Happy Bicentennial St. Patrick's Old Cathedral!

Today marks the 200th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone of the cathedral Steph and I attend. St. Patrick's Old Cathedral is the original St. Patty's, and although much more demure in stature than the new cathedral in midtown, it is just as awesome, and a lot less like attending mass at Disney World. Yesterday, the bicentennial mass was celebrated by the new Archbishop and followed by musical performances, vendors, food, and even a parade. I hope next week things get back to normal.

This One's Called... The Day We Almost Shaved The Cat

Hello faithful readers (including Danielle)! Today, we tried to shave the cat. Emphasis on the word tried. The cat does not want to be shaved, cut, brushed, or looked at for that matter. The cat, herein referred to as Indy, had a bad evening. I think ours was worse. Right about now he's lounging in some dark corner trying to address his half scissor cut, half shaved, half untouched pelt. The look of disdain in Indy's eyes at the moment can only be described as complete and utter loathing for anything sharp or human. Steph just asked me if we will ever try this again. I don't know. The cat grooming place down the street charges $80 a pop. Now I know why.

Indy, in all of his malcontent.

GuitarFest at the Sony Wonder Lab

On Sunday, we took a trip into the city to go to GuitarFest at the Sony Wonder Lab. What I thought was a celebration of all things guitar and music including live performances actually turned out to be an introduction to guitars for (little) kids. They were building 'guitars' out of paper towel rolls and Styrofoam for goodness sake! The live performances? Classical guitarists playing in a corner. Oh well.

The Wonder Lab, however, was pretty cool. This place is in the Sony Building and is a celebration off all things technology from Morse to Microsoft. Well, less Microsoft and more Sony, but look who sponsors. The lab is basically a miniature, free, more education oriented version of Disney Quest. Well, I guess it's more of Disney Quest's museum cousin, but it was still pretty interesting.

While in the lab, you are given an access card that tracks all of the activities in which you participate. Steph and I did some picture editing, robot programming, and even designed our own video game race tracks. I also schooled her at Guitar Hero III, but that's not even close to a fair fight. What we'll have to do next time: participate in a television broadcast, animate a cartoon character and use motion capture to make it dance, and perform invasive surgery via remote controlled lasers and video screens. All in a day's work!

Marco, here's a short history of video game platforms for you.

Day at the Met!

Today was a professional development day at work - and that means I have the day off! Steph and I took advantage of the rare weekday alone time and took a late afternoon trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We went a couple of weeks ago with my mother, but there are so many exciting new exhibits we need to see.

First, we went up to the roof to view Roxy Paine's Maelstrom. The piece is actually the largest sculpture ever installed in the rooftop garden and was pretty awesome to experience. The structure is similar to a large tree root system that has been, well, uprooted and placed on the roof. It is pretty neat to wander around through its metallic limbs.

You can see a video of the installation here:




And some pictures:

Afterwards, we headed down to see the Model as a Muse exhibition, which included both fashion photography and articles of haute fashion from the last five decades. The exhibition was really interesting when you have the reference points of Top Model and Project Runway to draw from. Each room of the exhibit was separated by decade with an accompany piece of music that defined the era. Some of the choices were... interesting. In the 60's we were delighted with a French big band number; in the 70's, The Who's My Generation; in the 80's George Michael's Freedom (I Want It Now); and for the 90's, of course, Smells Like Teen Spirit was blasting from the speakers. Kurt Cobain, the anti-star, must be rolling in his grave. The exhibit did ironically end with a glimpse at the 21st century thus far sound tracked by Marilyn Manson's Beautiful People. Someone has a good sense of humor.

Welcome Back!

Hello everyone out there in cyber space! (Well, really just Justin DLC and Marco, for the main part) Sorry, I haven't updated in a while. So much going on lately.

Well, here's the skinny:

My hair was long and now it is short.

School year is coming to an end, and once again I am looking for a job. The city has a hiring freeze on, so I need to look in the private sectors and at charter schools. Fun, fun.

I've been writing and recording a ton of music. You can follow these developments, as well as download free music at my other blog page: anagentofchange.blogspot.com.

I'm trying to get in the habit of writing every day and actually finishing one of these novels I am working on. (Cristina) My biggest problem is that I seem to have trouble focusing my ideas, and as soon as I work on one, I get more inspiration for a different book. I'll work on that.

That's about all for now. New York Summer coming up quickly! That means a thousand free and interesting things to do. I will keep you posted!

For those of you who are fans of mash-ups or remixes, this will get your body moving. This mash-up that Minty Fresh Beats put together single handedly made me give hip-hop another chance. This album combines Radiohead, of course and Jay-Z. It's really really well done. You can download the whole album for free right here.

Did you know?

Hallelujah

Damien Rice playing Leonard Coen...

Eric Wolfson's Obama

A friend of mine at work, Eric Wolfson, recorded this video the other day to accompany his song, "Obama". The melody may be a bit familiar...

Trip to Sony

I took an exciting trip to the Sony BMG Records office today here in New York. A couple of the people I work with know someone who works there, and one thing led to another and I eventually walked out of that building with a handful of dvd and cd promos.

Even cooler than the free stuff had to have been walking through the halls on the 31st floor of that building and knowing who else had walked through that same hallway. As we walked through the hallways balck and white photographs of all the artsits signed to BMG and Sony overt he years flashed out at me. This is truly a legacy. This is a kingdom.

Next time I go, I'm taking my guitar. I'll set up in a conference room and play until I'm signed or kicked out. Just kidding. Mostly.

Looking Good...

Found: Movie Posters in Abandoned Subway Passage

Some months ago, I noticed these posters on the wall of an abandoned subway passage. This is at the Fulton Street station in case you want to see them for yourself.

Boys on the Side Movie Poster and Boys II Men Tour Poster

The War Movie Poster

Outbreak Movie Poster

I was in the fifth grade when most of these posters were stuck to the wall. Outbreak and Boys On the Side both came out in 1995. The War, starring a then fourteen year old Elijah Wood and a spy looking Kevin Costner, came out in 1994. Can you say time machine?

Throwdown...

So, Stephanie and I recently made our third (count 'em, three) television appearance since moving here to New York City. Rumor on the street is that the networks are going to start paying us to use our images. First we appeared on a whole weeks worth of Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? Well, we did! We didn't get the chance, but we did get t-shirts and to sit in the audience. Fair enough I guess. (*This hasn't aired yet, and might not until next summer) The second time we graced the small screen was on Fuse TV's Video Countdown. We even got to talk! I haven't seen this yet, but my co-workers have and so have my parents. I'm supposed to get a video of the show in the e-mail anytime now, so maybe you'll get to see it too.

Most recently, we stumbled upon a taping of Throwdown! with Bobby Flay. Food Network baby! Now we're rolling on the big time networks! We didn't get there until after the food was made and tasted, but we are in the background of the judging scene. Bobby is a really nice guy. Mum's the word on who won the throwdown - we were told not to blog about it by this really mean looking producer lady. I wouldn't want to cross her, so you'll have to watch and see who won for yourself.

Fall in NYC

It's fall here in the Big Apple (I've been informed that this expression is long since outdated, yet, I can't help myself but to use it), and someone has left the air conditioner running and their front door open. I always wondered what my father meant when we would leave doors open and he would ask, "Are you trying to air condition everything outside or just the house?" Are there things I miss about Florida? Yes. Are the heat and humidity included in that category. Definitely not. We are suffering from 60 to 70 degree days with a perfect breeze and relatively low rainfall and humidity. Terrible, isn't it? To top it all off the sky just cannot seem to get any bluer. However, the most exciting part of the encroaching season has got to be the falling leaves. Like a changing of the guard, the leaves bow down, wither into magnificent color and float effortlessly to the earth below. These pictures are from Union Square on Tuesday. I hope you enjoy them as much as we are!

*All photos credited to Stephanie Long Campbell photography. Of course.

Spinach Tortellini for Dinner - Yum!

I made this awesome spinach tortellini for dinner for my beautiful wife a few nights ago, and thought I'd share a picture with you (really, I just wanted to show off - 'cause it's so darn pretty). The whole dish was made from scratch and is fat free (minus the fat free part).

Here's how I made it (or as close to duplicating the recipe as I can get):

Matt's Stupendous Spinach Tortellini (Serves 2)

Ingredients:

For the dough:

1. Flour (1 and 1/4 Cups)
2. Butter (2 Tbsp)
3. Egg (1)
4. Salt (1 Tsp)
5. Spinach (Processed, 3/4 Cups)

For the filling:

1. Ricotta Cheese (1/2 Cup)
2. Spinach (Processed, 1/2 Cup)
3. Parmesan Cheese (1/4 Cup)
4. Salt (1 Tsp)
5. Pepper (1 Tsp)

For the sauce:

1. Butter (1/2 Cup)
2. Shallots (1/2 Medium Sized, Julienned)
3. Sage (1 Tbsp)
4. Salt (1 Tsp)
5. Pepper (1 Tsp)
6. Parsley (1 Tbsp)
7. Milk (4 Tbsp)

Other ingredients:

1. Tomatoes (Diced small, 1/4 Cup)

Here's what to do:

1. Bring a medium sized pot of water to boil.
2. Combine ingredients for the dough in a bowl and kneed until softened.
3. Roll out dough on a flat surface (doing this on plastic wrap helps with rolling the pasta).
4. Combine ingredients for filling.
5. Spoon small amounts of filling along edge of dough.
6. Roll dough forward until it forms a "skinny tube" and cut the tube off from the rest of the sheet.
7. Cut the tube into two and a half inch pieces and form these pieces into tortellini shaped horseshoes.
8. Drop the pieces into the boiling water until they float to the surface.
9. Melt the butter in the frying pan while boiling the pasta.
10. Add the shallots and allow them to cook down (about five minutes)
11. Add the herbs and spices (to taste).
12. Simmer the sauce and add the milk.
13. Pull the tortellini out of the boiling water (don't use your hands) and add them to the frying pan.
14. Allow the pasta to cook for a few minutes in the sauce.
15. Plate the pasta in the middle of the plate and pour the sauce over it.
16. Return the frying pan to the stove and cook down the tomatoes in the remaining herbs and spices.
17. Add the tomatoes to the top of the pasta.
18. Enjoy!

Election Season

Up here in New York City, Obama is King, err, um, President, and to utter McCain is equivocal to shouting a dirty word. However, if you look hard enough you can find the traces of both parties lurking beneath the skin of the city. Fanaticism seems to be the name of the game, and people simply cannot help but pour their entire spirits behind their candidate. Go to any sidewalk or street corner and you can find someone who has set up shop in support of the O-man. My favorite T-shirt thus far has got to be the “Obama is my homeboy” slogan strewn across tan cotton. And have you ever seen so many political buttons in one place? It seems that hobby of yours that you’ve been nursing secretly since the third grade school fairs has finally paid off. Now you’re Mister Popular. All because you can make magazine cut outs and printer rips into circular plastic buttons with aluminum backs. Let’s not forget about the McCaniacs, they’re out there as well. It may be harder to be a Republican in this city, but the die-hards are there. Actually, I think that this class of Republican may be the only class able to survive the harsh winter that is the New York political scene – nothing survives but the Democrats. And boy, can you say fanatical? How about crazy? Most of the time I encounter someone who is brave enough to spout their beliefs into this general populous they are muttering to themselves, pacing, shouting random thoughts about the state of the economy, education, racism, classicism, U.F.O.’s, the end of the world and the conspiracy that is the Yankees. Oh, well. I guess what I’m getting at here is that the last presidential debate will be here in the apple. It should be interesting considering its locale. No matter what your particular political persuasion I hope you get out there and check a ballot next month.

I'm scoring a movie...

Well, sort of. I've been asked to score a part of a short film for a final project for a friend of mine at Borders. That's about all I know about the film, except that I know what I'm doing for it...

More to come later...

Music I'm excited about...

New music I'm super excited about...

Tallahassee's own Look Mexico has picked up a new member and released a short, but amazing ep, Gasp Asp. You can pick it up here.

The disk marks a significant change in the quality of the production. The sound is now a lot fuller, and fills the space quite nicely. The addition of a fifth musician has not in any way detracted from what I feel to be the bands most endearing quality - and that is to weave different musical ideas together into one cohesive piece. If this is any indication of where the band is going I am even more excited about their future than before. Did I mention Justin used to be roommates with one of the founding members? Or that I've played with this band a couple of times? Or that they are successful in music and I am not? Oh, well.

They are also coming out with a 7" split with Fake Problems called Under the Influence. You can check out the song on their MySpace. It may sound a bit familiar...

Just as exciting is the upcoming release from Anathallo, Canopy Glow. Anathallo has been one of my favorite bands since I saw them live at Big Daddy's way back in my freshman year (six years ago now!) This album is sure to be amazing. November 18th, 2008! Seriously, YouTube this band right now. Do it. Watch: A Holiday at the Sea. Be blown away.

Random Acts of Art

Stephanie found this while visiting me at the book store yesterday...


It will of course be properly hidden in a new and exciting locale to make someone else's day.

Thank you to the artist for bringing a smile to our faces.

Matt and Stephanie on TV

So, if you're hankering to see our lovely mugs and hear our angelic voices you can turn in to Fuse TV tomorrow, Tuesday, October 7th at 5:00 pm. Steph and I will be in the background and on the Top 25 or whatever Music Video Count Down.

Here's the story...

Last Tuesday Steph and I were running all over the city to take care of my substitute teaching application when we decided to stop at Buffalo Wild Wings at Atlantic Center for lunch. When we got inside we noticed they were filming right in the restaurant. The hostess told us it was a commercial, but it was really a music video count down show from Fuse TV. They sat us at the table directly behind the host (who was leading into the videos). At another point we're to his right when he's sitting at the bar. So as if sitting in the background wasn't cool enough, the producer came over and asked us if we wanted to be on the show. We of course agreed to sign their waivers and I accepted a pair of ear muff head phones (stylin' and functional). So, the host, one Jared Cotter (former American Idol?) came over and chatted with us a bit and they explained they were going to pit us (my wife and I) against each other in a bit of music trivia. My palms were sweating. I refused to get a music trivia question wrong on national TV. This is me we're talking about. So the cameras rolled and he introduced us and asked us this question:

Q: What is the name of G. Love's backing band?

A: Come on, you should know this one. Google it or tune in!

I got it correct and got to pick the next video (from a list, mind you). It was still pretty cool. Tune in tomorrow and check it out. We'll see if I look as lame as I think I did.