I'ma take your grandpa's style (NSFW)

Yes, I like this song (Thrift Shop by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis). It qualifies as what some of you may think of as a guilty pleasure, what all of you will claim as NSFW (which I almost never, ever post), and a tune that I think almost everyone would agree is a really funky awesome rhythm...which even led my wife to say to me "...I can't believe you have me singing this chorus around the house."

For all of those reasons, this is worth your time...but probably only when you are at home and not sitting next to your co-workers, your mom or your children.

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry

Say what you say plainly, and then take responsibility for it.

Ai Weiwei

The latest documentary in this year's list was Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, a film that explores the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, his work, his message and his impact on Chinese culture. The story is inspirational, his courage is contagious and if you are interested in art of any kind, liberty or the impact of technology on free speech and political and cultural change, this is a movie that you will enjoy without a doubt.

To top it off, following the movie, I made a point to visit some of this work that is currently on display in Washington DC during my last trip up there. Unfortunately, I missed his traveling exhibit by about 1 day...but the pieces I got to see were pretty awesome so I have nothing to really complain about. A couple photos below.

Me and the dragon, one of 12 zodiac heads in his piece Circle of Animals.

His Cube Light

His list of names, all of the children who died in poorly constructed schools as a result of the massive 2008 earthquake that hit Sichuan, China. 

 

Two Graves - Preston & Child

I've been a fan of the Child/Preston Pendergast series for a while now so when the latest one (Two Graves) was released it was a no brainer to queue up and rip through. Which is what you do with these guys...they write thrillers that suck you into the action immediately and it doesn't stop until the last page. Escapism is a necessity sometimes. 

Plot summary from Amazon.com (no real spoilers here as I think this is just sums up the intro/chapter 1, all the real twists come from other directions):

For twelve years, he believed she died in an accident. Then, he was told she'd been murdered. Now, FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast discovers that his beloved wife Helen is alive. But their reunion is cut short when Helen is brazenly abducted before his eyes. And Pendergast is forced to embark on a furious cross-country chase to rescue her.
But all this turns out to be mere prologue to a far larger plot: one that unleashes a chillingly-almost supernaturally-adept serial killer on New York City. And Helen has one more surprise in store for Pendergast: a piece of their shared past that makes him the one man most suited to hunting down the killer.