Today I read two profiles of designers back to back -- designers who I think are setting the innovation bar in their respective fields.

First:

Hipstamatic founders Lucas Buick, Ryan Dorshorst

The founders of Hipstamatic, two 29-year-old Wisconsinites with graphic design degrees, have brought quirky, stylish flair to the Web without connections to venture capitalists or Silicon Valley insiders. With $1.83 in their corporate account, they started a company that - unlike many tech enterprises - was profitable from the day it launched.

As you can tell from my blog, I LOVE this app (John S lens and Kodot film 4EVA!). I love seeing people doing what they love. I didn't know they have a San Francisco office; I have a feeling I might also love to work there.

Also:

Sarah Burton Reigns at Alexander McQueen 

She is the creative director for the fashion house of Alexander McQueen - a lofty and high-pressure position - but Sarah Burton is no attitudinal diva...Burton was [in San Francisco] to receive an honorary doctorate from the [San Francisco Academy of Art] and to award internships to students after perusing their portfolios and watching the runway show, a highlight of the academic year for 400 guests in the audience - students and local fashionistas alike.

Longtime readers of sine qua non know that while I cannot afford McQueen, I covet it for its fierce and fearless pieces and its tendency to make classics pop in unexpected ways. I agree with Burton when she mentions that McQueen is timeless. This profile was way too short, but still a nice little glimpse of the woman who went from intern to creative director of one of the most ground-breaking fashion houses in the world.

It is so inspiring to see people do what they love, make good work, and keep their heads. Respect.

Adam Yauch, founding member of the Beastie Boys, died today at 47.

Shocked and sad, though remembering the kind of playful spirit he contributed to the Beastie Boys -- like the image above from 'Sabotage' -- may be just what he would want instead of melancholy.

Happy International Workers' Day!

Japan's efforts to be both globally relevant and culturally isolationist, intersected with the social realities of the 21st century and the empty promises and desperation of technological panaceas: endlessly fascinating.



















The Incredible Shrinking Country

Check this out! In celebration of National Poetry Month, the head of school at Marin Academy posted a lovely blog post that featured my husband, Trevor Calvert, as both an MA librarian and poet.

I love not only Trevor's contribution to this post as a poet -- his new work featured is wonderful -- but as a YA librarian. The way he thinks about accessibility and intersects that with a broad range of work, and his encouragement of students to not be intimidated by the written word is terrific.

On MA Library's poetry display:

I wanted to represent both collections of poetry as well as books on writing. When I was younger, I would read these great poems, and think, ‘Oh I wish I could do that’ without realizing that I needed no permission. So the books on writing act as a sort of permission to people that yes, they can write poetry, and also affirm that poetry is not an arcane set of symbols and allegory that must be deciphered if you are going to ‘get’ a poem. For the poets themselves I tried to choose books that would interest readers in multiple ways: Verse & Universe blends science and poetry for those lyrical scientists among us; Fat Girl is interesting as it directly and honestly addresses the body, femininity, and body-image; The Angel Hair Anthology is really interesting as it collects a 1960s Berkeley zine created by Anne Waldman and Lewis Warsh—which really helped shape a lot American poetry. I think this really echoes a lot of MA’s creative and independent spirit—I can imagine some of our students going on to do the same. Gary Snyder could not be neglected as he spoke here during LitFest! And because I like locals, I wanted to add another local poet who teaches as CCA, Donna de la Perriere. Her book, Saint Erasure, is lyric, haunting, and vulnerable.

So proud to be married to this amazing man.

Back from another successful trip to the land of the rising sun. Quick and dirty this one was (one week and a whirlwind tour of Tokyo for a friend who had never been to Japan), and fruitful: Trevor received his seventh degree black belt.

Other highlights:

It was sakura season, and our favorite park in Kichijoji was the place to be. I can never get enough.

Also took my friend to the most important Buddhist temple in Tokyo, Senso-ji, in another favorite haunt of mine, Asakusa.
 

I love going to Asakusa because of its shitamachi spirit, and the tiny, less than pristine old-school nomiya that fan out from the temple grounds are the best part of that. Always plenty of beer, plus great, uninhibited conversation. I also love the cheap and delicious traditional foods that are served at different spots. This was some of the best nikujaga I've ever had.

When I go to Japan, the food is always the star. I try to go to new places as often as possible, but those old favorites seem to take precedence, like the torched saba with lemon at Shirube in Shimokitazawa.

While I hate having to leave the amazing food every time I come home from Japan, I did discover something wonderful to bring back with me: a new favorite drink! Shochu and salty plum -- a match made in heaven.

And though inexpensive and plentiful alcohol is a big plus, we also tried this for the first time. None of our friends seem to be able to tell us exactly what it is; in fact, the closest we can get to a proper English explanation is "beer waste." Even this doesn't explain exactly what is in it. It tastes kind of like iced tea and IPA mixed together -- anyone know what makes it tick?

Anyway, so much awesome -- too much to ever cram into a blog post. I'm already looking forward to next time.

Happy Easter!

Worst Album Covers of All Time

And in keeping with the visual theme...

Almost the end of a whole month and no post? For shame.

To be fair, I did start a new job, which between learning new tasks and a new culture severely restricts the interneting. And I've been planning for my trip to Japan, now just a week away.

One thing I am making time for, this Sunday!













Emilia Clarke's portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen is fierce, and I am so looking forward to this season, which will chronicle book two and some of three, but since I've read them all I've just gotta say, Team Dorne!

Two things.

This dress and cape from Tom Ford.



















This seasonal brew from Abita being released today.


















*sighhhhhhhh*

One of the best I've seen all day, from me to you.

Yeeeeeeaaaaahhhhhhhhh!












Washington Governor Signs Gay Marriage Bill Into Law

Sweet jeebus.



















Men's Jumpsuits, 1970s

You must embiggen and read the copy on this one. omg. I cannot believe I was alive when this also came into existence. Epic.

I am 11, and just got MTV on the DL in my tiny town because a family member is dating someone who works for Viacom. I am mesmerized.



Whitney Houston, 1963-2012

Too young, so sad.

Bravo, Joss Whedon. Bravo.

*spoiler*












Buffy's Choice: Joss Whedon Gets Political

I think strongly that teen pregnancy and young people having babies when they are not emotionally, financially, or otherwise equipped to take care of them, is kind of glorified in our media right now. You know, things like Secret Life [of an American Teenager] and Juno and Knocked Up – even if they pretend to deal with abortion, the movies don’t even say the word “abortion.” It’s something that over a third of American women are going to decide to have to do in their lives. But people are so terrified that no one will discuss the reality of it — not no one, but very few popular entertainments, even when they say they’re dealing with this issue, they don’t, and won’t. It’s frustrating to me.

I don’t think Buffy should have a baby. I don’t think Buffy can take care of a baby. I agree with Buffy. It’s a very difficult decision for her, but she made a decision that so many people make and it’s such a hot button issue with Planned Parenthood under constant threat and attack right now.

A woman's right to choose is under attack as much as it's ever been, and that's a terrible and dangerous thing for this country. I don't usually get soap box-y with this, but the thing about Buffy is all she's going through is what women go through, and what nobody making a speech, holding up a placard, or making a movie is willing to say.

There's an instrument that's been developed in the last 25 years, where you can point it at a product and it will tell you exactly what chemicals you need to make that smell. We can duplicate anything. If you can smell it, we can duplicate it.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaat? And there's no cure for cancer?

As someone who hates being assaulted by smells -- chemical, natural, "good" or otherwise -- UGH.

Inside Smellvertising, the Scented Advertising Tactic Coming Soon to a City Near You

Though I must admit a certain amount of adorable squee for the term "jacket potato."

As an aside, my mom said when she came to the United States one of the first things she noticed was that Americans had a bad smell -- something she attributed to the large amount of meat and dairy in our diets. I know Japanese households have a distinctive and consistent smell for me, so I'm not surprised.

I wonder what chemicals that contraption would list to recreate my smell?

One other thing: I think it rips through your clothes when it takes you over. Windows found Bennings' torn and bloody clothes in the storage room after he was taken over. Earlier, Nauls found a pair of shredded and dirty longjohns in the kitchen trash can, but the nametag was missing. They could be anybody's. Nobody, nobody trusts anybody now, and we're all very tired. There's nothing more I can do, just wait. This is R.J. MacReady, helicopter pilot, US outpost #31...

Russian Scientists Bore Into Ancient Antarctic Lake

Yeeeeeeee!













Revenge of the Econobox: Early Japanese Imports Find Admirers

I have a longstanding crush dating back to junior high on these great little cars, a crush that is not only aesthetic, but practical: my mechanic says the engines are practically indestructible. My love lives on as an adult; I recently chronicled a 1972 Honda 600 Coupe I saw at my corner gas station. I am so happy to see these cars making a comeback -- even though it means my dream of owning one is probably getting sidelined by a few more thousand dollars.

And that also means I'll have to be content with my 1986 Honda Civic sedan for now, and my memories of Trevor's first car: a rusted out 1977 Datsun 510 wagon.

Oy vey.



















DC Plans Prequel to Watchmen Series

Guess how Alan Moore feels about it?

I tend to take this latest development as a kind of eager confirmation that they are still apparently dependent on ideas that I had 25 years ago.

This zinger is true. Also true: it's pretty likely this money-making measure will turn out meh. But, at the same time, I'm over "no one can touch my sacred cow" and "I had to hand over my firstborn when I signed those contracts."

Alan Moore was gifted to be sure -- Watchmen is genius -- and I'm thankful that genius was recognized, but sadly, this is the way it is for artists, especially when they are first starting out. How much literary and visual work have my friends signed away, sometimes after doing it FOR FREE, just to get their work seen? Yet these are also the folks I know who have found success.

I'm not saying these practices are okay, and I definitely don't mean to blame the victim -- it's more like 80/20 for me. In a lot of ways I appreciate Moore's protests of mainstream publishers' predatory and some would say unethical modus operandi; at least when prompted for a grouse he not only cements his place within the comic canon but reminds us of the realities of being any kind of artist. But business is business, and he's famous because of those contracts -- they afforded him the place in said comic canon he occupies now. When one chooses to play the game there comes a time to let your great work stand, and then let the inevitable go.

Or, if you're going to dine with the devil, best to use a long spoon.

If I ever kill you, you'll be awake, you'll be facing me, and you'll be armed.

Smiths fans, this is wonderful.



There's also one for The Cure, though it's a little less over the top given the difference in song titles. They are much more easily integrated but are harder to catch in the conversation.

:)

Cheers to my good friends on the ground and across the pond, Ed and Anya, for the midday pick-me-up.

So, I saw Haywire over the weekend.



Seriously a good time. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, it has super fun casting, with Ewan McGregor, Antonio Banderas, and Michael Douglas, and MMA fighter Gina Carano in the lead. I loved the clean and lean look of the film, and I especially liked the lack of jump cuts in the fight scenes, which lent them precision and a gritty realism; it felt like a European action flick. Really well done.

OMG, and I so get the Michael Fassbender thing now. Holy everything that is holy. And let me just say straight up: I am a sucker who would totally be killed by Fassbender's sexy, charismatic British freelance assassin Paul. Oy vey. This is why: I was talking to Trevor after the film about Fassbender's role and how I thought he was made out to be a bit more sympathetic than the other black ops guys, and he laughed at me. "Paul is charming and handsome, but he was willing to frame an innocent person and kill her for money! Now you know what it's like to be a man around a beautiful woman." Touché.

But wait a minute: not only is he charming and handsome, he can kill a man with his bare hands while wearing the hell out of a suit. Hot. Oh wait, that also describes my husband. No wonder.

I first noticed Fassbender in the passably entertaining X-Men First Class as Magneto (also starring man-harem lifetime member James McAvoy as Xavier), though I had seen other films that he had smaller, ensemble roles in, like 300 and Inglourious Basterds. Most recently I saw him again in Steve McQueen's beautifully shot and acted, but sometimes wincingly trite, Shame. This film was when I starting sitting up and paying attention to Fassbender as an actor (I know what you're thinking, and no, really, it was the acting!). The sterility and quietude of a film like Shame requires someone who can convey a bevy of human emotion over the course of several uncomfortably long close-up still-shots, without speaking. He nailed it (and okay, yeah, that pun was intended). I was riveted.

Anyway, I digress. Haywire: fun, action packed film well worth the unspeakable amount of money you pay now for a movie ticket. The Fassbender Sexy: confirmed. And he's not only beautiful, but he's absolutely flawless as an actor in this film, as well as Shame. Looking forward to seeing if future projects and personal conduct deem him man-harem worthy.

William Gibson wears Vans.



















William Gibson reading from his terrific new collection of essays, Distrust That Particular Flavor at Diesel, A Bookstore, 1.20.2012 in Oakland.



















This NY Times Book Review really got it. One of my favorite things about Gibson is his focus on Japan; love this bit in the review:

In Tokyo, Gibson detects “successive layers of Tomorrowlands, older ones showing through when the newer ones start to peel.” Lurking in the back corner of a noodle stall, he watches a man playing with his phone. The gadget is glossy, “complexly curvilinear, totally ephemeral-looking,” shining with “Blade Runner”-ish reflections of the city around it. Gibson zooms in on an accessory hanging from the phone — a “rosarylike anti­cancer charm.” According to Japanese pop-­culture lore, such talismans are supposed to protect against microwaves. It’s the perfect Gibson detail: a hybrid of high technology and magic wand.

I love it when a plan comes together.



















Ohitashi at Geta in Oak-o-land-o




















(the first of several) Bulleit bourbons at Club Mallard in Albany

Soundtrack:



What ever happened to the saxophone solo? And why oh why must Monday come 'round?

Ooooooooh...



















Andrea Pompilio - Fall/Winter 2012

Lovely stuff. I imagine I may be able to afford only the (admittedly rockin') Cheetah tote. I see they have a showroom in Tokyo (where I will be traveling again in April -- yeee!) but it's by appointment only. That would probably be a (dis)appointment for them for a mere silkscreened tote. ;)

Oh well, my wallet may be thin, but lucky for me most of these looks can be brought together for my man in an afternoon in Goodwill.

photo by The Sartorialist

Soul Legend Etta James Dies at 73.

RIP.

Regarding the Costa Concordia/Schettino/Italian Coast Guard shitstorm, I suppose every cloud has a lulz lining.



















But seriously, "for every Schettino, there is a De Falco, thank goodness..."

omg, this is the best thing, well..at least all week.














You have to admit that is some AMAZING science.

Drinkify: Don't Drink Alone

Wow!



















Berkeley Sculptor Aimee Baldwin's 'Vegan Taxidermy'

Although what Baldwin creates isn't technically taxidermy, it is vegan because her creations - shorebirds, corvids, owls, raptors and extinct birds, as well as plants - are made entirely without animal parts. Instead, she uses crepe paper, glue, found objects and wire in the meticulous creation of birds so lifelike, they look poised to hop off their perches and flutter away.

Any notions associated with the term 'vegan' aside, Baldwin's birds are both incredibly realistic and breathtakingly gorgeous, and you can really see the love and care she puts into them. I also love to see someone so talented making a living doing what they love.

To see more of Aimee Baldwin's work, check out her website or her Etsy site.

I will own a first generation Honda Civic 3-door hatchback someday. But if unavailable, this 1972 Honda 600 coupe (or Honda Z) I saw yesterday at the gas station near my house could stand in nicely.

I often feel I am well-versed in poetry, given the predilections of my partner and many of my friends, and my own personal pleasure and interest in the medium. But what I need to remember is that I am not well-versed at all -- what I am is possibly better read in poetics than the average person.

This would certainly be an untrue statement in the early twentieth century, which was a golden age for poetry as a medium read by many, regardless of education, station, or what-have-you.

So, yeah, at any rate, I think I can definitely fake it really well at a cocktail party.

I am meditating on this as of late because I have just recently began reading the work of the late poet (and librarian!) Robin Blaser, one of the key figures in the San Francisco Renaissance. I had heard his name plenty of times, but I only recently have really taken a look at his poetry.

I know!

Will have to delve further into his work to make any deep declarative assessments, but as of now I can say I am feeling his earlier work enormously, and this one in particular speaks to me in a profoundly personal way. Enjoy.

Herons

I saw cold thunder in the grass,
the wet black trees of my humanity, my skin.

How much love lost hanging there
out of honesty.
I catch at those men who chose
to hang in the wind
out of honesty.
It is the body lies with its skin --

Robed in my words I say that the snake
changes its skin out of honesty.

And they
hanged there with some symmetry
died young
like herons proud in their landscape.

Now it is age crept in, nobody younger knows
the quick-darting breath is
our portion of honesty.

(1956)

A Map of Woman’s Heart (mid-1800s)



















LOL at how the two large lobes of the heart are filled with superficiality, with the "Country of Eligibleness" populated by the most grievous displays, including the "Province of Deception" and even a "Jilting Corner." How bitter (and probably single) was the dude who made this?

This idealized version of womanhood appeared everywhere: in advice manuals, fiction, newspapers, magazines and in American prints. Just as American prints employed a narrowly defined standard of beauty, images that showed exemplars of True Womanhood also imagined a limited sphere of activity for women.

The attributes of True Womanhood, by which a woman judged herself and was judged by her husband, her neighbors, and her society, could be divided into four cardinal virtues—piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity. … Without them … all was ashes. With them she was promised happiness and power."

Take the meager ambitions set forth for Victorian women (marriage), what constituted success (not marrying poorly), and the consequences of not marrying (or marrying poorly), and pair it with the truth of what one often received in return for following the aforementioned virtues of True Womanhood, and I can see how reality may have necessitated the Country of Eligibleness.

Anyway, at the risk of lending credibility to the "Promontory of Golden Fetters," I will say those Victorians sure made some beautiful propaganda.

Happy New Year! Looking forward to new beginnings, travel, and some awesome poetry projects. Watch this space.




May your 2012 be glorious!

My friend Ayize's first book, The Liminal People, has been picked up by Small Beer Press (the press founded by the also fabulous fabulist Kelly Link), and he's getting some great reviews.


















Science and science fiction publication io9 calls The Liminal People, "the twisted superhero story that Heroes should have been" and a "damn good read." Bookotron calls it "seriously well-written, but also seriously fun to read" and deserving of "a sequel, sooner rather than later."

Ayize's book IS seriously well-written, as well as highly detailed and an exciting-from-the-get-go read, and I'm so glad it has been picked up and is getting the press it deserves. Read an excerpt here, and then support both the author and small press publishing and come and get it!

Yesterday, I did something I haven't done for a long time -- at least since I was unemployed. I had whiskey in the afternoon with friends, and it was glorious.















Need the reminder today to savor the simple joys in life, and that I don't need vacation or unemployment or free time other than normal time off to have them.

I guess I'm not the only one who is so over it.



















Word. Kathryn Janeway? Best. Captain. EVER.

I think it goes without saying, but I don't want anyone cursing my existence, so *spoilers*

It's holiday shopping season! This year, like every year, I like to recommend giving easy holiday gifts that can possibly make a bigger impact.

I've advocated buying local and making community-based gifts in the past, but I must admit that in the age of the big box, it always felt a little futile. But with the entrance of Occupy Wall Street, this idea finally seems to be taking off big time. Occupy's large media presence has brought the idea of being a conscious consumer to the mainstream, and with that, the crucial building blocks needed to get started.

So in lieu of my regular ol' holiday giving recommendations for nonprofits and gifts of conscience, I want to recommend this great article that was forwarded to me by my friend Bicycle Irish:

Occupy the Holidays: Ten Ways to Make Your Gift-Giving More Meaningful

Gift giving is an honored tradition that gives you the opportunity to share joy with those you care most deeply for. But now more than ever, we need to make sure our purchases are meaningful. Being a conscious consumer is imperative during this Holiday season. This doesn’t mean forsaking your seasonal celebrations, including gift exchanges. But it does mean taking some time to reconsider out habits.

These are really easy but highly effective ways to incorporate conscious consumerism into your holiday -- and perhaps, daily -- life.


















Okay, but you're not getting away that easily! I also want to share a great piece I read about the transformative and healing power of being generous with one's spirit.

Knitting Behind Bars

Each week the men eagerly await the women's arrival, then promptly get to work. “It takes you away a little,” Horton says. “You have to watch what you’re doing, otherwise your stitches will become loose or tight or you’ll skip stitches. It almost makes you feel like you don't have to be anything. You’re all sitting there knitting. You can just be yourself.”

[Richy] Horton was released from prison last December and now works in construction. He believes his involvement with KBB helped him get out of jail and onto parole, showing the parole interviewers his small but positive effort to help the outside community. He continues to keep in touch with the women of KBB and is currently knitting a beaded scarf. “They’re not normal people,” Horton says of Zwerling, Rovelstad, and Heirs. “They’re almost like saints.”


















"It almost makes you feel like you don't have to be anything." This is a program that works.

To donate to Knitting Behind Bars, contact Lynn Zwerling at lynnzwerling@verizon.net.

Whoa.



















Conspiracy Keanu

I die.

Good friend and all-around superb human being, the poet Eric Baus, has a new book out.



















It is called Scared Text, and not only does it promise some awesome poetic jams, it won the 2011 Colorado Prize for Poetry.



















Cole Swensen, the judge for the 2011 prize, says:

Baus has opened a new literary field: the linguistic bestiary, a new zoo where words pace like fauves behind ever-thinning bars.

I do love the new worlds that Eric creates (or brings forth from just outside our periphery) in his poetry. This is also true of his last two books, Tuned Droves and my favorite, The To Sound.

Come and get it!

Mine too. May your Thanksgiving be full of pie!