG YOU GUYS IT'S BEEN SO LONG. a lot of things have happened in the past few months including: mice, dreams of moving and deciding that my future lies in libraries. that is one reason why i haven't written anything for several months. but, here is my other issue: my main problem with (good) blogs, i think, is that not only must one have either interesting things to say or interesting ways to say uninteresting things but they must also ANALYZE EVERYTHING. it's like, blog posts are next to godliness and i am no god. so, that's basically why i was SO OVER THIS BLOG about a month after i started it. most of the time when i'm hanging out online i'm reading things on blogs, mostly the ones linked to on the right, and a lot of the stuff i'm reading i find intensely interesting. it would be great if i had the energy to make every thing i read that interests me into a blog post but that's a) impossible and b) a form of appropriation that i'd rather not have to lean on daily. i've heard things about tumblr accounts being a promising way for people that don't have the want to develop every thought they have into something epic. has anyone used one? is it really all that great? i am kind of considering something more of that magnitude because it seems a lot less evasive to my thoughts. (also the phrase "less evasive to my thoughts" sounds like i'm scared of technology taking over my brain. I'M NOT).

i guess the talking points of this post is: a) blogs are overwhelming, b) i want to keep in contact with people/share my thoughts somewhat, and c) what's the deal with tumblrs? so, yeah. any ideas?

Wearing Art

A few years back I was really interested in Northern European culture (mainly the style that accompanied the mindset). My interest lived mainly in the attraction I had towards Swedish pop music (you know, before Peter, Bjorn and John were cool), an unnatural desire to live in Iceland and my almost obsessive checking of Hel Looks, a website devoted to street fashion in Helsinki, Finland. It's similar to fashion photo sites like The Sartorialist and Face Hunter with a few important differences. While the two latter deal more with high fashion in hubs like New York City and London, Hel Looks seems to look at fashion as more something anyone can achieve, regardless of income, through a specific artistic process. I'm not sure if this (mostly) frugal-invention-of-style mindset is common within Northern European cities more so than others or if Hel Looks just does a better job picking out those people that fall into this category for their site, but this is the type of living that I find most interesting.

My interest in Northern Europe has more or less disintegrated with time but my interest in Hel Looks piqued over the past few days out of boredom of the internet. I recently went through the multiple pages of pictures I've missed over the past 8 months to see what unpredictably inventive outfits I've been missing out on. The outfits pictured did not disappoint. The current Helsinki street fashion tends to be either extremely oversized or incredibly tight and there's a surprising amount of neon within the clothing choices (I thought neon was out when the Klaxons won the Mercury Prize). What surprised me the most as I looked back further into the archives (I believe photos go back to 2005) was how normal the outfits started looking the further I searched. This can either mean two things: Helsinki fashion has gotten more outrageous within the past few years OR (and this is what I am banking on) Helsinki is just about 3 years ahead of the American/mass fashion look.


(2 pictures from Hel Looks, both taken in August 2005. The man on the left has 2008 fashion down to the nike dunks-although he is channeling the facial hair of AJ from the Backstreet Boys-and I think a saw a girl at the Smith College bus stop with the same outfit on as the girl on the right last week.)

If my hypothesis is right, it can only mean one thing. In 2010 we will all be wearing clothes like these:


Both of these taken in 2007

I guess I'd better start looking for the perfect enormous scarf/furry leggings now.

this art could be your life

Audrey Kawasaki's most recent gallery opening was last night. I consider myself immune to most whimsical things, but i can't help but really like Kawasaki's work. I like the mediums she works with (especially the wood) and it seems that the women in her paintings have their own emotional lives evident by their (usually) painful faces. I can see a life story in each painting that calls out for the viewer to discover and any artist who can paint that much depth into a person has my vote. I wish i could see her art in person, but the opening was in LA. Maybe someday i can get a print and it will be like there's a gallery in my house every day.

Bookmill!

Today Al and I decided to finally check out the Montague Bookmill in Montague, MA. It's about a half an hour drive from our place and we'd both heard pretty good things about it from people that have lived in Massachusetts for a little long than we have. I generally enjoy used book stores as long as their filing system makes sense and i can easily walk around/find everything i want and the bookmill succeeded in this area. It's located in a building built in 1842 to be a gristmill giving it an interesting aesthetic quality including several different sized rooms, steep stairs and creaky wooden floors. The majority of books they carried were very well kept, many hardly looked like they'd been open. Probably 90 percent of their books were non fiction, mostly academic in nature topics ranging from gay and lesbian lit to graphic design. My main critique of the bookmill was the lack of books published after around 1992. This is probably something one could say about any used book store, but it seemed more prevalent than another bookstore i regularly visit.

What the bookmill reminded me of most is The Book Loft (warning: this is a poorly laid out website that includes a backing musical track that i think might be by enya that you cannot opt to turn off. actually, don't even go here, it's not worth it.) located in German Village, a subsection of Columbus, OH. This was always one of my favorite places to visit when i actually went into downtown Columbus while i was still living around there. I could literally get lost looking at all their book offerings within their maniacally laid out 32 room store. They were superior to the bookmill in many ways, but their best feature was being open until 11pm or midnight each night (as are many other things located in Columbus). Conversely, nothing in the pioneer valley is open past 9.

I don't want to dis the bookmill too much though, we didn't try out the cafe located next door that has a pretty sweet menu (yum, brie, apricot jam and marinated apple grilled sandwich!). Additionally, i did pick up two Margaret Atwood books for 3 dollars and some change. They are her first and second published works, The Edible Woman (published in 1969) and Surfacing (published in 1972). I've never actually heard anyone talk about these two books when they talk about Atwood which i guess either means they're really bad or really crazy. I have to admit though, the real reason i bought them (although at some point i will read them) was the hilarious quotes on the front cover of each.





It's kind of crazy that that kind of thing would ever make anyone want to buy a book. I really like how Surfacing is considered the most shattering novel a woman ever wrote and then touted as even better than The Bell Jar like Sylvia Plath is the only other woman author out there (maybe in the New York Times eyes she is-- all they probably recognize as literature are the Great Books anyway *puke*). Also-- was everyone afraid of flying back in the late 60s early 70s? Didn't they use to smoke on flights back then? I can only assume that flying fear had something to do with the stale, overused cigarette smoke recirculating through the air ducts on a long flight. I'm really excited to read these books to see if their cover hype lives up to whats inside. When i finish these maybe i'll have to go back to the bookmill to get some more reading...and a grilled sandwich.

ugh politics

With the presidential election only (ha) 10 months away the general feeling by those in the political realm is that our next president will be the democratic nominee (see: Bush, the war, scandal, approval ratings, etc. on the republican side). Even though Super Tuesday has already passed there is still no definitive answer on who that candidate will be. Obama and Clinton are neck and neck trading votes from delegates and states, pretty much ending up equal in their earnings (although in this graph it looks as if Al Gore still has a chance!). McCain is heading towards receiving the republican bid mere months after being hated on for becoming inauthentic in his most recent years. Probably the best course of action for this presidential year would be to get rid of the republican candidate completely and instead let the actual race be between Clinton and Obama. Now that would be interesting! Alas, i'm pretty sure that's not possible, besides they'd probably just split the votes and then we'd have to have a ridiculous amount of recounts, etc. How. Annoying.

For the past several years that Clinton had been hinting at running for president i just laughed it off. Even if she was going to run, i thought, no one would vote for her in the primaries and she'd drop out in the beginning of 2008. I mean, come on. She's a lady. If i learned anything in my women's studies classes it's that no one likes a woman in power. But apparently, i was all wrong. Evidently, she actually might win. WIN. (although one reason i think she is doing so well is because Obama has some things against him too-- mainly that he is NOT a old white man who has a lot of political experience...but that's a different discussion altogether.) Let me make this clear- i consider myself a woman, a feminist and white. Therefore i should be cheering on Clinton and this improbable run. Yet, i am less than pleased. The last time i visited home my mom broached the subject of politics with Al and i and proceeded to tell us she was scared of what Clinton might do if in office. I couldn't help but laugh out loud at her. The right-wing propaganda against Clinton is ridiculous and is forcing unsuspecting conservative people, like my mom, to think that this "feminist, radical, liberal woman" is going to force abortions on all women (even if they aren't pregnant) and castrate all men. Perhaps Clinton was a radical liberal feminist at one time but after her failed attempt at innovating health care in 1992 while her husband was in office she changed as a person. Clinton became part of the political machine, perhaps even, she became the machine itself. In reality Clinton should be the least scary of all the democratic nominees. If she is our next president we will probably see a lot of the same shenanigans we saw with Bush as our leader (but without the scary god-told-me-to-start-the-end-times shtick).

What i believe about Clinton, though, is in no means indicative of the general feminist climate. Actually, it seems most people who call themselves "feminist" (which honestly could mean any number of things) are pretty split between Clinton and Obama supporters (not unlike the race itself). Last week New York State's NOW (National Organization of Women) released a statement to the press demeaning Senator Kennedy for not supporting Clinton saying,

Women have just experienced the ultimate betrayal. Senator Kennedy’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton’s opponent in the Democratic presidential primary campaign has really hit women hard...This latest move by Kennedy, is so telling about the status of and respect for women’s rights, women’s voices, women’s equality, women’s authority and our ability – indeed, our obligation- to promote and earn and deserve and elect, unabashedly, a President that is the first woman after centuries of men who “know what’s best for us.

This is insane, disgusting and not something that (i hope) most feminists feel. NOW New York lost a lot of respect after posting this from many feminist bloggers (INCLUDING MYSELF). (it must be noted that the national NOW branch has issued a statement saying that they do not agree with the feelings within NOW New York [aka- not all feminist groups are crazy, apparently just one].)

The anti-feminist Ann Coulter has also come out with her stance on Clinton. Last week on Hannity and Colmes Coulter announced she'd endorse Clinton if McCain is the republican candidate (and after the Super Tuesday results it seems more likely than not he will be)


I'm not sure, but this might be the end of the world. If conservative joke Ann Coulter is campaigning for Clinton (even if it is only to make a point) AND ultra-feminists feel as if she must win because of her womanhood i can only assume Clinton will be the next president of the United States. Sadly, in all of this ruckus about who is more liberal, who is more scary and who is the most democratic i agree with Coulter's stance the most (!!!). She seems to be the only conservative (maybe even person) that understands the inability for Clinton to do anything for the liberal side because of how integrated she is in the old wealthy white male political machine.


After i said all of this i realize that i don't really know anything at all about Obama except that he's charming, he looks good on the beaches of Hawai`i (see above) and he's new to this whole political thing (which can only be a good thing). I don't think he's the best candidate for the job, but at least he's not as misunderstood as his rival.

Pretty Goes with Colleen

Scott Tennent over at Pretty Goes with Pretty (out of all blogs, a good one) most recent post, Let's Talk About the Issues, somehow encapsulates the 2008 presidential election pretty well for me. Taking his cue from a (relatively bland) LATimes photo album/article about what pop culture affects the different presidential candidates (specifically their favorite music, television and movies). PGWP gives its reaction to the different candidate's answers and appears spot on in its evaluation relative to what I generally think of the candidates.

My two favorite PGWP comments are toward John McCain and Hilary Clinton:

John McCain
Campaign soundtrack: "Gonna Fly Now (Theme From 'Rocky')", ABBA's "Take a Chance on Me" and "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry

Favorite TV show: "Prison Break"

On the iPod: "I have an iPod with Beach Boys, Roy Orbison – I have a varied taste in music between very good music and not-so-good music, but most of my advancement in music appreciation stopped the day I was shot down in October of 1967."

Pretty Goes with Pretty reaction: Fuuuuuuuuuuck. It's hard to fuck with a dude who throws his POW ordeal in your face when you ask him who is favorite band is. Speaking of, it would blow my mind to hear him talk back to his TV during an episode of Prisonbreak. (Additionally, I like that he likes good music and he also likes not-so-good music--lest he offend people who really love not-so-good music. Ever the politician.)

Hillary Clinton
Campaign soundtrack: Celine Dion's "You and I"

Favorite TV show: "American Idol," "Grey's Anatomy," "Dancing With the Stars," and HGTV makeover shows

On iPod: Clinton told the Associated Press in the spring of 2006 that she received her iPod as a gift from her husband. At that time, songs included Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” the Beatles’ “Hey Jude” and “Take it to the Limit” by The Eagles.

Pretty Goes with Pretty reaction: the transparency of her clearly pandering choices for favorite television show are a great example of why I don't want her to win the nomination. I do, however, believe that she likes the Eagles. However, taking her campaign song into account, apparently Clinton and McCain could reach across the aisle in their love of not-so-good music.

Scott, you speak right through me, man. Seriously, though. You can learn more about how those candidates are going to act if elected through their take on pop culture more than you ever could listening to any campaign speech.

Sensationalize This

I lost some respect for the New York Times today. The main headline on the New York Times website, NYTimes.com, in the mid-morning read, "Tainted Drugs Tied to Maker of Abortion Pill" (login required?) a story about cancer patients in China becoming paralyzed after taking contaminated drugs. The Times is really going after those shock and awe hits with this title. The headline and the following article is disgusting for a few reasons. First off, linking the always hated "abortion pill" with the harm of cancer patients (a group that will always be a favorite to feel sorry for) is not doing any good for the plight of choice in America. Second, the title implies that the abortion pill is tainted and therefore worth a second glance by the FDA before we let anyone else get hurt. But I think the thing that irks me the most is that the Times needed to mention RU-486 (aka "the abortion pill) at all. The article is about a pill for leukemia and has nothing to do with abortion, the potential harm taking the abortion pill could cause or ANYTHING to do with (or the lack of) sexual reproduction AT ALL. In fact, as the article states, "(RU-486) is made at a factory different from the one that produced the tainted cancer drugs, about an hour’s drive away." Clearly, the Times is just putting a little fear in our hearts and a smile on the faces of those that are anti-abortion.

This ridiculous headline comes right at the heels of an interesting article over at Slate.com bemoaning inane headlines on cable news sites like Foxnews and CNN. As I read the article that quoted headlines like "British Teen Films Herself Trying To Kill Parents" and "Elementary School Principal Charged in Sexual Assault" I was glad that I didn't read any of those website instead opting for more "intellectual" (I am really smart) sites like the New York Times. After the Times headline today I guess no one is safe from the stupidity the internet forces news sites to lower themselves to in order to receive the maximum amount of hits per day. The Slate article compares these sensationalist headlines to tabloids on gossip sites like TMZ and mention that sex and missing/dead babies are the favorite headline topics for cable news. In my mind, this Times article is no different.

Further Reading:
Ann at Feministing adds some interesting points to this discussion that I didn't mention above.
Not sure what RU-486 is? Wiki-it.

this is a tribute

"Tribute videos" have become pretty common since the internet became a hang out for the masses with the inception of youtube and social networking sites like myspace. I'm taken aback by the amount of time a person will spend slaving over their computer's free video-making software in order to create a slide show of pictures of their crushes from american idol or hannah montana backed by the creator's favorite tune. Idolator 2007 intern, Kate, even had a regular column on the Idolator site devoted to especially awesome tribute videos she found on youtube.
So, I get it. Tribute videos are everywhere and any internet-literate person shouldn't raise an eyebrow over any tribute video, no matter how ridiculous, they find. Yet, I still can't get over some of the videos I see. This video in particular, devoted to Dakota Fanning's little sister Elle has a very interesting choice of background song. I'll let you watch for yourselves:

Celeb Party

When I moved to Northampton back in June I was completely oblivious to the number of celebrities I would be coming in contact with. I assumed Northampton was only a little cooler than my home-area of Columbus, Ohio, and then, simply because it resides in new england with easy access to several big cities. As it turned out, outside of the actual small town itself, the Western Massachusetts area is pretty lame. It's annoying that I have to drive sometimes two hours to get to a place that, in Columbus, was a mere 15 minute drive. But, that's where the celebrities come in. I've seen a lot of them. Or at least at lot more than I ever have in my life; in Columbus or otherwise. But not to a visit to Boston or New York, this is all happening in good old Northampton proper (or Amherst for one incident). Because this is a pretty big deal I figure I'd better tell you who I've met just so everyone will finally understand how cool I actually am.

Kim Gordon (aka Sonic Youth god/essentials regular)
Thurston Moore (pitchfork readers poll number 6 underrated album of 2007)
Coco Gordon-Moore (sonic offspring)
J Mascis (dinosaur guitar god)
John Hodgman (total humor god)
Eugene Mirman (total let-himself-go-since-college god)
A.D. Miles (total BFF with my two fav boys (Michael Showalter and Paul Rudd) god)
Eric Mabius (season one L Word jerk and apparent Ugly Betty star)
Kenny Mayne (ESPN/Dancing With the Stars star)


That's a lot of stars, right??? Don't worry, I'll update you whenever I see more.

The End of the Alphabet

Working in retail has introduced new challenges to my life that require creative thinking, sweet-talking and a very fake smile. This past Sunday leant itself to a new challenge for someone fairly new to the full-time retail experience. After somehow losing the book I was currently reading I suddenly found myself ill-prepared for an extremely slow day of work. My 5-hour shift was spent alone in the Amherst shop only welcoming the occasional browser, never buyer. Thankfully essentials offers several books that at least look interesting on the shelf, although the Amherst location is somewhat lacking in that area. One title we sell, The End of the Alphabet, has been on the shelf for the entire time I’ve been working at the store, never catching my (or any of the customer’s) interest. Perhaps it’s the hefty price tag for such a small book that makes everyone shrink away. I must admit, my main problem has been the cover. I can’t get past that front piece of paper. With ever only a glance while stocking, all I could ever see was an Egyptian camel and the word “alphabet” which automatically lead me to believe the book was nothing more than an acrostic for the ABC’s with “camel” undoubtedly standing for the letter C.
Fifteen minutes into my shift boredom got the best of me and I wandered over to the set up of books, looking for the one that I could easily read while not ruining the binding for the customer who will ultimately buy the book. The End of the Alphabet seemed like the best choice with its small frame, hard cover and lack of interest from our customer base. The book is the first from author CS Richardson, and it’s usually my belief that any first book is valiant but either lacking in style or grace. Although the odds were stacked against it (Acrostic? The first? Egypt?) I gave it a try.
The premise of Alphabet was probably the most gimmicky in existence. It’s been done several times before in every variation possible, and parts of Richardson’s writing style made my eyes roll. Yet there was something about this book that worked. The story follows an alphabet connoisseur 50-something named Ambrose Zephyr and his wife Zappora “Zipper” Ashkenazi. I know, I know; those names are enough to put the book down but I kept on going. The plot ensues and Ambrose gets word from the doctor soon after the book opens that he only has a month to live. During the night after getting this news, Ambrose decides to go to places that have meaning for him over his last month on earth—one place for each letter of the alphabet (yuck). It must be said that the plot and characters are the worst part about the book. Each element that Richardson adds after he puts forth his disgustingly bland and overdone plot device made me thankful that I continued to read.
Richardson knows how to use the right amount of whim to drive the reader to understand Ambrose and Zipper’s emotions and recognize themselves in these characters. The story rides a wave of romanticism throughout and thankfully does not painfully go through each letter of the alphabet only allowing the character to die after the site of “Z” has been conquered. The aesthetics of Alphabet work because it ends quickly without too much wordiness about the death or even the thirty days Ambrose was left to live. The novel is quick, painless, and just emotional enough for such a short read.
This is a case of an author knowing how to place a reader into a story—make a reader want to befriend the characters without the cheese so many sappy novels that deal with death. What Richardson has not quite grasped yet in his writing is a unique story to tell, one that isn’t trite or obvious. As I’ve said before, this is the premier novel and improvement will undoubtedly come with time. I’ll be happy to read a second novel by Richardson, but only if I am stuck again, without entertainment, working in a store with no customers on a boring Sunday afternoon.

Year End Album List 2007

20. Okkervil River, The Stage Names

19. Black Moth Super Rainbow, Dandelion Gum

18. Kevin Drew, Spirit If...

17. M83, Digital Shades Vol. 1

16. Thurston Moore, Trees Outside the Academy

15. Chikita Volenta, The Stars & Suns Sessions

14. Amiina, Kurr

13. Beirut, The Flying Club Cup

12. The Bad Plus, Prog

11. Jens Lekman, Night Falls Over Kortedala

10. Arcade Fire, Neon Bible
I wish there was a fun phrase for the overexposure of Arcade Fire like the Shin’s Brafflash. But alas, there’s not. The reason this album is even in my top albums of the year is really just because spring quarter when I would go running regularly this is what I’d listen to. I’d like to bring back those happy, healthier, simpler times and if putting this in my top ten will make that happen, then I’m going to do it.

http://www.myspace.com/celebrationcelebration

9. Celebration, The Modern Tribe
If nothing else, “Evergreen” is one of the best tracks of the year.

http://www.myspace.com/marniestern1

8. Marnie Stern, In Advance of the Broken Arm
A girl? That shreds? Hard? SWEEEEEEEET.

http://www.myspace.com/thenewpornographers

7. The New Pornographers, Challengers
I think most people ignored this album because it admittedly isn’t as good as some of The New Pornographer’s previous work. I was going to too until I realized how often I actually listened to Challengers this year. So, I gave it another listen a few days ago and realized that it really is a solid album. Although it might be an unconventional pick for a top ten, I think this album (especially the tracks featuring Neko Case and Destroyer’s Dan Bejar) is actually pretty good.

http://www.myspace.com/battlestheband

6. Battles, Mirrored
Math rock is not for girls, but I think that is why Battles is so good. I’m a girl, and I like it.

http://www.myspace.com/mia

5. M.I.A., Kala
Maya Arulpragasam moved from hipster dance party goddess with her 2005 album Arular to 2007 with an album that actually kind of says something in a dynamic way. I like it when artists can grow in their music, especially when they’re already 5 years ahead of the game like M.I.A. will always be.

http://www.myspace.com/lcdsoundsystem

4. LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver
You know an album is good when bloggers and critics are fighting over which of three different songs from this album should be in the top spot for their 2007 Best Songs list (although I still don’t understand putting “North American Scum” in any top ten). Yet, I am nearly positive that I’m the only one in the entirety of the blogging world who actually likes the closing song, “New York I Love You”. Maybe it’s the slow fragility in James Murphy’s voice that makes me melt.

http://www.myspace.com/rippityrippity

3. Panda Bear, Person Pitch
I’d pick Panda Bear over Animal Collective any day. Plus, Person Pitch is innovative and psychedelic in the good way! One can’t ask for much more.

http://www.myspace.com/stvincent

2. St. Vincent, Marry Me
I can hardly believe I put this at number two either, trust me. More than once I have, for an unknown reason, become hopelessly devoted (eerily similar to the song from the musical Grease) to female singer/songwriters. Then, after months of constant play and profession of flawlessness I realize how boring or top 40 or disgustingly adult contemporary rock it really is. I hope I don’t regret this number two position in the future, but as of now, I truly believe Marry Me is the turning point in female singer/songwriter music. It’s better, it’s definitely not flawless, but it rocks a little harder and it uses a little more imagination than your typical female solo artist.

http://www.myspace.com/dirtyprojectors

1. Dirty Projectors, Rise Above
I heard this album several times, not by choice, soon after it came out this year. I was not impressed by the seemingly random guitar noise and scattered, sometimes wailing voices. Then, instead of just hearing, I listened and immediately realized how remarkably musical something could be under the mask of pure noise. Before knowing anything about the “gimmick” of this album I listened a few more times particularly confused by the harsh lyrics against the backdrop of female singers (!!) and the occasional classical instrumentation. Complete oblivion to the story behind bands that I profess to enjoy is a personal vice so I asked a friend to explain the Dirty Proj (as I like to call them) to me. I Learned that Dave Longstreth is a Christ Figure in addition to the fact that this album is a reimagination of the Black Flag album Damaged. These facts added several more layers to my amazement and intense adoration to this conceptualization of music Longstreth has created. He’s no doubt paved a path for understanding and creating new out of old for the future of something that we thought was only repeating itself over and over again.