The American Dream Redux

My boyfriend sent this video to me yesterday, and I didn't watch it immediately. He called me over to his computer last night to view it, and I was hushed and in awe.


I suggest watching that, and then reading the latest installment of Maira Kalman's 'Pursuit of Happiness' illustrated column in the Times (pictured above). Hand in hand, they paint a picture of the things that are blessed about our country, why we need to work hard and have representatives that care about the right things, to keep the good fight going to preserve the integrity of our nation.

The trifecta in my patriotic package today is a more somber, disturbing reminder about why we should take a moment to think about how lucky we are to live here. HBO aired a documentary last week about child migrants traveling to get to America, at any cost, titled Which Way Home.

Heartbreaking and eye-opening, it sheds light on what we appear to be to the outside world- or some of it, at least. If we all worked a little harder to uphold that perception, we'd be headed in the right direction. Aside from the sadness I felt when I heard the teenage kids in the film speak of hoping to be adopted when and if they made it here (adopted?! teenagers? Mexican or Guatamalen teenagers? They have no idea how impossible that dream is), I felt more embarrassed that they were risking their lives to get to a country that is barely holding it together.

The American Dream

The Coolest Nerds Around

Nerds are the new cool kids. Actually- let's face it. Nerds have always been the cool kids. Nerdboyfriend.com is part historical reference slash one-click-shopping for copycats. Very smart, very cool. Not nerdy at all. The lack of header, info, or any other tags is surprisingly refreshing.

Subtle Trickery

At first glance these images all seem to be pretty run-of-the-mill city scenes. But as you scroll down, you'll notice subtle manipulations- just enough to make you smile, or look twice. Photoshop used in small, restrained doses, if you will. Danish photographer Peter Funch is the lensman behind them, his website offers even more intriguing images. My fave is the 'Random Happenings' set.

MadMenMania

Since everyone on the planet seems to be thankfully converted to the genius of MadMen, this funny program was probably inevitable. 'MadMenYourself' is a silly web app which lets you build your own MadMen-like character. From Skirt to Suit, you go on to pick a head, nose (they need some help!) outfit & accessories- then you set yourself either in the office of Sterling Cooper, the rolling waves of the Pacific, or the car of the LIRR where the bar is located. Here's what I look like, MadMenized- I over-accessorized, just for fun. Three more days till the downward spiral starts again!

Jimmy Page is God

That declaration comes not from me, but from a stranger who was in the same elevator on the way down to the street after a screening yesterday of the guitar doc "It Might Get Loud" featuring the Edge, Jack White, and Jimmy Page. Music fans everywhere will appreciate the sonic sound (make sure you hit a theater with good sound) and the ruminations of the three very different, but definitely impactful, guitar heros. Here's the trailer- even non guitar geeks will leave feeling inspired and amazed, and, perhaps, ready to rock.

Small Bladders Rejoice!

Is there anything the iPhone can't do? Pictures, video, email, currency conversion. Now it'll even help you know when you can run for more popcorn or hit the restroom during Julie & Julie (sidebar- shouldn't movie theaters totally pump up the concession stands with foie gras and truffled popcorn for that?) with the RunPee.com application. Developer Dan Florio is the mastermind behind the app (there's also a website for the iPhone-less)- he's been hitting opening day shows and taking copious notes so he can cue you at exactly the right time to bolt, ensuring you don't miss key scenes, the best jokes, or Marisa Tomei nude scenes. The upshot is even obvious for theaters, he says, because now the upsell to the 64oz Coke isn't a dealbreaker.
The way it works is pretty neat- you are told how many minutes into the flick you'll get the chance to break, and for how long. Should you miss something important, the app will fill you in- but only if you unscramble the text, preventing the storyline from being revealed unless you request it. Smart. Look out for a Chinese version in late 2009.

They Must Be Theater People

That's the only explanation I can come up with for this video- and I don't mean that in a disparaging way at all; just that the sense of theatrics and entertainment is spot-on. This video is pure fun. This video has been circulating like mad on the web- forgive me if you've seen it three times already. I think it's worth one more viewing.

You ARE What You Eat

Photographer Mark Menjivar spent three years traveling around the US and photgraphing the interiors of people's refrigerators. I'm thinking right now about what a mess mine is- it hasn't been cleaned in forever and it's stuffed with farmers market bounty and ginger beer.. definitely not ready for it's close-up. These shots are all eerily intimate- what can you tell about a person by their fridge?
A lot. Like this guy here- he's NOT a vegetarian. That's a fact.