Summer Reading

Just Tell Me That You Want Me

I have to say, I am excited for this! In case we are just now meeting, I love -- LOVE -- Fleetwood Mac. Every time I listen to them, I think, Why do other bands even try? Luckily for me, another thing I love is indie music, whatever that means. So here is the meeting of both of those worlds. Not surprisingly, many indie rock bands have drawn inspiration from the flawless Mac (especially Best Coast), so this makes sense. Just Tell Me That You Want Me: Tribute To Fleetwood Mac comes out August 14th. The tracklisting and "Think About Me" by the New Pornographers below:

01 Lee Ranaldo Band Featuring J Mascis – “Albatross”
02 Antony – “Landslide”
03 Trixie Whitley – “Before The Beginning”
04 Billy Gibbons & Co. – “Oh Well”
05 Best Coast – “Rhiannon”
06 The New Pornographers – “Think About Me”
07 Marianne Faithfull – “Angel”
08 Lykke Li – “Silver Springs”
09 Karen Elson – “Gold Dust Woman”
10 Matt Sweeney And Bonnie “Prince” Billy – “Storms”
11 Washed Out – “Straight Back”
12 Tame Impala – “That’s All For Everyone”
13 Craig Wedren with St. Vincent – “Sisters Of The Moon”
14 The Kills – “Dreams”
15 Gardens & Villa – “Gypsy”
16 The Crystal Ark – “Tusk”
17 MGMT – “Future Games”

source

Happy Father's Day!

Earlie Hudnall Jr. (b. 1946), The Guardian, 1990

Boerum Hill, the Peyton to DC's Eli.

Can the Washington Post stop acting like Buffalo Exchange is some sort of vintage clothing haven and not a Goodwill for label whores? 
I could barely make it past the first paragraph in this article that starts off with the great news that "on Saturday, June 16th, Washington joins the ranks of Williamsburg and Boerum Hill."
Thank God we're FINALLY on the level of Boerum Hill. What's the impetus for this recent promotion, you ask? Well, it turns out "our fashion savants, honored for their perpetual worship of the bowler hat, will be rewarded handsomely with a style sanctorian cemented on 14th Street." Glad to know that my ritual sacrifices to the Bowler Hat God haven't gone ignored. Yep, that's right: DC will soon be gifted with "the thrift mecca, the fabled Buffalo Exchange." I remember all of Aesop's stories about shitty resale stores. Wasn't "The Tortoise and the Hare" about a race to the nearest Buffalo Exchange?
According to the Washington Post, this acquisition "means the end of an era, one where vintage addicts took seasonal Megabus trips to Brooklyn in search of Union Hardward roller skates."
 Okay, no. No 'vintage addict' would consider Buffalo Exchange a destination. Don't get me wrong, it's the perfect place if you're looking for a Marc by Marc Jacobs dress from 6 years ago and want to pay about 20% less than retail price for it. But if you go there looking for vintage clothing, you're on the fast track to disappointment. Not to mention that even if they did sell vintage clothes, a "vintage addict" could save themselves a Megabus trip and just go to Secondi or Annie Cream Cheese. And yo, what are Union Hardward roller skates and why would you not look for them on ebay?


Call me when DC gets an LF.

Where's the Sartorialist when you need him?

in the midst of sterile millions

Marry the person who introduces you to Frank O'Hara's poetry. No exceptions.

Am I to become profligate as if I were a blonde? Or religious
as if I were French?

Each time my heart is broken it makes me feel more adventurous
(and how the same names keep recurring on that interminable
list!), but one of these days there'll be nothing left with
which to venture forth.

Why should I share you? Why don't you get rid of someone else
for a change?

I am the least difficult of men. All I want is boundless love.

Even trees understand me! Good heavens, I lie under them, too,
don't I? I'm just like a pile of leaves.

However, I have never clogged myself with the praises of
pastoral life, nor with nostalgia for an innocent past of
perverted acts in pastures. No. One need never leave the
confines of New York to get all the greenery one wishes--I can't
even enjoy a blade of grass unless i know there's a subway
handy, or a record store or some other sign that people do not
totally regret life. It is more important to affirm the
least sincere; the clouds get enough attention as it is and
even they continue to pass. Do they know what they're missing?
Uh huh.

My eyes are vague blue, like the sky, and change all the time;
they are indiscriminate but fleeting, entirely specific and
disloyal, so that no one trusts me. I am always looking away.
Or again at something after it has given me up. It makes me
restless and that makes me unhappy, but I cannot keep them
still. If only i had grey, green, black, brown, yellow eyes; I
would stay at home and do something. It's not that I'm
curious. On the contrary, I am bored but it's my duty to be
attentive, I am needed by things as the sky must be above the
earth. And lately, so great has their anxiety become, I can
spare myself little sleep.

Now there is only one man I like to kiss when he is unshaven.
Heterosexuality! you are inexorably approaching. (How best
discourage her?)

St. Serapion, I wrap myself in the robes of your whiteness
which is like midnight in Dostoevsky. How I am to become a
legend, my dear? I've tried love, but that holds you in the
bosom of another and I'm always springing forth from it like
the lotus--the ecstasy of always bursting forth! (but one must
not be distracted by it!) or like a hyacinth, "to keep the
filth of life away," yes, even in the heart, where the filth is
pumped in and slanders and pollutes and determines. I will my
will, though I may become famous for a mysterious vacancy in
that department, that greenhouse.

Destroy yourself, if you don't know!

It is easy to be beautiful; it is difficult to appear so. I
admire you, beloved, for the trap you've set. It's like a
final chapter no one reads because the plot is over.

"Fanny Brown is run away--scampered off with a Cornet of Horse;
I do love that little Minx, & hope She may be happy, tho' She
has vexed me by this exploit a little too.--Poor silly
Cecchina! or F:B: as we used to call her.--I wish She had a
good Whipping and 10,000 pounds."--Mrs. Thrale

I've got to get out of here. I choose a piece of shawl and my
dirtiest suntans. I'll be back, I'll re-emerge, defeated, from
the valley; you don't want me to go where you go, so I go where
you don't want me to. It's only afternoon, there's a lot
ahead. There won't be any mail downstairs. Turning, I spit in
the lock and the knob turns. 

Joan Didion: The Efficient Traveler

Speaking of traveling and packing well, here is some inspiration for preparing for your summer travels! 

Things I Refuse to Pay For

My spending habits probably look bizarre from the outside. There are a lot of frivolous things that I have no qualms about dropping cash on-magazines, good cheese, stationery, anything sold in a museum gift shop, books I already own [so I can loan them out or give them as gifts]. But there are some things that I just can't bring myself to spend money on.


1. Bottled Water
Bottled water is a manufactured need and the most ridiculous thing in the world. I've preached to so many people about how the evils of bottled water that Brita and Nalgene should be paying me commission at this point. We're lucky enough to live in a country with an abundance of potable water, and yet people think its beneath them to drink it unless it comes in a fancy bottle. Setting aside the environmental effects, it's outrageous to pay for something that is so easily obtained for free. 


2. Checking Baggage
Baggage fees are such a racket and they're an easy way for airlines to profit off of people who don't understand how to pack. I can appreciate the convenience of checking a bag and not having to worry about liquid limits or getting your nail file confiscated by the TSA, but is it really worth an extra $35? Not for me. I'd rather condense all of my belongings into a carry-on suitcase and purse than cough up the cash to check a bag. It helps that I don't often take trips long enough to necessitate a lot of luggage. Every once in a while I get lucky and can charm the guy at the check-in counter into letting me check my carry-on for free, but it's not worth it to have to wait around at baggage claim. The less time spent in the airport, the better.


3. Parking in a garage
This is part of my inevitable transformation into George Costanza. Like him, I consider paying for parking practically against my religion. I'll happily drive around for 20 minutes to find a spot on the street rather than pay to park in a garage that costs $2.50 for every 12 minutes. Walking an extra ten blocks is a small price to pay to not feel like i'm getting ripped off.


4. Snacks at the Movies
This one is actually really easy. I've yet to be convinced that a giant tub of buttered popcorn and a 48 ounce Coke make for a better movie-watching experience. It seems like it's more or less a rule that movie theater food has to be totally unpalatable. I will never, ever be hungry enough to eat a hot dog that's been rolling around in a glass case under fluorescent lights for hours, and i'll sure as hell never be crazy enough to pay $6 for one.


5. Manicures/Pedicures
I really wonder about the first person who thought it would make sense to pay an Asian woman $30 to put $4 nail polish on for them. I'm sure that it's a very relaxing experience and I know that the end result is great, but it just seems so frivolous to me. Especially since it's something people do on a weekly basis! I can't imagine spending over $100 a month on something I already do for free. 

My Favorite Things, DC Edition

I will be reunited with my favorite city in a few short days, and so what better time for a list of my favorite things about DC?

1. Robert Griffin III
I doubt anyone would disagree that RG3 is the best thing to happen to the Redskins in a very long time. Yes, they gave up a lot to draft him, but seeing as how they haven't had a decent quarterback since the Reagan administration, a few draft picks was a small price to pay. Hell, I'm down with any decision that results in Rex Grossman not being my QB for another season. I mean, really, how much can we be expected to endure? Being constantly disappointed is part of the territory that comes with being a DC sports fan, but we're way overdue for a win. 

2. Smithsonian Museums

The plethora of museums in DC is one of the things that makes me love it more than any other city. I never realized how spoiled I was living in such close proximity to so many incredible, free museums until I moved away for school. I've been to all of them at least a couple of times, usually on school field trips or with out-of-town guests, but I really regret not taking full advantage and going more often. Now I make it a point to visit a few every time I'm home.  I get inspired all over again every time I see the Hans Hoffman paintings at the Hirshhorn or the Thomas Edison exhibit at the Museum of American History. There's a museum on the Mall for pretty much any subject you'd be interested in.

3.Eastern Market

Weekends at Eastern Market are unbeatable. It's an open-air market where you can buy fresh flowers, organic produce, and one-of-a-kind arts and crafts. I've acquired the most unique jewelry and gorgeous vintage clothing there. The vendors sell really beautiful handmade pieces as well as antiques and collectibles. It's a great way to support local businesses and there's something there for everyone, so there's pretty much no way you can leave empty handed. Plus, flea markets appeal to my Arab side that lives to haggle. 

4. Jumbo Slice

The only thing better than pizza? Nothing. Except maybe a slice of pizza that's bigger than your head and dripping with cheese and grease. In case you can't tell from the photo, these slices are massive. Adams Morgan is littered with places that sell huge slices of pizza, but the two most well-know are Jumbo Slice and Pizza Mart. The best thing about these slices is that they're exactly the right amount of pizza to make you not want to eat pizza again for a long time.

5.People Who Know How to Walk

You wouldn't believe how many people in LA don't understand simple pedestrian etiquette and the tacit rules that come with walking in a city. I hate to think of how many years of my life i've spent behind slow walkers and people who park their asses in the middle of the escalator. There are some pedestrian behaviors that I'll never understand-people who think that the middle of a sidewalk is an appropriate place for a 'stop and chat', groups of five or six who walk in a line at an absurdly slow pace and leave no room for anyone to get around them, people who insist on waiting for the light to turn before crossing a deserted street. I know that DC is constantly hosting tourists who don't understand these courtesies, but the locals are all expert pedestrians, so it evens out.