Bethlehem, 2007

Banksy

"The Office" currency

Conversion to Schrutebucks:
1 Stanley nickel = (1 Schrutebuck * 1 leprechaun) / 1 unicorn
Actual Cash Value:
1 Stanley nickel = $ (1 leprechaun /1000) 1 unicorn

VJ Day, 1945

photo by LIFE photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt

"Vicissitudes"

Vicissitude \Vi*cis"si*tude\, n. — Regular change or succession from one thing to another; alternation; mutual succession; interchange.

It was 40 years ago today...

Arguably the most influential recording ever made, The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, was released in the UK on this very day, forty years ago. It made it's American debut 02-JUN-1967.

Cheers, mates.

Know Yer Art

...cover art that is.

from [Mental Floss]

Here's a quiz to challenge even the most devout music fan. Following are 15 of the biggest-selling albums in music history. In fact, all of these have sold at least 10 million copies in the United States alone.

The trick? We've left some of the covers as they originally were, but altered others by reversing the photos or images on them. Your goal is to identify which ones are "kosher" and which are "bogus."

I scored a 73%. I'm not sure if I should be proud of that, or not.

from Ares.

Overlooked New York

This is Victor.
His story, and the story of many others, is the passion of artist Zina Saunders. Her website, Overlooked New York is a wonderful delight. Her illustrations of the 'Rooftop Pigeon Guys' are especially endearing to me. My dad raised pigeons growing up, and some of these guys were raising pigeons at the same time as he in NYC.

Most folks don't give a hoot about pigeons, but the men Zina illustrated / interviewed are passionate about their birds.

What are you passionate about?

Vintage Waits Images

Step Right Up:

Deborah Chesher, an LA-based Rock n' Roll photographer captured a young Mr. Waits in his smoky lounge heyday. Rich images, heavy with silver are available for your viewing pleasure only, by following the link. (I've respected her wishes and not copied them here.) Plans for Limited Edition Prints of the images are in the works, and you can email her directly by visiting her blog.

Vintage Waits August 1975

Meet Ms. Mary Manx, the Tailless Cat

I stumbled on the Hobo Project the other day. In short, artists from all over the web choose fictional hobo names from John Hodgman's strange almanac The Areas of My Expertise, and illustrate the character. The results are quite interesting. From what I've gathered, the collection of 700 (+ 100 additional names from the paperback edition) are entirely fictional, but endearing nonetheless.

from the website:

"It is meant as an homage to the wandering men and women who chose to ride the rails during and before The Great Depression, and not the contemporary urban (or rural) poor."

It's a wonderful way to wile away the time, and what's more: anyone can contribute to the project. Here's the master list.

The Little Jams

God smiled upon me today, and I can tell you the exact time: a few seconds after 10 AM, the instant that Tom Waits tickets went onsale for Asheville, NC.

I've never seen Tom perform live, ever. But on August 2, I will be front row, center for what will surely be an unforgettable concert.

I am still in shock, quite frankly.



"Jesus is always going for the big picture
But he’s always there to help us out of the little jams too."

+ Way Down in the Hole [Live]

Artwork by Trevor Grove.

"Patience"

I discovered this gem of truth in Rodney White's gallery. With a solid understanding of typography and placement, he crafts these wonderful slogans in the manner of weather-worn signs from the past.

"Patience" © Rodney White

Banksy

Banksy

have you hugged your bomb today?