Duncan Jones
Sony Pictures Classics
(2009)
***

Juxtaposed against the epic CGI battles and grandiose creation mythologies of Star Trek, Moon is a lean underdog of a sci-fi flick, sparing all the visual gimmickry for the suspense and drama of a psychological thriller. Moon tells its story with a minimalist palette, and the futurist projections of a energy refinery on the moon seem plausible and imminent. →

While Kobe was gearing up for the championship parade, LeBron James has been keeping busy since taking an “early vacation” with the Cav’s elimination from the postseason.  Yesterday the regular season MVP visited President Barrack Obama at the White House where he and a group of close friends were given a tour of the West Wing before attending the U.S. premier of his new movie, More Than A Game. →

Image courtesy of Val’sPhotos, licensed under Creative Commons

Great news!  Community supported agriculture (CSA) just started their program this Thursday at Holy Nativity Episcopal Church located at 6700 West 83rd Street Westchester, CA 90045 (at Dunbarton.)  They will be setting up from  5pm to 8:30pm near the front entrance of the church.  Please let us know if you would like to order a bag of organic produce. Cost is $25 and you get about 15 lbs of goodies.  →

Deep down inside I’m an architecture buff who knows absolutely nothing about architecture. Despite my lack of knowledge I still try to absorb as much as I can, especially when it comes to modern architecture and that’s why I’m so excited for this to be released!
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Recently, the Red Bull team took a work-trip down to the Mentawais where South African sensation, Jordy Smith, landed the holy grail of free-surfing moves: the rodeo (AKA rodeo clown).  It’s an insanely tough move on a surfboard, especially when the consequences are a sharp coral reef two feet below the surface.  The 21 year-old ’88 baby is currently ranked 6th on the ASP Tour.  Apparently, it’s not the first time he’s landed it, either. →

J-Dilla
Rapster Records
(2009)
***

Upon his death, J-Dilla left an undisclosed amount of  beats, sound experimentations and remixes that to this day await final release. The late producer’s output is rivaled only by the post-humous material left behind by that other late hip-hop legend Makaveli. During his lifetime, Dilla was the underrated beatmaker behind seminal nineties acts →

Image of Kim Chi Museum, licensed under Creative Commons

Hmmm…..I don’t like their kimchi; it’s way too strong, and excuse me, but could I get some more lettuce for my beef? It seems only a few years ago when Asian food for most Americans consisted strictly of General Tso’s and California rolls, with the more recent addition of Pad Thai and spring rolls on the side, but there’s a new player on the street. When Scott and Legler reference it on Sportscenter and Sheen asks MJ if he wants to get some Korean BBQ on a primetime commercial, you know the secret is out. →

La Chasse aux Papillons, L'Artisan Parfumeur

Mossy, sappy aromas floating around a Panamanian forest;  The scent of expiring lemons and blood oranges not fit to sell, wafting through a hot Sicilian alleyway at night; An earthy, pungent cocktail of sandalwood-champa incense and heavy body odor permeating the outdoor markets of a chaotic Indian village. Our olfactory memory isn’t necessarily pleasant, but it’s always evocative. And every so often, when this sense crosses paths with a daydream, it can activate the wanderlust in our bones — that desire that makes us want to roam around, and travel to distant places, even if only through the senses and the imagination. →

Gillian Laub for The New York Times

In Georgia’s Montgomery County, segregated proms have existed since schools integrated black and white students in 1971. Since then, the long-standing divisions between students have slowly faded, with blacks and whites befriending and dating each other, although a tad bit more cautiously than kids in more diverse cities may do. →

With all the trash that comes through Hollywood these days, it’s refreshing to see an increasing number of films produced by artists rather than suits.  Titles like Sugar and Moon are finally starting to gain a more mainstream stage where they can hopefully catalyze a higher demand for box office quality.  Precious is a film that is this and more.  ”From the heart” does not even begin to describe this visceral film. →