I love that “fat,” “stop,” and “joke” are the words most closely associated with the Taco Bell brand now. See the article on AdAge.

After a mind-bending episode of the X Files, live TV had a surprise gem in store on AMC:

CUTTHROAT ISLAND

Dir. Renny Harlin

Perf. Geena Davis, Matthew Modine, Frank Langella

1995, Paramount

Swashbuckling brunette Geena Davis; Frank Langella looking and sounding a lot like Sean Connery; Christopher Masterson (aka Francis from Malcom in the Middle) as a swabby cabin boy with high hopes and a lot of cheesy close-ups; inspired use of the word “Aye!”

The afternoon began as usual: Rolling out of bed to find a guest on the futon – stroking the cat.

Rob’s gang planned to head to the Whitney museum for the O’Keeffe show. I tagged along and it was amazing.

Maybe I’m an idiot – but I had no idea Georgia O’Keeffe was married to Alfred Stieglitz. And what a slammin bod she had – shocking! A nice man stopped me at the entrance to the exhibit and gave me his audio headset. In all my years of attending museums, not once have I used an audio guide. At first I almost laughed aloud – thinking of people listening intently to 2 minutes of carefully crafted audio content, introduced by a clip of a jazz song or nature sounds. I felt kind of self conscious in fact – herded like a cow to distinct points of the exhibition along with the other audio listeners in a programmed dance.

Black Place I ('45)....how amazing is the name Ghost Ranch?

The experience became increasingly addictive however – like playing a game in which clues are revealed as you move towards the conclusion. Some experiences were rewarding, others rambling and insignificant. Two stories of O’Keeffe were particularly intriguing. A series called “Black Place” depicted hills in Navajo country, 150 miles from her New Mexico ranch. In the series, attention is focused on the crack between two hills.

A later image in the Black Place series

This crack becomes increasingly jagged and the hills more abstract. She told Stieglitz after a camping trip in the country that the location reminded her of him. “Oddly, when I see the country in it’s silvery beauty and forbidding blackness in my memory, it is so often almost as if I see you too. Your silvery hair and gray clothes and black cape, handkerchief in your hand and mouth, looking about alone in it.” -1943

I bought a book – Some Memories of Drawings written by O’Keeffe herself. Should make a good gift once I’ve read it.

INCROYABLE: (FR) adj. Not to be believed; incredible.

Hear Ye: My new year’s resolution 2010 will be to eliminate the word ‘incredible’ from daily usage for 7 days. I’ve used this word far too much lately and it’s time to diversify before it burrows further into my psyche. Happy New Year all!

Wall Street Embraces the Dark Side

I’m not entirely sure I understand what angle the New York Stock Exchange was attempting to promote when Darth Vader and his entourage of Storm Troopers rang the bell to open trading yesterday, December 22nd.

It’s only my opinion – but – wouldn’t it be a BAD idea to align yourself with the Dark Side? Who’s under there? Rudy Giuliani? Not running for governor but sure as hell takin’ names!

This will no doubt go down in history – and across foreign television – as another nail in New York’s coffin. Financial capital of the world? Try Asian strip mall.