Just an Old Fashioned Girl

Eartha Kitt in St. Louis Blues (1958)

Many a week has passed on by since we last celebrated a classic female vocalist's birth date. So, let's return to the tradition by giving great thanks for the wonderful works of Eartha Kitt, one of the sultriest and smoothest of mid-century songbirds.

Her most iconic performance was the original 1953 recording of "Santa Baby," a rendition that stands out above subsequent performances for its playful yet sexy lyrics, not too coy and not too vulgar; Eartha does it just right.

But her songbook is way deeper than this one Christmas novelty piece. From jazz to disco, she had a rich array of musical styles, expressively mixing them up into a unique blend of influences and ideas. Honestly, her aesthetic depth is frequently overshadowed by the focus on her strong personality and activist efforts. That's not to say that she shouldn't be appreciated for speaking out in support of unpopular or anti-establishment positions, but, rather, that she was an artist of the highest caliber, a fact that should not be forgotten.

Eartha Kitt as Catwoman (Batman, season 3, 1967-68)

With that being said, let's listen to some artistry. ;-)

Quick, Robin! To the Batmobile!

The Bat-Signal

Here's a whimsical post to start the weekend. ;-)

I recently visited the Petersen Automotive Museum to check out their Hot Wheels collection. My interest in toy cars has recently been revived by Chris Burden's Metropolis II exhibit at LACMA. I strolled over to the neighboring exhibit on Hollywood vehicles and decided to snap some photos of the Batmobile from the 1989 Batman movie.

I used to be a serious comic book geek, so visiting the Batmobile is always a thrill.

Costume from Batman (1989), designed by Bob Ringwood

Side view of the Batmobile from Batman (1989)

You can't really get a feel for the overwhelming size of the Batmobile in the movies or photos. It's over twenty feet long and the reflective black paint makes it seem even bigger. The Hollywood gallery is filled with attention-grabbing vehicles, but the Batmobile just dominates the view.

Shadowtime

Wishing a Happy Birthday to Siouxsie Sioux, born on this date in 1957.

Yeah, I have an eclectic taste in music. Although I never got into the Goth scene of the late '80s and early 90s, I enjoyed the music. Certainly, it could get a bit overwrought and angsty to the point of hilarity, but, when the excesses of pathos are avoided, there were some memorable works of music. Now, I wouldn't classify Siouxsie and the Banshees as just a Goth band, because their music has notable post-punk elements that don't fit well with the Gothic aesthetic. It's probably most accurate to label them as "alternative rock".

Whatever you want to call them, Siouxsie and the Banshees were wonderfully experimental. Heck, they even have a song that uses the glockenspiel!!!

So let's get to the music.

What's New Pussycat?

Yuki Nagato as a nekomimi

The traditional media does a terrible job of covering stories about science and technology. Fortunately, the internet picks up the slack. Sites like PopSci, Discovery News, or the New Scientist provide better coverage than the trad med ever did. Likewise, hardcore tech and gadgeteer stories can be found at Wired or Gizmodo. So, being a bit of a "sci-geek", I regularly make the rounds of this Internet "neighborhood".

For the last week or so, I've been seeing a story about mind-controlled "cat-ear" head accessories popping up at a variety of these sites. They're produced by Neurowear, a Japanese company, and are called "necomimi". At first, I paid no attention. I'm not really big on manga or anime, and I'm definitely not into "furry" cosplay. But, as more and more articles came to my attention, I started to think about it.

Alright, I get the whole cosplay angle. Everyone has things that give them thrills. I'm not one to determine what constitutes "having bad fun". If "cat ears" do it for you, then enjoy.

Apparently Catwoman's ears "do it" for Batman

However, under the whole cosplay angle, there was something that caught my attention. The cat-ears reveal mental activity. They are a form of nonverbal expression. That's kind of cool. In the current tech, it's a crude binary tell; ears up indicates mental stimulation, while ears down signifies mental rest. But this is a stepping-stone tech. Future forms of "expression accessories" may have greater nuances. I can get behind that.

But you won't find me wearing cat ears. ;-)

Here's an article from MTV Style that discusses the product in a humorous manner.

Here's an article from PopSci.

Here's Neurowear's website. There isn't much to see there, but it seemed rude to not include a link in an article that was discussing their product.

And here's a Wikipedia article on Moe Anthropomorphism, a subset of which is the aforementioned "cat girls" or nekomimi.

Enjoy!!!

I am Vengeance! I am the Night!

Detective Comics #27 (May 1939). Cover art by Bob Kane.

I have been an avid reader throughout my life. I have read widely across genres of fiction and nonfiction. However, one of my favorite narrative forms is comic books (or graphic novels, if you prefer.) Yeah, I don't read them much anymore, but that's not because I've "outgrown" them. Like all art forms, comic books have aesthetic trends and fads that come and go. I'm not a dedicated fan of the genre, so when a trend arises that I don't appreciate I have no problem jumping ship. There is seemingly an infinity of material to read and there is no excuse to waste our precious time on things we dislike.

But this post is about something that I like very much. BATMAN!!!!!

On this date in 1939, Batman was introduced in the pages of Detective Comics #27. I wasn't around for this grand occasion, but I pay homage to it. Batman is one of my favorite characters in all fiction. He is like a mythic hero of the 20th century. Yeah, you can make interesting arguments in favor of the other "superheroes" like Superman, Captain America, or Spider-man, but I would argue that Batman has a greater mythic depth than all the others.

It isn't just in the character of Batman, but in his environment and antagonists. His iconic stories carry a richness of Jungian archetypes. His conflicts are Campbellian in their underlying structure of conflict and resolution. His character has been reimagined on numerous occasions, but the core concept has remained unchanged.

Anyways, I might return to this topic at some later date. Today, I just want to celebrate a classic American Icon. Here's the intro to the 1989 film:

And here's a link to the Batman Wikipedia page.

Enjoy!!!