If You Want Impressionism Go To The Louvre

Taking advantage of my time off I headed to the Brooklyn Museum for the Takashi Murakami exhibit. Murakami is a Japanese pop artist whose commercial success is in the vein of Keith Haring and Andy Warhol (in my untrained opinion).

Murakami's fame grew exponentially after his work with Louis Vuitton. I never could understand why all the fake Louis bags on Canal were so colorful. I used to think, wow, they're not even trying to make them look real anymore. Little did I know! (the connection between artist and brand is so pervasive that a mini Louis store is contained within the exhibit). More recently Murakami created the cover art for Kanye West's album, Graduation.

The exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum covers rooms on the 4th and 5th floors. I recommend starting on the 5th floor. The exhibit features paintings, sculptures, mass produced toys, and huge multi panel murals. The vibrancy and colors of his works, not to mention their abstract, even trippy, patterns, suited me well. Ending with his large murals on the fourth floor capped off a great experience. Less enjoyable were the steep prices for his merchandise in the Museum store including t-shirts selling for $42. Hmmm, I wonder if I can find those shirts on Canal ...

The exhibit costs $10 and runs through June 13th.

Japanese in Blackface Just Don't Cut It

This video of Japanese recreating We Are the World is funny (the Japanese Cyndi Lauper is quite good)... until you see the original. I was surprised at how moving it was after all these years.

The Japanese



The real deal

Ain't No Half Stepping

Sometimes a brother just has to bust a move. I applaud you Best Buy sales guy.


http://view.break.com/506192 - Watch more free videos

We Don't Know Jack (But Let's Keep Trying)

Carl Sagan explains the scientific method in The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark. What separates science from other systems of knowledge is that scientific theories are created, tested, and more often than not, proven wrong or incomplete; these failures a stepping stone to the next level of understanding. Nothing in science is sacred; the very process advances human knowledge.

The Naked Earth series on the National Geographic channel provides a great example of the scientific method at work. This documentary series focuses on the formation and evolution of our planet. While scientists have been able to piece together strong theories about how the planets formed, flaws in prevailing theories are common and time often finds new explanations replacing prior knowledge. What science teaches me is that there will always be unexplainable mysteries but the pursuit of answers - from primitive times to the slightly less primitive times of today - is a quintessentially human endeavor.

The mysteries of our existence, the planet, the sun, space itself, and our inability to know exactly how it all happened lead some to silence inquiry in favor of faith. Thankfully faith hasn't been enough for everybody.

This Henry David Thoreau poem featured in the MTA's Poetry in Motion series may have been intended as a rebuke of science (perhaps someone familiar with his work can inform us), but to me its no rebuke, just an affirmation of the mysteries of life. We'll never know the answers to everything but as long as we remember that, let's keep trying:

Men say they know many things;
But lo! They have taken wings,--
The arts and the sciences,
And a thousand appliances;
The wind that blows
Is all that anybody knows.

96

• Degrees in Ft. Lauderdale today. Sitting in the pool helps.
• Introduced the family to the world of torrentz. Only because we're in a recession.
• It's great being around my niece and nephew. They're probably the only people who can get me to do the vocal parts on Rock Band.
• Happy Mother's Day all. If the scene plays out for you like it does in my family, they spend the day in the kitchen. Maybe it would be better if we showed appreciation on a daily basis than focusing on the day the marketers tell us to.
• Go to sleep people, you've got work tomorrow.

And The Beat Goes On

Tomorrow marks the end of my run at Foot Locker. I started six months ago filling in for an attorney on sick leave. Sadly she never returned, passing away from lymphoma at the age of 42. Her desk was across from mine and watching her colleagues pack her possessions the day she passed, including pictures of her two preschool children, was gut wrenching. After a lengthy grieving period, they began interviewing for the position. I lost out out to a very experienced lawyer, downsized from the now bankrupt Linens N Things, and who happened to have worked with the department boss decades earlier at a different company. Retail is a very small community I've learned. I enjoyed working in house (for the first time) and with really decent people who seem honestly sad to see me leave - my six month tenure having merited a farewell luncheon this afternoon - and I'll miss it. It's tough leaving a job you like because the next one might suck. Onward I go but I have a feeling my next gig won't include any discounted kicks. Damn.

Holy Frijole

Standing outside Grimaldi's Pizza Friday night I heard the following conversation:

20 something guy: So Monday is Cinco De Mayo
20 something girl: Yeah, what is that about anyway?
20 something guy: I think there was a battle and the Mexicans all got massacred, except five of them.
20 something girl: Oh
20 something guy: And then I think the final five Mexicans got massacred too.

Marketing apparently has it's limits. Next year we'll discuss the origins of St. Patrick's Day: the day Leprechauns ate all the potatoes in Ireland.

In other news, this penthouse in the Clocktower building in Dumbo recently sold for over $7,000,000.00. I partied there (like a freakin' rock star!) twice. A friend was the personal assistant to the owner and would house sit periodically. We would visit on those occasions. Probably the first and only time Philly blunts were cracked in that place. We were not worthy.

In music news, saw the Verve last Monday in the Garden. Wasn't familiar with their music but couldn't turn down a free ticket (think music to listen to while shrooming - so I've been told). Also been enjoying Cut Copy (think '80s new wave) and Estelle (think Lauryn Hill).