Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me (2014, PCH Films, directed by James Keach)

I'll Be Me is the story of a community coping with the blessings and challenges of Alzheimer's disease, and how the musician at the center of this community, and all the members of the community, call on their deepest well-springs of compassion, flexibility, humor, knowledge and love to help Country Music legend Glen Campbell stay connected to the love of singing which brings him comfort.  But this is actually a layered film about authenticity, grace, partnership, strategy, caring, masculinity, aging and the deep affection of musicians for each other.  Definitely in the top 20 documentaries made so far in the 21st century.  Not to be missed.  The direction and sequencing by James Keach is extraordinary.  The implications for society are profound.

Film: Short Term 12 by Destin Daniel Cretton

Short Term 12 covers what occurs in the lives of 5 staff members and 5 youth at a group-home for at-risk teenagers over a 6 week period.  The central character is a 20-something dorm and activities superviser named Grace, played by Brie Larson (herself only 23 years old, but who gives an amazing performance).  Grace handles all the acting out which these youth -- many having been abandoned or abused by their families of origin, but as the film progresses, her character gets more and more interesting.  The other main actors also give realistic and believable performances - of people trying to live, although facing deep crises of despair and often feeling it is not safe to expose yourself and risk further rejection.  

As someone who has worked with troubled youth (as a volunteer), I will say that this is a deeply compelling film, which I strong recommend you go see.  

Lavanya Naidoo's Can I Stay Quilling

(Click on image to see it enlarged)

See Behance.net project page

Lavanya Naidoo's Design Indaba Superstars 2010 Quilled Art

See Behance.net project page

Sabeena Karnik's Paper+ Typography

I think you will enjoy looking at Sabeena Karnik's Paper+ Typography hosted on Behance.

You can see this project at http://www.behance.net/gallery/paper-typography/858836 and see more of Sabeena's work at http://www.behance.net/sabeenu .

Sabeena is also on Facebook, and her main website is http://www.be.net/sabeenu

Film: AKA Doc Pomus (Peter Miller/Will Hechter, 2012, Clear Lake Productions)

Doc Pomus, a Jewish kid from Brooklyn, was one of the most successful songwriters of all time, publishing hundreds of hits (“Save the Last Dance for Me,” “This Magic Moment,” “Viva Las Vegas”) from the blues clubs of Harlem to the explosion of rock and roll. Though confined to crutches and a wheelchair, he lived a rich, eventful life. Featuring collaborators and friends from Lou Reed to B. B. King, this documentary celebrates the generous spirit and storied career of a musical legend. See akadocpomus.com. .

People as Miracles

Iskwaauu Gibson's Digital Art - Transhumanism

Iskwaauu Gibson's Digital Art - Transhumanism

Film: Stories We Tell by Sarah Polley (2013, Roadside Attractions)

Stories We Tell is an inspired, genre-twisting film that explores the elusive nature of truth and memory. Filmmaker Polley is detective and interviewer as she investigates the secrets kept by a family of storytellers.

See www.storieswetellmovie.com.

Film: Haevnen/In A Better World (2010, dir by Susanne Bier, written by Anders Thomas Jensen, Sony Pictures Classics)

In A Better World (Wikipedia, IMDB, Trailer) is a fabulous film. Danish director Susanne Bier (known for After the Wedding, and Brothers) won the Best Foreign Language Oscar in 2010 for this tightly-wound, emotional, family drama about forgiveness and revenge. The film is set in two very different locations - a refugee camp in an unnamed African country and a small town in Denmark. The lives of two families, each in their own period of crisis, cross each other. US film lovers can check the Sony Pictures Classics website to find theater venues.

Film: The Tillman Story by Amir Bar-Lev

The Tillman Story (A&E Indie Films, The Weinstein Company, Passion Pictures; directed by Amir Bar-Lev), is the story of Pat Tillman, a football player, an American soldier, his family, his army buddies, and much more. Highly recommended!

Thomas Friedman: We're Number 1(1)!

We're Number 1(1)! was Thomas Friedman's Op-Ed for September 12, 2010, and I recommend it.

The New Rove-Cheney Assault on Reality by Frank Rich (NY Times, March 13)

The New Rove-Cheney Assault on Reality, Frank Rich's column on March 13th in the New York Times, shows how propoganda and self-deception work among leaders of the George W Bush wing of the Republican Party. Recommended.

NYTimes.com: Thomas Friedman "The Fat Lady Has Sung"

Thomas Friedman's February 21, 2010 opinion piece for the New York Times, entitled The Fat Lady Has Sung, is an excellent summary of where the United States currently is, and what we need to expect and demand from the political class, including our President, and from taxpayers, workers, citizens, small business owners.

Pete Seeger's 90th Birthday at Madison Square Garden Benefiting Clearwater (May 3, 2009)

PBS' Great Performance has a wonderful website with videos giving the flavor of the Fabulous event held in New York's Madison Square Garden in honor of Peter Seeger's 90th birthday and his contributions to social justice, the environment and folk music.

The 2-disc DVD recording of the concert is available for purchase here.

Photographing World Leaders in 1 minute sitting at the UN: Platon (for The New Yorker)

You can listen to or download a 10-minute interview of The New Yorker's staff photographer Platon, as he talks about spending 5 days without a break taking 60-second portrait photos of world leaders just before or after their addresses to the UN General Assembly.

Anna Daevere Smith's Let Me Down Easy in New York City is pretty timely, now that the US Congress is trying to address health care.

Lauretta Jones (Artist, Nature Lover)

The website of my friend Lauretta Jones, is, not surprising, one of the most attractive ones I've seen, and gives you a good flavor of her work teaching, exhibiting, and preserving plants and natural spaces.

Young People Need Progress on Climate Protection - Photos

Photos of Young People whose safety is at risk if human-accelerated Climate Change is not slowed.

MIT's Bicycle Wheel Announced in Copenhagen

Copenhagen Wheel for bicycles, designed at MIT's SENSEable City Lab, was premiered in Copenhagen Denmark on December 15th. I think you'll like the video at the bottom of MIT's Press Release.