I put off reading The GQ Q&A: Keith Richards for a few days, which I came to regret after getting to the seventh paragraph, in which we learn that he wears purple Uggs. Let me repeat that: Keith Richards wears purple Uggs. Things just keep getting better and better the further you go—and I mean that non-ironically, you hipster asshole. This is seriously one of my favorite interviews of all time.
Onsen tamago is a delicate egg dish commonly served at hot springs hotels in Japan: “the eggs are ‘poached’ inside the shells; when they’re ready, you crack it open into a bowl filled with a mixture of dashi, mirin and soy sauce, sprinkle over some spring onions, and slurp it all down. [ via finn del.icio.us ]
Favorite bit of FourFour’s latest America’s Next Top Model review:
“I cannot believe that there’s someone ON EARTH who’s so into being indie-cool that they wouldn’t own up to even having heard a Britney Spears song. And if that were true, wouldn’t avoiding Britney Spears’ frequently ubiquitous pop songs require a ton of time and effort? You want us to believe that you don’t care Lauren, but I think it’s obvious that you care too much. Revise and give into the Britney.”
I actually like Lauren a lot, because a) she takes great photos and b) most everyone I know and love is rebellious to the point of annoyance about something, but if Anil has taught me anything over the years, it is to not have any patience for when people are being snobby about pop culture. Also: “give into the Britney” is now in my lexicon.
I love Chris’s Invincible Super-Blog for setting the lyrics of Pulp’s Common People to visuals from Archie Comics, it’s totally brilliant. My favorite version of this song is actually William Shatner’s cover, from his 2004 album Has Been, and I say that a) completely without irony and b) having heard Jarvis Cocker himself sing it last year. Here, have a listen:
[ via Fluxtumblr ]
VS Naipaul: The Long Arrival, by Robert McCrum. Good long two part piece on the man widely considered to be both the greatest writer in the English language and a total jerk; it makes me feel even guiltier than usual for not having gotten around to reading any of his work yet. Really though I am posting this mainly to say that you kind of really have to love a country in which a writer can just use the word “valetudinarian” in a newspaper and not have their editor change it or make them explain it, just letting it sit in context. Vive la reine!
I have a confession to make, something that’s been churning inside me for a long time, waiting to be let out. There is a truth that needs to be told and that truth is this: I kind of really, really love Céline Dion.
One sleepless night years ago I watched Oprah’s behind-the-scene special of her Vegas show right before it opened and I realized that, as Rich of FourFour put it recently after watching her DVD special, she is “a fucking spaz. There’s almost a druggy effect due to her aforementioned goody-goody rep: watching this stuff, I felt high because I could not believe that boring old Céline was capable of being such a ball of weirdness. Her M.O.R. reputation is hilarious because she is, in fact, all over the road.” If you cannot imagine this, and believe me I understand why because I was once like you, all will become clear after watching this clips reel he put together:
Right? She crazy! You might not ever want to hear the Titanic theme ever again—no one does—but you can’t tell me that that is not a person whose goofiness you’d find endearing if you met her in the flesh.
P.S. Like Rich, my love does not extend to her music except for two songs—a good pop song is a good pop song, and I keep it real. The title of this entry gives the first away, feel free to speculate on the second one or confess your own affection in the comments.
P.P.S. If you too have love in your heart, you will find the Céline Dion Workout parody pleasing.
“The recent launch of the MacBook Air has made me think a lot about my perfect computer, which the Air is not. (…) It has a special mode so you can safely use it on an airplane during takeoff or landing, and you don’t have to take it out of your bag when you go through security because the people at the FAA love it so much. If you have writer’s block, it comforts you.” I love all geegaw.com posts but this is my favorite one in a really long time.
“I am Vengeance, I am the Night, I am LEGO!” This made me laugh, it’s so simple but so perfect. The actual LEGO sets don’t excite me but if the game‘s anything like the Star Wars ones, it will be worth picking up.
From Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster by Dana Thomas:
I was taken to a room I had read about often. It is officially Miuccia Prada’s office, and it is as stark and contrived as her designs: poured concrete, a slew of orange and yellow molded plastic Eames chairs; and, sticking up in the center of the floor, a metal tube slide – by artist Carsten Höller – that runs three floors down to the parking lot and is titled The Slide No. 5. Prada has whizzed down it when asked to by reporters.
If the name Carsten Höller seems familiar, it’s probably because you saw photos of the crazy amazing slides he installed at London’s Tate Modern in 2006. Note to self: if you ever become a Lex Luthor-type, make sure to commission your own Höller office slide.