Archive for the ‘Tributes’ Category

“O Captain! My Captain!”

O Captain! My Captain!

Dead Poets Society: “O Captain! My Captain!”

Thank you, boys. Thank you.

Dead Poets Society: “Thank you, boys. Thank you.”

 

Robin Williams, I will aways miss your sense of humor and honesty, when you were full-on and off. I could never change the channel when you were on the late night talk shows. You were a true artist that used all the colors in the rainbow in your acting, comedy and in life. Robin my favorite movies of yours are Dead Poets Society and you playing the open-minded and encouraging English teacher John Keating, and Good Morning, Vietnam, and who else could play Popeye and the older Peter Pan. The world seams a less happier place with you not present in it. As a cyclist enthusiast, it was cool to see the late Oscar winner was one of the world’s biggest cycling fanatics.

Robin Williams: “I’m Lucky to Have Bikes in My Life”

“They can pee while riding. I take my hat off to them – to them, but not near them.”
—Robin Williams, on pro riders’ handling skills

“The dope tests came back. They found traces of Viagra. It helps me ride long and hard, and I don’t need a kickstand.”
—Williams, at the start of the 2002 San Francisco Grand Prix bike race

“With thighs like these, you’ve got two choices- cycling, or go-go dancer.”
—Williams, describing his less-than-classic cycling physique

We laugh, so we don’t cry.

CG :)

Beastie Boys “No Sleep till Brooklyn”

One of the original B-Boys, Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch of the Beastie Boys died at the age of 47 today, May 4th, 2012. The Beastie Boys were recently inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and it’s about dam time too! But what I don’t get is why it takes so fucking long to get real musicians and pioneers of the music industry inducted into the Hall of Fame, especially while they’re still alive to see their accomplishments acknowledged and get the respect from their peers first hand. I will never understand.

Beastie Boys: An Open Letter To NYC

 

I have always loved and respected the Beastie Boys, especially their early stuff Licensed to Ill – what an album! “Brass Monkey”, “No Sleep till Brooklyn”, “Fight for Your Right.” I was a B-Boy back in the day when it was called RAP not Hip-Hop. Then Rock took over, but the early kick ass beats of Run-DMC and the other early RAP pioneers always got to my musical funny bone as a drummer, good times.

I got to see Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch in Bryant Park at Fashion Week back in the 90s, that was cool.

Much respect,
C.G.

 

Bust out your Adidas Shell Tops and your vintage Pumas and TURN IT UP LOUD!!!

“One Of These Days, D.
But I Can Stand My Ground And I Am Down To Wax An M.C.
Who Acts Like A Clown But For Now, I’d Like To Ask You
How You Like The Feel Of The Bass In Your Face In The Crowd”?

Thank you Steve Jobs!

“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” -Steve Jobs

 

Apple 1984 Super Bowl Commercial Introducing Macintosh Computer

 

“My third story is about death.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn’t even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor’s code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you’d have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I’m fine now.

This was the closest I’ve been to facing death, and I hope it’s the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

 

Thank you Steve! Your vision will live on – stay hungry, stay foolish my friends.

Congratulations U.S. Women’s Soccer!

Congratulations U.S. Women’s Soccer, much respect! You gals were the best team on the pitch in the Word Cup tournament by far. Your heart and grit was unmatched. Your team play advanced U.S. Soccer here in the states, now we just have to get the U.S. men’s team and coaching up to par. Winning is not everything, it is how you play and recover. Two back-to-back 1:20+ minutes games plus penalty shootouts is a lot to ask from any team, that’s why the use of subs are critical. Getting the ball in the net at all costs shoot, shoot, shoot at any chance, with no hesitation – be unpredictable. Just know that your team played better and were more deserving of the cup, but sometimes other things are at play. At least the refereeing in the finale was stellar and did not have any effect on the outcome as in other matches lately here in the 2011 Major League Soccer season.

Fellow New Yorker Abby Wambach you play offense like a defender, tough and full of grit – totally hard-core! Megan Rapinoe, I really like the rock ‘n’ roll energy you bring to the table what a difference it makes. And to Hope Solo this loss was not on you, it should have not been allowed to get to p-k’s. I only wish the U.S. guys could play with the quality and drive you gals displayed in this 2011 Germany Word Cup tournament. My hats off to you gals.

And on a design note, the 2011 U.S. Women’s Nike Soccer uniforms were sexy and had nice clean lines. Modern design, ergonomic with a less is more approach.

Don’t Follow: Tribute to Alice in Chains, Mike Starr

Listening this morning to one of my favorite bands Alice in Chains, this is how I was feeling today.

Tribute: Michael Christopher “Mike” Starr the original bassist in Alice in Chains past away on March 8, 2011. Mike was one of my favorite rock bassist, he enhanced the bands sound and vibe. Their are not to many great bassists out their but he was one of them. He had a heavy but mellow haunting sound to his music witch I love. I was privileged to see Mike play with Alice in Chains twice, an underrated band. Bands with any real sole just don’t exist today.

 

Alice in Chains “Don’t Follow”

 

Alice in Chains: Jar of Flies “Don’t Follow”
Hey, I ain’t never coming home
Hey, I’ll just wander my own road
Hey, I can’t meet you here tomorrow
Say goodbye don’t follow
Misery so hollow

Hey you, you’re livin’ life full throttle
Hey you, pass me down that bottle, yeah
Hey you, you can’t shake me round now
I get so lost and don’t know how
And it hurts to care, I’m going down

Forgot my woman, lost my friends
Things I’d done and where I’ve been
Sleep in sweat the mirrors cold
See my face it’s growin’ old
Scared to death no reason why
Do whatever to get me by
Think about the things I said
Read the page it’s cold and dead

Take me home
Yeah, take me home
Take me home
Take me home, yeah
Take me home

Say goodbye don’t follow