All posts by Carl V. Anderson

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Bone of my bone…

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From www.batwrangler.com courtesy of Neil Gaiman’s Journal comes the latest in jewelry innovations for the couple who has everything: biojewelry. The gist of this is that couples donate bone cells, preferable wisdom teeth, which this group will seed onto a scaffold. The hope is that these cells will grow and then the “finished bone tissue will be taken to a studio at the Royal College of Art to be used in the design of a pair of rings. Following consultation with the couple, the bone will be combined with traditional precious metals so that each has a ring made with the tissue of their partner.”

Could anything be more precious……honey, can I borrow your femur?

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Free at last

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“Free at last, free at last…thank God Almighty [she’s] free at last.”

Martha went home today. No more prison food. No more communal showers. No more chain gangs. She’s out. Today Martha begins her house arrest period. I have to admit that the thought of being forced to stay home for days sounds like a reward to me!

I’ve always thought that the whole Martha Stewart thing was a fiasco. I’m not advocating lying in court or insider trading, however it seems ridiculous that she went to prison. How is it even a punishment, really? She made millions of dollars while being able to take a break from life. Sure, the conditions weren’t what she was used to but come on, this wasn’t San Quentin! She is also going to make millions more off this experience. I actually find that quite funny. I like Martha Stewart. I’ve read her magazine and watched her show and I find them highly entertaining. She’s creative and challenges others to be creative as well. What’s wrong with that? The fact that she’s a little rough around the edges actually makes the whole experience more enjoyable.

Welcome back to freedom, Martha! I’m looking forward to your prison recipes cookbook!

Music

Anna Nalick

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I haven’t done any spotlights on music so I thought I’d start with an up and coming artist. Anna Nalick is getting ready to burst onto the music scene with her debut album Wreck of the Day which hits stores April 19th. I was listening to the radio last week and heard this song that I really enjoyed. The song was mostly piano and vocals and I’m generally drawn to that style of music. It turns out the song was Breathe and is Anna’s first single to get radio airplay.

On the surface Anna Nalick could easily be written off as just another in the long line of young, attractive female performers who currently litter the music landscape. What impresses me about her is that she she writes her own music and lyrics. She’s not just a pretty face cranked out by a corporation looking to make a quick buck. She credits Tori Amos and Fiona Apple as influences and she has a voice and musical style that not only calls them to mind but also artists like Sarah McLachlan and Charlotte Martin.

You can check out her website here and listen to the full version of Breathe. Her bio is an enjoyable read which chronicles her attraction to music at an early age and the almost unbelievable way in which her musical dreams became reality. You can also go to this site to listen to full versions of Citadel and Wreck of the Day in addition to Breathe. Wreck of the Day is a good, melancholy tune.

I’m looking forward to the release of this album and will be interested to see how her career progresses.

Comics

Its Comic Book Day!!!

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Every Wednesday a magical thing happens….fanboys the world over gather at their local comic books shops to celebrate their favorite day of the week, New Comic Day!!! There’s something so fun about being a comic book reader. Each week you go into a store surrounded by people with similar interests and shoot the breeze about comics, movies, computer games…all the typical geek stuff. Each week brings with it the potential for discovering new artists and new stories. Its great! I’m into the more independent and small press stuff but there are great mainstream comics as well. The cool thing about having a local comic book store is that you develop a relationship with the people who work there and they keep their eyes out for new things you might like.

Jeff Smith is my local comic shop guru. I look forward to going in on Wednesdays to talk to him as much, if not more, than I look forward to getting new comics. He has introduced me to some amazing books over the years and always keeps an eye out for things he thinks I would enjoy. Jeff is also my own personal Netflix right now…I currently have his Season Two set of Buffy the Vampire Slayer! Thank you, Jeff.

Comics will always carry a stigma but if you’re not reading them you’re missing out on an amazing experience. My friend Scott introduced me to comics as an adult on my second solo trip to New York City. He sat me down with Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns and Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman and I was hooked. Discovering Sandman led me to discovering the novels of Neil Gaiman and thus my obsession with his writing was born. Thank you, Scott.

I think the most amazing thing about comics is that there is truly something for everyone. There are all ages comics like Akiko and Amelia Rules. There are gothic comics like Gloom Cookie and the Courtney Crumrin series. True Story Swear to God is the actual tale of how Tom Beland met, courted, and married his lovely wife-a great one for the romantic in all of us (another thank you to Jeff Smith for recommending this awesome book). There are comics like The Sandman and Hellboy that have rich layers of history and mythology. There is the award-winning Maus: A Survivor’s Tale which tells a poignant story of the Holocaust using animals in place of humans. One of my current favorites is Fables. From the James Jean covers to the amazing interior art and writing, Fables is one amazing series.

I highly encourage you to take the leap, explore your inner child, and open yourself up to the world of comics. You can start with your local library. They carry many of the latest comics in graphic novel format. Then check out your local comic shop. You’ll meet some amazing people and maybe discover the passion that so many of us feel for this great medium.

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Blue once more.

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Its 3 and 1/2 hours until the beginning of the end. 12 seasons of NYPD Blue will come to an end with tonight’s episode. I’m not prepared for this to end. I wasn’t prepared when I wrote about this as my inaugural blog post back in January, nor am I prepared now.

NYPD Blue was our show. Mary and I looked forward to Tuesday nights with great anticipation and were always annoyed when there was a rerun or an “interrruption in regularly scheduled programming”. This was the show that we had to ourselves. Scheduled time each week to cuddle together on the couch and be entertained.

NYPD Blue was also my watercooler show. Up until last July my office was right next to Pat’s and first thing Wednesday morning we would meet to talk about the previous night’s episode. Being on the third floor has made this a little more difficult but we’ve managed to make sure to save some time during the work week to catch up on Blue.

In my opinion there has been no character in the history of television who has grown and changed so much as has the character of Andy Sipowicz. Dennis Franz and the writers crafted a character with rough edges and real problems and infused that character with a life and a passion that made you love him for who he was, and root for him each and every week. You wanted to see Sipowicz grow and succeed and find love and be happy. I’m so thankful that I jumped on board with this show fairly early on and have been able to enjoy it week after week with family and friends. Goodbye Andy Sipowicz…you will be missed.