Happy New Year

Michael Jackson Beatboxing

F. Scott Fitzgerald's briefcase

Dwyane Wade x Air Jordan I

Madison Square Garden - December 25, 2009

Original Plans for the Eiffel Tower

More scans at the Eiffel tower site.

Precocious 4th grader or one-time VP candidate?

Fab Hot Dogs

Fab Hot Dogs - Reseda

Coney Island (Left) and Polish Firecracker (Right)

'Inception' Trailer

Here's a look at the French trailer for Christopher Nolan's latest. I'm not quite sure what to make of the film but it does look intriguing.

Barry From DC

Barack Obama makes a surprise call to outgoing Governor Tim Caine's weekly show.

'I Wish It Was Christmas Today'

Diagram of Geek Culture

Courtesy of 3AM Magazine.

Orwell's Christmas Pudding and Plum Cake

No, it's not a long lost Orwell novel. The Guardian visits Orwell's recipe for the Christmas desserts.

Behind the Scenes with Martin Greenfield

The Selby pays a visit to the Brooklyn factory of Martin Greenfield. Greenfield has served a wide array of clients including: U.S. Presidents (Eisenhower to Clinton), Michael Jackson, and few once upstart companies (Band of Outsiders, Rag and Bone, Freeman's Sporting Club).

Colbert's 'Empire State of Mind'

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor U.S. Speedskating

Clint Eastwood in 'Up'

Tarantino's Top Films of 2009

1. "Star Trek"

2. "Drag Me To Hell"

3. "Funny People"

4. "Up in the Air"

5. "Chocolate"

6. "Observe and Report"

7. "Precious"

8. "An Education"

Disclaimer - "Inglourious Basterds" is not up for consideration and Tarantino mentions he hasn't seen a few films ("Avatar", "Invictus").

(Video courtesy of HR's Heat Vision blog)

How an Eames fiberglass chair is made

Ansel Adams' Los Angeles

Dandy Homes
Originally uploaded by Gerard Van der Leun

A few Ansel Adams photos of 1940's Los Angeles photos. They were discovered during a visit at the Los Angeles Public Library. See more at Gerard Van der Leun's flickr.

Jacques Derrida's Study

(Hat Tip: Apartment Therapy)

Phoenix and the Eiffel Tower

Phoenix - 1901 - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Phoenix gets the Takeaway Show treatment from La Blogotheque.

Nabokov on Lolita's Cover Art

Attaque de Panico

Fallon does Neil Young

Who knew Jimmy Fallon could actually be funny. Here he is covering the Fresh Prince theme song as Neil Young.

Greenberg

The trailer for Noah Baumbach's latest.

A Reggae Kind of Blue

Available at Secret Stash.

Scorsese's 11 Scariest Horror Films

Over at the Daily Beast, Scorsese lists what he considers the 11 most scary films of all time.

Where the Dirty Hipsters Are

Stream the 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' Soundtrack

The soundtrack to Wes Anderson's upcoming 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' is available to stream now on imeem. As others have noted, although Anderson did not work with his usual music supervisor, Mark Mothersbaugh, the soundtrack is very Mothersbaugh-y. Featuring an excellent score by Alexander Desplat (most recently of 'Benjamin Button' fame), the soundtrack has a few appeareances by the usual suspects: the Rolling Stones, George Delerue (recently used in Anderson's Amex 'La Nuit Americaine' tribute/commercial). A new Jarvis Cocker song also pop up (recorded at APC's Paris headquarters). Enjoy!

Fantastic Mr. Fox (Original Soundtrack)

Amsterdam's Flower Market

Inspired by Harriett Beacher Stowe?

Philip Roth Interview with Tina Brown

Tina Brown Talks with Philip Roth: The Full Interview from The Daily Beast Video on Vimeo.

Watch Roth weigh in on the state of the novel, his reputation as a "crazed penis," and politely correct Brown's misreading of his novel.

Fitzgerald's Tax Records

William J. Quirk reviews F. Scott Fitzgerald's tax records. It's surprisingly interesting. One revelation: Fitzgerald was actually big on saving his money.

Castellers de Barcelona

Catalonia's Castels (human castles for the gringos among us) first came to my attention in the Spanish coastal city of Tarragona. Walking down the city's rambla, I stumbled across a sculpture replicating a castel. I was immediately in awe. Six layers of human beings held up by a large mass of men and women pushing and packed like sardines. Could this really exist?
The answer is decidely 'yes.' As luck would have it, a visit to the Barcelona's Sagrade Familia allowed me to stumble across a flyer advertising a Sunday competition of Barcelona's Castellers. For those lucky enough to visit, it seems that this competition is held every Sunday and is completely free.Watching these men and boys, women and girls, climbing one on top of the other to reach staggering heights was exhilarating. Keep in mind these people are not on grass or padded mats; they are standing on top of not so forgiving concrete. My palms were sweaty (although I have to admit that my palms sometimes get sweaty after a touching AT&T commercial).No one knows for sure when this tradition first came into existence. Some say that castellers evolved from 16th-century folk dances, others claim that the towers represented religious paintings or human simulacra of the crucifixion of Christ. Regardless, this is sight to see with your very own eyes.