Features
Keeping Up (Vol. 10)
by Darren Paltrowitz
Here are another 5 quick picks for you, the loyal reader:
MUSIC: Parry Gripp Song Of The Week – First coming into the spotlight as the singer and songwriter of Nerf Herder, Parry Gripp has maintained a cult following for almost 15 years. From Nerf Herder’s 1996 radio hit “Van Halen” to Internet viral phenomenon “Do You Like Waffles?” Gripp has consistently crafted catchy and topical songs that showcased his charisma. Now doing things the 21st century way, Gripp now posts a new song almost every week on his website. Visitors can listen to the whole song, and if they like it, they can download via iTunes, eMusic or Amazon MP3. Fans craving even more ought to check out his debut solo album, For Those About To Shop, We Salute You, which contains over 50 commercial jingle-like tracks. (parrygripp.com)
BOOK: Martin Eidelberg, Thomas Hine, Pat Kirkham, David A. Hanks & C. Ford Peatross / The Eames Lounge Chair: An Icon Of Modern Design – Not everyone appreciates furniture as anything more than something used to sit on or decoate a room. However, the authors of this title aim to bring appreciation to the Eames Lounge Chair, as helmed by Charles and Ray Eames in 1956. The evolution of the chair itself is explored while shown in social and cultural contexts. Weighing about 3 pounds with its hardcover shell, your coffee table will need to be strong to support this book. (secure.thenile.com.au/books/Martin-Eidelberg)
FILM: Michael Kantor / Make ‘Em Laugh – In 2009, people are rarely in agreement as to who or what “funny” is. But the legends and originators of comedy tend to be universally-respected. From Charlie Chaplin and The Marx Brothers to Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor, this six-part documentary covers icons of silent films, stand-up, and movies alike. Merging archival footage with modern-day interviews, Make ‘Em Laugh provides both information and entertainment and is likely to leave viewers adding a lot of new titles to their Netflix queue. (pbs.org/wnet/makeemlaugh)
TOOL: Boxee – It is undeniable that sites like YouTube and Hulu have changed television, since the TV networks themselves are now posting episodes for streaming. As a “social media center,” Boxee is by all means a 21st century invention, combining social networking with the aforementioned TV media and other audio and visual media. In other words, from your computer, you can not only watch programming from CNN or Comedy Central, but see what your friends have also enjoyed watching. All of this at no cost legally, that is. So if the programming you prefer is on major networks and/or basic cable, there should be nothing stopping you from canceling your cable subscription. (boxee.tv)
ARTICLE: Leo Babauta “Why You Should Celebrate Your Mistakes” - In an article from popular blog Zen Habits, author Leo Babauta lets out an important point: “without mistakes, we could not learn or grow.” Babuata ultimately questions the learning process of the individual, looking at trial and error as one related component. After reading the article, readers are treated to over 90 comments from other readers, which further enforces the subject area. Hopefully reading this far into my column does not lead to your celebration, if you get what I am saying. (zenhabits.net/2009/01/why-you-should-celebrate-your-mistakes)
As always, if I’m missing something that’s worthwhile and deserving of column space, please reach out with an e-mail: darren.paltrowitz@gmail.com.
In the meantime, stay tuned for another 5 picks...