AMOROUS MUSINGS

INSPIRATION FOR DAYS: Mickey Smith — “Darkside of...

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:08:00 +0100

INSPIRATION FOR DAYS: Mickey Smith — “Darkside of the Lens” (via DoLectures)

You should really watch both the above video and also Mickey’s talk at the Do Lectures from last year; a more humble artist than you can imagine.

just discovering another blog by one of my favorite bloggers....

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:55:38 +0100

just discovering another blog by one of my favorite bloggers. this track is rocking my monday night. be sure to follow her “yespleasesmile” blog. it is the ultimate ultimate.

musicpleasemademoiselle:

#428 Hey Champ - Sugar and Spice

This is a great edit of the 1982 original by Luther Vandross. Hey Champ added just that little bit of punch it was missing. Wonderful!

Illustrator Samantha Hahn is offering up a few of her gorgeous...

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:19:01 +0100

Illustrator Samantha Hahn is offering up a few of her gorgeous watercolors for free download for Valentine’s Day.

In late December I started a new fitness regime, it goes by the...

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:07:00 +0100

In late December I started a new fitness regime, it goes by the name CrossFit and I haven’t had so much fun working out in a LONG TIME. I also haven’t been so sore post-workout in a long time, but I like that too honestly.

Obviously starting a new routine means obsessively watching videos of people doing it on YouTube. For me, the main channel I’ve been “tuning in to” is Blair Morrison’s.

In addition to placing well the past few years at the CrossFit games, this guy takes his workouts outside the box & shows us how it doesn’t take a gym to get a workout in — or to find a new degree of strength.

Check out a group trip he planned to Iceland above — he’s doing another one this year. You can sign up here.

My favorite cover in a long time. UPDATE: The vocalist is a man...

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:40:00 +0100

My favorite cover in a long time.

UPDATE: The vocalist is a man named Damon C. Scott and he also is part of a group called Storm Queen.

Moving House

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:18:07 +0100

As you may have gathered, I had a semi-nomadic childhood. We typically moved at least every two years and spent most summers abroad in some combination of Malaysia or China. And before we ask, we are not a military family at all. (Have I written this before? I think so. HA!)

This is all to say that at the moment I am the midst of moving house yet again — but this time it is just about 4 big NYC blocks from my current location in Geneva.

I love almost everything that comes with moving into a new place — organizing, throwing out things that no longer have a use, donating clothing that I no longer need, etc. (Things I don’t love: physically carrying a small elephant’s weight in books and magazines).

Our new place is nearly 3 times the size of our current place too — and I am SO looking forward to having empty spaces around me. In all things I think it is necessary to have a place where not only you can rest, but where your eyes can rest as well. Empty spaces give you a sense of breathing — and we could all use some more of that.

Our new place also has a large dining room, so for those of you either in the Geneva area or visiting the Geneva area, an open invitation for dinner at my new place.

Incredible photo set from the same interview with Melih...

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:52:05 +0100

Incredible photo set from the same interview with Melih Özuysal too!

Photography by Ege Okal

"The year when I was starting elementary school, my father declared bankruptcy and our stuff was..."

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:48:31 +0100

“

The year when I was starting elementary school, my father declared bankruptcy and our stuff was confiscated. I remember the moment all our belongings were taken away and my mother was crying. We had a very nice house with a swimming pool. That was a turning point. My older brother and I had to stay at our grandparent’s house for the summer. There I was introduced to superstitions. My brother was very loved because he was the first grandchild. They didn’t care much about me and left me alone. I felt very free and without any pressure. I met cats and dogs and chatted with them. One of the staff of the house told my brother not to follow a beautiful rabbit or a beautiful girl at night, because it might be a Jinn (demon).

After I heard this I kept going outside to find rabbits and girls. Workers would find me far off in the terrain and bring me back. They thought I was a sleepwalker. The idea of Jinn became very important to me. Even now (showing an object he made) I call this paint Jinn, it fills the empty paint cans.

”

- Interview with Melih Özuysal by FvF in Istanbul.

John Steinbeck on Falling in Love: A 1958 Letter to his eldest son

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:40:00 +0100

John Steinbeck on Falling in Love: A 1958 Letter to his eldest son:

New York
November 10, 1958

Dear Thom:

We had your letter this morning. I will answer it from my point of view and of course Elaine will from hers.

First — if you are in love — that’s a good thing — that’s about the best thing that can happen to anyone. Don’t let anyone make it small or light to you.

Second — There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind. The other is an outpouring of everything good in you — of kindness and consideration and respect — not only the social respect of manners but the greater respect which is recognition of another person as unique and valuable. The first kind can make you sick and small and weak but the second can release in you strength, and courage and goodness and even wisdom you didn’t know you had.

You say this is not puppy love. If you feel so deeply — of course it isn’t puppy love.

But I don’t think you were asking me what you feel. You know better than anyone. What you wanted me to help you with is what to do about it — and that I can tell you.

Glory in it for one thing and be very glad and grateful for it.

The object of love is the best and most beautiful. Try to live up to it.

If you love someone — there is no possible harm in saying so — only you must remember that some people are very shy and sometimes the saying must take that shyness into consideration.

Girls have a way of knowing or feeling what you feel, but they usually like to hear it also.

It sometimes happens that what you feel is not returned for one reason or another — but that does not make your feeling less valuable and good.

Lastly, I know your feeling because I have it and I’m glad you have it.

We will be glad to meet Susan. She will be very welcome. But Elaine will make all such arrangements because that is her province and she will be very glad to. She knows about love too and maybe she can give you more help than I can.

And don’t worry about losing. If it is right, it happens — The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.

Love,

Father

James W Griffith, you are my hero. You have also shown Malaysia...

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:37:01 +0100

James W Griffith, you are my hero. You have also shown Malaysia in all its beauty.

Kuala Lumpur: Family Edition

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:24:26 +0100

What you may or may not have realized about me yet is that I am half Chinese. The Chinese side of my family have lived in Malaysia for ages — primarily in some combination of Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Ipoh.

Most of childhood summers were spent running around my grandparent’s home in KL and eating the most delicious food that I have ever had the pleasure of eating, including but not limited to INSANE AMOUNTS of roti canai from our local spot.

Each time I go home to KL, I trawl through books of old family photographs and ask my family members about their lives. [2012 promises an exciting update on the latter].

Here are some amazing pictures of pictures of my family in KL in the 50s and 60s that I saw at my uncle’s home in London recently. INCREDIBLE!

Phenomenal capture by subliminous: See…? Here is dad at the...

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:59:37 +0100

Phenomenal capture by subliminous:

See…? Here is dad at the Francis Alys exhibition at the Museo de Arte de Lima. December, 2011.

That makes me want to go order some business cards and write...

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:46:05 +0100

That makes me want to go order some business cards and write some letters on Gary’s paper.

Ink & Paper by Ben Proudfoot

Ben Proudfoot’s short documentary on the last paper company and the last letterpress printer in downtown Los Angeles. Needless to say we love print :)

via the R.S.V.P Papershop via freundevonfreunden

Go Skillshare!

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:00:46 +0100

Go Skillshare!

I just ordered these amazing earrings by Laura Lombardi on Of A...

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:41:15 +0100

I just ordered these amazing earrings by Laura Lombardi on Of A Kind.

Cannot wait for them to arrive.

via kateoplis: Mark Powell turns old envelopes into works of art...

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:20:08 +0100

via kateoplis: Mark Powell turns old envelopes into works of art with a Biro pen.

Love this mini documentary on how people are working to shift...

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:31:23 +0100

Love this mini documentary on how people are working to shift the variety of content being uploaded to Wikipedia (via DoLectures)

An exciting project of mine taking form in 2012 is the documentation via interviews of my family history. I started this last May in a series of short conversations with my grandmother — a magical woman — and this year, I will continue it in a higher quality way (better audio recording device, better photographs) and expand it to include loads more family members. You cannot imagine the story tellers I am lucky enough to have in my family and the lives they’ve led.

This film inspires me to do it even more.

Great interview with photographer Magnus Reed over at FvF. Most...

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:40:42 +0100

Great interview with photographer Magnus Reed over at FvF.

Most interesting are his thoughts on whether or not it is easier to be a photographer today or back in the 80s when he got his start relatively casually.

I think in many professions this is a good question to consider — now, we have so much access to tools and networks, but it can almost be overwhelming and there are so many paths forward. I think it is just a question of choosing and going forward stubbornly and adjusting as life happens.

Via freundevonfreunden: F vF Berlin: Meet Photographer Magnus Reed

Once: stories worth seeing

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 20:48:22 +0100

Once: stories worth seeing:

An incredible iPad based magazine with some truly outstanding storytelling by photo as well as with interactive and worthwhile text that drives home the images.

Addicted.

You can download the first issue for free and then pay just 3 bucks for subsequent issues. Color me a fan.

"You have come through a storm of challenges, dear Cancer. Soon you will feel the warm sunlight on..."

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:10:29 +0100

“You have come through a storm of challenges, dear Cancer. Soon you will feel the warm sunlight on your face.”

- I like the sound of that.

My astrology for 2012 via Russh Magazine