Those are some of them

Director David Lynch lists films he can view over and over.

Never let you go

I checked to be sure: scanning through over one thousand posts, 

I've only used the word 'cute' six times. But this photo? 

It has a whole lotta cute going on.

One of the most famous images of the ancient world, 

with one of the most famous film icons.

Marilyn Monroe squeezes the bejesus out of 

the Discus-thrower (British Museum).

Yes, mon

These (circa 1930) Japanese paper stencils were used to decorate kimonos with traditional mon. Mon, like crests, are emblems that identify a family. Small, historic, lovely.

The Secret World of Arrietty

I was delighted to see The Secret World of Arrietty, the lastest film from Hayao Miyazaki's 

Studio Ghibli. In Miyazaki's universe, there is magic all around us, especially in nature.

Old cartoons are better

Animator John Kricfalusi responds to an aspiring teenage cartoonist with 

an encouraging, upbeat letter, chock-full of drawings.

After life

Duck, Death and the Tulip by Wolf Erlbruch

Death. It's a difficult subject made especially so when discussing with children. Oh, there are

lots of books available, and so many are just awful. The tenderness and eloquence of Wolf Erlbruch in his book, Duck, Death and the Tulip sets the right tone for a concept both dark and overwhelming.

Clean

Vintage detergents; clean = exciting

Nice package

I'm a sucker for great package design.

Documentary radio

Do you catch the podcasts of This American Life? I miss the short-lived TV series on Showtime.

A better Bond

There are over twenty James Bond films, with plots and villains and gorgeous women that tend to blur. Daniel Craig is the sixth actor to enter the franchise, whose casting was initially met with criticism. James Bond as seen on film is nothing like the Royal Naval Reserve Commander (and bureaucrat) with the occasional dangerous mission that author Ian Fleming created in his novels.

On first meeting Sean Connery, arguably the quintessential Bond, Fleming said,

"I'm looking for Commander James Bond, not an overgrown stunt man."

Tsk-tsk Mr. Fleming, I loved that overgrown stunt man, as did a legion of 007 fans. I acknowledged that Bond should remain young and vital, and accepted each time the tuxedo was passed on, though half-heartedly. And then came the remake of Casino Royale; the over-the-top opening sequence was no longer a long shot with a stunt man cleverly hidden behind ski goggles or a motorcycle helmet, it was Craig as Bond, leaping, climbing and what?!...running through a wall! Gone was the glib banter and smug demeanor, replaced by a flinty expression of absolute focus. Daniel Craig explored a new facet of the secret agent; the world-weariness and terrible weight of being an assassin.

C is for cinema

A – Amelie

B – The Big Lebowski

C – Citizen Kane

D – Dr. No

E – Edward Scissorhands

F – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

G – The Godfather

H – The Hobbit

I – Inception

J – Jurassic Park

K – The King’s Speech

L - Lawrence of Arabia

M – My Neighbor Totoro

N – Night of the Living Dead

O – Once Upon a Time in the West

P – Pulp Fiction

Q – The Quick and the Dead

R – Rocky

S – Star Wars

T - Titanic

U – Up

V – Vertigo

W – The Wizard of Oz

X – X-Men : First Class

Y – Yojimbo

Z - Zodiac

A good place to go

E.B. White letter in support of libraries.

( click image to enlarge)

Dear Children of Troy:

Your librarian has asked me to write,
telling you what a library can mean to you.

A library is many things. It's a
place to go, to get in out of the rain. It's a place to
go if you want to sit and think. But particularly it is
a place where books live, and where you can get in touch
with other people, and other thoughts, through books. If
you want to find out about something, the information is
in the reference books---the dictionaries the encyclopedias,
the atlases. If you like to be told a story, the library is
the place to go. Books hold most of the secrets of the
world, most of the thoughts that men and women have had.
And when you are reading a book, you and the author are
alone together---just the two of you. A library is a good
place to go when you feel unhappy, for there in a book,
you may find encouragement and comfort. A library is a
good place to go when you feel bewildered or undecided,
for there, in a book, you may have your question answered.
Books are good company, in sad times and happy times, for
books are people---people who have managed to stay alive
by hiding between the covers of a book.

EB White

When pigs scoot

I tend to flip-flop between the serious and the absurd, so it's no wonder I'm devoted to 

creatives like Haruki Murakami, Maira Kalman and Roald Dahl who combine both principles in their work.

I saw these tea towels made by HAM and had a laugh.

Invisible place

Photographer Richard Avedon described her style as making "visible that heartbreaking invisible place between the appearance and disappearance of things."

Lillian Bassman (1917-2012) passed away this week at the enviable age of 94.What an amazing legacy she has graced the world of beautiful things; her photographs are luminous,transcendent.

What lies beneath

Moving away from ornate Oriental designs;

loving the graphic appeal of vintage Scandinavian rugs.

Night light

Lantern floating is an Asian tradition that poignantly symbolizes 

hope and healing for all beings.

Lantern Floating Ceremony, Honolulu, Hawaii

Yi Peng Festival, Thailand

Peace Ceremony, Hiroshima, Japan

I'd like to attend one of these festivals, the soft glowing light 

enveloped in inky evening colors is just magical.

Pin up girl

Zöe Mozert is one of the most famous 'pin-up' artists,

notably as one of the very few female illustrators successful 

in the selective industry. Besides their erotic appeal, the girls in 

her drawings have unique features and earthy personalities. 

Cookies yes, not cookie-cutter.

Early in her career, she also worked as a model 

(shown posing for Earl Moran).

At work

There's no denying it;  I love images of artists at work.

Edward Hopper

Henry Moore

Maya Lin

Alexander Calder

John Singer Sargent

James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Diego Rivera

Alberto Giacometti

Helen Frankenthaler

Isamu Noguchi