10 Temmuz 2012 Salı
9 Temmuz 2012 Pazartesi
Portrait of Two Young Bohemians, in Tompkins Square Park
While at Tompkins Square Park the other week, I noticed a striking couple seated in a quiet corner, on a park bench.
I'm not sure whether Becca and Ludwig were a couple or whether they were just friends. They were nice enough to allow me to take their picture. Ludwig gave me a big smile, but Becca seemed shy and didn't want to look into the camera.
Though they look very 'East Village' (ie; arty, eclectic or un-traditional), neither lives in the neighborhood.
The Portrait Series is a once-in-a-while installment, featuring New Yorkers encountered on the street.
Related posts: Portrait of Style, on the Subway Platform, Portrait of a Dog Owner, in Tompkins Square Park, and Portrait of an Artist, on the Upper East Side.
Playing Foosball, in Herald Square
Foosball tables have been installed in Herald Square, along the pedestrian strip. A mother and her son enjoyed a battle earlier this week. By her expression, I'm thinking the son was either winning or cheating.
The median strip in Herald Square is quite large, with seating for people to rest or have lunch. There is lush planting, too. A bit to the left, out of frame, is Macy's department store.
Reading a little about foosball, I was surprised to find out that its roots are European and it's been around since the early 1900s.
Related posts: On Herald Square and Bodega Cats, Get Your Zumba on for Free, in Herald Square, and Windows onto Another World, at Macy's.
Maitre D's, on Broadway
A little dog and some young ladies welcomed guests to Toshi's Living Room, in the Flatiron District. The little dog looks to be a Schnauzer and belongs to the bar's owner.
Toshi's Living Room features live music almost every night. The day I walked by, a jazz quartet was setting up.
For the bar's website, which includes a list of scheduled events, click here.
Related posts: Bright Lights, at the Beacon Theater, Twinkly Lights, at the Breslin, and What's Playing Around Town and at Home.
Sausage Guys, in Park Slope, Brooklyn
Street fairs are a regular occurrence in the summer months. Above, a guy at a sausage kiosk gave me a friendly wave.
Streets are shut down to car traffic, allowing pedestrians to wander from booth to booth. Booths sell all sorts of food and handicrafts, including t-shirts, jewelry and hand-painted art.
The only trouble with street fairs is that they interrupt traffic patterns, and you're not allowed to park on that street. On every single day of every weekend, there is a street fair taking place somewhere.
For a comprehensive schedule of the street fairs in the city and some parts of New Jersey, click here.
Related posts: Yet Another Street Fair, Bleecker Street, Mad. Sq. Eats, in the Flatiron District, and Buon Gusto.
Outside Bleecker Bob's Records, in the Village
Bleecker Bob's Records, a vinyl record store in operation since 1968, will be closing soon.
When I was in the neighborhood a couple weeks ago, the store was open, though the awning was in tatters and a 'For Rent' sign was displayed in front. Bins of old records stood patiently outside.
According to the Times, Jimmy Page, the lead-guitarist for Led Zepplin, and Frank Zappa were friends of the store's owner, and once worked the cash register.
Rumors were abound that yet another Starbucks would be moving in. As of this writing, the store is still open.
Related posts: Outside Strider Records, on Jones Street, Outside All Saints, on 13th Street, and All Aglow, on 57th Street.
8 Temmuz 2012 Pazar
Review: The Massive #1
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| Cover by Brian Wood and Kristian Donaldson |
This post is SPOILER-FILLED
so if you are allergic to spoilers,go read another tasty article
on [insertgeekhere].
In his newest book from Dark Horse Comics, Wood takes us to a post-disaster/apocalypse where humanity has been nearly wiped away by the planet. We follow the crew of the Kapital, a group of environmental terrorists as they try to survive long enough to figure out what happened to their sister ship, the Massive, and maybe a way to fix the planet.
While the story doesn't give too much away, we get short introductions to the crew, led by Callum Israel, through the Bering Sea. Not too much happens while the crew spots and prepares for attack helicopters in pursuit. Wood
slows the story by showing flashbacks to the Crash, a series of ecological events that led to this point. While not much action happens in this first issue, you can feel the pressure building. Many questions will echo in your mind when you finish reading, which is exactly what should happen!The biggest bonus of this issue is all of the extra print-only features it includes. While I don't want to give too much away, the extras provide more character insight into our main hero Callum through written logs and dossiers. It also includes some more background on the Crash, as well as some random maps that may factor into future issues.
The art is a fitting addition to the story. All of the current action is slightly grayed to help portray the cold scene. When we get a flashback, it is in light browns, like a faded photograph. I would also like to commend letterer Jared K. Fletcher, who did an amazing job. The lettering is different for dialogue and historical commentary, which is helpful for the readers.
The Massive is a must buy, in print, for you today. It is a good read that makes you wanting answers. The story feels like it will unfold into a huge payoff of a conspiracy, and who doesn't love that? At the very least, it will make you want to recycle more. Enjoy The Massive and have a wonderful Brian Wood Day!
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Sohmer Scoop at BEA
Thanks to Twitter and gifts, Sohmer and Stone were kind enough to talk to us for a few minutes.
There were two projects we were anxious to learn more about -
One was about the Least I Could Do animated series pilot. I'll admit I'm a little bit obsessed with LICD, and I've been wondering for a long time why some form of it hasn't been on the air. A Kickstarter was created for the project and exceed its goal and now, Sohmer is taking his time to make sure it's perfect, especially after what happened with Teletoon, but it is going to happen. Squeee!
The other was about his upcoming book with Rebecca Dreistadt, The Bear. In case you didn't know, it's a "series of stand alone paintings detailing the bond that forms between a first time father and his son, and the discoveries they both make along the way." (behance) Since Sohmer first announced its existence, I have been waiting for its arrival. The guys gave us a peek at the book, and Wilderowens quickly picked out pages she wants as prints, and I have just decided I want the whole book plastered on my walls. Yes. The work is that good.
What makes this book stands out is how much love has been put into it. It oozes from the pages. Sohmer even said that of all his different projects, The Bear is the one he's most proud of (but shhhhh. Don't tell Lar because then he'll cry).
I clearly cannot say enough good things about this book. Between Sohmer's ability to blend twisted humor with loving sincerity and Dreistadt gorgeous artwork, this book will be a must-have. Luckily, it is almost done and should be out later this year. I'm already planning on giving it out as a gift to several people.
Seriously, take a look at some of these pages. They are wonderful.
So there you have it, some Sohmer scoop (try saying the five times fast). Oh! We also finally settled a debate on how to pronounce Sohmer's name. It's SO-mer, not Sah-mer or Su-mer or Sum-mer or Saw-mer (unless you have a thick NYC accent, then it's understandable). Remember this for the next time you see him.
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[IGH] at the Movies: Rock of Ages
Since I can't write this without some spoilers, be warned. There are SPOILERS in this.
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, Rock of Ages is a story
"which uses 80s rock and heavy metal songs, features a young would-be couple, Drew and Sherrie, who meet while working in a famous rock and roll club in the Sunset Strip at the same time the city decides to raze the club for re-zoning. When a famous band that first made their name in the club returns to help by staging their farewell show, it sets up a series of events that sends both Drew and Sherrie spiraling into opposite directions in terms of their love and their dreams." (metalinjection)Rock of Ages got its start on Broadway, and from what I understand, for the movie, the plot was considerably expanded. This could have been a great thing, but the general feeling was too many plot points with not enough depth leading to quick and unsatisfactory conclusions. This was especially apparent with Tom Cruise's character, Stacee Jaxx, and Catherine Zeta-Jones' character, who was created specifically for the movie, Patricia Whitmore.
Patricia Whitmore was created to the voice of the opposition, all those people who were against rock music and its presumed bad influence. What could of been an interesting debate about how rock influences individuals was instead turned into a weak story of a bitter ex-groupie and her campaign for payback. That could have been fine if left at that, but the way Patricia Whitmore's character achieves resolution is very sudden, unexplained, and in my opinion, a little lame. There was a subplot involving her husband, played by the always fantastic and somewhat twisted, Bryan Cranston, that is never resolved and feels as if it was thrown in just to give Cranston something to do.Stacee Jaxx is the jaded, complicated, difficult, boozy, lead singer of Arensal, the biggest rock band in the world. Stacee is everything you'd expect of a rock star, wait, scratch that, he's not a rock star; he's a rock legend. Women fall over him and do all other kinds of stuff to/with him. He even has a baboon (possibly the biggest breakout star of the movie). When he has to give an interview with Constance Sack (Malin Akerman) from Rolling Stone, she sees through his BS and calls him on it. This somehow gets through his facade and after she runs from him and his seductive ways, he supposedly can't stop thinking about her, except you don't really find that out until it's close to the end and he tries to call her in one of the funniest scenes of the entire movie. *Quick note - I have to give kudos to T.J. Miller for his work in that particular scene.* Anyway, again, the resolution with Stacee and Constance is very quick and barely explained. Come on, someone calls you on your BS when you're not used to it, fine, have sex with them, but you don't necessarily need to obsess with them. You're the superstar; you get stalked, not the other way around. Eh, maybe that just me.
This is what it is like for the entire story - too much, little depth and quick and easy resolutions. Even in musical theater terms, where everything moves quickly and fairly neatly, this was a little too quick and easy.
But what about the acting and music and all that good stuff?
I was pleasantly surprised by several actors, but before I get into that, let's talk the not so good.
Catherine Zeta-Jones is a wonderful singer and actress, but while she sounded great when she sang, her acting was over the top in a not-so-fun way and the choreography she and the other protesters were given was very odd. It was clunky and didn't fit and full of high kicks. This was not one of her better roles.
Alec Baldwin can carry a tune but he's no rocker. I really liked his story and his chemistry with Russell Brand was great. They are hilarious together but something about how Baldwin was acting was awkward. He's not a soft actor and watching him play a non-aggressive character didn't seem to suit him.
Julianne Hough is a decent singer and actress and phenomenal dancer, but while she did a good job as Sherrie, she's not a rocker. She has a great range but her voice is a little thin and she's known for being a country singer. Rock music is not her thing. Her singing was just too pretty and innocent for these songs. (I know Sherrie's an innocent character but it was too innocent.)As for the other actors -
I hated Russell Brand's wig but loved his acting and singing. I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed him in this. I've never been a huge Brand fan, but I would love to see him to more music.
Malin Akerman only sang briefly but she's got a great voice. I would have actually preferred her doing Sherrie's songs. Constance has a very small role, but she went for it. What she does with Tom Cruise is hilarious and mortifying and so awkward. Seriously, whoever thought to pair up "I Want to Know What Love is" with a dirty stripping scene is either clueless or genius. I honestly can't decide.Mary J. Blige was perfection because she's Mary J. Blige. Hers was a small role but she made Justice a fully realized person, and when she sang, Mary did what she does best.
I had no idea who Diego Boneta was before this, but he is wonderful as Drew, the would-be rock star. He's got a great voice, is extremely charismatic, and just what the role needed. Also, his transformation later in the movie had me nearly peeing in my pants.
Finally, I have to talk about Tom Cruise. I have a love/hate relationship with him. I used to love him, then he went all crazy, and I couldn't bring myself to support his work, then he was in Tropic Thunder and made me laugh so hard I felt like I needed to slowly give him another chance. After all, he went crazy but not Charlie Sheen crazy. More importantly, he is not afraid to make a fool of himself or laugh at himself.
Cruise's performance for this movie was incredible. It's dark, weird, twisted, and kind of funny. You whole-heartedly believe he is a rock legend who has seen it all. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a little method acting going on considering how big a star he is in real life. BUT can he sing? Yes he can. He is a very good singer, but like Julianne Hough, his voice is a little too clean for my tastes. Stacee Jaxx is supposed to have been around for years. He's a heavy, heavy drinker, but where's the wear and tear on his voice? If you're wondering what I'm talking about listen to Steven Tyler singing "Dream On" and then compare it to "Cryin'" or "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing." There is a noticeable change in his voice, and that roughness, that grit is what Tom Cruise is missing. I think he's better suited for alternative rock instead metal.
I guess the question now is should you see this move? I don't know if it's worth paying $12 - $13 for it. If you can get free passes or discounted tickets, go for it. It's a fun time. You'll laugh a lot, sometimes for the wrong reasons. You'll cheer for the characters and if you're like me, you'll be singing along. However, if you're on a budget, save up for Spider-Man or The Dark Knight, and rent this when the time comes. I don't think it will do well in the box office, but I see this becoming a cult classic.
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Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey at Midtown Comics Book Club!
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| Zoe, Thor, Ryan and Fred chatting about Comic Book Comics! |
In case you haven't been reading Comic Book Comics, this series chronicles the history of comics through creative storytelling and design. Many of the stories are ones that we hear as comic readers but never get the full story. Van Lente and Dunlavey do their best to provide an unbiased look at how the comics industry came to be. We have all been big fan since this release party for the fifth issue, the All-Lawsuits Issue!
Here are some tidbits from their Q & A, masterfully moderated by Midtown's Thor Parker and Zoe Gulliksen:
Thor asked them if this was a hard project to complete. According to Dunlavey "I thought this was going to be the easiest thing but it was the hardest thing I have ever done." He did say that Van Lente did most of the research but he had to research a lot of the design elements he used.
Next they were asked if there was any backlash to using so many protected images. Van Lente said that there is a loophole for licensing is that it is for editorial purposes. They tell the reader about the facts of the protected item. They could also claim that is was used in a parody, which is protected. Fun side note is that Marvel yelled at Van Lente to stop writing about Kirby due to the impending legal issues but the issue was already complete when they approached him. Van Lente didn't change a thing.
When asked which was their favorite story, Dunlavey immediately said that he loved the Air Pirates story. Van Lente loves the connections within each of the stories. Steve Ditko did a Dr. Strange poster for a Jefferson Airplane concert and that was part of the beginning of underground comics.
My favorite part of this was learning that Comic Book Comics is being used as a textbook! Some schools are using in their classes as a teaching tool like their previous book Action Philosophers. They aren't stopping there with the learning; they are working on Action Presidents for the non-profit Reading with Pictures. Van Lente also mentioned that they are in talks with a publisher to complete a history of money book but it isn't a certainty yet.
Comic Book Comics is a must read, so if you don't have a copy go get one now! It is the funnest learning you will ever do! Next month at Midtown Comics the book is Pigeons From Hell from Dark Horse Comics. Artist Nathan Fox will be there to answer questions and demo his creative process! Oooh! See you there!
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Happy 4th of July!!!
And if that doesn't put you in the patriotic spirit, here's Captain America doing what he does best.
For all of us at [IGH] have a happy, healthy, safe, and fun 4th of July! And don't forget to wear your Pride Pants!
7 Temmuz 2012 Cumartesi
Netflix Now Offers Subscribers Unlimited Streaming of Movies and TV Shows
Netflix Now Offers Subscribers Unlimited Streaming of Movies and TV Shows on Their PCs for Same Monthly Fee
Several months ago, Netflix started offering to their customers free their "Watch Now" service. With the "Watch Now" services, customers could watch streaming video on their PC's. The selection was limited to older and B-rated movies and T.V. shows. Nevertheless, it was a wonderful addition to Netflix online DVD rental service. At the time, customers received a limited number of hours for the streaming video service based on their online DVD rental plan they were enrolled in. For example, customers on Netflix's unlimited 3 DVD at a time plan, which costs $16.99, received 17 hours of free streaming video. That was then.
Now, Netflix is offering unlimited access to their video streaming service to all their customers enrolled in their unlimited DVD rental plan. Translation, customers can watch as many hours as they like for free. Customers belonging to Netflix's limited 1 DVD at a time with 2 DVD maximum per month plan are not eligible for this offer. The one thing which would make this offer even sweeter is if Netflix offer a greater selection of content. I expect Netflix to do so soon.
Outside Pinisi Bakery, on East 4th Street
Very few things are offered for a dollar, here in the city.
A small bottle of water, if you're lucky. Or perhaps a greasy slice of pizza.
Cupcakes are sold for a mere dollar each at the Pinisi Bakery on Mondays thru Wednesdays, in the East Village. I was drawn to their colorful storefront.
For another photo of this bakery from the sidewalk, click here.
Related posts: Baked Fresh Daily, in Soho, Outside Jane's Buns, in the East Village, and Sweet Treats at the Doughnut Plant, in Chelsea.
Maitre D's, on Broadway
A little dog and some young ladies welcomed guests to Toshi's Living Room, in the Flatiron District. The little dog looks to be a Schnauzer and belongs to the bar's owner.
Toshi's Living Room features live music almost every night. The day I walked by, a jazz quartet was setting up.
For the bar's website, which includes a list of scheduled events, click here.
Related posts: Bright Lights, at the Beacon Theater, Twinkly Lights, at the Breslin, and What's Playing Around Town and at Home.
The Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges, at Sunset
This photo is from the stash, from a boat ride around Manhattan. Above is the Manhattan Bridge around sunset, with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background.
It was a slightly cloudy night, with a storm lurking. The clouds had just parted, showing white highlights in the sky.
If you're ever visiting New York, a boat ride around the island is a worthwhile treat. There are tours available that travel up the Hudson on the West Side, cross over to the west side up near the George Washington Bridge, then travel down the East River toward the Statue of Liberty.
This was taken last summer during our office party, on a private boat.
We all have the day off today, in celebration of America's independence. Most people spend the day lounging at barbeques and picnics. Since the 4th falls on a Wednesday, a lot of folks are taking half the week off out of sheer laziness.
It's been insanely humid here and a bit hot. This morning, Brooklyn woke up to 97% humidity. Yipes!
Related posts: Bright Lights, at the Beacon Theater, Twinkly Lights, at the Breslin, and What's Playing Around Town and at Home.
Hot and Humid Days, in Chinatown
We've been having a very hot June, with bright sun and high humidity. Yesterday we had very little cloud cover. The sun beat the street relentlessly, and everyone on it.
Most people who live in Manhattan do not own cars. Parking on the street is not reliable, and parking garages are expensive. As a result, you combat the elements every (freaking) day.
I've seen people carrying double basses, trash bags full of stuff, dogs and cats on the subway. For larger or more complicated trips, you can always hail a cab or rent a car.
Zip cars, the cars that you can rent for just a couple hours or a full day, are also very popular. Many folks rent a zip car for large grocery purchases, though most grocery stores deliver for no surcharge.
Related posts: Bright Lights, at the Beacon Theater, Twinkly Lights, at the Breslin, and What's Playing Around Town and at Home.
5 Temmuz 2012 Perşembe
Fed slashes rates - Jan. 22, 2008
Today, in response to growing concern that the United States' economy is heading towards a recession, the Federal Reserve lowered 2 key interest rates, the federal funds rate and the discount rate, both by three-quarters of a point. This is the first major cut made by the Federal Reserve for the year of 2008.
The interest rate cuts did manage to stave off a large drop in the U.S. Stock Market, where the Dow Jones Industrial dropped 400 points before the rate cuts were announced. The rate cuts will not be enough for the U.S. economy to recover. However, in combination with the propose tax rebate and other initiatives called by President George Bush to revitalize the economy might be enough to save it.
Speedup Your Browser
Internet Explorer 7.0
Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 7.0 is a vast improvement from version 6.0; however, they left the default maximum number of connections per server to a measly 2. Theoretically, the more connections a browser has with a server, the faster the rendering of the webpage. However, there are limits and too many connections can be counterproductive. If you have a fast internet connection (i.e. dsl, cable or satellite), you can increase the maximum number of connections to a more reasonable 8. If you have fast cable or satellite, you can even bump that up t o 10. In order to change the default setting, you will need a single free third party program called “IE7 Pro.” I love this little program. Its adds so many more features to IE 7, including: ad blocking, proxy settings, mouse gestures and many more fun things. For more info about the problem, read Lifehacker’s piece on the program.
- Download IE7 Pro and install it.
- Once installed, start Internet Explorer.
- On the menu bar, click on “Tools.”
- Scroll down and select “IE7Pro Preference.”
- On the left column, select “IE Settings.”
- Under “Max connections to server,” increase the number to 8 or 10.
- Click [OK] and you are finished. Enjoy faster browsing.
Firefox 3.0x
Mozilla Firefox 3.0 requires a little more work in order to speed it up but don’t be intimidated. There is no third party software or add-on you need in order to make the necessary changes.
- Start Firefox and, in the address bar, type “about:config” without the exclamation marks.
- Next, click [I’ll be careful, I promise!].
- In the “Filter box” enter “network.http.max-connections” without the exclamation marks.
- Right click the entry and select “Modify.”
- In the new dialog box enter “40” and click [OK].
- Next, right click “network.http.max-connections-per-server” and select “Modify.”
- In the new dialog box enter “32” and click [OK].
- Next, right click “network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-poxy” and select “Modify.”
- In the new dialog box enter “16” and click [OK].
- Right click “network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server” and select “Modify.”
- In the new dialog box enter “8” and click [OK].
- Right click “network.http.pipelining” and select “Toggle.” The entry should change from “false” to “true.” (see note at the end of this article)
- Restart Firefox.
Opera 9.6
Opera 9.6 is one of the best browser I have tested. It’s fast and feature rich. Many of the features found in Firefox and IE have long been available in Opera, such as: mouse gestures, tabs, integrated RSS reader, integrated e-mail and the list goes on. There are some minor tweaks you can make to speed up this already blazing fast browser.
- In the menu bar, click on “Tools” and scroll down to “Preferences….”
- Click on the “Advanced” tab.
- In the left column, select “Network.”
- In “Max connections to server,” select “16.”
- In “Max total connections,” select “32.”
- Next, in the left column, select “History.”
- In “Check documents,” change the default to “Every 10 minutes.”
- In “Check images,” change the default to “Every 5 hours.”
- Click [OK] and restart Opera.
Note: For those curious about pipelining and how it speeds up your browser, read this article written by Mozilla.
BurnAware the Best Free Burning DVD Software Program
There are no shortages of good commercial burning software (e.g. Nero). But, really, how often does the average computer user need all that extra and intricate editing tools. In my experience, most users just want a simple way to burn files on to a CD or DVD. These can be either data files or video files or what have you. For simple jobs, I highly recommend BurnAware Free Edition. It does'nt have all those bells and whistles found in commercial burning software but, what it does, it does well. What I found particularly useful is its ability to burning video files (e.g. VOB, IFO, BPU...etc.). It has a clean interface making it very easy to use. Best of all it's free.MIDTOWN COMICS NEW CODEWORD FOR JUNE 2011
The codeword is not case sensitive. When you go through checkout, make sure to type in the codeword and click "Activiate."