This new Japanese restaurant in New York's East Village looks amazing. Called Shirokuro, which means white-black in Japanese, the entire restaurant--including the wood floor planks, the bricks on the wall, and the traditional Japanese decor--is rendered in black lines on white ground, as though it is a page in a sketchbook...or an A-ha video! I bet it is a bit disorienting being there, perceiving the 3D world as though it is 2D!
Their website says:
"At Shirokuro, we didn’t just want to create a traditional Japanese omakase restaurant. Our vision was to offer something unique: a place where art and food intersect in a living, breathing sketchbook. Inspired by the precision and emotion of hand-drawn artwork, we chose not to use wallpaper or printed graphics, but instead hand-drew every single line."
If you are in or planning to be in New York City, drop by and slyly hum "Take on me..." while enjoying your agedashi tofu.
Today is Harvey Milk Day, an international day of remembrance and celebration of the life of political pioneer and gay rights activist Harvey Milk (May 22, 1930 – November 27, 1978), organized by The Harvey Milk Foundation.
Harvey Milk, who was known informally as "The Mayor of Castro Street," was the first openly gay candidate elected to political office in California, and the first openly gay man elected to public office in the United States, winning a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. His presence, life, and tragic assassination at the hands of a homophobic murderer (an event that triggered the White Night Riots) changed the texture, pulse, and meaning of life for gay men and women everywhere. Cleve Jones, a friend of Milk's and intern for Milk at the time of his assassination, put it succinctly: "His murder and the response to it made permanent and unquestionable the full participation of gay and lesbian people in the political process." The progress we have made and the continued success of gay rights was certainly helped by Milk and his courage. Anne Kronenberg, his final campaign manager, wrote of him: "What set Harvey apart from you or me was that he was a visionary. He imagined a righteous world inside his head and then he set about to create it for real, for all of us."
I am hypnotized by the visuals for this song, "I Hate To Love You" by Swedish duo Vintage Voltage. Created by an artist who goes by the name Myst Cult, it has signs of both AI mixed with some old-fashioned (!) digital art.
There is a spate of great new music out suddenly! Here is a new track from Nation of Language, previously here. I love their sound which harkens back to 80s synth bands like Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark and Depeche Mode.
I am so pleased that Chris Barnes of Gem Club has released a new song, "Garlands" and it is as beautiful and moving as all his other pieces. His IG hints of more to come...I can't wait.
This year's theme for the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia is "THE POWER OF COMMUNITIES." The official website states:
Developed through consultations with LGBTQIA+ organisations worldwide, the IDAHOBIT 2025 theme “the power of communities” was announced during the ILGA World Conference 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa.
IDAHOBIT, observed annually on 17 May, commemorates the 1990 decision by the World Health Organization to remove homosexuality from its International Classification of Diseases. Since then, the day has served as a focal point for raising awareness of the violence and discrimination still faced by LGBTQIA+ people across the globe.
“The power of communities” reflects the diversity and richness within LGBTQIA+ communities, from the grass roots to the global, celebrating our varied and intersecting backgrounds, identities, and experiences. The theme for 2025 highlights the strength and resilience that emerges from our collective solidarity, recognising the contributions of human rights defenders, LGBTQIA+ civil society groups, allies, and millions of people in our communities who support human rights and collective liberation.
IDAHOBIT is not a centralised campaign; rather, it is a shared moment for communities and allies driving change around the world to take action in ways that resonate with their specific contexts and reflect their realities and priorities. Every initiative—big or small—counts and can make an impact, amplifying the movement’s reach and contributing to a world free from discrimination and violence.
Please visit the website for more uplifting and empowering information including ways to Mark The Moment. https://may17.org/
I love the soaring, expansive music of M83, the outfit headed by Anthony Gonzalez, so I am excited to see that he has released a new album of music. "A Necessary Escape" is the soundtrack to the documentary film "Dakar Chronicles" about the Dakar Rally, an off-road race through inhospitable terrain, directed by French director/actor Jalil Lespert set for a June 19, 2025 release.
I have quite a soft spot for Sam Fender and his always meaningful, touching lyrics (see previously here). This song, "Little Bit Closer" from his most recent release "People Watching" sends a strong message of understanding and support to the LGBT community. Fender has issued statements of support in the past: in July of 2020, he signed an open letter to the UK Minister for Women and Equalities, Liz Truss, calling for a ban on all forms of LGBT conversion therapy. Fender's lyrics here speak to being gay and the shame, rejection, and often-times violence--not only physical but psychological as well--coming from the church and its followers.
He touches on the idea that we are all connected to something larger than us, something that makes the human experience what it is, something that is immutable. But how does one reconcile that feeling of being in awe of the universe and what it contains with a man-made religion that diminutizes that experience while telling you that you are wrong, sinful, possessed by a demon, not worthy of living. Fender questions the source of that rejection, siding with those oppressed by religion, while allowing for those oppressed to reclaim their connection to the beauty of the universe without the aid of religion. Indeed, no religion or any human claiming to represent that religion has any authority to tell anyone they are not worthy of life.
The video stars the amazing young actor Owen Cooper who found fame starring in the recent Netflix limited series "Adolescence" which is an incredible creation, not only for Cooper's stunning, out-of-nowhere mastery of acting skills (that prove difficult even for some adults) but for the jaw dropping one-take method the production used for each episode. If you have yet to see it, I highly, highly, highly recommend it.
They break you in like a wild foal
Target the dole queue broken souls
I don't disagree with everything they do
I was a child in the peak of a panic attack
The proverbial straw that broke the camel's back
Was the wailin' sound of my cousin slain in spirit
Well
Come on, lift your head
Get out your frozen state
You're starting to look like Ötzi now
Come on, wake the dead
Show me you walk on water
And I get a little bit closer to it
Oh, I have friends who were cast aside
A young, meek lad with a curious mind
Just terrified of what the church would have to say
No, I don't know if I believe in Him
But when the rapture comes, if this is a sin
I'll burn with everybody that I know
Yeah
I was lost in their
Sermons and lies at God camp
Tryin' to pray the gay away
Something was shook in me
A birth of a new foundation
That gets me a little bit closer to it
I can't live under the notion
That there's no reason at all
For all this beauty in motion
I don't buy the deities spoke of
But in love, there's something to hold
And I get a little bit closer to it
What is God?
What is God?
What is God?
I never found Him, I never found Him
I can't live under the notion
That there's no reason at all
For all this beauty in motion
I don't buy the deities spoke of
But in love, there's something to hold
And I get a little bit closer to it
I get a little bit closer, I get a little bit closer
I get a little bit closer, I get a little bit closer
I get a little bit closer, I get a little bit closer
I get a little bit closer, I get a little bit closer to it
For her series Symbiotic, ceramic sculptor Nadia Stieglitz looked to the world of trees and fungi to create the wonderful, meandering, incised lines on her creations. She describes it in her artist statement for the series:
"I have been recently fascinated by the research of various scientists on the impacts of climate change on forests and the reliance of these ecosystems on the unseen work of fungus to adapt to it. My most recent work takes inspiration from mycorrhizal fungi – critical members of the plant microbiome that form a symbiosis with the roots of most plants on Earth. In my series 'Symbiotic,' the Sgraffito patterns etched onto the surface of mushroom-like shapes recall these complex networks that feed and support the functions of larger organisms. In their dormancy, these works remind the viewer that, despite appearances, there is always growth and circulation--life, ultimately, in stillness."
A student once asked the renowned anthropologist Margaret Mead what she considered the first sign of civilization in a culture.
The student expected an answer about tools—fishhooks, clay pots, grinding stones. But Mead didn’t mention artifacts. She mentioned a bone.
The first sign of civilization, she said, is a healed femur.
In the wild, if an animal breaks its leg, it dies. It can’t run from predators, can’t search for food or water. A broken leg is a death sentence. No animal survives long enough for the bone to mend.
But a healed femur tells a different story.
It tells us that someone stopped. Someone noticed. Someone stayed with the injured. Someone bound up the wound, carried the person to safety, brought them food and water, and protected them through the long, painful process of healing.
A healed bone is more than biology. It’s evidence of care. Of compassion. Of community.
It’s easy to measure progress in tools, technologies, and towers. But true civilization begins when we choose to care for someone who can offer us nothing in return.
In that quiet act of empathy—of tending to the wounded, of staying by someone’s side through pain—we find the roots of humanity.
Civilization didn’t begin with invention. It began with compassion.
It began when someone said, “Your pain is my concern too.”
So maybe the question isn’t how advanced we are.
Maybe the real question is: How well do we care for each other when it matters most?
Haute and Freddy--the sparkling duo of Michelle Buzz and Lance Ship, (previously here)--have released a new lyric video for another of their songs, the charming "Shy Girl."
Shy shy shy shy girl
When you gonna run the whole wide world
I do recall there was madness in your eyes
Let it come out tonight
Let it come out tonight
And your sister and her boyfriend they can go and roll their eyes about it
And your mother and her friends can go to tea and write a book about it
‘Cause it’s staring you in the eyes every night
You wanna kiss it all goodbye and just live your life
Shy shy shy shy girl
When you gonna run the whole wide world
I do recall there was madness in your eyes
Let it come out tonight
Let it come out tonight
Well the way you walk the way you talk they never have to understand it
Ooo you change your hair and change your clothes and everybody starts to panic
But it’s staring you in the eyes every night
You wanna kiss it all goodbye and just live your life
Shy shy shy shy girl
When you gonna run the whole wide world
I do recall there was madness in your eyes
Let it come out tonight
Let it come out tonight
Now it's time for you to meet ML Buch, an amazing Danish musician with beautiful airy vocals who uses electronics to play off her hypnotizing guitar work which sounds a lot like the open tuned, seven string technique Joni Mitchell invented for herself. Here are highlights from her album "Suntub" released in 2023.
Wow, this one took me by surprise...and has shaken me. I have seen video of Lucius (the duo of Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig) singing on stage with the all-star cast for Joni Mitchell's recent concerts known as "Joni Jams" but had not really encountered them on their own. Until this emotional song, "Final Days" from their self-titled album out just yesterday. The lyrics are quite raw and penetrating... they tell a story I have lived a few times now and can feel every word they sing.
I hope I didn’t let you down
‘Cause it’s too late to make a change
You’ve lived a hundred lives before me
So self-involved to think that I could hold that weight
Like a mother to them all,
With your arms stretched open wide
I hope you hear that heaven’s call
I hope they’re letting you inside
You look good like I remember
With all that sunshine on your face
I let you sit there without talking,
You let me sit there in your shade
You let me dream about the future
and all the plans we had to make
I hope I’m wrong about the after
and these are not your final days
Could’ve said I’m frightened but I couldn’t, I didn’t have the heart
Are you scared of dying? I couldn’t, I didn’t have the heart
So I said it’s waiting, your own true paradise
didn’t have the heart so I lied just to not see you cry
Yeah I didn’t, I didn’t have the heart
The world will go on spinning
Another day another scene
and I’ll be left with just a memory
and yesterday will be a dream
I’ll be looking out there for you
where all they see is empty sky
The space you left reminds me
that we don’t have to say goodbye
Could’ve said I’m frightened but I couldn’t, I didn’t have the heart
Are you scared of dying? I couldn’t, I didn’t have the heart
So I said it’s waiting, your own true paradise
didn’t have the heart, I didn’t have the heart
So I said it’s waiting, your own true paradise
didn’t have the heart so I lied just to not see you cry
Yeah I didn’t, I didn’t have the heart
Ah, what lovely, dreamy sounds..."Spring" from Irish musician Maria Sommerville can be found on "Luster," her brand new release on the legendary 4AD label (home of Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, and This Mortal Coil among other incredible artists).
She is on tour this spring/summer and, for us locals, will be in San Francisco on May 23!
Celebrated the first Thursday of every May, today is the National Day Of Reason. It is more important now than ever to promote reason and truth; we (our country, our government, and Democracy itself) barely survived the last administration which has returned to destroy the fabric of our lives. There is a large segment of the citizenry who don't care about facts or reality or obvious consequences such as spreading a deadly pandemic. We need Reason, Logic, and Action, not thoughts and prayers.
The National Day of Reason was created by the American Humanist Association and the Washington Area Secular Humanists in 2003. In addition to serving as a holiday for constitutionalists and secularists, the National Day of Reason was created in response to the perceived unconstitutionality of the National Day of Prayer.
The National Day Of Reason site says:
NOW, MORE THAN EVER, AMERICA NEEDS A DAY OF REASON.
With the religious right’s influence in Congress, and with the threat to our judiciary looming large, there has never been as important a moment in which to affirm our commitment to the constitutional separation of religion and government, and to celebrate reason as the guiding principle of our secular democracy.
During the past year we have witnessed the intrusion of religious ideology into all spheres of our government, with such assaults on the wall separating church and state as:
Faith-based initiatives in federal agencies that give preferential treatment to religious organizations which proselytize and employ discriminatory hiring practices;
Restrictions on important scientific research on the basis of religious objections;
Attempts to introduce biblical creationism and its alter-ego “Intelligent Design” into our public school science curricula;
The appointment of judges who willingly place their religious beliefs above our laws;
Battles over the display of the Ten Commandments and other overtly religious icons in schools and on courthouses;
Religiously motivated restrictions on access to reproductive services and information.
As in previous years, this year’s National Day of Reason occurs in close proximity with the congressionally mandated and federally supported National Day of Prayer. We thank all who value the separation of religion and government & join us in commemorating this year’s Day of Reason, and in building awareness for this important cause.
This Northern Hemisphere festival is a traditional spring holiday. May Day is an ancient observation related to Floralia (which was a festival for Flora the Roman goddess of flowers), the Celtic festival of Beltane, and the Germanic festival of Walpurgis Night. Rites and celebrations include the raising of and dancing around a Maypole, the crowning of a May Queen, gifts of May baskets (little baskets of candy and spring flowers), festive picnics, and bonfires (in certain counties in Ireland). It is a day to celebrate spring and the fastly approaching summer. Flowers, sunshine, and sweet treats for all!
In honor of National Poetry Month, I have shared exquisite poems by talented poets each Wednesday. For our last poem for this 2025 National Poetry Month, I present a beautiful poem from the incredible Mary Oliver. She died in 2019 leaving behind a stunning catalog of work and this poem, "What is there beyond knowing" is a deceptively simple meditation on the human perspective of being alive in a big, sometimes unfathomable world.
What is there beyond knowing
by Mary Oliver
What is there beyond knowing that keeps
calling to me? I can't
turn in any direction
but it's there. I don't mean
the leaves' grip and shine or even the thrush's
silk song, but the far-off
fires, for example,
of the stars, heaven's slowly turning
theater of light, or the wind
playful with its breath;
or time that's always rushing forward,
or standing still
in the same—what shall I say—
moment.
What I know
I could put into a pack
as if it were bread and cheese, and carry it
on one shoulder,
important and honorable, but so small!
While everything else continues, unexplained
and unexplainable. How wonderful it is
to follow a thought quietly
to its logical end.
I have done this a few times.
But mostly I just stand in the dark field,
in the middle of the world, breathing
in and out. Life so far doesn't have any other name
but breath and light, wind and rain.
If there's a temple, I haven't found it yet.
I simply go on drifting, in the heaven of the grass and the weeds.
To observe National Poetry Month, once a week I am featuring lyrics of rock n' roll or pop songs that also double as exquisite poetry.
Duncan Sheik made a splash when he first appeared in 1996 with a debut album that featured a marvelous song called "Barely Breathing." Since then, he has released nine albums and created the music and lyrics for Broadway musicals including the multi-Tony-award winning "Spring Awakening." As a lyricist, he has always presented compelling stories and this song, "Star-Field On Red Lines" from his 2006 album "White Limousine" is quite evocative, and can work for multiple periods of American history like the Cold War in the 1950s, perhaps Vietnam in the 60's and 70's, and maybe even Bush the First's Gulf War in the 90s.
Star-Field On Red Lines
by Duncan Sheik
Playground
Home-land
A countryside to save
Blue skies
Air-space
Soldiers to raise
And sacrifice
Strong armed
Christians
Oiled up and fed
Safe as
Houses
In aprons of lead
And sanctified
Omens and Signs
A star-field
On red lines
Turn those blind eyes
To fantasies
And white lies
How much
Longer
This empire of night
The smallest
Subjects
All begin to fight
And multiply
Omens and Signs
A star-field
On red lines
Turn those blind eyes
To fantasies
And white lies
Omens and Signs
A star-field
On red lines
Turn those blind eyes
To fantasies
And white lies
"Oh, By The Way" is my digital scrap book of things I like, things I would share with a close friend and say: “Oh, by the way, do you know of this artist/ clothing or interior designer/ model/ singer/ actor/ gorgeous man… or, have you seen this video/ photo/ film... or heard (or do you remember) this song/ band... or, read this book/ poem/ inspiring quote... or, visited this place/ museum/ restaurant/ famous building... or, have you heard of this amazing new scientific discovery?”
I am dedicated to posting the positive, the fascinating, the beautiful, the interesting, the moving, and the inspiring and uplifting. Sometimes I post cultural as well as personal observations, milestones, and remembrances. And just like life, all of these things may often have a bit of melancholy or even sadness in them, which is what makes our time here so lovely and bittersweet and precious.
Some of the photos, art, poetry, and prose are my own original work, credited with my initials, JEF. When it isn't, I always try to post links to the original source material, but often I find photos on the web that are not linked or other material that is not sourced. In these instances, I post them without malice since it is assumed that such things, by being globally posted on something as uncontrollable as the internet to begin with, are in the public domain. If you identify the source of an image that is not linked, please politely let me know (without accusing me of theft) and I will be happy to provide a link. If you are the owner of an image and would prefer it be removed, I am happy to do that as well.
I hope to inspire and entertain my readers with things that inspire and entertain me. There is a startling amount of beauty and creativity in the world and it enriches us all to participate in it.
All-time Favorite Films
2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick)
After Hours (Hysterical, hair-raising ride through NYC at night)
Amelie
American Beauty (Alan Ball)
Baraka (Stunning, transcending—the "spiritus mundi" on film)
Belle et Bete (Cocteau)
Big Sleep, The (The epitome of film noir)
Bringing Up Baby (Hepburn & Grant—the epitome of screwball comedy)
Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover, The (Greenaway)
Crash (Cronenberg—DIFFICULT subject, not for everyone)
Don’t Look Now (Nicolas Roeg—ultimate modern gothic horror)
Drowning By Numbers (Greenaway)
Easy Rider
Edward II (Derek Jarman)
Erendira (From magic realist Marquez’ brilliant short story)
Eyes Wide Shut (Kubrick's last film)
Fearless (Jeff Bridges—life and death)
Funny Bones (Leslie Caron, Jerry Lewis, and the brilliant Lee Evans)
Holiday (Hepburn & Grant)
Howard’s End (The ultimate statement of the unfairness of class systems)
Hunger, The
Ice Storm, The
Inland Empire (David Lynch)
Interiors (Woody Allen's ode to Bergman)
Jetée, La (French short that inspired Gilliam's "12 Monkeys")
Jules et Jim (Truffaut)
Juliet of the Spirits (My favorite Fellini)
Kwaidan (4 Japanese ghost stories)
L’Age d’Or (Bunuel)
Last Temptation of Christ, The (Jesus was a shaman)
Latcho Drom (Beautiful visual documentary of Romany culture around the world)
Lion in Winter, The (Hepburn!—Like “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” but circa 1183)
Living End, The
Logan's Run
Lost Highway (David Lynch)
Magnolia
Maurice (Boy gets boy, they live happily ever after!!!!!)
Men Don’t Leave (Jessica Lange’s gorgeous delicate performance)
Nights of Cabiria, The (Fellini)
Orlando (Tilda Swinton’s pristine performance and Sally Potter’s ravishing visuals)
Orphée (HEAVEN! Cocteau was a genius)
Pennies From Heaven (Steve Martin/ stunning Edward Hopper sets!)
Philadelphia Story, The (Hepburn)
Pillow Book, The (Greenaway)
Planet of the Apes (1968...NOT 2001!)
Postman Always Rings Twice, The (Nicholson/Lange--WOW)
Prospero’s Books (Greenaway)
Rebel Without a Cause ("I got the bullets!")
Satyricon (Fellini)
Shining, The (Kubrick)
Thin Red Line, The (Terrence Malick--existential poetry cleverly disguised as a war film)
Titus (Julie Taymor does Shakespeare)
Tommy (Brilliant, audacious Ken Russell film of The Who's rock opera)
Tree Of Life, The (Terrence Malick masterpiece)
Un Chien Andalou (Bunuel and Dali, need more be said?)
Wall,The (Pink Floyd)
Wings of Desire (All the feelings of the entire human race in one film)
Woman of the Year (Dated yet charming Hepburn vehicle)
Zabriskie Point (Empty, open, classic early 70s)
ZOO, A Zed and Two Noughts (Greenaway)
The Sounds My Soul Makes: Music
Annie Lennox
Brian Eno
Cocteau Twins
David Bowie
David Sylvian
Dead Can Dance
Durutti Column
Elbow
Everything But the Girl
Gang of Four
Gem Club
Goldfrapp
Joni Mitchell
José González
Junip
Kate Bush
Laurie Anderson
M83
Morrissey
Nine Inch Nails
Peter Gabriel
Peter Murphy
Rickie Lee Jones
Sigur Ros
Simple Minds
Smiths, The
Sufjan Stevens
Talk Talk
Tears For Fears
This Mortal Coil
Tori Amos
Ultravox
William Orbit
Zero 7
Important Books That Have Influenced Me
100 Years of Solitude—Gabriel Garcia Marquez
A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Doorway (for young people but worth it)—Madeleine L’Engle
