We share favorites, apparently. George Jones, Anita O'Day, Bob Wills to name just 3.

Do you and Mr. Dylan love the same music? Take a peek at Vanity Fair for a list.

Image: Anita O'Day, Frank Sinatra's favorite singer.

If you have any interest in languages around the world that are dying out as they pass from use this article from UNESCO is enlightening. A film I've just learned about, Stellet Licht (Silent Light), is the first film made in Plautdietsch, the Germanic dialect of Mennonites from Netherlands and Germany. Plautdietsch is one of the several languages from around the world that is in danger of disappearing.

Interestingly, the film by Carlos Reygadas is from Mexico. (Mexico is home to Mennonite communities). It's the first Mexican film to be entered in international competition not made in Spanish. The 2007 film is entered in this year's Cannes Film Festival.

A link to photos from 61 years of the Cannes Film Festival is here.
François Chalais and France Roche in a charming photo from 1946, here.

I really like this old school 50s style performance of Mariah Carey's Forever by Kristy Lee Cook. But America didn't agree and the singer got the axe tonight:

In a fascinating interview with Charley Rose that aired today speaking of why he must avoid being bored as an artist, the erudite Mikhail Baryshnikov said:

"I'm a terrible person. I'm the biggest fraud who ever lived".

Yep, and they're some pretty kickin' kicks.

More here.



Image: piperlime

If you've tried to leave a comment, my apologies. My server's comment function no longer functions!

Brett Dennen on Jimmy Kimmel:

Jana Bartouskova and Jeremiah Palecek, two artists from Prague, are making tv, internet video and game inspired art and the paintings are selling like hotcakes at Etsy. View their online shop, NerdArts at Etsy.

My favorite culture references:
A mercifully pixilated painting of Britney Speers (and what as been called her "plucked chicken"). It's been sold.

A painting of the Tom Cruise video about Scientology

A painting that chronicles a conspiracy theory: Building 7 captures the shady emptiness of the theory itself.

And Waterfront Park: I like turtles.

But my absolute favorite paintings from NerdArts are from 4 that have already been sold via their Etsy shop: Cops, Trip and Crazy German Kid. Finally, Headphones in the Forest.

Take a peek at the excellent atmospheric photos on Jayel Aheram's flickr site taken in Iraq. That's his self portrait. Whether he's photographing a refueling of the Juneau at sea or catching a shot of another photographer's subject, his photos capture the essence of the photographed. I love his evocative work.

The actor and director Ivan Dixon has died. Mr. Dixon was nominated for an Emmy for his brilliant, virile and emotional performance in CBS Playhouse: The Final War of Olly Winter. His range was excellent* and he should be remembered as one of the best actors of an era when much of the best work could be seen in both short and long form television dramas.

*Besides strong work in drama he also appeared as one of the stalag prisoners of war in the TV comedy Hogan's Heroes.

Don't think so, and neither did Evan Maloney at Splat!blog. Check out the list from Q Magazine and HMW (a music retailer) here. Question: 3 albums from Oasis in the top 20 and no Pretenders? In all fairness, you can't please everyone and one man's Duran Duran is another man's Flock of Seagulls.

Image: Flock of Seagulls...not on the list.

Once upon a time, I stood in the dust cooling my heels outside a back county motorcycle shop in Ventura County, California. I started chatting with a gentleman who was also waiting outside to pass the time. He turned out to be the mechanic who had kept Steve McQueen's warehouse full of old Indians in good running order. We talked for quite a while. It's lovely when someone takes the time to impart a tiny bit of their experience and knowledge. (Life has been good to me that way).

Image: a 1930s era Indian. A photo of one of the McQueen bikes, ca. 1920, is here. It brought around $140,000 at action not so long ago.

BBC has the Radio Times list of the top 25 put downs voiced by television characters. They're not all winners, but a few are translatable to real life and worth possible use. From the dashing Lord Black Adder of the Elizabethan era incarnation of Rowan Atkinson's classic comedy Black Adder the list offers:

"The eyes are open, the mouth moves, but Mr Brain has long since departed, hasn't he, Percy?"

"Look, we all have something to bring to this discussion. But I think from now on the thing you should bring is silence."

Fidel has resigned. Raúl has been confirmed as the new President. For Cubans la vida es dura y el día es larga. Brian Christie's 2005 photos of a deteriorating Cuba are featured today at CNN.

Did you ever play string games with as a child? Since I did, I was interested to run through the examples collected here. The site catalogues various traditional figures made by Inuits, as well as other people living in the Arctic. The names of the string figures are so representative of the arctic environment. (One is especially funny, but I'll let you figure out which one I mean).

Animated string figures.
Knot theory.

Image: Wikipedia

A lovely article by Tim Teeman on Scots director Bill Forsyth at the Times shouldn't be missed. If you haven't seen the wonderful Gregory's Girl and Local Hero, (also wonderful), endeavor to do so. Mr. Teeman's column gives us a look at a unique and creative man. It's textured, lovely, human and probably not like anything you've ever read before about an artist or director.

What is it about Bill Forsyth and his work that is so life affirming, full of heart and art? Don't know, but Tim Teeman captures some of it in his portrait of the artist as a reluctant film maker that is beautiful in and of itself.

From the Bill Forsyth filmography page online:

"I think we're basically all odd. I think we all have a tension between what we think we are and what other people think we are. Everyone is like that and I just tend to highlight it. I think I could make a detective story, or something conventional like that, and end up having odd characters in it too. Strangeness is in everyone, it's just a matter of whether you choose to reveal it or not."

"It would be impossible to make films in Scotland without thermal underwear."

Then, with the fabulous Louis Prima...last night at the Grammies with the very observant Kid Rock. What a singer and what a great personality.

The photo shows the exhaustion of a US soldier in an Afghan bunker named for a dead comrade after a long day in the fight. Info.

NBC has a slide show naming the best sci-fi programs ever, but it doesn't include my family's favorite, the most excellent Red Dwarf. Check out the extensive list is here. It's pretty good and does include V, Invaders and Outer Limits, and interestingly, the original Superman series.


Image: The crew of the Red Dwarf look none to pleased to be left out. The great British series combined both broad and witty comedy with science fiction.

This lovely ensemble was among the designs offered by Jamal Taslaq this week in Rome.