Little People.

Diane Arbus is new to me in the sense that I never really looked at her photography. Truthfully, the most I knew about her pertains to the movie Fur, based on her life.

She was known as the freak photographer. Her subjects were transvestites, circus participants, little people,the unconventional, etc. Freaks only by society standards, of course. Many thought her work was "artistically dangerous" and sometimes squeamish.

She committed suicide in her mid 40s and a newly released book explores Arbus and her many complexities- Her subject choices, depression and ultimate suicide.

I was really at awe when I visited her website. Remarkable black and white photos. The kind of photographs that take you a few minutes to process. Subjects that are typically shunned by society or never given a place in the spotlight share a small moment.

Un-Crafty.

If you know me, you know I'm not super crafty. I completely appreciate it, but I'm not coming up with new crafts everyday. I can, however, make you sweet lil' earrings, a killer mix with a handmade cd sleeve and i'll send you a homemade card. That's the extent. I'm cool with that.

But we need coasters. We have a cute vintage coffee table that loves to be stained by everything that is casually placed on it. I want to throw it out my third story window, but he loves it, and I've grown attached to it too.

I'm making coasters y'all! Maybe I'll snap a pic and show you. I have some old rolling stones and vintage books I'm gonna tear up and use as photos. I'll be crafty for the day.

Also, let's hear something new, okay? Baltimore Duo, White Life, just played in Detroit and they are...fun! I like the video more than the tune, but I'm kinda digging this poppy, new wave-y, throwback sound. Plus, I always wanna dance into my kitchen and really appreciate my delicious bowl of cereal.

New song,author, publication, artist. Everyday.

rain rain.

I'm a little disappointed. Hurricane Irene was more like a heavy/windy rainstorm minus the destruction and drama. Not that I wished for damaged cars and flooded streets, but we were definitely duped here in Baltimore. I'm glad I don't have T.V. to confuse me during these times. The radio and internet will do just fine. Plus, most of the coverage I received was through texts from loved ones(thanks guys!).

The hibernation gave me a chance to listen to a lot of new music and re-visit the old. Sometimes it was blues and gospel, other times female country vocalists. I just finished watching Coal Miner's Daughter(The Loretta Lynn Story) so I was feelin' a little county. Man, Sissy Spacek was nearly perfect as Loretta Lynn. I heard she did most of the singing herself which is really impressive. Great biopic. And Levon Helm doesn't do the whole "singers who overact" routine.. It was easy and convincing.

This scene depicts Loretta Lynn's first time performing in public, long before she became famous.

Tropical Storm

That's what Baltimore is getting. A beautiful storm.

I will finish watching No Direction Home, drink a little whiskey and try to grab a few shots of the storm for you guys.

Loving this live version from 1976.

Pink Windows.

I don't like to fly. I'm consumed with some bizarre idea that the wing has a crack that everyone seemed to miss, but I can plainly see it from my window seat.

I also can't hear for days after.

On the way to Detroit,I sat next to this woman that most people would recognize. Not recognizable as in, "I sat next to Claire Danes" but typical, common. She had dusty blonde hair. A short bob with the front few strands deliberately tucked behind her small ears on both sides. She seemed sensible and prepared with her white cardigan neatly thrown across her lap. The weather might be cold that day...

She initially made me feel anxious for some reason. Too neat, too "bland", too stiff. She kept looking over at me. She smiled several times. It put me at ease after the third or fourth time. She seemed to mean it. Like those people who believe," If you smile at someone, the whole world smiles after.." She was that person.

As the plane was ready to take off, she raised her arm, closed her eyes and made the sign of the cross. I watched her for a few minutes. It made me feel safe. If God was on her side, he would probably watch out for me too. I mean, for proximity reasons If anything. I turned on my Ipod to listen to a story about a young man whose memory was erased after taking a malaria medication in India. He awoke, an uncertain amount of time later in an airport without any idea who he was. His name. His location. His girlfriend....gone. Reality was completely unknown.


I kept peeking at her laptop, as if there was nowhere else to look while we were flying. Williams Sonoma. J. Crew. Message from Hadson, just checking in. She smiled at me, not bothered that she obviously caught me peeking at her emails. My ipod kept playing while she shut her computer to watch Glee on the small t.v. set.


I watched her. At this point, I quit being subtle. I basically perched my chin on my hand and closely stared at her. I convinced myself that she liked that someone was paying attention to her. She wasn't all that interesting, but I couldn't stop.

She smiled at the T.V.

I turned my head to the window and watched the plane inch for the runway. My story ended. He was starting all over.

I was home, again.

where my music's playin'..

I've been home for awhile so I've neglected my blog in the last week. I'll be back soon enough.

I miss my home. I miss him.

It's a book thing.

Baltimore, I will give it to you. You have shown me the goods. The goods come in the form of affordable books mixed in with a vinyl lover's dream.

Normal's books and music is Baltimore's finest way to spend an afternoon. Excellent selection of books and classic to rare vinyl. Really, it's a small wish come true for this lady. Even the block it resides on makes me feel...right. Across the street is a quiet afternoon tea shop, a cozy caribbean restaurant and the houses are small, maybe even tiny. small porches..maybe small people? It's all so fairy tale like.

And then,the skater dude from Canton told me about THIS. It's organized. It's overflowing with books about mathematics, u.s. history, poetry, art etc. Turn the corner, more. Books on gardening, religious cults, women's rights, oh my. It's free! Just sign in, write down how many books you took and ..see you next weekend, 9a-6pm.

Click on that link. The backstory on book thing pushed me out the door a little faster.

A couple finds:

My rainy day

I spent my entire Saturday at work. For most this would qualify as an awful day, but I have to say, I kinda enjoyed the quiet time for the last few hours. I'm lucky enough to be able to listen to what I want while working. I settled on the local NPR station and man, I owe them some real support(monetary wise, that is). They got me through the long and rainy day. I always feel more informed, enlightened and oddly calm(even when hearing Michelle Bachman boast about social conservatives). It requires a good deal of attention and listening(which I'm not always good at), so for awhile I'm at ease with my thoughts. Even if it's background noise, I always pick up something that creates a sense of knowing. I accomplished..I listened. It's a small feat, but an uphill battle at times.

As the last hour slowly passed, he saved me. I needed a reaction from the awkward customer in the corner, I was desperate for some reason. I needed acknowledgment for that moment. He laughed, hard. I closed up for the night. It was a good rainy day.

Oops.

I meant to post my red coconut curry recipe that I mentioned the other day :

2 tablespoons red curry paste (I used thai kitchen)
1 package extra firm tofu (i sauteed mine for a while in olive oil to give it more of a cripy texture)
Assorted vegetables( I used 1 cup peas, 1 cup potatoes)
1 onion coarsely chopped
1 sweet or bell pepper (sweet is better)
3 cloves of garlic ( the more the better for me)
1/2 to 3/4 cup veggie broth
1 can coconut milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1-2 heaping tablespoons of basil (if you have sweet thai basil, even better..this is very important!)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of fresh lime
teaspoon of siracha
a little cayenne at the end..

I served this with brown rice and we were in a happy thai place.

P.S. I basically changed up a recipe I found online, so I can't take FULL credit. I did, however, add quite a bit.

Enjoy!

My Thai.

I know it's the second post of the day, but i forgot to mention this earlier.


We've been really disappointed in Baltimore's thai restaurants. We've tried three that I can think of and honestly, it's barely mediocre. We went to a place that was recommended a mile or so from our house. Hipster kid meets traditional thai chef. It was an unusual and sweet pairing, but an unsuccessful one. Cute hand written menus, but that shit wasn't right.

Okay, one place was good. ONE. It cost 15 bucks an entree and It made me yearn for 6 dollar Thai in Ferndale. We took matters into our own hands...

I've always had trouble getting red coconut curry to taste right. It was always lacking that hint of sweetness. I used a simple method : sugar. I just added a teaspoon and a ton of basil and it worked! Also, I never have sweet thai basil on hand, so I used basic dry basil (a heaping tablespoon) and it worked perfect!

We found our own little Thai restaurant.

I'll post the recipe tomorrow.

Get up on the inside.

Image courtesy of metro times


Journalist and blogger, Detroitblogger John, finds the best crop of people in the city of Detroit . The working man, the musician, the janitor, the teacher, etc. and tells their story. No shiny titles, just truth. A real human story. I admire him.

Yea, this guy may have lived his life on self help-y phrases, but the story is really warming. And his hair is fly!

listen to this.

One of my all time favorite public radio programs Is "On The Media". It's produced through WNYC In..NYC. Luckily, every weekend on my way home from work, I get to hear a decent chunk of the program on Baltimore's public station WYPR.

Why am I telling you this? Because this afternoon they discussed something that I've been thinking about a lot lately, the internet and it's toll on humans. I've been spending the majority of my time online the last couple months. For me, It's a real source of entertainment and companionship. It feels weird admitting that, but for now, It's the truth. I have all the shows I love at my fingertips, radio shows I can listen to at any time, job hunting, recipe searching, music downloading, writing and blogging, etc. That's MY experience with the internet and I consider It MOSTLY positive.

But the debate is clear: Is it a positive source of education and entertainment? Are we exposing ourselves to new ideas, gaining intelligence and really connecting or just becoming isolated, inhumane and just plain dumb(er)?

On The Media explores this question on a repeat show that originally aired in February of 2011.

Click on this week's show (August 5, 2011)

What do you think?

Don't you see.

Numero Group released this track on one of their many soul compilations. I totally dig the obscurity surrounding their artists, but I wish I knew just a little more about Shirley Ann Lee

Here's what we do know. Nice to see her connection to Detroit, even if it is Ecorse.

Love this!

Ladies of Soul.

Ooooh, check out the Ruth Brown track. Her man was cringing and crumbling. Take that!

Conga!

As I mentioned to my friend Jenny this morning, two elderly men in the past year have told me about their love for.. Gloria Estefan? I really just thought it was the kind and sweet old man from my former cafe(shout out to Andy!), but no, i was very mistaken. Another Gloria fan encounter today.

Some cuban jazz playing over the speakers:

Him: "This reminds me of that Gloria Estefan from Miami. I love her"

Me: "Was she really from Miami"

Him: "I'm not sure but her group is"

It's the damn miami sound machine. Oh,that rhythm. It gets in your soul.The soul of senior citizens far and wide...well, and this guy.

P.S. I love/hate made up "facts". The elderly have a free and whimsical pass but the rest of us better check before stating where Miss Estefan is from. I say it's Cuba..

Yes, it is.