You're browing the archives for the month of January 2012

Friday Foto: The Sound of Ice Melting

Photographed last week at the Orange County Museum of Art (in their “State of Mind” retrospective, part of the “Pacific Standard Time” extravaganza). The work, by Paul Kos, was first presented in 1970.

posted 27 January 2012 in Photos. no comments yet

Oscar Immersion Mode

With the Oscar nominees being announced today, may I offer you the interviews I’ve done with some of them? I spoke with George Clooney (Actor in a Leading Role, The Descendants; Screenplay, The Ides of March) in 2005, around the time of Syriana. Just a few weeks back, I got Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall […]

posted 24 January 2012 in Archives, Articles. 2 comments

Friday Foto: Intense Sound Signal

Photographed on the Maine coast in December 2011. The sign was on the side of a lighthouse.

posted 20 January 2012 in Photos. 2 comments

1988 Countdown: #41-50 Roundup

A few years back, I discovered gold in my garage: three videotapes containing the 1988 year-end countdown on MTV. Since then, I’ve been working my way through the top 100 videos of that year, plus the commercials, the VJ breaks, and the cool animated snippets. The sixth batch of videos (not exactly “the sixth hour,” […]

posted 18 January 2012 in 1988. 3 comments

Too Much Is Never Enough

I heard you on the wireless back in ’52–or alternatively, on the cable TV while babysitting for the neighbors back in in ’82. Either way, I’m now allowed to tell you about the big project I’ve been keeping secret for the last few months: I am working on a book with Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, […]

posted 12 January 2012 in Tasty Bits. 1 comment

1988 Countdown #41: Belinda Carlisle, “Heaven Is a Place on Earth”

(New to the countdown? Catch up here.) The best commentary on “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” remains Niki Harris and Donna De Lory, backup singers for Madonna, captured in Truth or Dare doing vocal warm-ups by belting the song out while beating on their own chests to produce a warbly Minnie Mouse effect. (“Those […]

posted 10 January 2012 in 1988. 12 comments

Going Out of Business Since 1988

I have an article in today’s Los Angeles Times (my first for that fine publication), about Sub Pop’s unlikely but sustained success in the 21st century. If you live somewhere without easy access to the LA Times, I suggest you click here. If you just want some of the obscenity from executive VP Megan Jasper […]

posted 8 January 2012 in Articles, Outside. 1 comment