"A New York Treasure" --Village Voice

Blog Archives

Older posts            Newer posts

Q Rating: Mile High

 

Over at SI.com, here’s Richard Deitsch on the man people love to hate and sometimes hate to love:

As the Broncos beat reporter for the Denver Post, Lindsay Jones admits her job description has become “all Tim Tebow, all the time.” But over the past two months, Jones has noticed that the Tebow phenomenon has filtered outside her city limits. As she’s traveled to cover the Broncos on the road, the reporter says the lead feature in Sunday sports sections is often the Denver quarterback, and that Tebow is a recurring and vibrant subject on the sports-talk debate airwaves as well.

Clearly, the Broncos quarterback is moving the sports needle nationally. But by how much, and who else is doing likewise? To get an answer we sought advice from a number of sources, including those in sports marketing, television and research.

Perhaps the most remarkable finding is that Tebow now rates alongside such celebrities as Jennifer Aniston, Lady Gaga, Tom Hanks, Will Smith and Taylor Swift when it comes to aspiration (the degree to which consumers feel a celebrity has a life to which they would aspire) and influence (the degree to which consumers believe a celebrity is an influence in today’s world).

[Photo Credit: Robert Swetz]

The Sixth Sense

Here’s a review of a new book about photography and jazz.

You can buy “Blue Notes in Black and White: Photography and Jazz,” by Benjamin Cawthra (University of Chicago Press), here.

[Pictures by Dennis Stock, Herman Leonard, William Claxton, Roy DeCarava, and Gjon Mili]

Taster’s Cherce

I can’t think of a better gift idea than a box of Maldon salt.

[Photo Credit: Jane Ward]

Beat of the Day

You gots to chill.

Sad if not Unexpected News

Rest in Peace, Christopher Hitchens, a prolific and gifted critic. He was a worker.

[Photo Credit: Gasper Tringale]

Million Dollar Movie

In “Hannah and her Sisters,” Woody Allen goes to the Metro movie theater on Broadway and watches “Duck Soup,” the Marx Brothers’ finest movie and it restores his faith in life. I wasn’t have any kind of life crisis last night, there was just nothing on TV that interested me, so I put on “Animal Crackers,” the Marx Brothers’ second movie. It was released in 1930 and based on the stage play of the same name.

I hadn’t watched it in a few years and I laughed a lot. Pressed pause and said to the wife, “Look at Harpo, watch this, watch this,” and then laughed some more.

Later, she looked up from her book and said, “Wait, so that’s where you got that line from?”

Yup.

Watching the Marx Brothers makes life better.

Afternoon Art

“Blue Skyscrappers,” By Lyonel Feininger (1937)

Million Dollar Movie

 

Check out the first part of a video essay series on Steven Spielberg. From Matt Zoller Seitz, Ali Arikan, and Serena Bramble.

Beat of the Day

You will be mine, you will be mine, all mine.

[Photo Credit: The Daily Life Happenings of Kluzzy]

Taster’s Cherce

More gift ideas. If you like black tea, orange pekoe is the way to go. Either of these brands of loose tea will do you right.

New York Minute

Last night I was on Broadway and 103rd street buying flowers for the wife before I got on the train. Who should come out of the bodega but an old friend. My cousin’s best friend for more than forty years (this is my cousin, the film editor, who was responsible for hooking me up with my first job in the movie business). The two of them told me about “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” and took me to see “Valley Girl” when I was a kid, a big deal because it was a rated R movie; I covered my eyes every time there was a nude scene.

I remembered seeing that movie with them just a few days ago and now here was my cousin’s friend in front of me. I don’t remember the last time I’d seen her.

We caught up and made plans to get together. Then a woman I worked with in the movie business walked up to us.

My cousin’s friend said goodbye and now I was talking to another old friend. We’d worked together on “The Big Lebowski.” I was in the picture department and she was in the music department. We too caught up on old times–she still works in sound editing, is getting married next month–and when it came time to say goodbye I quoted her favorite line from “Lebowski,” a line we used to say to each other all the time during the post-production of that show.

I started down the subway steps and said, “Gave the Dude a beeper.”

And she said, “Gave the Dude a deeper.”

I was halfway down the steps when I heard a male voice, guy walking down the street, say, “Gave the Dude a beeper.”

How odd yet cool to have worked on a movie that became a cult hit. And how wonderful to have a New York Minute with old friends.

[Photo Credit: digger-cb]

Yu Never Know

Open thread as we await word on Yu Darvish.

Oh, yeah, word has it the Sox have picked up former Yankee Mark Melancon in a trade with the Astros, and also signed the one and only Nick Punto to a two-year deal.

[Photo Credit:  Rabbit Hare]

I Left My Heart…

Dig these impressive photographs of San Francisco…

by the most-gifted Troy Holden.

Taster’s Cherce

Here’s another gift idea for you. It ain’t cheap but it’s a beautiful vinegar, a nice indulgence for someone special.

Kewl Kets

 

Apropos of nothing, dig this:

Morning Art

Joe Martz’s photo of his George Brett action figure.

I love this shot.  Reminds me of how much I hated Brett, with the utmost respect, when he was a player. Guy killed the Yankees and was a dick about it, too. Ah, the good ol’ days.

Baby Bubba

Over at SI.com, Joe Sheehan writes that the Texas Rangers are the ideal spot for one Prince Fielder:

The Rangers have a hard team to improve. They’re set at just about every position, and in many spots, for years to come. Three of their four infielders — plus DH/UT Michael Young — are under team control through at least 2013. Nelson Cruz and Cuban import Leonys Martin, 2/3 of the outfield, are locked in through then as well. The team’s projected 2012 starting rotation includes just one pitcher, Colby Lewis, who can leave before 2015. Only catcher Mike Napoli and outfielder Josh Hamilton can become free agents after 2012, and the team has shown interest in locking up both players beyond that. While the Rangers would like to add a top-tier starting pitcher, they seem to be looking to do that in trade market rather than trying to sign Edwin Jackson, who–despite my case for him–isn’t seen as front-of-the-rotation material. The Rangers also have a good farm system that is particularly deep in pitching backing up the major league roster.

At first base, though, the team has Mitch Moreland splitting time with the veteran Young. Young is primarily a DH now, and his inexperience at first was a key part of the Rangers’ Game 6 loss in the World Series. Moreland is 26 and in a bit over a season’s worth of games has hit .258/.331/.427 in the majors, basically league-average performance. He recently underwent surgery on his right wrist that may limit his performance or availability at the start of 2012. Healthy, Moreland may be an average first baseman; he will never hit in the middle of the order for this team. He’s not someone who blocks Prince Fielder, who would make the Rangers three wins a year better, at minimum, over the next few years.

Meanwhile, the wait for Yu Darvish is on.

Beat of the Day

True Indeed.

[Photo Credit: Through My Blue Eye]

I Got it, I Got it

 

Check out these cool 1961 Golden Press cards at The Virtual Card Collection. I found them through another dope site, Paris LF.

Bookmark this one–Paris LF–it’s a keeper.

Livin’ in the U.S.A.

 

Check out this photo gallery of small town America over at a most remarkable site, Pictory.

[Photo Credit:  Ethan Bodnar and James Besser]

Older posts            Newer posts
feed Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via email
"This ain't football. We do this every day."
--Earl Weaver