Blog Archives

It’s muggy in the Rotten Apple.

Take a bite out of this:

Before we bring you the happy recap of today’s game, please sit back and take a look at this red ass delight, first brought to the masses by the good fellas over at Deadspin.

Somehow, this was left on the so-called cutting room floor.

It’s a good ‘un:

It is overcast in the Bronx as the Yanks look to inch closer to first place.

Just made flapjacks for the Mrs. We’re at home, chillin’. Hope all am well mit you unt yours.

Go git ‘im, fellas. (And for those who will be watching the World Cup, feel free to chat in the thread below.)

[Picture by Bags]

Yo, Matt Garza…

Free South Africa, By Keith Haring (1985)

Keith Haring used to have a boutique just south of Houston Street called The Pop Shop. I remember they used to sell enormous versions of this poster for a buck (man, I should have bought a dozen of ’em). I had one hanging in my room, which made for stimulating conversation with my mother who was raised in the Belgian Congo. Picture me, the young, know-it-all New York Liberal vs an apolitical mother who was raised by Colonialists. We could have guest starred on Piper’s Pit.

Still, the picture endures…

Haagen-Daz Vanilla.

The perfect crime.

A butta mid-’90s Hip Hop joint…

[Picture by Bags]

Mark Harris writes about the disappointing start to the summer blockbuster season in the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly:

As TV has surged, the risk-averse souls atop the movie studios have stopped pretending that their job is anything other than to find and greenlight renewable, easily marketed franchises for undemanding audiences on big weekends. Making movies because you belive in the script, the director, the idea, the creative possibilities? That’s 1970’s nostalgia, if not rank sentimentality–leave it to the indies.

…The rest of this summer will certainly provide some big hits, because that’s what summers do. And–who knows?–maybe we’ll even see some really good mainstream films; perhaps some combination of Pixar, Christopher Nolan, vampires, Julia Roberts, 3-D, and Michael Cera will save the season. But a few clean wins aren’t likely to change the fact that in 2010, the Hollywood studios and those who run them are behaving like irresponsible custodians of the great tradition of mainstream moviemaking. Their choices are lazy and defensive; their creative ambitions are hidden even from themselves; they look to marketers rather than filmmakers for inspiration; and their product just isn’t very good. When the grosses go back up, all this will doubtless be airbrushed away like a starlet’s worry line. But what if they stay bad? The result will be, at last, a crisis. Perhaps exactly the crisis Hollywood needs.

Well put from a guy who is the only reason to ever glance at EW.

[Photo Credit: Jakarta Daily Photo]

Yanks look to close the door on the O’s again tonight. Baltimore has a promising rookie starting; AJ Burnett goes for the Bombers.

Let’s Go Yan-Kees.

[Picture by Bags]

Painting of Lemons, By Kate Douvan (date unknown)

…Aw, hell, and there’s this too (second verse, “lemonade”):

Squeeze me.

Can’t mess with a theme, man…

And while we’re on the topic of lemons…

Check out this recipe for creamy lemon gelato.

[Photo Credit: bell’ alimento]

With Father’s Day fast-approaching, consider Will Leitch’s smoothly-written memoir, Are We Winning? It’s a brisk and funny read. Will is really in his element here, flourishing. Ya heard?

And while we’re talking fathers and sons, do yourself a favor and check out this post by Glenn Stout:

Most of my memories of my father are somehow wrapped around a baseball – playing catch, him taking me to games or watching me pitch. It was the one way we really connected. But in high school I tore my rotator cuff and had to stop playing. We didn’t have as much to talk about after that.

Almost twenty years later my shoulder healed and I joined an adult league, one in Boston and later, another in Worcester County, where I then lived. For three or four years I was in both leagues and played fifty, sixty games each summer, usually pitching and playing first or third.

I’d call home every week and for the first time since I was a kid my conversations with my father were wrapped around baseball again. I sent him the ball after I won my first game since I was sixteen years old, and a t-shirt I got for making the league all-star team. I was as proud of each as of any book I’ve ever written, and so was he.

Fine work by Glenn, as usual.

It is supposed to rain and rain and rain some more in Baltimore tonight. Here’s hoping they get the game in. If’ ‘n’ they do, you know how we do: Let’s Go Yan-Kees.

[Photo Credit: WeatherCurrent.com]

Personal Values, By Rene Magritte (1952)

Here’s a couple of cool shots by Bags, the Banter’s own picture-making whiz. Bags tools around town in his free time and takes photographs with a variety of cameras–just not digital cameras. His work has been gracing this space for the past month and will continue to be featured here for as long as he wants.

We’re lucky to have him.

Over at The Harball Times, Alex Eisenberg takes a look at the Trouble in Birdland.

Further Proof that Rock Will Never Die:

This one is a must for all you loose-tea nyerds out there.

 A most excellent product.

[Photo Credit: cooking.com]