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“If we crave some cosmic purpose, then let us find ourselves a worthy goal.”
–Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot
This video has been making it’s rounds on the interwebs this week and I just thought it would be appropriate to remind everyone what a thoughtful, passionate and remarkable human being Carl Sagan was. I mean if autotune can get the kids to listen to anything these days it’s better this than Kanye. If you’re not familiar with his Cosmos series or his numerous books, let me share one of my favorite anecdotes about Dr. Sagan.
He chaired the NASA committee responsible for the content of the solid gold record (not sales, we’re talking Au) that accompanied the Voyager I & II probes into the depths of space containing a message from Earth. This record included greeting in 55 languages and music from Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chuck Berry and Blind Willie Johnson among other representatives from non-western and indigenous cultures. Sagan wanted “Here Comes the Sun” from Abbey Road, but EMI said no. Also on this record is a brain scan of someone in love. For more on this, check out this episode of WNYC’s Radiolab. The probe is now well over 14 billion kilometers from the Sun. In 40,000 years it will be within 2 light years of a star in the next galaxy to us, Andromeda.
Sagan was also a great popularizer of the search for extraterrestrial life and of science in general. Sadly, he passed in 1996 and no one since has quite managed to replace his enthusiasm, love and selfless promotion of a higher understanding of life and its relationship with the universe.
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—Cass McCombs,“I Went To The Hospital”
While Cass has always been, and still is, peerless and highly revered among those “who know”, his not-so-so-new Catacombs has pushed him into a little brighter spotlight, it seems. I’m no “music writer” and I couldn’t care less if you like him or not. And, honestly? I’m pretty tired. It’s been a long day. Definitely too tired to make clever/incoherent analogies about this dude’s music. Can’t I just put the newly aquired vinyl catalog on and space out for a minute or 200? That (all those excuses for not really writing jack shit) said, how about these 3 videos? Totally amazing right?
ps: I’m sorry for dropping two consecutive posts with some derivation of the word “DEAD” in the title. I’m doing just fine, thanks. Two more videos from Catacombs: “Dreams Come True Girl” and “You Saved My Life”… Positive song names, won’t you agree? Read the rest of this entry »
“You who do not practice the defeatist motto: “It’s better than nothing”; you who have a strong enough cinematic eye to impose it on subjects you feel something for; you who will not agree to make a film about sugar production for the simple reason your grandfather was diabetic; you who scorn saccharine sentimentality and refuse to disfigure a work with it. It is you who hold the fate of the documentary–battered and bruised by a thousand blows from all sides–in your hands.”
Jean Painlevé pioneered science films and underwater cinema, and for that matter scuba diving. His familiarizing anthropomorphism and genre-inspiring story telling have changed your lives in ways you probably don’t even know. The Criterion Collection has released 23 of his films and a wonderful biographical documentary. They are beautiful. One more reason French guys are rad.
Word twittering about New York is that he OD’d last night. Truely an artist and certainly uncompromised. Check this profile from NY Mag and the “confirmation” from gawker.
Founded in 1912, Park is a non-sectarian, independent, coeducational day school. Eight hundred seventy five students attend first-year kindergarten through grade 12.
The Park School is located on a 100-acre tract of land in a suburb just north of Baltimore, Maryland.
In the last ten years, Park has produced/graduated an unbelievable amount of musical talent. Animal Collective, Entrance, Yeasayer, Golden Animals, & BARR have all grown up there. Read the rest of this entry »
John Cassavetes life is the missing John Cassavetes picture, and in 1984’s “I’m Almost Not Crazy”, documentarian Michael Ventura follows Cassavetes through the production of his “last film” “Love Streams”. (1986’s “Big Trouble” is actually the last film he directed, but it was not his script, and has long been speculated that he took the project on merely for the paycheck.)
Cassavetes, known for his fiery disposition, and his ability to evoke incredibly powerful performances from his actors, is in true form here. No holds are barred, and in a time where teams of publicists keep filmmakers from really speaking their mind (well, most of the time at least) it’s refreshing to see someone unmoved by politics and unthreatened by studios public relations departments; saying whatever he wants, whenever he wants.
Watch the entire 60 minute documentary right here:
“In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow-countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war. The Government will not assail you. You can have no conflict without being yourselves the aggressors.”
–Abraham Lincoln
