For The Love of Food

Anthony Bourdain is a straight shooter. His first book Kitchen Confidential recounted his downtown adventures and missteps as a cook in pre-Giuliani New York. In his sophomore book, Medium Raw (hitting shelves tomorrow), Bourdain doesn't shy away from the honesty and attitude that has made him a culinary rock star. When a man can eat poop shoot and live to tell the tale while seated in a lovely trattoria alongside Mario Batali, you know he can do no wrong. He's even dined with Bill Murray - and we all know how difficult Mr. Murry can be. They're like two peas in a sarcastic, curmudgeony pod. So go get Bourdain's new book, and maybe next time when you're out to eat you'll take a leap of faith and finally realize what you've been missing.

"I've long believed that good food, good eating, is all about risk. Whether we're talking about unpasteurized Stilton, raw oysters or working for organized crime 'associates,' food, for me, has always been an adventure." - Anthony Bourdain

Hello, I'm Johnny Cash.

Today is Johnny Cash's birthday. He would have been 78 years old. In celebration of his music and the man himself, Flavorwire compiled a list of "78 Things You Didn't Know About Johnny Cash." The results are pretty amazing, but my favorite was witnessing The Man In Black impersonate The King. Long live rock 'n roll!

Cat Man

Only The Good Die Young

If I’ve learned anything from watching Six Feet Under, it’s that death happens all the time. As we go about our day we don’t often think about how easily it can all end, but somehow when a celebrity passes away we’re surprised. They’re just people right? But there are some people that you just can’t forget. Is it their deaths make them legendary? Maybe it’s their DNA? Or were they simply destined to become icons? There are countless musicians who have left us, not because of self destructive behavior, but rather due to circumstance. Three that come to mind are Buddy Holly, Patsy Cline and Marc Bolan. All extraordinary musicians, and unique characters so why is it that they all died so young, and under such tragic circumstances?

Buddy Holly was just 22 years old when he died in the infamous plane crash that also claimed the lives of musicians Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson. The event was later referred to as “The Day the Music Died” in the classic Don McClean song “American Pie”. Holly wasn’t afraid of flying, quite the opposite - he wanted to get his pilot’s license. Life really does play mean tricks on you.

Then there’s the incomparable Patsy Cline, who died at 30. By the time of her death, Cline had already survived two car crashes in her lifetime, one of which was near fatal. It seems as though Cline had a feeling her time was almost up as she reportedly told Jordanaire back up singer Ray Walker as she exited the Grand Ole Opry just a week before her death: "Honey, I've had two bad ones (accidents). The third one will either be a charm or it'll kill me."

Glam rock king Marc Bolan, lead singer of T. Rex, died just two weeks before his 30th birthday. Bolan never learned to drive because he was scared of getting into an accident, so as irony would have it he died in one. As a huge fan of T. Rex I always found it extremely eerie that so many of their songs either involve cars, or at least mention them. I guess sometimes your greatest fears become realities.

Even though their careers were short lived, it's safe to say that each of them has made a lasting impression on the fabric of popular music. From the roots of rock 'n roll, to classic country, and 50s inspired cosmic glam, their ghosts live on in song.

All Hail The Queen

From a chocolate factory to a winery, Lucille Ball took viewers on thousands of adventures throughout the course of her hit show I Love Lucy. The legendary redhead's comedic chops are still unmatched to this day. We've seen some pretty amazing female comediennes grace the stage since Ball, (Gilda Radner, Tina Fey, Janeane Garofalo, Lily Tomlin, and Margaret Cho come to mind) but Lucille's style and attitude are wholly unique. She was doing bits in 1951 that still resonate to this day. You can't help but laugh when you watch Lucy do her thing. This year I'm dressing up like Lucille for Halloween and I can't wait to try out my Vitameatavegamin routine!

Eternal Beauty

Remember when actors and actresses grew old with poise and grace? Before the influx of plastic surgery Hollywood's thespians would age in the public eye - whether they liked it or not. Now it seems that even older celebrities are pulling and pinning their way to youth. That's not to say that people haven't been toying with plastic surgery for centuries. In actuality plastic surgery operations were performed by the Egyptians and Romans, but for the purposes of this post I'm focusing on more recent operations. Both Natalie Wood and Marilyn Monroe, were rumored to have gone under the knife, and even the gorgeous Elizabeth Taylor is said to have had a nose job in her 20s after MGM studios deemed her nose "too thick". So how is it possible that women as breathtaking as Elizabeth, Marilyn, and Natalie thought they needed improvements? Humanity's obsession with beauty is innate. Everywhere we turn we're reminded that beauty is just a step away. Just one tweak, one improvement, and it's ours. Let's hope our desires haven't blinded us from the truth, that even if we can't see our own beauty, someone out there surely will.

Riding On The Coattails Of A Legend

As I begin my foray into the world of advertising, it's encouraging to see that although many advertisements pander to our most basic of desires, some still hope to tap into deeper emotions. Ads that spin lasting narratives in just a few frames are few and far between, and because of their rarity they truly stand out. Knowing how to sell a product in an honest way, without succumbing to dirty tricks, is a real art form. It should be like listening to a friend tell a story - something relaxed, that can often pull on your heartstrings. That's not exploitation, that's just good storytelling. The following ode to James Dean is a great example of an ad that I would be proud to produce. We'll just have to wait and see what kind of magic SVA squeezes out of me... brain don't fail me now!

Via Jezebel

The Video Vault: Tribute

Michael Jackson has been on countless magazine covers, news stories, and television specials since his untimely death, but funny thing is, I'm not complaining. The weekend after he died, I was out and about with friends, and every restaurant, bar, and boutique was blasting his music. I became possessed by his famous bass lines and beats, and all I could think about was dancing. That's one of the many reasons why Jackson's presence is everlasting, and his influence unwavering - the man could dance like nobody else. His most memorable performance was so early on in his solo career, that many members of my generation often overlook it, but his appearance on the 1983 television special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever introduced the world to 'the gloved one' and his moonwalk. Unlike earlier work like 1979's uplifting 'Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough,' this performance was dark, edgy and undeniably sexy. He was channeling early Elvis with his pelvis thrusts and tap footwork, but it was his moonwalk (at around the four minute mark) that really revved up the crowd. So crank it up and let Michael start your weekend right!