Pumpkinville

Every fall, as the leaves change colors, my favorite way to gear up for Halloween involves carving pumpkins. What better place to find them than in Pumpkinville? Western New York's most orange-tastic attraction.

 Pumpkin flavored, naturally.

Cider Press. 

30 years ago.

Songs (YouTube):

The Great Pumpkin Waltz - Vince Guaraldi

1979 - Smashing Pumpkins

Getting a Bit Graphic...

With graphic novels, that is!

Recently, my friend Tony Breed, who writes a wonderful webcomic called Finn & Charlie are Hitched, was on a hunt for the best books in the graphic novel genre. Here's my personal Top 3.

Maus by Art Spiegelman. Mr. Spiegelman interviews his father about his experience during the Holocaust. It's written in two volumes, A Survivor's Tale, & My Father Bleeds History.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. Also written in two volumes, The Story of a Childhood, & The Story of a Return, it's Ms. Satrapi's memoir of life in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. It has since been made into a film.

Local by Brian Wood & Ryan Kelly. Local looks into the life of Megan McKeenan, who migrates  across North America, stopping for a year in twelve different cities. She even stops in Wicker Park, Chicago. What's an added bonus, the detail is uncanny, & the scenery is recognizable from city-to-city.

The Flat Iron, in Wicker Park, Chicago.

Songs (on YouTube):

New Yorker Cartoon - Jenny & Johnny

You Could Write A Book - Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin

A Different City - Modest Mouse

All Things Go, All Things Go.

A Playlist for Chicago: My Top 10.

Taste of Chicago.

The Bean. (Cloud Gate.)

Willis Tower.

In the Loop.

Seurat at the Art Institute.

Chicago - Sufjan Stevens


Lake Michigan - Rogue Wave


Twist & Shout - The Beatles (From Ferris Bueller)


The Giant of Illinois - Andrew Bird


Slow Down Chicago - Canasta (Thank you to the fine folks of CHIRP Radio for introducing me to this.)


Chicago - Lucy Wainwright Roche


Chicago Falcon - Budos Band


Chicago - Frank Sinatra


We Both Reached for the Gun - Chicago (The Musical)


Whole Lotta Losin' - Monsters of Folk

I Know New York, I Need New York, I Know I Need Unique New York

A Playlist for New York State: My Top 10.

Lake Ontario, Webster Park Pier.

Lake Ontario, Bay Bridge.

Southern Tier Expressway.

Southern Tier Expressway.

Ellis Island.

Song For Myla Goldberg - The Decemberists

New York, New York - Frank Sinatra

New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down - LCD Soundsystem

Bonus Mashup Video! (via Pitchfork)

Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys

Lost In New York - Emma Tricca (last.fm)

The Only Living Boy In New York - Simon & Garfunkel

The Oldest Established (Permanent Floating Crap Game In New York) - Guys & Dolls

New York, New York - On The Town (YouTube)

New York, New York - Ryan Adams

New York State Of Mind - Billy Joel

Owl Be Back

This weekend I went to the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago, which is a huge festival of artists & vendors selling handmade goods. The whole extravaganza had a fantastic owl theme running. It was a hoot.

 

And now I present to you, without further ado, A Curated Collection of "Who Cooks for You All?"

I loved this cartoon when I was little. "I Love to Singa," featuring Owl Jolsen.

Here is one of my favorite lights from my Lamp Design class at Alfred, 2007.

T-Shirt Design, 2007.

Sketch, 2007.

My Owl Collection. It includes glass, LEDs, 4 watt bulbs, wood, metal, alabaster, plastic, leather, & cloth.

And of course, Owl Songs (All on YouTube):

The Owl & the Tanager - Sufjan Stevens

The Owl Of Love - Clogs

Sensing Owls - José González

Barnowl - Caribou

I Like Birds - Eels