Vooza Blog / Weblog (words, photos, music, NYC, etc.)

Vooza on hold

2008-05-05T15:16:00.002-05:00

Alright, I'm busy blogging comedy stuff over at Sandpaper Suit so this site is officially "on hold."

100 best soul records

2008-01-13T23:34:00.001-05:00

MOJO's list of 100 Soul albums everyone should own.

Trees on river in Rome (blurry)

2007-12-21T11:22:00.001-05:00

My photos at Nokia N-series website photography introduction

2007-12-21T11:20:00.000-05:00

Message received on Flickr: "Hi, i saw your profile on the nokia n-series website photography introduction and i liked what i saw :]" Didn't even realize I was there!

Its the miles, not the time

2007-12-04T15:10:00.001-05:00

Sea of hammers
Needles and nails
Drive the point home
Wounded yet defiant, the empire never ended
Breastfed in funeral homes
Flooded by silk
I had it all wrong
but at least i told the truth
MORNING NOON AND NIGHT
picking at the scab
skimming on the waves
And the biggest ones you never see coming
Fuck the waves, it's the undertow
BLACK DIAMOND
Fire seeds
It sounded like september and felt like a castle
Fair's got nothing to do with it
Its the miles, not the time
Its the miles, not the time
Its the miles, not the time

Pettitt transfers

2007-11-17T23:31:00.000-05:00

D J Pettitt uses transfers from her inkjet as an integral part of her art, layering the semi translucency of the deli sandwich paper with other printed type, textures, ephemera and found objects.

St. Peter's, light streaming in

2007-11-17T23:01:00.001-05:00

White Williams

2007-11-16T15:53:00.000-05:00

Cool tracks: White Williams.

Absinthe

2007-11-13T13:48:00.000-05:00

Absinthe is hot.

Now absinthe has been widely restored. The European Union gradually jettisoned a hodgepodge of bans and widened absinthe’s availability. And this year two brands of absinthe made according to traditional recipes have been legally imported to the United States.

Below are the top rated Absinthes at Alandia. I sense a theme party coming on.

1. Maison ALANDIA - Definitely the finest Absinthe. Distilled and bottled with an historical dedication.

2. Absinthe Suisse La Bleue - Tradition and quality at its best, smooth and balanced taste.

3. Moulin Vert - Traditional French Absinthe with a complex taste, natural green color nice louche and stimulation.

4. Strong68 - The best Absinthe effect.

All-time 100 best novels

2007-10-30T10:21:00.000-05:00

All-time 100 best novels according to Time Magazine. I've read 19 of them (7 for school): Beloved, The Catcher in the Rye, A Clockwork Orange, The Corrections, Deliverance, The Grapes of Wrath, The Great Gatsby, Invisible Man, Lolita, The Lord of the Rings, The Moviegoer, 1984, On the Road, Pale Fire, Portnoy's Complaint, The Sun Also Rises, Tropic of Cancer, White Noise, and White Teeth.

Scarry changes to Best Word Book Ever

2007-10-02T09:50:00.001-05:00

Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever, 1963 vs 1991 editions (with revisions).

The 1963 edition is my own, bought for me in the late 60's when I was a toddler, and read to tatters. The 1991 edition belongs to my kids today. I was so familar with the older one that I immediately started noticing a few differences, and so have catalogued 14 of the more interesting differences here in this collection.

Example: Father is inserted into the kitchen...

Roadsigns I saw in Nova Scotia

2007-09-20T17:18:00.000-05:00

Marshy Hope.
Yield Center Lane to Opposing Traffic.
Bridges Freeze Before Roads.
Angus McQuarry Drive.
McLobster.

Rope

2007-09-19T13:10:00.001-05:00

R.I.P. Brian Gerard Lyons (1965-2007)

2007-09-04T17:13:00.000-05:00

My brother-in-law, Brian Lyons, died on Monday in a motorcycle accident. He leaves behind my sister, Tamara, and their 8-month old son, Asher Francis.

We were all hanging out this weekend in Maryland. Here's a picture of Brian playing with Asher inside an inflatable moonbounce on Sunday night:

The next day my sister and I said goodbye to him around noon when she took me to the bus station. That was the last time she saw him alive. He went out riding with a buddy of his. After they parted ways, he lost control of his motorcycle going around a turn in Fort Meade. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

I'm back down in Maryland now. Tamara is holding up surprisingly well so far. I think the reality of it will take a while to settle in. It all feels like a bad dream. We had a great time this weekend and Brian was so full of life that it just doesn't seem like he could actually be gone.

I remember thinking over the weekend how lucky Tamara was to have found him. He was a great guy who packed a hell of a lot of living into his years. Really smart, kinda kooky, a great chef, a collector of lion paraphernalia, a bizarre dresser, a fireworks connoisseur, equally knowledgeable about punk rock, motorcycles, and computer programming, and a great husband and father. Really sucks that he's gone.

His company's blog is filled today (Sept 4) with tributes to Brian. Here's one of my faves:

Although our world is quite dark right now, somewhere out there shines the newest, brightest light... with the sharpest, shiniest suit, and the best shoes ever. And I mean EVER. No star could possibly compete. Why would they even try?...He taught me the meaning of persistence tempered with patience, and that the only real way to eat crow, and other things bitter, was with a fine glass of red wine and good friends. He taught me intellegence is quiet, but clothes should be loud, and that true power lies in the heart, not the mouth. He taught me that hard work garners respect, but not love, and if you don't take time to find that then nothing else you do will ever really matter... he said it, and he meant it. Every week or so I got great photos - Brian and Tamara showing Asher so many things in a few short months - the Big Apple, Key West, the ocean and yes, even LAS VEGAS! In the last photo, Asher was on booth duty at the AGILE conference, wearing a Number Six blinker — a chip off the old block — and Brian was sure Asher was the reason for all the traffic in our booth! I think he even got a few cards. Brian recounted so many times how he met Tamara and how it was an instant connection - the longest date in history and how they never ran out of things to talk about — a first for him, he told me. I take comfort in knowing that Brian, at the relatively young age of 42, knew what life was really all about, that he earned respect and love from all those who knew him and worked with him — but more importantly I take comfort in the fact that he loved — above all else — Tamara and Asher Francis... and living life to the fullest... everyday. Full tilt. We could all learn a lot walking a mile in his shoes. And of course, look so good doing it! Hi Ho, Silver, Away, Brian. We will always miss you.

Taking it to the streets

2007-09-03T18:49:00.001-05:00

Houdini images

2007-08-27T10:08:00.001-05:00

Harry Houdini posters and photos.

The Bergmans on NPR

2007-08-27T09:41:00.000-05:00

Sweet story with married songwriting couple on NPR: Alan and Marilyn Bergman Keep the Music Playing

The Second Sex

2007-08-26T15:50:00.000-05:00

Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex (1949).

Old time fonts

2007-08-23T10:48:00.000-05:00

Metafilter answers: "What typefaces were most common for European leaflets and handbills in 1790-1915?"

Stumbled over this art

2007-08-23T10:46:00.000-05:00

JS ADAMS artwork is neat.

Dance our dance and sing our song

2007-08-21T09:52:00.000-05:00

My sister came across this email sent to both of us by my Mom. It was sent after she had a stroke and exactly one year before her death.

Resembling a mask with a tragic grin, my mouth opened wide and I struggled to say slowly, "I died, I died." Then my mouth relaxed, "And you were there," I said, looking at Ronnie. Ronnie was the bridge that brought me back from my mini stroke. His gentle facial caress and soft words pulled me forward. I returned naturally, Happy to be alive. I returned more in touch with my feelings. I have been disconnected from some of my feelings since childhood, so this mini stroke has given me a blessing. So do not be afraid for me, this is the way I choose to interpret the happiness I feel today.

If the family now, unites together we can recover our losses. We have to still dance our dance and sing our song.

Love, Mother

The Unknown Sailor

2007-08-20T13:27:00.001-05:00

Fishermen

2007-08-16T12:46:00.001-05:00

White Point, Nova Scotia

2007-08-15T09:33:00.001-05:00

Nova Scotia photos

2007-08-15T09:31:00.001-05:00

Photos from my trip to Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.