Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Helnwein'd





The Austrian-Irish artist Gottfried Helnwein did the memorable album cover for the Scorpions 1982 Blackout LP. That I knew. What I learned was, he also did that 1987 satire of the Edward Hopper painting Nighthawks. Helnwein included Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, and Elvis Presley in his and called it Boulevard of Broken Dreams. It became a popular poster. The Scorps' cover also adorned many a dorm wall. And that is indeed a self-portrait, NOT the teutonic mustachio'd rhythm guitarist Rudy Schenker in the picture, although he does do the imitation in the video! Video bonus: Klaus Meine in little blue underpants.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Aaron Burr and his granddad

Oh man oh man! I can't believe what I learned today!
Aaron Burr was Jonathan Edwards' grandson??!
What?!! Are you jiving me??
Nope.
Jonny Edwards, the Calvinist, Puritan, Monster Theologian?
He made the guy who made the guy who killed Alexander Hamilton?

Got it from the intro to this AMAZING book:
A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America's First Presidential Campaign by Edward J. Larson.