A big book arrived yesterday from Yale University. It was put together in honor of the 50th anniversary of the class of 1964 — MrB’s graduating class. Everyone had the opportunity to write his biography for the book. (It is “his” biography, rather than “his or her,” because Yale didn’t go coed until 1969.) MrB’s…
Arts & Entertainment
10 Years After Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl
The most exciting parts of last night’s Super Bowl for me were Joe Namath’s coin toss and Bruno Mars’s halftime show featuring the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The game interested me less than usual — I wasn’t even sure that was possible — and I was underwhelmed by a lot of the ads. Radio Shack’s…
My Best Dressed at the Grammys: Hat-Loving Pharrell Williams
Fashion at the Grammys is so much more interesting than at the acting-oriented awards shows. Personal style is part of the package for musicians. They don’t have to be “pretty” or “appropriate.” They only need to make a statement about themselves — the more distinctive, the better. This means, naturally, that my Best Dressed/Wear What…
For Grammy Night: Six Degrees of Ringo Starr
The Grammys are tonight and Eminem’s “Berzerk” is nominated for Best Rap Performance. I hope rocker Billy Squier has been making mad money from that song, which samples Squier’s 1981 hit, “The Stroke.” Billy deserves it! I have been meaning to write about Billy for years. I didn’t see him perform live in his heyday,…
Skylar Grey’s Necklace and New Song, and My Cher Memories
Gorgeous singer Skylar Grey was interviewed on the music channel Fuse TV last week, and I was thrilled to see she had on the special double-ax necklace I made for her last summer! You can see it in this screen cap. (P.S. Her new chest tattoo says “Woodrat.”) Here’s the whole interview. I’ve written about…
Jewels of the Month: Single Earrings, Cleopatra Style
Now that the red-carpet crowd is catching on to my single-earring obsession, it’s time to officially offer a statement-earring companion to all my single studs. January’s Jewels of the Month are my shoulder-brushing single Cleopatra earrings in silver, or in 18K yellow gold with diamonds. Last August, I suggested wearing one of my 4 1/2″…
At Least I’m Consistent: ’80s Influences and Flower Feet
Yesterday, when I wrote (again!) about my enduring fondness for ’80s-style single earrings, I mentioned that I am sometimes more subtly influenced by my love of ’80s fashion. For instance, I was unexpectedly taken down an ’80s path by the floral-printed Givenchy handbag that hyp-mo-tized me during Thanksgiving window-shopping. This weekend, my gorgeous mother, BarbaraB,…
Celebrate Breaking Bad’s Golden Globes With Heisenberg’s Hat!
I was pleased when Breaking Bad won twice at the Golden Globes last night. The show took the Globe for Best Television Series – Drama, and its star, Bryan Cranston, won Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama, for his performance as chemistry-teacher-turned-meth-kingpin Walter White. (I thought Aaron Paul should have won for supporting…
What Wendy Wore: Music at Sidewalk Cafe
Last night, I went to see gorgeous singer/songwriter Nicole Collins perform at Sidewalk Cafe. When she’s not on stage, Nicole is the director of communications at ProPublica, MrB’s organization. That job apparently attracts musical people! In 2012, I went to see former communications director Mike Webb perform in Brooklyn. Here’s Nicole performing one of her…
Throwback Thursday: Neil Young (and Me) in 1989
After seeing Neil Young perform at Carnegie Hall on Monday, I felt like I vaguely remembered Neil having a quarrel with MTV in the ’80s. I was right! It was in 1988, when Neil released a video for the anti-commercialism song, “This Note’s for You,” which made fun of major advertisers both lyrically and visually. …