June 27, 2010

Banksy film



Up to Philadelphia last night to catch the Banksy movie, focusing on the commercialization of guerilla street art, with cousin Lilly before it exited theaters. Fascinating documentary, ripe with life and farce. A little too much farce, in fact, to take it all at face value. I'm certain there is a large element of hoax imbedded in this film, even if I'm not certain to what extent, exactly.

One interviewee, a purported member of Banksy's inner circle, said it best:
"The joke's on.....
I'm not sure who the joke's on. I'm not sure there is a joke."

June 24, 2010

Free bird

It's my favorite time of year for golf. The sun stays up late, and the attendant at Clayton Park usually leaves the course unguarded by 7:00PM.

I pay my fees there frequently enough to feel great about occassionally walking on after hours for a few complimentary holes. Carrying only an iron, a pitching wedge, and a putter makes things go a little quicker, and playing just three clubs has a remarkable clarifying effect on my golf game. I never hit that five iron so well as when it's the only option for shots of 120+ yards.

Yesterday I striped whitie about 175 yards off the first tee, drawing the ball a bit at the steeply uphill green. This set up a good look at the flag with the 50° wedge.....knocked it eight feet from the cup.....drained the putt. Free birdie.

June 23, 2010

How do I work this?

The pessimist complains about the wind;
The optimist expects it to change;
The realist adjusts the sails.

~William Arthur Ward

June 22, 2010

The new

the new pornographers

Sing Me Spanish Techno
Up in the Dark
Myriad Harbour
Use it
Crash Years
Jackie, Dressed in Cobras
Adventures in Solitude
Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk
Go Places
All The Old Showstoppers
Jackie
The Laws Have Changed
Moves
Your Hands (Together)
Twin Cinema
My Shepherd
Silver Jenny Dollar
The Bleeding Heart Show
[Encore]
Challengers
My Slow Descent Into Alcoholism
Testament to Youth in Verse

June 21, 2010

Sing me Spanish techno

Going to The New Pornographers show at the Trocadero in Philadelphia tonight. Exciting band I haven't seen live yet - my first time to this venue, too.

the new pornographers

I'm listening to Together now, their latest disc released a couple weeks ago. Unmistakable-characteristic sound, maybe a little more Neko influence on the pace and tone in a few songs. General consensus seems to be that 2005's Twin Cinema represents the band at its best, but I'm partial to Challengers - an album I place in the contemporary prerequisite category (e.g. - "Z" by My Morning Jacket, Hot Fuss by The Killers, Speak for Yourself by Imogen Heap, The Crane Wife by The Decemberists, Dog Problems by The Format, Narrow Stairs by Death Cab for Cutie, Funeral by Arcade Fire, A Ghost is Born by Wilco, et cetera).

Looking forward to a good evening.

June 20, 2010

Braised lamb shank

With mint gremolata, rhubarb-cherry-raspberry sauce, spring potato salad and skillet green beans. Accompanied by Justin Paso Robles Iscoceles Isosceles.

Happy Fathers' Day.

braised lamb shank
Mint and garlic from the garden; rhubarb, purslane, parsley, beans and potatoes from CSA share.

June 7, 2010

Communication breakdown

The good we could share, severed by a wall of misunderstanding.
Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.”

So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth.

Genesis 11:1-9

Who are you? Where does the world come from?

June 4, 2010

Raised beds, part three



The construction of this garden project is nearly complete. Time to let it grow.

June 3, 2010

Crossing Jordan

How to kill a refugee:
And the Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. And when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me go over,” the men of Gilead said to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?”

When he said, “No,” they said to him, “Then say Shibboleth,” and he said, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 of the Ephraimites fell.

Judges 12:5-6