Bad Advice

I [Heart] You

I took this a few months ago with my iPhone. Isn't it pretty? I hope everyone has a lovely holiday!

Coney Island Goes Mainstream(er)

Who knew there was a Coney Island American Girl doll?!? I'm not really sure what's going on here, but judging by the combination of the dropped wallet and look of surprise, it looks like she's being robbed. Also, who dresses like that for a day at Coney? Is she Amish on Rumspringa? Part of a Mormon missionary group?

Though the AG doll website doesn't really clear this up, it does provide the option to buy Rebecca (that's the doll's name) a $32 souvenir package, which includes a mini carousel and some postcards, depicting the steeplechase and other sights of yore. Most of the purchasers of the Coney package were disappointed by its shoddy quality, so it was pretty funny to read this obvious schill review stuck in among the bitching rants:

"When I saw this online, I was breathless and it was the longest 7 days until it reached my Becca. The carousel is remarkably detailed with a camel, bunny, and white horse. The canopy is red, white, and blue. It plays "The Loveliest NIght of the Year" - one of the customer service reps actually researched the carousel song "Over the Waves" for us and it is one and the same. Even my dad, hard to please, was entranced and it is displayed with her Sabbath and menorah sets. The seashell souvenir book has to inner pockets to store the postcards and ride ticket in mint condition. The postcards are amazing in detail. My grandmother and mother love them and I haven't placed them in the book yet. The ride ticket is as illustrated in "Rebecca Saves the Day" - Thanks AG for bringing Rebecca to life!"

Oh my. This is obviously written by an adult woman who still lives with her dotty, but doting, parents. I feel bad mocking it further, so I'll just leave it at that.

Everything's Better with Bacon

Wednesday, my new pal Daffy Doormat and I went to check out the Francis Bacon show at the Met. While I've long been a fan, it wasn't until seeing so much of his work up close and personal that I noticed his fixation with teeth. I mean, look at that thing—it's all mouth!

Then there are the popes. Religious men are always freaky, but somehow their mouths make them even scarier, don't you think? Doesn't it look like he's going to bite your head off and then swallow the rest of you whole? Or is that just me?

I'm about as far from being an arty smarty as a person could be, but I know all about teeth. While the mouths were disturbing and a little scary, it also made me feel better to see that someone else was so orally fixated.

Weekend Update, Part 2

Last Thursday I flew down to Richmond, VA to see my friend, superstar Tracey St. Peter's fan-freaking-tastic art opening at the Eric Schindler Gallery.  Wow. If you're anywhere in the area, please stop by and while you're at it, art is a good investment for any extra dough you have laying around. That's Tracey, in front of one of her Wonder Woman paintings. After the jump, several of my faves.

Aging Gracefully

It's one thing when the Rolling Stones tour—nobody expects any dignity from them. However, it's quite another when The Germs do. For one thing, Darby Crash is long dead. For another, punk wasn't supposed to have a long shelf life. Once male-pattern baldness sets in, mohawks are impossible.

Punk photographer turned sculptor Edward Colver seems to share my opinion. Today, the LA Times runs an inspiring story about this under-appreciated talent, where he shares, ""Someone just told me, 'Hey, John Doe and Exene are playing. Are you going to take pictures?' . . . I took pictures of them when they were kids. I don't want to make no old fogey pictures. No offense to them. But, you know what I mean."

Be sure to watch the slideshow because his recent work is really amazing.

Cool image swiped from Will Murai's website.

It's a Miracle!

  I had a minor miracle at my birthday dinner this past April. On the left, an oyster—a delicious Blue Point from Fish; the right, Edvard Munch's "The Scream." I like to think the sea was telling me that while getting older is scary, it can also be delicious. (Or maybe just slimy and briney.)

Check it out!

Tonite (11/30) my super-talented friends Debra and Jannese both have pieces in the "I Heart Coney Island" group show at Artez'n on Atlantic Ave. You should stop by. Say hi. Look at some art. Have a little snack. It'll be fun.

You may not know this . . .

. . . but Frankenstein's mom is an extremely talented painter named Tracey St. Peter. A couple years back Tracey and her husband, Kevin Eleven (that's him!), got fed up with Williamsburg and moved down to Richmond. Having seen their life there compared with their place above the justly-maligned Triple Crown bar, I'm positive they made the right decision. Plus, Frankenstein just wouldn't have been as happy without a yard to roll around in.

Anyway, Tracey recently started a blog about her painting and so much more. It's called The 100 Dresses Project and I highly suggest you check it out.

Prepare to be pink with envy!

One of the many irritating things about living next door to a demo/construction site is lack of privacy. Whereas my neighbors and I used to be able to walk around butt naked with no worries of frightening anyone, now at least I'm eye-level with a large construction crew.

So the other day I went looking for window coverings for my fabulous hot pink kitchen. Until I hit Addie's Etsy store, I figured I'd have to settle for boring old curtains. Instead, I got these amazing Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash (you can see June after the jump) custom-made shades for $70, including shipping! Aren't they cool?

Friendly Fire Sale!

Because I have a lot of talented friends, it seems like almost everyone I know is selling something this week:

Miss Amy is in town with her band, the Jumping Bond Girls at Piano's Monday night. Amy runs the coolest gallery in Phoenix and never comes back to NYC anymore, so this is a don't-miss.

Besides my family, Miss Valerie Frankel has put up with my ass longer than most anyone else, and also happens to be one of my top five personal heroes. This week, not one, but two, books of hers hit the shelves: I Take This Man (for the grown-ups among us) and the third installment of her Fringe Girls series, Fringe Girl in Love (for the tweens in your life). I highly recommend you purchase both immediately.

RKB also has two books hot off the presses, though both of these are adults only—meaning naughty: She's on Top and He's on Top. And, unlike most erotica which can tend towards the cheese-a-riffic in the art department, the covers on these books are almost as hot as the insides.

In case I forgot to mention, the fabbo Michelle Goodman's tome on being your own boss, The Anti 9-to-5 Guide is also available now. I will let you know if it helps me get up the nerve (and the bank account) so I can finally quit my part-time day job.

The crappy picture illustrating this blog entry is the Barnes & Noble window at Astor Place. They had a copy of Single State of the Union (an anthology that includes contributions from Michelle, Rachel and me) in their window. I was so excited I took a picture with my phone.

If you're my pal and I foolishly left you out, please email me and give me shit. In other news, if, like me, you're a Clash fan, the Guardian ran a nice little piece on the band's influence on French music.

UPDATE: The lovely and talented Tricia McLaughlin has an opening at PS 122 on April 7, Reid Paley's having a party on April 13 at the Detective Mike Logan's Cutting Room, for his latest, Approximate Hellhound vs. The Monkey Demon, and Peg Simone's eerily beautiful new disc, The Deeper You Get, is available now.