“I believe that we are all spiritual beings having a human experience, and not the other way around.” –
This is the third in an ongoing series of Crasstalk posts regarding spirituality.
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In the comments of another post, I joked that I could write this column while being an asshole. I got so much encouragement for the idea that I decided to try. Since I’m really not that good of an actress, instead of being a bitch, I decided to write about when spiritually-oriented people are assholes, and vice versa.
First, I’d like to dispel the myth that people on a spiritual path must be kind, nice and even-tempered 100% of the time. A great teacher of mine once told me that her path to loving all beings was fraught with challenges, and that the most spiritual she could bring herself to be in traffic was to flip off drivers who cut her off and scream, “I’m sending you love, asshole!”
Personally, my patience is tested when it comes to anything political. It is a Sisyphean task for me to not profoundly judge people who are anything other than liberals (to the left of Dennis Kucinich). The most intensive challenge for me is acknowledging our common humanity. In truth, my boyfriend has had to remind me numerous times that hate is not a spiritual tool.
The greatest obstacle of anyone endeavoring to pursue an inner life is anyone or anything that tests his or her longstanding beliefs. Paradoxically, your worst enemy may turn out to be your most profound teacher, because those most unlike ourselves often teach us more than those with whom we have much in common. A good friend of mine has a favorite line that he uses on people who either come at him with unbridled animosity or adoringly heap praise upon him. He replies simply: “I’ll bet you say that to all the mirrors.”
Since I was very young, my innate tendency has been to try to understand where other people are coming from. I don’t revel in confrontation, and if someone attacks me personally I will usually try to diffuse it: a kind of spiritually tolerant aikido. But I don’t suffer fools gladly, and if someone crosses me after I’ve given them the benefit of the doubt and the magnanimity of my kindness, I unceremoniously cut them out of my life without looking back.
I am always pleasantly surprised when someone whom I have perceived as intrinsically shallow or bitter turns out to have become that way purely by circumstance. As with the examples above of when spiritual people are assholes, when assholes are spiritual it’s often out of character and somewhat jarring. Just as I laughed at and learned from my teacher’s self-deprecating admission which now titles this post, I’ve also received rich insights from people whom I thought for sure wouldn’t know a burning bush if it blew up in their face (Don Henley’s lyrical turn of phrase).
Well, hello there! It’s Missing Peace, Ms. Anthropy and Dancing Queen here with Day 2 of our guide to the Oscars.
We are handicapping our picks for the winners in the “big” categories: Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Picture. Yesterday, we brought you the Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Today, we get to look at the Supporting Actress race.
Today’s category: Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Last year’s winner was Mo’Nique for Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire. We’re pretty sure that is the shortest name of a winner in combination with the longest movie title, ever! Anyway, she was a force to be reckoned with in a heartbreaking film. While she didn’t need to shave her legs for the part, she probably should have done so for the red carpet. Let’s take a moment to reflect on her odd 2010 Golden Globes red carpet reveal:
Mo
But we digress! On to this year’s wide-ranging nominees in a category that engenders a certain scrappiness in its contenders. Female character actresses sometimes suffer from an also-ran mentality: many of them have never been quite right for lead roles in film (read: not conventionally beautiful), but their talents may far outshine those of the Kidmans and Roberts and Bullocks of the world. Relegated to supporting roles, these talented ladies bring years of pent-up angst and desperation for recognition to Oscar night. It is not enough to be nominated in this category. Winning is the only thing that will grant them the blazing spotlight for three glorious minutes. They are the Jan Bradys of the Oscars, poised at the ready to smother Marsha in her sleep and blame it that dolt, Cindy.
Nominee: Amy Adams for The Fighter
Amy Adams in The Fighter
Advantage: Boy, is this lady versatile! She easily moves from a singing, dancing fairy tale princess to a gritty, “I ain’t scared of you, mother f*ckers” bad*ss chick! In The Fighter, Adams stands by her man, and perhaps more importantly, stands up against the performance turned in by Melissa Leo. The Academy has had Adams on their radar, even before her stripped-down performance in Doubt erased any doubt that she is nothing more than a modern-day Debbie Reynolds.
Disadvantage: She maybe this generation’s Meryl Streep but the other performances in this category were bone-chillingly good. It’s not her time. The Academy expects to see more great work from Adams and will likely wait until she lands a juicy lead role in a classic Oscar-bait film before granting her the statue.
Nominee: Helena Bonham Carter for The King’s Speech
Helena Bonham Carter in The King's Speech
Advantage: Oh how Hollywood loves a British period piece! The accents! The pretty costumes! Royalty! There is strong momentum behind The King’s Speech but it seems to benefit Colin Firth and the picture itself more than the supporting cast. However, folks seem to love the quirky Ms. Bonham Carter and she is a strong contender. It is nice to see her in something significantly more understated than the maniacally spiteful Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter series.
Disadvantage: Is she too quirky for the academy? Her delicate beauty and fine acting abilities are often overshadowed by her over-the-top antics. We love her, but are mismatched shoes a dealbreaker? Also, there may be too many opportunities for her to fall up and/or down the stairs while attempting to accept her award. Actually, that may be an advantage. The Academy likes a wild card and unscripted wackiness. Great fodder for the press for weeks after the Awards.
Nominee: Melissa Leo for The Fighter
Melissa Leo in The Fighter
Advantage: Um, she wins everything. Seriously. She has won the Golden Globe and the Screen Actor’s Guild award for Best Actress for this role. Plus, Hollywood LOVES a physical transformation and she does that here. Besides, even Sissy Spacek and Holly Hunter specifically asked Oprah to tell Leo how much they love her. Yes, they were on Oprah for a pre-Oscar show a few weeks back, and yes, Missing Peace (and Dancing Queen) were watching. We dare anyone to say they could recognize Ms. Leo on the street, dressed in her civvies, based on her performance in The Fighter. However, she took a major risk that can sometimes backfire by taking out “for your consideration” ads herself. Will the voters forgive her for these?
Melissa Leo does her best Krystle Carrington impersonation
Disadvantage: The cheesy self-promotion campaign may have given the voters another opportunity check the box for HBC. If we were Academy voters (fingers, crossed – someday, we will be!), the poolside fur would have been a deal-breaker. We don’t like gauche self-promotion. Get a blog, Melissa Leo!
Nominee: Hailee Steinfeld for True Grit
Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit
Advantage: Hailee Steinfeld is the definition of breakout star in this movie. Young actresses in the Supporting Actress category tend to ruin the party for their, ahem, more seasoned counterparts. See: Patty Duke, Tatum O’Neal, Anna Paquin. Steinfeld held her own among a cast of veteran male actors in a gritty Western; this bodes well for her. In fact, she’s already been cast as the lead in the new adaptation of the novel Forgotten. Steinfeld might benefit from Academy backlash against Leo and a desire to shake things up for ratings.
Disadvantage: Being so fresh and untested can be a huge disadvantage. Many Academy voters may hold off, thinking Steinfeld has a long career ahead of her. She has been nominated for almost every single award possible for this role and hasn’t won yet. The Oscars are not the likely occasion to break this trend, opting for a wait and see attitude on Steinfeld.
Nominee: Jacki Weaver for Animal Kingdom
Jacki Weaver in Animal Kingdom
Advantage: Animal Kingdom centers around the activities of a crime family in Melbourne, Australia, with Ms. Weaver playing the family’s matriarch. The movie made its mark in the US at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2010, but has only earned $1 million at the US box office. The movie cleaned up at the 2010 Australian Film Industry Awards where Weaver earned the award for Best Actress.
Disadvantage: Who? Yeah, that’s what we said. We have to imagine that many Academy voters said the same thing, especially given that Weaver has not been in the US promoting Animal Kingdom during the months leading up to the Oscars. The people need face time and she’s off working in the theatre in Australia. Is there theatre in Australia? Other than that white opera house thing-y? We thought it was all outback and beaches and hot volleyball players. People spend time indoors down there? Acting? Huh.
Our pick for Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo. This woman would rip your kid’s gold star off his spelling homework if she knew where you lived. Not that she doesn’t deserve the win – she is a powerhouse performer. But if you are an actress who wants to win an Oscar, you better make darn sure that Melissa Leo didn’t make a movie that year.
Our dark horse contender is Helena Bonham Carter for the upset. Is it wrong that we want to see Melissa Leo’s face when the camera cuts to her tight, fake smile as she watches someone else flounce away with the Oscar and wonders how soon she can break away to call her contractor and cancel the plans for the shrine in the entry hall?
Who do you think will take home the award for her performance in a supporting role? And maybe the better question is who deserves it? Those are two very different questions.
Remember to join us on Sunday, February 27th, for a liveblog of Oscar night, starting with the red carpet arrivals on E! (6 ET/3 PT) and switching over to ABC when the Academy Awards ceremony begins (8 ET/5 PT).
I will start with a caveat: If it is true anywhere that rules are meant to be broken it is in the creative fields. However it is also true that it is always good to know some rules are as ignorance is embarrassing and gets you nowhere.
Don’t be afraid. If you don’t think you’re creative treat it like a math problem. Things like basic geometry, perspective and color theory are all math/art crossovers. Many of the same principles apply.
So with these guidelines I hope that you too can make beautiful um, party invitations?
Fonts
• 3 fonts maximum in any given design. A decorative or header font, a sub-header font, if you want/need, which should be bolder or larger than the…body font, which should be plain the smallest & most importantly, easy to read. Please keep legibility in mind especially if you have any older readers.
• The 3 fonts rule excludes the use of italics as an additional font but includes weight changes (bold, other than for emphasis in paragraph, light, roman, demi) of the same font as additional. I swear that sentence made sense. Really.
• Only one crazy font per layout. Less is always more!
• No large amount of body text should be in a decorative font. Who wants to read paragraphs of curly, distressed hanwriting-y craziness? People on acid, that’s who.
• No all caps in a script/handwriting font! It will likely be hard to read. Also, I’ll murder you.
Color
Two colors, not counting neutrals (black, white, greys, tans, nudes) is a good rule however variants of the 2 should be used freely. Variants include: Tints – Base plus White. Lighter. Pink is a tint of Red Shades – Base plus Black. Darker. Maroon is a shade of Red Tones – Base plus Grey. Hue shift. Brick is a tone of Red Temperature – Base plus warm or cool compliment. Usually yellow or blue. Be careful with temperature as if you move to far in one direction or another you’ll reach a new color. Too much yellow in red makes a proper orange whereas a nice orangy red might be fine. It is all very arbitrary, isn’t it?
General Layout
• There should be a central image, phrase or word. You are trying to communicate something I assume. This is about design, not pure art.
• Having said that that design is all about communication. It needs to look good but that is the vehicle for the idea rather than the main objective.
• People hate reading. How the hell did you make it this far? Do make it interesting to look at.
• Don’t be afraid of white/empty space. Be afraid of clutter. Less is always more.
• Don’t be afraid to overlap things so long as you can still tell what’s going on and/or can read it.
• Do not have tangent (Math! Friggin math! Look it up.) items. Barely touching items looks like a mistake. Either space or overlap them.
• Do line up things. If one item is only slightly off from another it will look sloppy. Line them up or make the difference bigger.
• Borders and rules (lines) can make things pop and help to prioritize.
• In that same vein, breaking up boxes and lines can add visual interest.
• Keep very squared-up boxy layouts for more conservative designs.
• Do look for a geometric flow in your layout. Is it a circular or triangular arrangement? It could be just a diagonal sweep from one corner to another.
Life, the Universe & Everything
• As with everything, be consistent.
• If at first you don’t succeed, blah blah, however…
• If you keep picking at it, it will never heal. Therefore…
• Don’t be afraid to start over.
• Try something you think will look bad. You might be wrong.
• Ask for help.
• Oh yeah, break the rules.
Crazy Russian scientist, Kirill Eskov posted up a free English translation of his LOTR re-work, this time from the perspective of Orcs living in Mordor. This retelling casts Gandalf as an overly-spiritualist war-monger, intent on destroying the scientific and industrial innovations Mordor and Sauron have established.
This isn’t some flash-in-the-pan slashfiction, this is serious stuff. Eskov is a HUGE fantasy author in Russian language fantasy circles. I’ve been hearing about this guy for the last couple of years, one of my ex-girlfriends tried to get me to read a fan translation but it had the prose and subtlety of, well, a Russian language fan translation of a Russian trying to write in the prose of Tolkien. (It takes balls of a distinct Soviet/Russian variety to re-tell LOTR with an emphasis on technology as opposed to magic.)
This is an authorized translation, and its pretty interesting (at least to LOTR fans.) Tolkien had a huge mythology made for the Middle-Earth series, one of which is the map of Middle-Earth. Its basically Europe, turned 90 degrees, with the Shire being England and the Soviet/Balkan states representing Mordor. I can’t help but think that Eskov is trying to turn the tables at this perceived slight.
It’s Oscars Week! (Yes, it deserves a week.) It’s Missing Peace, Ms. Anthropy and Dancing Queen here with our amateur’s guide to the Oscars. We’re not film industry insiders – we’re avid movie and fashion fans with opinions. Hey! Just like you! Join us on Sunday, February 27th, for a liveblog of Oscar night, starting with the red carpet arrivals on E! (6 ET/3 PT) and switching over to ABC when the Academy Awards ceremony begins (8 ET/5 PT). We will be talking fashion, surprise wins, loser reactions and speeches that went on too long. E! has nothing on us!
Each day this week, we’ll make our picks for the winners in the “big” categories – the ones that make the careers of relative unknowns and reward those who have patiently waited, year after year, for recognition: Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Picture. To make our picks, we’re taking a realistic approach, considering performances worthy of winning and factors that may help or hurt a nominee.
Also, you may have noticed that we listed only five categories and there are six days between today and the Oscars. That’s because on Saturday, we will be previewing red carpet fashion: the trends, do’s, don’ts and who will be on the receiving end of the coveted Ryan Seacrest “Cop a Feel” Award. Sharpen your claws, kittens!
Today’s category: Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Last year’s winner was Christoph Waltz for his wickedly terrifying and brilliant performance in Inglourious Basterds. Who will take it home this year?
Nominee: Christian Bale for The Fighter
Christian Bale in The Fighter
Advantage: Seriously dedicated himself to the role – do you see the weight loss and physical transformation? Although Bale’s currently not working (hence the hot Golden Globes beard and the not so hot Farrah Fawcett do), he has an extremely successful acting career going back to 1987’s Empire of the Sun. He can carry a money-making franchise like Batman but he also translates well in smaller projects. Bale is a compelling on-screen presence with a serious dedication to his craft. Sometimes that dedication results in…
Disadvantage: His Terminator meltdown. Sure, everyone’s heard the tape and most people still think he’s an asshole, but Hollywood is the capital of assholery. It would be a bit hypocritical to hold that against him. It hasn’t stopped Julia Roberts or Russell Crowe or Mel Gibson or…
Nominee: Geoffrey Rush for The King’s Speech
Geoffrey Rush in The King's Speech
Advantage: Rush won an Oscar for 1997’s Shine, so clearly he has some fans in the Academy. Who doesn’t love a guy who can go from an undead, morally bankrupt pirate to a gentleman spoofing the craft of acting as a royal speech coach? Rush’s crazy-but-lovable uncle thing makes him an endearing favorite.
Disadvantage: Rush is so solid that he is easy to overlook. In some ways, being a consistently great actor can be a disadvantage at the Oscars. The Academy likes to reward “surprisingly strong” performances. Right, Julia Roberts? This year, is Rush too good to win? Will our imaginary uncle be overlooked for a scruffy ruffian? Will the Academy voters be too focused on Colin Firth’s performance to have checked the box for Rush?
Nominee: Mark Ruffalo for The Kids Are All Right
Mark Ruffalo in The Kids are All Right
Advantage: Dreamboat Ruffalo is a dreamboat (DQ begs to differ but that’s a different story for another day). Also, he comes from a film that was in limited release, which the Academy loves, and has a working actor’s humility and grace.
Disadvantage: To this day, we see Mark Ruffalo as the love interest in 13 Going on 30. And if we see it that way, everyone does, right? Ruffalo’s biggest disadvantage is that The Kids Are All Right is just all right: it isn’t a particularly important film and his performance as a sperm donor with a (misguided) heart doesn’t show the emotional depth worthy of an Oscar.
Nominee: Jeremy Renner for The Town
Jeremy Renner in The Town
Advantage: Renner was a front-runner last year for his performance in 2010’s Best Picture winner The Hurt Locker, but lost to Hollywood favorite Jeff Bridges for his amazing performance in Crazy Heart. In a mere eight years, Renner has ascended quickly, from playing Jeffrey Dahmer to being a two-time Oscar nominee. The Academy likes to reward young talent in the Supporting Actor category, so Renner may be due for a reach-around after last year’s snub.
Disadvantage: AnotherBostonStreetTough. This character is quickly becoming the new ManicPixieDreamGirl and is equally as tiresome. Renner’s performance in The Hurt Locker was far superior to this turn in Ben Affleck’s second homecoming vanity project.
Nominee: John Hawkes for Winter’s Bone
John Hawkes in Winter's Bone
Advantage: Hawkes plays an incredibly convincing scary dude here, with a buzz-worthy performance. The Academy loves drug addicts and dirt bags: Hawkes covers both. Winter’s Bone may be the best least-seen movie of the year. And Hawkes is a natural character actor who blends so seamlessly into roles that he can get LOST in them.
Disadvantage: Winter’s Bone made $6.4 million at the box office and, compared to Black Swan, with a box office draw of over $101 million, it’s pretty small potatoes. Have enough hoity-toity Academy members gotten around to seeing this movie yet?
Our pick for Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale. Talented assholes finish first. Plus, he sure is pretty. Bale’s strongest competition is Geoffrey Rush – the two have been neck-and-neck through this awards season, making Oscar night a nail-biter in this category.
Your turn. Who’s your pick for Best Actor in a Supporting Role?
Meet Shinya Kimura. He builds custom motorcycles out of his shop in Los Angeles. Unlike most of the blinged-out choppers you see on cable TV, Kimura’s machines are gritty. They’re hand-built and gnarly and fast enough to take out to the desert for the famous El Mirage land speed races in Southern Calfiornia.
His style is really unique. There’s a lot of unpainted aluminum and stainless steel. And he works on a wide variety of types of engines and frames. He’s almost more like a hot rod car-builder than the typical motorcycle guy in his approach.
But above all, the man clearly just loves motorcycles and feels the passion that so many of us have for two wheeled machinery. Some of his creations appear to be influenced by the British cafe racer, which is a stripped-down style of motorcycle with low handlebars and built for riding fast. Other bikes of his are more inpspired by the American bobber, which is similar to a chopper, but with chopped-off (bobbed) fenders and lots of flat-black paint instead of fancy chrome. You can check out more of his work at his blog.
Here’s Kimura sitting on a vintage Italian MV Agusta.
And here he is on the custom Ducati twin he rode at El Mirage. (Yes, those are drum brakes on the front!)
The Tao Te Ching is the best-known and most-translated work of the Taoist spiritual philosophy. Even in ancient China, the work enjoyed a great popularity and was studied both by Taoists and Confucians. For those that don’t speak any of the Chinese languages or dialects here is a pronunciation guide.
Chinese
Sound
Meaning
Dao
The Way
De
Virtue
Jing
Book
The Book
The book consists of 81 short chapters. The goal of the Taoist philosophy as explored in the Tao Te Ching is to become one with Tao – loosely translated as “the way” or “the flow” of life – inwardly attaining a cosmic return to the source. For this purpose, the seeker has to achieve a state of emptiness and to consciously practice non-doing.
I first discovered this book when I was 19, and nearly a quarter century later, it still resonates deeply within the heart of me. Following are some of my favorite chapters. I have taken the liberty of putting them in the order than best conveys the crux of the spiritual teaching that I am seeking to share.
I recommend anyone who is interested to get the translation by Gia Fu Feng (with stunning black-and-white nature photographs by Jane English). In my estimation, this captures best the essence of the philosophy of “following the flow.”
Without going outside, you may know the whole world.
Without looking through the window, you may see the ways of heaven.
The farther you go, the less you know.
Thus the sage knows without traveling;
He sees without looking;
He works without doing.
The softest thing in the universe
Overcomes the hardest thing in the universe.
That without substance can enter where there is no room.
Hence I know the value of non-action.
Teaching without words and work without doing
Are understood by very few.
Look, it cannot be seen – it is beyond form.
Listen, it cannot be heard – it is beyond sound.
Grasp, it cannot be held – it is intangible.
These three are indefinable;
Therefore they are joined in one.
From above it is not bright;
From below it is not dark:
An unbroken thread beyond description.
It returns to nothingness.
The form of the formless,
The image of the imageless,
It is called indefinable and beyond imagination.
Stand before it and there is no beginning.
Follow it and there is no end.
Stay with the ancient Tao,
Move with the present.
Knowing the ancient beginning is the essence of Tao.
As a youth, one of the best things about lazy Sundays was sitting at home and watching old movies and television shows. There was something soothing about Dagwood and Blondie, Laurel and Hardy, or Abbott and Costello. Sure the antics were silly and a bit far-fetched, but it was always good-natured fun. Whether they were hunting monsters, wandering through Toyland, or tripping out the door or over a dozen dogs, this was the comfort of Sunday viewing.
It was such a cool routine and now that I reflect back on it, an integral part of family time. Some say that music is the soundtrack of your life, and I truly believe that it is, but I think your life also has its own movie reel.
You can often pinpoint certain things in your life based upon a movie or a visual experience. You remember the first movie you ever saw with your best friend, when you were finally able to see “R” rated films, when you got your first giddy kiss in a movie theater, when you finally discovered that as a viewer you knew when something sucked sooo bad, but you didn’t care because it was still fun, and you remember what movies your parents loved, and loved to discuss.
It’s a tradition as old as the moving picture…the youth and movies. It didn’t start with my generation watching John Cusack holding a stereo over his head for the love of a girl. No, my parents remember getting excited to go out to see West Side Story, and the anticipation of that event. It was a big deal. It was infectious and gorgeous, and everyone was caught up in the swell of that cinematic masterpiece. My dad also remembers sitting in the theater watching Elvis double features (Twice!) because not only was Elvis the man, but the theater held all the girls who watched and listened to the crooner do his thing and shake his hips. I have the oddest feeling that my father left the theater and attempted to sing some of the Elvis tunes in the lobby just to put an extra feather in his cap after the show and woo the girls who lingered there. I think if asked he’d say, “no comment“.
My mom, no doubt one of those girls my father would have popped his collar to impress back in those days, was sitting right there in the crowd a whole state away, probably on some of those very days watching Elvis shimmy and “get the girl, kiss the girl.” Because that’s what they were, right? That entire genre of film was about the swoon. Wow, some things just don’t change. It’s almost scary that Justin Bieber now understands exactly what that’s about.
When I saw my parents this weekend, I asked what they loved to watch back in their swoon era, and boy they talked about it with such zeal. They said, “Oh, definitely Elvis, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon Beach Party movies.” Mom added, “Gidget” And I said “with Sally Field?” and she said, “Oh, no, she came later…with Sandra Dee, the original Gidget…yes, Gidget and Moon Doggie.” And she smiled fondly. Dad added, “And of course James Bond movies.” He had to specify, “with the real James Bond…Sean Connery.” I wasn’t going to argue, because I knew that was a losing argument. The way I feel about Christopher Reeve being the one and true Superman is how my father feels about Sean Connery as James Bond. Mention Roger Moore and you get an icy stare. I find this hysterical. Not sure what would happen if I said something like, “Pierce Brosnan. ”
It was fun and cool discussing this movie-related history, and finding out that a double feature, two movies on one ticket, cost $1.50! And that kids would just spend an entire Sunday in the movie theater watching those two movies over and over again. And they would go back the next week to see the same movies and sit in the dark and repeat the same lines right along with the coolest guy in the world. I am so beyond shocked at how cool my parents thought Elvis was, this from two people who never listened to his music or discussed him much in my recollection. But from what they say, Elvis just was. There was none of this “new movie opening every week” thing. Once something came out in the theater you were married to it, there was no, “I’ll pass and wait for it to come out on DVD.” No, you watched it all, the good, the bad, and the Jerry Lewis.
Jerry Lewis is indeed another matter. I know, I know, people just hate Jerry Lewis movies! But this is a spot of mutual affection my father and I share. We adore Jerry Lewis. We can watch the Nutty Professor and Cinderfella with no shame. We find him to be a comedic genius despite what the rest of the world says, and I’ll defend it with honor….MISS LADY!
Of course my movie reel doesn’t stop at these old classics, but this is definitely where they start, and I count my folks as the “cool people” in their own right who started my love of movies.
We’ll talk again about our collective lifelong movie reel, after all we’ve not even touched the John Hughes era.
I have never been on a horse or even had the desire to, really. But I love them- I love looking at them, being near them and I really love the accessories & style that go along with equestrian and country living. It is both casual & refined. It’s a country club and a log cabin. I think this may have started with Claire’s boots and long wool skirt in The Breakfast Club. I was a punk rock girl who badly wanted to make out with Bender so I couldn’t justify this style expression in my life then. I would simply file it in my design subconscious.
Styles come and they go and then they come back! I have since bought riding boots ten times over. I started off as a stylist in television land and I have yet to work with a gay Art Director or Production Designer who didn’t at some point send me out for a horn chandelier, faux deer bust, or a pony skin rug to place a Noguchi table upon. I stereotype because I can. Last year, I redesigned the interior of a massive log home in ‘Horse Country’ here in Ontario and spent some time living there myself, once again re-awakening my inner Claire.
It is the Equine Photography of Donna DeMari that inspires me to sit down and write this post. The clarity and beauty of these photographs made me gasp. Once I recovered, it made me want to shop. I hope you enjoy the guide below- click on the pics for a direct link to the source! If you are flush enough to click on the Gucci bracelet, buy me one too. I have learned to mesh my punk rock girl and my inner Claire. I am sure I could pull it off with panache and edge.
*I am looking for submissions & questions for an upcoming Design Advice column. Photos are welcome! Please email me at superlovinya at gmail.
From the home of Bagley MischkaPen & Ink by Ludwig BemelmansHorses At Rest, Ballard DesignsClockwise from top left; Horsehead Hook, Equestrian Hardware, Forged Iron Hook, Forged Iron Knobs all Pottery BarnClockwise from top left; Dressage Bucket, Rope door stop, 7 Arm Candelabra, Lourdes Chandelier all from Ballard DesignsHorsebit Bracelet, GucciLarge Horse Print- jersey rawlings tunic by Stella McCartneyHarry Hall Balmoral Breech Jodhpurs by Country SuppliesHorseshoe Messanger Bag, Ralph LaurenFinlay Riding Boots, Country SuppliesHermes scarf
Italian Cashmere Throw, Gracious HomeLouis Vuitton Vintage Trunk
Tattersall Woven Rug in Tobacco by Dash & AlbertTwo Horses Lamps, Barbara CosgroveChantilly Dinnerware by NidervillerChantilly tae cup & saucer by NidervillerHermes Attelage FlatwareKey mirror from Inside AvenueHorse Bookend, Inside AvenueWall Mounted Horse HeadDonna DeMari Equine Photography
While I love dubstep and electro-house and mash-ups and all the other robot-inspired future music that’s coming out nowadays, I still have a soft spot for classic rock. And while I love this music, there should be a law against classic rock radio stations endlessly playing the same crusty old “Layla” and “Smoke on the Water” shit.
Here are some tasty classic rock song that you don’t hear much anymore. I wouldn’t call any of them “obscure,” exactly. More like… mostly forgotten.
“Endless Highway” by The Band
Not only is The Band criminally underrated, but their album “Cahoots,” which this song appeared on, is absolutely full of great, great songs. In a more fair world, no one would know who Steve Miller is, and The Band would be a household name.
“New Minglewood Blues” by The Grateful Dead
I know anyone who’s ever liked punk rock must take a blood oath to hate this band, but they really do have an honest-to-god cowboy shit-kicker side to them that I’ve always liked. Here’s an early version of one of their best Old West-themed songs. This song makes me want to ride a horse and shoot Pancho Villa and shit.
“Bold as Love” by Jimi Hendrix
I heard John Mayer has been covering this song live for the past few years, but we won’t hold that against Jimi. Sometimes Hendrix’s guitar simply overpowers the song itself to the point that they become a bit harsh to really listen to. Fortunately this one achieves that perfect, tender balance between the great guitar playing, the wonderful song structure and excellent drugged-out 60s lyrics. I love it.
“Bike” by Pink Floyd
This one was included on the band’s debut album “Piper at the Gates of Dawn.” This was before Syd Barrett went nutso. Ok, probably not really before he went nutso, but before he was kicked out of the band and began living in a magical treehouse full of friendly leprechauns, or whatever.
“Jam in E” by Santana
This song is just fast as fuck and makes me want to run through a brick wall. This shit came out WAY before Carlos ever even conceived of starting his own private label Champagne.
“Medicated Goo” by Traffic
I’ve always considered Steve Winwood to be one of the cheesier of the 60s/70s rock gods, but this song is full of bad-assitude. (I have no idea why the youtube video has random images like that, but I assume it’s meant to throw off the RIAA copyright Stasi.)
“Sound and Vision” by David Bowie
Has everyone in the world already heard this tune? Maybe. But it came out on 1977’s “Low” Album, which for most casual fans, is pretty much completely below the fucking radar. Though it was named the greatest album of the 70s by Pitchfork. It’s a very cool little album, but…. coddamn Pitchfork hipster fucks.
“Speed King” by Deep Purple
I know Deep Purple is basically the real life version of Spinal Tap, and even hearing the first five notes of “Smoke on the Water” makes you want to stab a baby dolphin… but once in a while they came up with some good stuff. I’m also fairly sure they popped a bag full of trucker speed before performing this song.
“To Love Somebody” by Eric Burdon and The Animals
Eric Burdon is another rocker who’s just been criminally overlooked as the years pass. I think that’s possibly because a lot of his songs sound REALLY dated now. He captured the whole Crazy 60s Vietnam thing so well, but not many people really still want to listen to that. Anyway, here’s a great ballad that really does capture what it feels like to be crazy in love. Also, all the YouTube commenters on this song seem to be Spanish speakers. Is EB huge in Paraguay or something? I like to think so….
“I’m the Slime” by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention
Here’s the band playing live on SNL, with subtitles in Spanish. (Seriously, is 70s guitar rock popular in Latin America? Why didn’t I know this?) The use of the satirical chalkboard is clearly ahead of its time. How did Zappa foretell the rise of Glenn Beck?
“All the Way From Memphis” by Mott The Hoople
Why exactly hasn’t Mott ever gotten its due? Maybe their shit is just too British for anyone with good teeth and a working liver to understand. Not exactly sure….
“Black Cow” by Steely Dan
Fun trivia: A black cow was an old-timey soda fountain drink with (I believe) Coca-Cola and vanilla ice cream. This tune has been sampled by numerous hip-hop songs. Also… Steely Dan’s music sounds exactly how cocaine feels.
“My Wife” by The Who
Like more or less every other rock band ever, The Who never let their bassist (John Entwhistle) write the songs or sing lead vocals. So here’s basically the only song he ever contributed to their catalog. I’m pretty sure it’s a story about the time he posted some comments about body image issues on Jezebel and had to make a quick getaway. We’ve all been there, dude.
