music, media & other random musings

Memorial Day Ramblings

I just bought music for the first time since.. I seriously have zero recollection. 2008? 2009? I've been renting music since 2002? 2003? (If anything this writing has confirmed, my memory and previous knack for remembering dates no longer exists.) Rhapsody was my choice then, as the pickins were slim. Today it's one among many. But back then, mobile wasn't an option. So I used Rhaposdy as my daily radio station, then decided what I had to own for that trip between work & home. Now subscriptions live seamlessly and ubiquitously and I usually have no need to buy. Almost. Vampire Weekend and the National's new releases arent available on Rhapsody or Rdio - my two primary accounts. They are on Spotify, but I only have the free account, so it won't stream into Sonos. LIke I said, almost seamlessly... . So what choice did I have?  Well, lots actually.. I chose Amazon, and took advantage of using Amazon Cloud thru Sonos for the first time. Oh, those little geeky details make me so very happy...  As for the music... only half into Vampire Weekend - which I really really dig. Can foresee it being on the proverbial turntable for a while. Amongst a few other goodies waiting in line - Daft Punk & Wild Belle to name a few - which I'm psyche to hear...   

Back from the college graduation of my oldest neice, Jessica. Great reason to celebrate - and we did. My

brother and his crew came in from LA and my sister's family - including the new graduate - were also all there, of course. There's something about family - and siblings - that if you're lucky enough to have, get along with and truly like - is a bond that just can't compare with anything else. Not even your very best friends - including those you grew up with. Frank Bruni wrote a timely piece on the subject on Sunday. I feel very lucky to have my siblings in my life - along with their incredible kids who I adore unconditionally and their spouses, which through time have most definitely become more brother and sister than in-laws. It makes special occassions that much more special...

The themes of graduation: completion, sense of accomplishment, the future & all its possibilities.. all powerful, meaningful. But if those kids in the graudation class were anything like me - they have zero idea what any of it means right now. Majora Carter gave an amazing speech: be uncomfortable was the message. Live outside your comfort zone, strive for more. I found it super moving. (More so than the less authentic, rambling Josh Whedon - albeit with similar themes - which was disheartening as he is paid to be a storyteller)... But not sure if that kind of sentiment can sink properly into the bones of a 22 year old. They're still trying to figure out what their comfort zone is. At least I was.. 

Week ahead: Psyched to try a Citi Bike - just activated; more Breaking Bad. Late to the party - but with NetFlix you're never far from a new TV drug. This is mine. Season 1 was SOO good.. Season 2 begins tonight - for me; On the TV note, Mad Men is wacky this season. Still incredible. But definitely odd.

Looking forward to a short work week ahead - what's not to like... Summer has officially begun - and i DO love that summer feeling - and Jonathan Richman. Download 01 That Summer Feeling

 

Friday's Random Rant

When my brother was blogging consistently, he incorporated a Friday rant into his repertoire. As my mind sometimes tends to work in that way, one thought running into the other, I thought I'd steal his concept and use it myself. As Pablo Picasso said, "Good artists borrow, great artists steal." And with that, my first Friday rant…

On TV: Steven Colbert's Wheat Thins Sponsortunity clip last night should make all of those in branding, marketing & advertising wince. I did. Jon Stewart seems to be tired the last few weeks. Nothing truly inspiring for me. Downton Abbey's season finale was true to the series, predictable, while still being well-crafted, smart, and thoroughly enjoyable. Time Warner Cable has decided to spend lots of money making commercials like the ones with Ricky Gervais and Mary Louise Parker. I think most New Yorkers would agree that they should invest their money instead on improving their services, including the customer kind. In the last 6 months I have gone through 3 DVRs. Each one deciding on it's own, 'it's my box and I'll record if I want to'… TW sucks.

On the political front: The more I listen to Mitt Romney, the more I think that George Bush scared me less. Does he rank right up there with one of the worst campaigners ever? His insightful thoughts on trees in Michigan, proof positive. As for Rick Santorum, I say "Run Rick Run." The more this guy talks, the more he too digs himself into a very deep hole. IF this guy actually were able to pull off the nomination - which I don't think is possible - he'll NEVER be able to win the national campaign with views like the ones he's been espousing on education, women's health, homosexualty, etc. So, I'm all for the Rick Santorum's surge. 

Pinterest is all the rage.  I haven't gotten the bug yet. 

Great article in Vanity Fair on Diner this month. If you haven't ever seen (gasp!), or not in a while, very worthy of repeated viewing. 

"For a little movie without special effects, dramatic reveals, or cutting-edge sex scenes—a movie about nothing at all, really—Barry Levinson’s 1982 comedy,Diner, caused a tectonic shift in popular culture. It paved the way for Seinfeld, Pulp Fiction, The Office, and Judd Apatow’s career, and made stars of Mickey Rourke, Kevin Bacon, Ellen Barkin, and Paul Reiser."

Also fantastic article in the NYTimes Magazine section this past Sunday. "How Companies Learn Your Secrets." Truly fascinating (and scary) how retailers are tapping into your online behavior to target you into buying more - predictive analytics. But also just incredibly interesting from perspective of how our brains work & the habits we form - and why are our bad habits are so difficult to break. 

Celebrated my 48th birthday this past Monday. No birthday party, cake or candles - just a few good scotches and dinner with my brother at the excellent John Dory's, while the better part of my day was spent in my pajamas, reading, writing, doing the crossword & listening to music - a few of my favorite activities. Couldn't have been more enjoyable. It's incredible the number of people who follow the birthdays on Facebook. Heard from tons of people I never speak to… FB friends we call them.. but still nice… As my friend Rich said, Facebook is the largest birthday card in the world. 

As for old friends, must be the season… Met up with, Liz Blumberg, my oldest BFF from "home" (as opposed to camp). It's been 30 years, although we were inseparable from elementary school through to high school. We probably wouldn't be friends if we met today, completely different lives and interests - but it's impossible to break the bonds of the past. And sometimes, that's a very good thing. Most certainly is in this case. 

Great quote from Jerry Colonna in a guest post on Fred Wilson's blog. His post was focused on management. But it is true for all of us, in finding ourselves everyday: We forge our truest identity by facing our fears, our prejudices, our passions, and the source of our aggression. 

Oscars on this Sunday. Seen almost all the nominees, except for a few. Predicting The Artist will win Best Picture of the year. 

 

Mary Tyler Moore

I was half watching the SAG awards while half reading a book, so I could catch Mary Tyler Moore get the Life Achievement Award - with Dick Van Dyke appropriately presenting. Although a bit awkward, he looked pretty damn good. But then the intro film… sadly uninspiring. Quite the opposite of the shining light Mary Tyler Moore was in her day. And unfortunately her speech too, the same. She has battled diabetes for years and it clearly has taken a toll on her health. Betty White, about 20 years her senior, seems far more alert and vivacious. 

Growing up, Mary Tyler Moore loomed large. We absolutely loved her, loved her show and the spin-offs it spawned - Rhoda, Phyllis, and loved catching the black & white reruns of the Dick Van Dyke Show when staying home sick from school. But she was more than a TV star, she was a ground breaker. Marlo Thomas in That Girl was the first woman to live on her own in the big city. But in Mary Tyler Moore, we saw a real working woman, at her office. It's amazing how big of a deal that was 40 years ago - but it really was. She captured the zeitgeist of the times.

Watching her tonight, seeming somewhat confused and shaky was quite sad to see. I realize that is the reality of aging, but I still find it a bit heartbreaking. Watching the passing years take hold is difficult to see even with people we know and love, whose aging process we see in real time with each passing day. (Like looking in the mirror every morning.. ) But even harder to see, and maybe accept, when it's someone you haven't caught sight of for many years, and when the image etched in your mind is of them from a much earlier time. 

The SAG awards tend to be a fairly boring affair. And the main event of this night is actually Downton Abbey and The Good Wife. But I really was hoping for, and expecting, a little sparkle from this crowd honoring Mary Tyler Moore - a woman who I'm certain was a tremendous inspiration for many of the women in that audience tonight. Was sad that didn't happen..  

 

Occupy-apalooza

From NYTimes Op-Ed, Charles M. Blow, October 22, 2011

The Inspiration of Steve Jobs

I keep thinking about Steve Jobs. It's not just because I spend a good part of my day looking at one of the many Apple screens I possess, nor wondering if their future releases will be ones I will covet in the same way I have in the past. Nor because, like many others, I have been reading the countless tributes and articles about his life the last few days. Nor that it is always sad when someone dies much too soon. Of course, all that's a part of it. But I think it's more than that. For me, it's what he did with the 56 years he had. I think about how at a very early age he knew what he loved to do, his laser focus to stay true to that passion, his ability to learn from his mistakes, his vision and leadership, and the insane confidence he must have possessed to bipass all consumer research and even, at times, those in his hand picked team who may have disagreed. 

I've been an Apple fan forever. When the company was supposedly on the virge of bankruptcy and the only core users were artists and designers (neither of which I am), it was my computer of choice. The brains and logic behind Apple products made sense to me. Playing with and figuring out how to use my 270 Duo Dock brought out the techie geek in me. And ever since has made me curious about the convergence of technology, media and entertainment. But as much as I, like the rest of the world, am in awe of his amazing insight into what consumers wanted, the perfectly crafted products he created, and how he changed the business models for music, publishing and the mobile industries - it is his personal strength, conviction, passion and focus that keeps me thinking about him. 

A Steve Jobs comes along once in a generation, if that. And I'm certain there are many who dream of filling his shoes - not just at Apple, or in the tech sector, but also the kid in the garage hoping to change the world and make as great an impact as he did. I am not in that camp. As much as I am inspired by his tremendous success at making a real difference in our world, and in our everyday lives, that isn't what keeps me thinking about his death and his legacy. While reading about his life and watching the clips on YouTube, what I think about us is his passion, his conviction and his strength in staying true to himself. His now famous Stanford commencement speech probably sums up his philosphy best. (And worth 15 minutes if you haven't seen.) Although most are quoting "your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life," what has stayed with me is this: 

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like. "If you live each day as it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for to many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

If, when I look in the mirror every morning, I can honestly ask myself whether I will spend the day doing what I love, with as much focus and passion as Steve Jobs did - and actually do it - then I believe there is no greater tribute to his legacy. Other than continuing to wave the Apple banner. 

 

Best Steve Jobs Tribute

The Colbert Report
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No You Can't

Gotta love the mash-ups. John Boehner is such an asshole. This is so deserving. 

Jon Stewart on ChatRoulette

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American Idol Still Sings

I can't claim I've ever been a loyal Idol watcher. In fact, aside from watching a few episodes here and there, the only full season I ever watched was Season 2, when Ruben Studdard won and the last shows of Season 5 when the winner was Taylor Hicks. (Now both to be found in the pages of Where Are They Now?)

However, when Ellen DeGeneres started, I tuned in. Definitely am a fan of hers - at times, she makes me howl - but I'm not such a devoted fan that I ever watch her show, or follow her in any other way. I was just curious about the dynamics of the new judges together, and about how a show starting on it's 9th season adapts. And then I got pulled in. Skipped some of the audition shows, but since the final 24 have been chosen, I've been a loyal DVR watcher. 

Generally, I find Reality Television, not only abhorrent, but unwatchable. I know lots of people who love Top Chef and America's Top Model, and apparently much of America likes Biggest Looser. And, of course, I've seen episodes of all those - tuned in to watch a few, just because I do - but would never care, or dare to continue watching. Zero interest. 

From the beginning, Reality Television was the cheap answer to expensive-to-produce TV fare, a need which spawned an entire genre of formulaic shows. Sure, all of the procedural shows - from Law & Order to House to CSI - are also designed so that we know exactly what will happen between each commercial break. Yet somehow the formulaic nature of those shows, are comforting, as opposed to inane. We know they're scripted shows, with actual actors that we've gotten to know over the years. I do realize everyone watching reality shows know they aren't actually real - and just don't care. They're attracted to the car-wreck of it all. But I just can't suspend my own reality enough to make watching despicable people in ridiculous situations even the least bit compelling or interesting to me. 

But then there's Idol. Of course, it too is formulaic. And I'm sure that there are even more 'scripted outcomes' behinds the scenes than I'd care to know about. But here, I'm okay with my own naivety and suspended reality. With Idol, the formulaic aspect of the show is neither comforting nor inane. It's just the framework to let the real drama play out - whether or not these kids have any talent. We're not forced to watch petty bickering behind the scenes, made to believe they are real conversations when a camera crew is right there in their face. We just get to watch, week after week, to see if these people can actually sing, can perform, feel comfortable on the stage, progress over time and might actually look and sound like an 'American Idol.' You can't fake that, with or without cameras. 

And most of the time, through their (enormous number) of votes, American seems to get it right. From what I've seen this season, they certainly have. Again, is there some fakery behind the scenes? Does the show really go by the votes? Don't know. But I don't really care. I think the enjoyment for everyone is judging for themselves and seeing whether or not they're in sync with the rest of America - and the judges. Simon is of course almost always right on. And clearly, Ellen's role is to play the opposite of that - the nice one. Randy, somewhere in the middle. And Kara, clearly the Next Simon. Not as harsh in her delivery, but as honest. If it's true he's off the show next season, she just may be able to pull it off without him. 

Although the judges are part of the show, part of the fun, bringing their own drama, (not sure what's up with the flirty thing between Kara and Simon... sometimes a bit over the top), it still isn't about them. It's about the talent - or talentlessness - of the potential Idols. Which is why with or without Simon, I think the show can go on for many seasons to come. I can't say I'll be watching every season, but they have me hooked on this one. I'll be watching til the last Idol sings. 

Where Are The Milk Duds?

It's a big question for a small post.

Where are the Milk Duds? 

One of Hershey's best candies and yet the only place you can buy them is at the movies. 

Last week - while not sitting in a theatre - I had the Milk Duds craving. But they weren't at my local deli. Since then, I've been keeping an eye out - looking at every newsstand I pass, deli I walk into - even checked out a 7-Eleven on 14th Street, figuring they had to have them. I live in New York, for fucks sake. How it it possible I can't find them? 

I'm guessing from the lack of availability, they aren't one of Hershey's best sellers. Which I personally don't get at all. But then why the jumbo size in the movie theatre? 

Alas, because I'm still having the craving, and apparently it's the only place I can get me some Milk Duds...yes, it's true, this afternoon, I'm off to the movies. Figure I'll stay for the show too.