waltz for debby

The first installment of my YouTunes posts ...

I absolutely love Bill Evans. And this is probably my all-time 2nd favorite of his songs. So I was so happy to come across this old video. Check out Bill employing his fancy finger work and his characteristic slouch -- which the bassist does a pretty good job of imitating on and off throughout. oh man its so good.

the subway fold

I found out about the Wall Street Journal's new size today while listening to Studio360 on WNYC. In the segment, so-called "design guru" Chee Pearlman made mention of "the subway fold" -- a term I had never before heard, but, I realized, a technique I had several times tried. So I went to googling for a how-to. It was much harder to find than I thought. I finally came across a decent explanation in, of all places, the New York Times. In the June 13, 2004 edition of the "F.Y.I" write-in Q&A column. It is now, unfortunately cloistered away in the Times's pay section, but I subscribe and so decided to reproduce the explanation here. For you. My dear readers reader.

Subway Origami

Q. One morning on a crowded New York bus, I watched an elderly gentleman fold The New York Times in a manner I had never seen before. He never brushed the person next to him. It was almost like watching a ballet. Ever since, I have been in search of someone who knew how to fold the paper this way, to no avail. Any advice?

A. There are many who, like you, lament the decline of what is known as the subway fold.

According to The Times's Newspaper in Education program, the key is to first fold the newspaper vertically, from top to bottom, to create a crease down the middle. If you are reading the front page, fold again horizontally to create a quadrant. Flip and fold as necessary to read each portion of the page.

To jump to an inside page, open the top corner to that page and peel the front half back, so the paper remains folded vertically. If you want to read the center columns, peel back the inside once more, creating two lengthwise portions. Then fold again into four parts.

Keep your elbows close to your body. And stand clear of the closing doors. MICHAEL POLLAK

Small Street Journal [studio360]

NYC living ... a day in the sunday styles

Where to have power breakfasts with creative professionals:
Breakfast Is Late, So Business Is Good [nytimes]
Me to this article is like a moth to the flame. I'm simultaneously so engrossed and so nauseated. My initial gut reaction was that this must be the work of Jenifer 8. Lee (of "Man date" fame) -- but sadly no.

house envy, life envy:
Art Above and Below, With Life in the Middle [nytimes]
These "habitation" stories always make me so jealous.

And round it out with the story of a crazy yoga romance:
VOWS, Colleen Saidman and Rodney Yee [nytimes]
Who says Asian men are de-sexualized in this country? (You might only get that joke if you see a picture of these two together. google it.)

maira kalman

I've been interested in Maira Kalman's work for a little while now. I like the style and tone of her drawings and poems, but some of the stuff I find really really cheesy.

But I have to post this little slideshow today because that shot of the old woman with the "Sol Moscot" sign in the background is on the corner that I walk through to and from work everyday. That just made this seem even more relevant to shit I've been thinking about lately ...

Completely [nytimes blogs]

McSweeney's List Reject

One of those wry self-satisfied little fuckers over at McSweeney's should make a list of rejected list submissions. Hopefully I'd at least make that list. I mostly love their long list of lists, but I have to say I was pretty shocked and surprised when they denied my submission. Well F them ... thanks to the glory of The Blog I can self-publish. For your reading pleasure:

Leading Characters in a Gangbang Porno Taking Place in a Fictitious Jazz Nightclub

Jay Jay Johnson
Herbie Handcock
Charlie Porker
Dave Bareback
Count Assie
Dexter Hardon
Charles Cunnilingus
Stan Getzalottapussy
Miles Clitoris

and starring, Ella Titsgerald!

Perhaps those little literary hipsters didn't realize that I'm not actually a pornographer and hence were unable to grasp the irony.

hasbianism

ok, so ya know that chick who used to ya know, bat for the other team, but now doesn't? ya know, like, used to use scissors but now uses a pencil? used to eat donuts but now eats hot dogs? ok cutting to the chase, I just thought of a new word:

hasbian (haz-bee'uh-n) noun - meaning should be obvious by now

Sample usage:

Dude: "Did you hear about Debbie?! She totally has been hooking up with Bradley."
Chick: "oh my god, she is such a hasbian."

auld lang syne curve ball

some slightly unusual year-end summaries.

Salon's year in sex touches on Screech's sex tape and the purity ball, among other things, and somehow manages to provide a thought-provoking discussion on all the beaver shots that have made the news lately.
So long, sugar tits! [salon]

Also, on a somewhat more somber note, Slate's year in human rights abuses:
The Bill of Wrongs [slate]

(also, unrelated but interesting:
http://www.salon.com/books/int/2007/01/02/numbers/ )