Total Bizoo

Just coined a new word. Bizoo [ bĭzōō] - an overcrowded place, activity, or group of spaced out individuals.
From "busy", "bizarre" and "zoo".

Cement Garden

I wanted to visit cement garden Las Pozas near Xilitla, Mexico for a long time and finally did. Created by English millionaire Edward James and built by Mexican engineer and architect Plutarcho Gastelun over 20 years period. Reinforced concrete surreal structures scattered around in the jungle, web of stairs leading nowhere, waterfall and lush tropical vegetation forms Alice in Wonderland like magic ambiance. It felt like like I'm lost in someone's dream.

Quote

Technology today is better than you think, but not as good as you would expect.
C.P. & R.A.

Abel's Go Go Tales

I just walked in to the Apple Store Soho other day and it happen that Abel Ferrara was presenting his new movie Go Go Tales and talking about technology. New Yorker to his bones, Abel directed the best films about this city: King of New York and Bad Lieutenant. The Man is real dynamo with the great sense of humor, fun to listen and watch him bouncing on the stage. Even in NY I don't see many characters like him. He even looks a bit out of place these days.
Abel Ferrara working on documentary about Chelsea Hotel, which is about to be transformed to another luxury condo.

CONTROL

Anton Corbijn's movie CONTROL about Ian Curtis career as lead of Joy Division is one of rare cases of passionate filmmaking, when people put out their best to produce work of art. Actors performances real, sets well lived in. It revoked familiar late 70's feel, sometimes I felt like I'm in the movie myself, hanging out in the bar or backstage. Simple black & white cinematography lets story unfold itself without technical or visual trickery. Anton, who is known for superb music photography, probably consciously avoided more stylized look of his music videos. This not a rock movie. This a movie about sensitive troubled soul trapped in the bleak reality.

Metallic Chameleons of New York

My photo show of NYC dumpsters, Metallic Chameleons of New York on view until October 14, 2007 at Museum of Photography in Siauliai (Lithuania).

WERNER HERZOG on HENRY ROLLINS SHOW

Say "Cheeese"

Recently I took my friend's Arunas family portrait. I fired camera with flash unexpected and got sour look instead of proper smiling faces. I like them this way. I always told: Be aware of super nice people who hide real self behind the ever present grin of Cheshire Cat.
"Too much courtesy is proof of a false education", Antoni Gaudi said once.

Bacalhau La Torre de l'Espanyol

Bacalhau with tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, and saffron rice.
Recipe I came up while I was cooking for my friends in Catalonia.
Inspired by available local ingredients.
Amount of ingredients depends on number of servings.
Soak Bacalhou ( salted cod ) for 48 hours in cold water. Change water every 8 hours.
Slightly pan fry thick eggplant slices in olive oil, then rub them with fresh garlic.
Put cod in a pot with the hot water for a couple minutes. This will take another part of remaining salt and will lightly precook fish.
Layer baking or roasting pan ( cast iron or ceramic will do the best ) with slices of fresh zucchini, fried eggplant, and fresh tomato. Zucchini on the bottom, tomato on the top.
Put serving size pieces of fish on the top. Bake it 350 F temperature for about 20 minutes, until fish is cooked.
Serve it on saffron rice. As sauce use red bell pepper minced in food processor with a little olive oil and fresh parsley olive oil ( just blend herbs and oil in food processor ). I was using black olive tapenade too, but while it adds flavor it clashes with saltines of fish. No matter how long you will soak Bacalhau, it will be salty. Be sure do not use extra salt while cooking,

100 Most Endangered Sites

The sad fact that monuments of human culture are lost at accelerating pace. Natural disasters, wars, neglect, mindless land development, urbanization and plain human ignorance and stupidity forms unstoppable wiping force. World Monument Watch released 100 Most Endangered Sites list of better known iconic places and objects, but what about millions of others. I doubt if anything can be done to stop destruction process. This is just "Vox clamantis in deserto".

15 books that left lasting impression

1. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

2. Hopscotch by Julio Cortazar

3. The Magus by John Fowles

4. The Story of My Life by Giacomo Casanova

5. Gargantua and Pantagruel by Francois Rabelais

6. On the Road by Jack Kerouac

7. Slaughterhouse-Five & Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut

8. Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges
9. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
10. Trail of Feathers: In Search of the Birdmen of Peru by Tahir Shah

11. Fairy Tales by H.C. Andersen

12. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

13. The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen by Rudolf Erich Raspe
14. The Manuscript Found in Saragossa by Jan Potocki
15. The Moor's Last Sigh by Salman Rushdie

10 movies that left lasting impression

1. Apocalypse Now (1979). Dir. Francis Ford Coppola

2. Blade Runner (1982). Dir. Ridley Scott

3. Blow Up (1966). Dir. Michelangelo Antonioni

4. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998). Dir. Terry Gilliam

5. Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (1972). Dir. Werner Herzog

6. Fitzcarraldo (1982). Dir. Werner Herzog

7. Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma (1975). Dir. Pier Paolo Pasolini

8. Diva (1981). Dir. Jean-Jacques Beineix

9. The Sheltering Sky (1990). Dir. Bernardo Bertolucci

10. Easy Rider (1969). Dir. Dennis Hopper

Liberated goods

Something eternal in the eyes and actions of individuals caught in irrational behavior of crowd, when goods are freely available and waiting to be liberated.

God Is Not Great

Yesterday I stumbled on book signing event at Barnes & Noble, God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens. Author takes on insanity of religion and faith in this, the 21st century. Haven't heard person who doesn't afraid to say what he thinks and makes sense for long time. Christopher Hitchens writes on number subjects and topics. He is master of word, his writing has great flow and life. Very prolific author, I need to take a look to his other stuff.

Tea with Gilbert & George

I walked in to Lehmann Maupin Gallery in Chelsea last Saturday and was pleasantly surprised. Two fine English gentlemen, Gilbert & George were hosting tea party and signing books. Event was very low key and had pleasant feel. Exclusive British tea was served in beautiful white china cups and poured from shiny silver teapots. Plenty tasty Scones with Jams and Marmalade. I was impressed how humble and well mannered Gilbert & George are. Very fine gentlemen, indeed.

End of Coney Island as we know it

I'm not very big fan of Coney Island's old and rusty rides, dive bars, junk food and dirty beach, but place has its own flavor. Neighborhood been in a constant state of flux, ups and downs. City and real estate developers has some nice plans for the area, to turn it into fashionable and civilized ocean front Condoland. Some lots already fenced up and demolition of what remains of Coney Island as we know it is on the way. New York is a city for the rich. Rich=Boring. I will be heading to Mexico for fun.

Dumpsters of NY

Somewhere between 1993-2000 while walking on NYC streets, if I saw intresting looking garbage dumpster, I took a picture. I ended up with collection of around 200 images of places and streets which looks very different now.
I'm rarely see good looking dumpster lately.

Knife in the Water

Roman Polanski's first feature film Knife in the Water (Noz w Wodzie) is perfect example how with the modest material resources and a good story talented director can create something wonderful. Just three actors, sailboat, lake, perfectly composed black & white cinematography and cool jazz soundtrack on the top forms timeless piece of art cinema. Story set in 1962 Poland, but same archetipical characters can be easily found in any Western society today. Probably even more now than then.

Kurt Vonnegut 1922-2007

Last Sunday I was looking for something to read on my long train ride to Brighton Beach. For no reason picked Kurt Vonnegut's Wampeters, Foma & Granfalloons. Last time I read his book, was may be 16 years ago. I went half through the book over the weekend, stopping at the part about Madame Blavatsky and her Theosophical Society. Kurt Vonnegut liked and respected spiritualism. Little I new that distinguished author cracked his coconut around the same time. Homeless soul must be drifting around New York City. I feel honored that it visited my place not long before leaving spaceship Earth.
So it goes.

Ballad of a Soldier

One of the best Russian films, true classic. Main character Aliosha personifies better side of Russian Soul: kindheartedness, selflessness and nobility. This is a story about universality of humanity during most horrible time - war. Story about youthful innocence and first love crushed by cruel twists of history.

Getaway car

American cars from 80's were big low quality clunkers, but still had more character and look than today's look alike blobs. Less and less them on the roads. I'm starting to miss these sofas on wheels. I remember, my friend and I hit cemetery wall with one like this. We stepped out of wreck like nothing happen.
Another piece of America(ana) gone.

Sawtooth Catalan bread

Food should look good in order to taste good. This sawtooth shaped Catalan bread from small bakery in Ascó village is perfect example. It has maximum crust, breaks and stuffs easy. Just perfect.

Chinatown of NYC

One of a few places with character left in New York is Chinatown. Actually there are three chinese neighborhoods in New York. The main one in Downtown Manhattan around Canal street, more touristy and hectic, but has the best Asian food in town. Flushing in Queens and Brooklyn Chinatown are a bit cheaper, but restaurants not always as good due lack of competition and less demanding customers. Either one Chinatown is a place to shop for Asian groceries and vegetables. You can see live crabs, frogs and turtles for sale. More exotic species are in dried goods stores. Most products so strange, only Chinese know what to do with them. Every time when I'm in Chinatown is great I feel like l lost in some kind of movie set or different country.