Yay for Jane! Everyone buy her book!

It's here, it's here! The semi-official on-sale date for my friend Jane's first novel, published in hardcover by Viking. (For those of you not in book publishing, this imprint is a HUGE deal. And I'm not just saying that because I used to work at that company.)

Miss Harper Can Do It




It might not be in bookstores for a few days, but feel free to run out to your local (independent) bookseller and ask them to stock it if they don't already. Or, order it from one of these fine merchants:

Penguin

Powell's

B&N

Amazon

I read this in manuscript form and it was every bit as smart, witty, endearing, charming, and wonderful and Jane herself.

Congrats, Jane!!!

Oh, and go to her website and check out her rad book trailer!

This is why Americans are obese

Walking past my local Domino's Pizza last night I spotted this new sign in the window:



Ooh, Pasta Bread Bowls!

Now, I'm not going to say that doesn't look delicious--I'm still human. But holysweetlordmothermaryandjoseph! Would you like some carbs with your carbs? Yes please!

And not only empty carbs but fat and grease and extreme yuckiness. Ewwww. Turns out each one of these has about 1,400 calories, 50 grams of fat, and 150% of your daily allowance of saturated fat. (See Yum Yucky for details, or this mind-blowing PDF.)

People, honestly. For the love of all things holy, healthy, green, and non-heart-attack inducing, do not ever order one of these. I feel icky just blogging about it. I think I'll go gnaw on some celery.

I'm just saying

I'm not trying to offend any meat eaters out there, and I'm not saying you should put down your hamburger. I just thought this article yesterday in the Times was interesting: Paying a Price for Loving Red Meat.

Here's a bit that backs up some of my reasons for becoming vegan:

"Anyone who worries about global well-being has yet another reason to consume less red meat. Dr. Popkin, an epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina, said that a reduced dependence on livestock for food could help to save the planet from the ravaging effects of environmental pollution, global warming and the depletion of potable water.

“In the United States,” Dr. Popkin wrote, “livestock production accounts for 55 percent of the erosion process, 37 percent of pesticides applied, 50 percent of antibiotics consumed, and a third of total discharge of nitrogen and phosphorus to surface water.”

Adventures in new art

On Sunday I went to the New Museum down on Bowery, and I'd highly recommend that NYC folks get over there before its first triennial show is over in July. It's called Younger Than Jesus and features artists all under the age of 33. As with any contemporary art exhibition, there will be stuff that makes you scratch your head or seems pointless, but I also found much to enjoy and be stimulated by.

Like this huge installation that was like an altar to the language of texting.

I was also mesmerized by two videos, one by James Richards that included fascinating juxtapositions of clips from 1980s British TV and the artist's own work, and another by French artist Cyprien Gaillard that featured 1) an eerie and beautiful light show against a housing project building that gets demolished, 2) haunting aerial shots of a dismal housing complex in Russia, and 3) footage of a weird Eastern European gang rumble. (Two-thirds of video available here. Battle portion available here.)
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Sometimes, though, the best part of a piece was its description. Highlights:

* One wall of collage was referred to as "cave paintings for a digital world."

* A video that showed men in helmets and gladiator-style codpieces arranging giant puzzle pieces while speaking in Polish with Russian folk music playing was described thus: "'Tanagram' is a send-up, if not a confrontation, of Constructivist and Soviet-style utopian ideals."

* One artist's past work included "subvisible nanosculptures" and "a futuristic habitat for a live duck inspired by a quote about the creative process by David Lynch." Um ... okay.

Overall, though, highly worth seeing. Bring an open mind.

Update: 5/1/09: Check out the story in FLYP about the exhibition. Thanks for the tip, Amy!

Magnolias

And a cherry.

Photos taken by me Saturday at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Green-Wood Cemetery.

My friend Andy is ever the entrepreneur

Even when it comes to a pandemic.

Wedded bliss for all

My friend and dear old college roomie Amanda officiated at a wedding this weekend, and the couple was wonderful enough to want to have her mention a few words about their support for same-sex marriage. I'm so pleased to have been able to contribute some thoughts that Amanda used during the ceremony. Here's the whole bit, with some of my language incorporated:

As we celebrate your love, you are able to acknowledge that you are fortunate to be able to have your union officially recognized by the state. We look forward to the day when all couples—gay, lesbian, and straight—can share in the joy of matrimony. Lauren & Adam believe that marriage is a universal human right, and continue to fight and pray for the day when we will be able to share the joys and privileges of marriage with all of our sisters and brothers.

Congrats to the happy couple and best wishes for couples everywhere who wish to wed. We'll keep fighting the fight.

Friday evening still lifes, 4/24

Journaling in Union Square

Another vid!

I don't really even recall the latest Guy Ritchie film, "RocknRolla," being out in theaters, but I watched it last night on DVD and dang, it's entertaining! I think it's his most cohesive and just plain fun movie yet.

Plus, it has Idris Elba! (Stringer Bell) and Luda! And an insane amount of six-pack abs. Plus Tom Wilkinson doing a semi-Cockney accent.

OMG! Let's all go see this movie!

Food, Inc.

So you don't want to take the time to read "Fast Food Nation" or "The Omnivore's Dilemma"--you can spend a mere hour and a half and get all the same amazing, eye-opening information! This looks like this year's "An Inconvenient Truth," but for the food industry.

Opens June 12 at Film Forum. I'm there. Who's with me?

Meanwhile, check out the awesome resources on the movie website.

All Carries from California are entitled to their own opinions

I happen to disagree with this one, but that's okay.



My only real problems with her response are: 1) "opposite marriage" is a ridiculous thing to say, but let's chalk it up to nerves and a little dim-wittedness, and 2) she didn't answer the question. She could have avoided the minefield of voicing her own opinion and potentially pissing people off by saying she thinks it should be up to each state, or that she thinks the courts will work it out or something. She instead simply stated her own personal viewpoint, which I guess means that's what she thinks all states should follow that. But that's not what she said.

Anyway, just a weird little news item. I respect her for expressing what she believes in, even in the face of boos. For more commentary, though, see the NY Times' roundup of opinions.

Diverging paths

I keep thinking about this column, Being and Mindfulness, which ran in the NY Times last month, in relation to the slight change in tenor of this blog that some of you might have noticed in recent months. Thought I'd share it.

Read this!

My friend Cam recently returned from months of rambling all over Asia. I saw him fresh off the plane and he looked tanned, awakened, and fulfilled. This blog piece he just wrote lends some insight into the journey it took to get there. The Nomad Life

Cam = an amazing individual! (I stole this photo from his many Facebook photo albums of the trip. This one's captioned "On the boat to Korea.")

It's Earth Day!

You didn't think we'd ignore this here at FPC, did you? Of course not.

It's wonderful to have a day to celebrate the wondrous planet we live on and consider what we can do to save it from destruction. I'm too busy to wax poetic, lucky for you, so here are just a few ideas for what you can do today (and all days) to respect the natural world.

1) Please visit the websites of my favorite environmental organizations. These are all the kind of conscientious, non-extreme tree-hugger groups that anyone can love. (E.g., they work with private landowners and governments to negotiate for land instead of chaining themselves to bulldozers.) Donate to them, volunteer with them, or just look at their pretty pictures.

The Nature Conservancy

Natural Resources Defense Council

Save the Redwoods League

The Trust for Public Land

The Audubon Society

2) Educate yourself on simple steps you can take to limit your impact on the natural world around you.

National Geographic has a smart, stylish, and extensive website called the Green Guide for Everyday Living.

Or you can buy The Green Book, which is really popular right now.

And if you need inspiration for why you should live more lightly, read Alan Weisman's The World Without Us, the most fascinating look at man's effect on the Earth ever.

3) Attend an Earth Day event near you. There are thousands of events happening this weekend: festivals, rallies, clean-up days, gardening days ... find one and get out there.

4) Take a moment to get outside, breathe in the spring air, appreciate the nature around you (everyone can find some nature, even here in NYC) and commit to preserving it for future generations.

Photos by joaobambu, Zeb Andrews, victorvonsalza, Fort Photo, PatrickSmithPhotography and National Geographic.

Cuteness

The other day I was poking around the Eastern spirituality sections at several bookstores and kept coming across this book, which someone needs to buy for me because it's adorable and delightful: Sanjay Patel's Little Book of Hindu Deities. The book features Patel's illustrations (in his day job, he's an animator for Pixar) and lively (if simplified) descriptions of various Hindu gods, goddesses, and mythological characters.

Karttikeya


Shiva

Ganesha
Sita

Do the best we can

Super fascinating little piece in the Times over the weekend on just how environmentally friendly those trendy steel water bottles are. Turns out you'd have to use one for a very long time before its benefits (over using disposable plastic bottles) outweigh the harm done in manufacturing it.

I realize that thinking about the environmental impact of your purchasing choices can be a gigantic headache, and this just demonstrates how complex and confusing the options can be. For most Americans, my best hope would be that they would think about the consequences of their choices at all, and take baby steps to reduce their waste and emissions. For people who want to go even further in lessening their negative impact on the Earth, I'm glad there are books coming out like this: Ecological Intelligence: How Knowing the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy Can Change Everything (on sale today).*

*Disclaimer: I haven't actually read this book yet, but it looks intriguing.

Happy almost–Earth Day!

Springtime in the cemetery (again, finally!)

Now's the time of year when I force images of flowers upon you people. Aren't you excited?

Saturday was an amazing day in many ways, greatly helped by the 75-degree weather. (I wore shorts! And a tank top! Woot!) On the way to Prospect Park for Saturday sports with friends, Brian, Tony, and I strolled through Green-Wood Cemetery. I'd like to share some photos I took with you, if that's okay.

I am in complete and utter love with this magnolia tree. The blossoms are big as your hand (actually, larger than my little hand). You may remember this tree from last year. I have a print of a photo I took of it displayed in my office.

Brian {hearts} the magnolia.



Brian and Tony scoff at death in the face of such beauty and life.

Homage to last year's photo.

Lane of cherry trees.

Civil War soldier is missing the wonderfulness behind him.

Cheerful pink magnolia at the entrance to Prospect Park.

Oh my goodness, what a glorious day!

Friday evening still life

... proofreading in my office with banana bread Larabar for dinner.

The world around us is so cool!

From Earth Science Picture of the Day (my homepage at home):

The beautiful photo above shows an intriguing and intricate frost flower.

Frost flowers aren't flowers at all, and well, they're not even frost. They occasionally form after the season's first heavy freeze kills a small plant. Even though the leafy matter is dead, the root system continues pumping water up through the stem -- by capillary action. When water reaches ruptures in the stem it leaks out and freezes instantly. As more and more water moves up through the stem, the ice is forced away from the plant and into an infinite number of odd shapes. Frost flowers are exceedingly fragile and the "petals" often break when touched and disappear the moment they're exposed to the first rays of the morning Sun.

Also yellow

(and adorable).

Today is ...

... yellow.

Thanks to folks on Flickr and The Big Picture for letting me borrow your images.