Kaleidoscope

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Published: Jan 19, 2010

When Bruce Schimmel told me his wife had made a calendar, I was skeptical. Art projects from spouses of newspaper founders? My mind immediately went to "pictures of cats." How wrong I was: Kate Maskar's eponymous design firm created All Around Us 2010 — a real thing of beauty, with 12 gorgeously crafted pages celebrating the wonders of Philadelphia, from coffee shops to farmers markets — just to show the world what they can do. Best of all, you can download a free copy at maskar.com. World, ball's in your court. —Carolyn Huckabay

Shaun Brady liked Crazy Heart enough (see Movie Shorts on p. 24) but you should know it wouldn't exist without 1983's Tender Mercies . Starring Robert Duvall (who also does time in Crazy Heart) as on-the-road-to-redemption country singer Mac, and written by playwright Horton Foote, Tender Mercies is an intimate movie, the type of film often forgotten for lack of bombast (or even a cohesive central storyline). But Duvall and Foote's talents combine for something as personal, understated and affecting as the best country music. —Molly Eichel

In keeping up with Sharon's two autobiographies, Ozzy Osbourne is releasing his own ode to self, I Am Ozzy (Grand Central, Jan. 25). After a bit of obligatory upbringing tales, the Prince of Darkness gives us what we really want: in-depth re-enactments of the drug-saturated heyday of Black Sabbath. "What you read here is what dribbled out of the jelly I call my brain when I asked it for my life story." That's the kind of eloquent elegance you should expect next Wednesday at the Broad Street Borders, where the Ozzman will be reading, signing and wondering where he is and how he got there.

The world lost one of the all-time greats when Philly soul legend Teddy Pendergrass passed away last week. If you don't know what you're missing, turn off the lights and blare some "Close the Door" or "Wake Up Everybody."

Lovely Bones
Feelin' Single, Seein' Double
Are We Human, or Are We Dancer?
Last Chance
Blahg Humbug
Concrete Dinosaur