Read Some Stewf

A Bean Feast

I am not a great singer. There are few tunes that I will belt out without fear of embarrassment or retribution. Two exceptions: Morrissey and Salt. Here is the latter: the best song and one of the best scenes in one of the best films of all time. It doesn’t get much better than Bricusse and Newley.

Lou & Bob & Tom & Randy

Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Randy Newman at first annual Farm Aid benefit concert. Photograph by Deborah Feingold. Courtesy Corbis.

What a weird and beautiful mix of dudes. I think I liked the photo better before I knew the context. It was intriguing, like any old party snapshot captured late at night on someone’s back porch — except that this particular party is full of music legends.

It reminded me of this pic:

For no reason other than it’s a nostalgic shot of four people I love, just hangin’ out. And also, they are musical legends too.

Not only do I not like you, I don’t like you personally!

Carrie Fisher on her relationship with Paul Simon:

We once had a fight (on our honeymoon) where I said: “Not only do I not like you, I don’t like you personally!” We tried to keep the argument going after that but we were laughing too hard.

Paul is on the unfortunate list (with Woody Allen) of artists whose work I love but who are not very lovable. I like them, but I don’t like them personally.

On my list of good artists who are actually good people too? Alan Alda. David Byrne. Gene Wilder.

Dick Cavett Interviews Dick Cavett

Brilliant impression by Rick Moranis who in a close-up looks nothing like Dick, but it doesn't matter. See also Charlie Rose Talks With Charlie Rose.

Charlie Rose Talks With Charlie Rose

My Boss, Erik Spiekermann

For my family and friends who still struggle to understand the esoteric world of typography in which I live, you might get a step closer after watching these two short videos featuring FontShop’s founder: Erik Spiekermann. The first is from a ’80s-era BBC programme (no, Erik doesn’t sport the bow tie anymore) and the second is a clip from 2007’s hit documentary “Helvetica”. Besides being an award-winning graphic and type designer in his own right, Erik is an entertaining spokesperson for the field. He travels constantly, practicing design but also speaking to students and professionals around the world.

A disclaimer on the title: though I often endearingly refer to him as “my boss”, Erik hasn’t been a part of day-to-day operations at FontShop for years. Still, he continues to play an active roll in advising the company he founded. I feel honored to work with people I truly respect and admire. Here we are a couple weeks ago with other FontShop leaders at a meeting in Dwell’s San Francisco office:

Update: The FontShop blog editors, taken in May 2008:

Alan Alda is a birder

Brian Eno and Will Wright

Will Wright — creator of my favorite computer game, SimCity — and Brian Eno — collaborator with my favorite artist, David Byrne — talk about randomness and rule-based generation in the worlds of music and gaming. Either of these artists would be interesting on their own. Together, they are magical.

The site that hosts this video, FORA.tv, is everything YouTube is not: intelligent, elegant, informative, with quality, downloadable video rather than low-res web-locked crap.

Byrne on New Music Packaging

Now that I have a record player and I'm reminded of the huge canvases LP sleeves provided in the “good old days” I sometimes dawn my old codger cap and bemoan the digital music revolution. But David Byrne isn't worried:

Lots of people will miss these olde objects of veneration — even CDs will be missed. The photos and the lyrics, the liner notes, the credits, shout outs and thanks can be perused in a comfy chair while the music plays — you don’t have to be at your computer screen to savor the graphics and text.

But downloads could offer so much more. They could be an opportunity to expand the experience rather than a whittling away of the music/image connection. For less than the price of printing those sleeves and CD booklets you could get slideshows, photos, videos, bios, credits, lyrics, merch…. some of this stuff could play on your MP3 player along with the music, the rest could be on your computer to view or print out. You could get way more than could ever fit on a dinky little CD booklet. The LP sleeve was a package, a square billboard advertising the record. Now it is possible to connect this material to the music, but it is no longer packaging in the physical sense. It is liberated, in a way.

Update, Sept. 2006: The new iTunes 7.0 revives the album art.

Alphonso D’Abruzzo

If you’ve seen even one episode of M.A.S.H. you probably have some level of fondness for Alan Alda. Well, I’m pretty fond of him. And it grows every time I see him in something new. Scientific American Frontiers, The Aviator, and now The West Wing (one of only three running TV shows worth watching). Me and everyone else who thinks Jimmy Smits’ Santos is stiff and yucky are rooting for Vinnick to win the White House. Yes, I know a Republican Pres. is unlikely, but Alda’s character is much more intriguing and would breathe new life into a show that’s been dragging in recent years.

As much as I like to see him on screen, interviews with Alda are even better. He’s very bright and a great story teller and he presents insights and commentary that make his interviews more than just actor Q&As, but conversations with a genuinely thoughtful, engaging person.

Hear him with Terry Gross and watch the (very lengthy) interview for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Unlike Terry, the ATASF interviewer must be some kind of intern because he’s nervous and uninformed, but Alda is fascinating anyway. In the last few minutes he describes his wife:

“She’s much smarter than me. Whenever we’re at a big dinner table, no matter who’s at the table, I find her to be the most interesting person there. I hear her say things that I’ve never heard before. I find myself saying the same things over and over again but I never hear her say the same thing twice.”

Now that’s a lady to shoot for.

It’s rare to discover the guy who played your favorite sitcom personality turns out to be as great as his character.

Same goes for David Byrne, but you already know how I feel about him.

Update: Continuing on his book tour, Alan eats rice krispies treats with the slightly obnoxious Josh Kornbluth. Here he talks about what I’ve always considered the most underrated of human traits: active listening.

I'm getting better at listening. Not really listening is not really being there. When I didn't listen as well as I do now I deprived myself of an enormous amount of pleasure. Because when I listen to you, more of you comes out, and then I get the real you. And then the real me comes out. And then we get something that's way more fun between us than just exchanging information.