Kind of...
Saturday, July 30, 2005
BLOGdundancy!
Oh yeah, I have this blog thing. I've been lost in the sauce for a while, but one thing I'm pretty sure of is the fact that most blogs truly suck. Add that to the fact that there are so dang many of them and you've got one big, nasty mess. The worst of them all are the ones that document the minutiae of some (usually boring) fools life, and I guess the second worst are the ones that simply parrot other sites for news, or links in lieu of any real content. I won't even touch on the half-assed attempts by teens, children, businessmen, or religious zealots. About the only ones I've been able to tolerate are the cream of the crop of the underground music blogs, and photo blogs. Some folks seem to view their blog as the new milennium's answer to the "family newsletter". Every family has at least one relative(usually that oddly chipper aunt) that compiles an all-encompassing list of the activities and major events in their clan, right? Blogs and this type of document share the following attributes:
1. They often blather on and on about insignificant information.(Lil' Timmy took his first poo today, etc.)
2. They gloat about personal accomplishments.
3. The information is generally about people and activities that
are either unknown or irrelevant.
That being said here are some links to a few blogs that seem to have some merit. At least they post easily downloadable mp3's of music I actually enjoy...
http://blog.wfmu.org/
http://www.sexkittenscratches.blogspot.com/
http://vinyljourney.blogspot.com/
http://somethingilearned.blogspot.com/
http://strangereaction.com/
http://www.spoiltvictorianchild.co.uk/
1. They often blather on and on about insignificant information.(Lil' Timmy took his first poo today, etc.)
2. They gloat about personal accomplishments.
3. The information is generally about people and activities that
are either unknown or irrelevant.
That being said here are some links to a few blogs that seem to have some merit. At least they post easily downloadable mp3's of music I actually enjoy...
http://blog.wfmu.org/
http://www.sexkittenscratches.blogspot.com/
http://vinyljourney.blogspot.com/
http://somethingilearned.blogspot.com/
http://strangereaction.com/
http://www.spoiltvictorianchild.co.uk/
Friday, July 15, 2005
Willis Alan Ramsey, and Jim Lauderdale.
I had a lucky birthday yesterday. It started off well when I awoke to a lovely hand made card ftom Kara, and then received a free breakfast-pizza(?) from some poor Papa John's guy when I was getting gas on the way to work.(?) I then proceeded to get a free lunch consisiting of a steak, baked potato, green beans, Texas toast, and iced tea. The best part was getting free tickets to see two of the most talented singer-songwriter's alive today at the Granada Theatre. The Granada is one of the nicest, if not THE nicest venue in Dallas and if they would book a more diverse group of bands I'd gladly go there more often.
Bob and I walked in just after Jim Lauderdale's set had begun and though I was familiar with the name from KHYI (95.3-The Range) and the paper I was hesitant at first. I was completely mesmerized within minutes. This Nashville based(go figure) musician is extremely talented and has a long list of accomplishments including having songs recorded by George Jones, and making records with bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley(made really famous by the O' Brother Where Art Though? soundtrack.) As I listened I realized that I already really liked a few of these songs as I had heard them repeatedly on The Range and I had no idea who they were done by. If you like Gram Parsons, Gene Clark, George Jones, Johhny Cash and others I suggest checking him out. I need to buy some of this stuff.
http://www.jimlauderdale.com/
Willis Alan Ramsey took the stage with all the stage prescence of somebodys stoned uncle wipping out his guitar at a barbecue to play some Skynnard, Dylan or some such fare. But after a bit of a rough start he proceeded to blow minds. I won't go into too much detail here but Willis Alan Ramsey(WAR) is one of those legendary artists that is very well known, and loved amongst Americana/Country/Folk/Blues musicians and the die-hard fans but otherwise completely unknown. He released ONE self-titled album in 1972 that was met with much acclaim. Apparently it was too much acclaim for the young WAR to handle so he backed off from the whole affair, WAY off. As far as I know he hadn't performed at all until the last year or so since the mid-seventies but that didn't stop him from influencing virtually every artist that could fall under the nebulous Progressive Country/Americana/Alt-Country(eww!)/Outlaw/yadda,yadda umbrella. Lyle Lovett is perhaps the most obvious example of this and WAR even co-wrote some of Lyle's songs including "That's right you're not from Texas". The crowd of mostly grey-haired folks knew all the words and get very excited when WAR played the hits, so it made for a great time.
I'll have to admit that I was a bit let down that he didn't play his best known song "Muskrat Candlight", renamed "Muskrat Love" and made famous by The Captain and Tennille, but at the same time I can undertand his aversion to the song. WAR is releasing a new album and I hope for his sake that it catapults him to the level of fame and fortune he so greatly deserves.
http://www.willisalanramsey.com/
http://www.khyi.com/
Bob and I walked in just after Jim Lauderdale's set had begun and though I was familiar with the name from KHYI (95.3-The Range) and the paper I was hesitant at first. I was completely mesmerized within minutes. This Nashville based(go figure) musician is extremely talented and has a long list of accomplishments including having songs recorded by George Jones, and making records with bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley(made really famous by the O' Brother Where Art Though? soundtrack.) As I listened I realized that I already really liked a few of these songs as I had heard them repeatedly on The Range and I had no idea who they were done by. If you like Gram Parsons, Gene Clark, George Jones, Johhny Cash and others I suggest checking him out. I need to buy some of this stuff.
http://www.jimlauderdale.com/
Willis Alan Ramsey took the stage with all the stage prescence of somebodys stoned uncle wipping out his guitar at a barbecue to play some Skynnard, Dylan or some such fare. But after a bit of a rough start he proceeded to blow minds. I won't go into too much detail here but Willis Alan Ramsey(WAR) is one of those legendary artists that is very well known, and loved amongst Americana/Country/Folk/Blues musicians and the die-hard fans but otherwise completely unknown. He released ONE self-titled album in 1972 that was met with much acclaim. Apparently it was too much acclaim for the young WAR to handle so he backed off from the whole affair, WAY off. As far as I know he hadn't performed at all until the last year or so since the mid-seventies but that didn't stop him from influencing virtually every artist that could fall under the nebulous Progressive Country/Americana/Alt-Country(eww!)/Outlaw/yadda,yadda umbrella. Lyle Lovett is perhaps the most obvious example of this and WAR even co-wrote some of Lyle's songs including "That's right you're not from Texas". The crowd of mostly grey-haired folks knew all the words and get very excited when WAR played the hits, so it made for a great time.
I'll have to admit that I was a bit let down that he didn't play his best known song "Muskrat Candlight", renamed "Muskrat Love" and made famous by The Captain and Tennille, but at the same time I can undertand his aversion to the song. WAR is releasing a new album and I hope for his sake that it catapults him to the level of fame and fortune he so greatly deserves.
http://www.willisalanramsey.com/
http://www.khyi.com/
Friday, July 08, 2005
I.O.O.F. and the proposed Freedom Tower.
I don't believe I've mentioned this before but I am a member of a secret society. That's right, it's SO secret that I'll tell you (almost) all about it and our members are proud to display related emblems, and symbols on their bodies, cars, and clothing among other things. There are secret rituals, signs, and grips that can't be revealed to a non-member but the wacky, mystical incantations and human/animal sacrifice are kept to a minimum. I've been a member of the International Order of Oddfellows(I.O.O.F) , Waxahachie Lodge # 80 for more than a year now and I'm currently trying to interest a few friends in the group.
The Oddfellows are referred to as "a friendly society" meaning that membership is open to anyone, and this goes along with the strong themes of socialization and helping one another out. The motto is Fellowship( or Friendship), Love, and Truth or F.L.T. for short and is most often represented within three links of chain. In some ways it is not so different from the Mason's parody on the Simpson's where the "Stonecutters" are wearing cloaks and other ritualistic garb and then someone screams, "Now let's get drunk and play ping-pong!!", but it's more serious than that and we do more than our share of charity work.
This might sound like something your grandpa would be into, and if it weren't for the extremely diverse make-up of our lodge you might be right. There is a core group of gentlemen in their 60's and above that have been members for many years but there is a larger group of younger men that have such disparate professions as gallery owner, artist( tattoo, fine art, graphic-design, etc.), software developer, contractor, teacher, musician, etc. Many of these individuals own their own successful businesses as well. It's been a worthwhile experience and I plan to get more involved as time permits.
http://www.oddfellows.co.uk/history.htm
The following is from David Byrnes journal NOT blog. It's about the proposed replacement for the Twin Towers and I thought it was pretty dead-on:
"The new proposal is a glass tower on a massive fortified concrete base. 20 stories (!!) high almost windowless concrete. Basically, a fortress. Or a prison. It wouldn’t look out of place to have a gun turret or anti-aircraft weaponry on the roof. My daddy’s reaction was, “this says: ‘we have no faith in the future.’” I think he’s right. The site could have stood for all that is good and open and innovative about the United States. The can-do spirit, the possibility of re-invention, tolerance of all kinds of weirdos, mixtures of a multitude of races and creeds, all living together. Sometimes the U.S. is like that anyway. And the site could be a way of saying THIS is what we believe in and what we stand for.
This instead is a big fuck you to the rest of the world at the entrance of NY harbor, it says we are isolationist, protectionist and closed. As dad suggests it says we don’t think things will get better, we don’t believe good will triumph; instead we think things will get a lot worse. It’s back to medieval days for us..."
"On a purely practical level, what kind of attack are the people who thought of this expecting? A car bomb that could somehow get across a well-protected plaza? Didn’t the previous attack come from the air?
I think it’s not really about the practicalities of security or protection, but about symbolizing an attitude, a climate of fear and of a walled-in nation."
I couldn't agree more with Mr. Big Suit. This sums up the overall mood that hangs over our lives right now, one of apprehension, fear, and confusion. But what's with a grown man referring to his father as "daddy"? Creepy! The challenge is balancing awareness of the trouble in the world with a complete disregard for the same. It seems that distancing ones self, or desensitizing to some degree is appropriate. I plan to immerse myself even further in my obsessions.
The Oddfellows are referred to as "a friendly society" meaning that membership is open to anyone, and this goes along with the strong themes of socialization and helping one another out. The motto is Fellowship( or Friendship), Love, and Truth or F.L.T. for short and is most often represented within three links of chain. In some ways it is not so different from the Mason's parody on the Simpson's where the "Stonecutters" are wearing cloaks and other ritualistic garb and then someone screams, "Now let's get drunk and play ping-pong!!", but it's more serious than that and we do more than our share of charity work.
This might sound like something your grandpa would be into, and if it weren't for the extremely diverse make-up of our lodge you might be right. There is a core group of gentlemen in their 60's and above that have been members for many years but there is a larger group of younger men that have such disparate professions as gallery owner, artist( tattoo, fine art, graphic-design, etc.), software developer, contractor, teacher, musician, etc. Many of these individuals own their own successful businesses as well. It's been a worthwhile experience and I plan to get more involved as time permits.
http://www.oddfellows.co.uk/history.htm
The following is from David Byrnes journal NOT blog. It's about the proposed replacement for the Twin Towers and I thought it was pretty dead-on:
"The new proposal is a glass tower on a massive fortified concrete base. 20 stories (!!) high almost windowless concrete. Basically, a fortress. Or a prison. It wouldn’t look out of place to have a gun turret or anti-aircraft weaponry on the roof. My daddy’s reaction was, “this says: ‘we have no faith in the future.’” I think he’s right. The site could have stood for all that is good and open and innovative about the United States. The can-do spirit, the possibility of re-invention, tolerance of all kinds of weirdos, mixtures of a multitude of races and creeds, all living together. Sometimes the U.S. is like that anyway. And the site could be a way of saying THIS is what we believe in and what we stand for.
This instead is a big fuck you to the rest of the world at the entrance of NY harbor, it says we are isolationist, protectionist and closed. As dad suggests it says we don’t think things will get better, we don’t believe good will triumph; instead we think things will get a lot worse. It’s back to medieval days for us..."
"On a purely practical level, what kind of attack are the people who thought of this expecting? A car bomb that could somehow get across a well-protected plaza? Didn’t the previous attack come from the air?
I think it’s not really about the practicalities of security or protection, but about symbolizing an attitude, a climate of fear and of a walled-in nation."
I couldn't agree more with Mr. Big Suit. This sums up the overall mood that hangs over our lives right now, one of apprehension, fear, and confusion. But what's with a grown man referring to his father as "daddy"? Creepy! The challenge is balancing awareness of the trouble in the world with a complete disregard for the same. It seems that distancing ones self, or desensitizing to some degree is appropriate. I plan to immerse myself even further in my obsessions.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Juan Epstein...Ubu...Wiki-Wiki-Wiki!
That might be the most non-sensical title for one of these here posts yet but it is based in reality, and here's how. Kara and I are switching gears yet again but I'll get into that soon enough. We made our traditional weekend breakfast of scrambled eggs, cheese, and salsa on a bagel a couple of times over the holiday. I decided that as they are a sort of combination of two very different cultures cuisines a fitting name was in order, and from now on they shall be known as Juan Epsteins after the character from the TV show WELCOME BACK KOTTER. For those of you not in the know he was the self-described "Puerto Rican Jew".
The UBU part refers to the web site Ubuweb.com( which is temporarily down except for the bit I'm about to talk about). From what I remember the site usually covers avant-garde and experimental music leaning towards performance art. I believe they had some footage of Joseph Beuys, and Michael Peppe among others and the Ubu may refer to the band Pere Ubu but I digress. In 2003 they embarked on the ambitious project of posting one mp3 by an Outsider Musican a day for a year, thus THE 356 DAYS PROJECT.
http://www.ubu.com/outsiders/365/
I've only scratched the surface with these songs but I can say that the version of Kenny Roger's "Lady" by Wooshie Spkamoto now ranks among my all-time favorite songs. Even those familiar with the genre known as Outsider Music will find a lot to take in. The conspicuous absence of the usual suspects (Wesley Willis, Hasil Adkins, Mrs. Miller, Daniel Johnston, etc, etc.) makes one realize that we are in the midst of the TRUE devotees and obsessives of this stuff. WFMU dj Irwin Chusid is represented along with The Hoof & Mouth Sinfonia and the track "Next", and the selections were curated by a looong list of folks including musician R. Stevie Moore. RSM brings me to my next subject, the website WIKIPEDIA.COM the free and interactive encyclopedia. Here's the entry I made for him yesterday which some kind soul already took the time to expand, and improve upon...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Stevie_Moore
I found the site when it kept popping up while I was Googling various subjects. I finally gave in and it's pretty amazing just for the sheer amount of information it contains and for the revolutionary hands on feel. I felt honored that my entry wasn't just automatically deleted, and I just felt Mr. Moore deserved a mention.
The UBU part refers to the web site Ubuweb.com( which is temporarily down except for the bit I'm about to talk about). From what I remember the site usually covers avant-garde and experimental music leaning towards performance art. I believe they had some footage of Joseph Beuys, and Michael Peppe among others and the Ubu may refer to the band Pere Ubu but I digress. In 2003 they embarked on the ambitious project of posting one mp3 by an Outsider Musican a day for a year, thus THE 356 DAYS PROJECT.
http://www.ubu.com/outsiders/365/
I've only scratched the surface with these songs but I can say that the version of Kenny Roger's "Lady" by Wooshie Spkamoto now ranks among my all-time favorite songs. Even those familiar with the genre known as Outsider Music will find a lot to take in. The conspicuous absence of the usual suspects (Wesley Willis, Hasil Adkins, Mrs. Miller, Daniel Johnston, etc, etc.) makes one realize that we are in the midst of the TRUE devotees and obsessives of this stuff. WFMU dj Irwin Chusid is represented along with The Hoof & Mouth Sinfonia and the track "Next", and the selections were curated by a looong list of folks including musician R. Stevie Moore. RSM brings me to my next subject, the website WIKIPEDIA.COM the free and interactive encyclopedia. Here's the entry I made for him yesterday which some kind soul already took the time to expand, and improve upon...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Stevie_Moore
I found the site when it kept popping up while I was Googling various subjects. I finally gave in and it's pretty amazing just for the sheer amount of information it contains and for the revolutionary hands on feel. I felt honored that my entry wasn't just automatically deleted, and I just felt Mr. Moore deserved a mention.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
More Wacky Social Commentary!
"This is the real battle occurring on planet Earth. The winners and losers of this battle are what truly determine the "evolution" of societies and the world. Now, and in the past, most of what is being sold is trash, as it usually denies and oppresses that which is capable of believing and attaching meaning - you and your mind. Your mind and everyone else's minds are the true source of any quality of life that will ever exist. Solely and completely. Recognition, education into the functions, and empowerment of minds results in success, decency, morality, strength, sanity and greatness. Denial and suppression of these things results in failure, perversions, immorality, weakness, insanity and mediocrity. Materialism as a belief system has the effect of denying these things."
"This is not an argument of materialism versus spirituality. Almost all historical periods, even when characterized by "religious" or "spiritual" influences, have been actually "materialistic" because Man's mind was largely neglected and oppressed in favor of arbitrary belief systems about the physical universe and man's relationship to it. The history of this planet has been mainly characterized by the use of force against Man and his mind to alter belief and behavior, whether these forces were "religious", "political", "economic" or "social". Any perceived dichotomy of "materialism" versus "spirituality" is an illusion and is not part of this discussion. Materialism here means the viewing of everything as inherently physical, with the neglect of man's mind a usual by-product of such a view. Religions have done this as much as any modern "scientific" materialism. "
...uh, cool. I wish I knew where I got the above quotes from because I think it's good food for thought(no pun intended). Since I'm getting all quote-crazy (or lazy) here's a great, and much shorter one from a formerly brilliant comedian...
"The Theory:
The most unfair thing about life is the way it ends up. I mean, life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time. What do you get at the end of it? A Death. What's that, a bonus? I think the whole life cycle is backwards.
You should die first, get it out of the way. Then you live in an old age home. You get kicked out when you're too young, you get a gold watch, you go to work. You work forty years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. You do drugs, alcohol, you party, you get ready for high school. You go to grade school, you become a kid, you play, you have no responsibilities, you become a little baby, you go back into the womb, you spend your last nine months floating.........you finish off as an orgasm."
-George Carlin
Yes you guessed it...I have nothing to say right now but I didn't want ya'll to think I forgot about you. I'm greatly looking forward to this weekend for many reasons including: seeing my brother Andy and his family who are moving back from Cincinatti after years away, a four-day weekend, and having money for the first time in weeks. I think Kara and I are going to go to a cook-out at my folks place much like most people.
"This is not an argument of materialism versus spirituality. Almost all historical periods, even when characterized by "religious" or "spiritual" influences, have been actually "materialistic" because Man's mind was largely neglected and oppressed in favor of arbitrary belief systems about the physical universe and man's relationship to it. The history of this planet has been mainly characterized by the use of force against Man and his mind to alter belief and behavior, whether these forces were "religious", "political", "economic" or "social". Any perceived dichotomy of "materialism" versus "spirituality" is an illusion and is not part of this discussion. Materialism here means the viewing of everything as inherently physical, with the neglect of man's mind a usual by-product of such a view. Religions have done this as much as any modern "scientific" materialism. "
...uh, cool. I wish I knew where I got the above quotes from because I think it's good food for thought(no pun intended). Since I'm getting all quote-crazy (or lazy) here's a great, and much shorter one from a formerly brilliant comedian...
"The Theory:
The most unfair thing about life is the way it ends up. I mean, life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time. What do you get at the end of it? A Death. What's that, a bonus? I think the whole life cycle is backwards.
You should die first, get it out of the way. Then you live in an old age home. You get kicked out when you're too young, you get a gold watch, you go to work. You work forty years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. You do drugs, alcohol, you party, you get ready for high school. You go to grade school, you become a kid, you play, you have no responsibilities, you become a little baby, you go back into the womb, you spend your last nine months floating.........you finish off as an orgasm."
-George Carlin
Yes you guessed it...I have nothing to say right now but I didn't want ya'll to think I forgot about you. I'm greatly looking forward to this weekend for many reasons including: seeing my brother Andy and his family who are moving back from Cincinatti after years away, a four-day weekend, and having money for the first time in weeks. I think Kara and I are going to go to a cook-out at my folks place much like most people.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
I'm coming out of retirement...
That statement is really applicable to most aspects of my life at this time but I'll focus on the area relating to the cool photo above(which was taken by the great Glen E. Friedman and hastily edited by myself). I'm itching to do some "real" skateboarding again for the first time in years. I never lost interest in it, but I haven't skated more than a day or two a year for some time now. Reasons for this renewed interest are numerous but include feeling like getting back to my roots, having friends that are into it/back into it, needing some exercise, missing the feeling of skating, availability of good decks and wheels again, the explosion of cement skateparks, and the movie Dogtown and Z-boys.
Having said that you might find it strange(if you're an obsessive old-school skateboarding nut like me) that I chose to have someone other than Tony Alva, Jay Adams, or another of the infamous Z-boys pictured above. I thought this was a very cool photo of a great pool-skater, and he is riding an Alva board. Not only that but it reminds me of the time I was skating at the best ditch in the world(or at least Dallas), whip 'n dip and some smartass "new school" skater kid thought he was insulting me by calling me Steve Alba because of my "dated" skate-style. I'd be willing to bet that in the 15-ish years since then he has either got a clue and loosened up his trucks, quit skating( because how fun can it be to ride on a board that doesn't turn), or become a roller-blader(yechhh!). It makes me feel fortunate to have been exposed to real skateboarding just before the advent of the new-school. The guys I skated with were old-school even for the time. Their trucks were so loose they were about to fall off, and they had little or no desire for their wheels to leave the ground. It was a real education in carving, grinding and riding ditches and parking garages. Thanks especially to Dave and Mandon.
I also skated with some guys that were more into street-skating and that was fun too but I'm glad I got the foundation I did by just riding a skateboard the way it was designed to. There's a kick-ass new cement skatepark in Allen which is about 30 minutes North of here that I'm dying to ride. I've got to get a good set-up before I do though. Right now all I've got is a 4-foot long Powell longboard, and a popsicle board and neither of them would do for carving transition. I'm currently researching all the "pig" boards I can but the Factory 13, Deathbox, and Alva boards are looking pretty good to me. I really don't care what I ride as long as it's fat and feels good when I'm grinding coping. I'm actually on the lookout for ditches and abandoned pools a lot lately as I drive around. I wonder if I can wash my salty, smelly old rector pads?
These here are related linkage:
Pretty cool article I stumbled upon...
http://www.thelandofplenty.org/skateordie.html
See this before LORDS OF DOGTOWN...
http://www.sonyclassics.com/dogtown/
Best Skate mag around...
http://www.concretewavemagazine.com/
Having said that you might find it strange(if you're an obsessive old-school skateboarding nut like me) that I chose to have someone other than Tony Alva, Jay Adams, or another of the infamous Z-boys pictured above. I thought this was a very cool photo of a great pool-skater, and he is riding an Alva board. Not only that but it reminds me of the time I was skating at the best ditch in the world(or at least Dallas), whip 'n dip and some smartass "new school" skater kid thought he was insulting me by calling me Steve Alba because of my "dated" skate-style. I'd be willing to bet that in the 15-ish years since then he has either got a clue and loosened up his trucks, quit skating( because how fun can it be to ride on a board that doesn't turn), or become a roller-blader(yechhh!). It makes me feel fortunate to have been exposed to real skateboarding just before the advent of the new-school. The guys I skated with were old-school even for the time. Their trucks were so loose they were about to fall off, and they had little or no desire for their wheels to leave the ground. It was a real education in carving, grinding and riding ditches and parking garages. Thanks especially to Dave and Mandon.
I also skated with some guys that were more into street-skating and that was fun too but I'm glad I got the foundation I did by just riding a skateboard the way it was designed to. There's a kick-ass new cement skatepark in Allen which is about 30 minutes North of here that I'm dying to ride. I've got to get a good set-up before I do though. Right now all I've got is a 4-foot long Powell longboard, and a popsicle board and neither of them would do for carving transition. I'm currently researching all the "pig" boards I can but the Factory 13, Deathbox, and Alva boards are looking pretty good to me. I really don't care what I ride as long as it's fat and feels good when I'm grinding coping. I'm actually on the lookout for ditches and abandoned pools a lot lately as I drive around. I wonder if I can wash my salty, smelly old rector pads?
These here are related linkage:
Pretty cool article I stumbled upon...
http://www.thelandofplenty.org/skateordie.html
See this before LORDS OF DOGTOWN...
http://www.sonyclassics.com/dogtown/
Best Skate mag around...
http://www.concretewavemagazine.com/
Thursday, June 16, 2005
'Bout to jump outta my skin!
I realize I've been getting boringly personal, and whiny lately but as this is a non-commercial venture that's probably more about the act of creating the blog than trying to address the "audience" I don't feel so bad. If it is more about the act itself I guess that would make it conceptual and I generally try to avoid that term and things it encompasses with a ten-foot pole. So in other words I'm going through a period of great transition, a crossroads in life as it were. I'm engaging in some cliched "soul-searching" type activities like growing a beard, going on solo walks, listening to depressing music, playing my acoustic guitar a lot, and questioning my beliefs. It's a laugh riot.
I am getting very amped up about my sadly-neglected creativity though. I'm about to burst with the desire to start a band, a loud band, a cathartic, rockin' band. I need to find a drummer that plays like a shitty Keith Moon, or a reasonable facsimile thereof. I'm at the point with my guitar playing where I either need to learn more technical information or start bashing out some rock AND roll(filtered through punk, natch). I vote for the latter, especially since the aesthetic I have the greatest appreciation for stresses expression over virtuosity. I feel like painting, and doing some print-making and other artsy stuff. Hell, even interpretive dance is starting to look good. (This is in jest, of course) I may do some painting, but what I am going to do is finish this comic book that's been hanging over my head for a few years now. That's right, I've had my head so far up my ass that I haven't been able to bring myself to complete a nearly-done comic that will be published upon completion. I'll scan some pages to show you what I'm talking about, but it's based on a local film called CORNMAN: AMERICAN VEGETABLE HERO by Barak Epstein, which is really quite funny in a Troma kinda way. I know Barak wishes he'd never met me because though he's liked what I've done, he wanted it a loooong time ago. I need to finish it so I can start work on my next comic project which will be created entirely by myself. Somebody kick my ass if I'm not done with Cornman by 2006!
http://www.cornman2.com/
I am getting very amped up about my sadly-neglected creativity though. I'm about to burst with the desire to start a band, a loud band, a cathartic, rockin' band. I need to find a drummer that plays like a shitty Keith Moon, or a reasonable facsimile thereof. I'm at the point with my guitar playing where I either need to learn more technical information or start bashing out some rock AND roll(filtered through punk, natch). I vote for the latter, especially since the aesthetic I have the greatest appreciation for stresses expression over virtuosity. I feel like painting, and doing some print-making and other artsy stuff. Hell, even interpretive dance is starting to look good. (This is in jest, of course) I may do some painting, but what I am going to do is finish this comic book that's been hanging over my head for a few years now. That's right, I've had my head so far up my ass that I haven't been able to bring myself to complete a nearly-done comic that will be published upon completion. I'll scan some pages to show you what I'm talking about, but it's based on a local film called CORNMAN: AMERICAN VEGETABLE HERO by Barak Epstein, which is really quite funny in a Troma kinda way. I know Barak wishes he'd never met me because though he's liked what I've done, he wanted it a loooong time ago. I need to finish it so I can start work on my next comic project which will be created entirely by myself. Somebody kick my ass if I'm not done with Cornman by 2006!
http://www.cornman2.com/
Friday, June 10, 2005
I'm back, I think...
If I ever again have some kind of weird logic for coming back to work on a Friday when I could have had the day off you have my permission to smack me. At least I will be that much closer to reality when I return after the weekend. Forgive me if this is short, and not to the point. perhaps bordering on cloudy. Kara stayed in Corpus for a bit of an extended stay and when I got to the casa last night I felt like being sociable so I went to Bob's place. I ended up having a few beers and then I didn't sleep very well, so I'm feeling sorta rough today. I don't miss feeling like this and usually worse at work on a daily basis. I'm glad to be a lightweight these days, and for few years now.
The trip was a lot of fun, despite the lack of activities. It was relaxing and I even enjoyed the drive. Kara and I had a good time with Steve, and Ericka. Steve and I even got in some guitar-playing, and skateboarding. We ended up skating a couple of ditches, my favorite one was called HOT LIPS, which seems to be a completely arbitrary monker. Corpus is a nicer town than I'd imagined. It's pretty laid-back, and if you're into the beach thing you can sort of think of it as a poor man's Cali. The architecture seems to have hit a plateau in the 60's and 70's which is mostly a good thing. I guess that's when the town stopped growing, which I believe had something to do with the oil industry( don't most things?). I even visted the TEXAS SURF MUSEUM, which isn't as pointless as it seems. The waves can't really compete with more famous surf towns but you can really surf there. The museum was kinda cool, and they even had some original Rick Griffin art including some covers and illustrations for Surfer Magazine. Rick Griffin was one of the original psychedelic poster artists and underground cartoonists of the 60's.
It was great to see my old pal Billy in San Antonio. It was exactly as predicted and a nice way to break up the drive back home. I ate nothing but Mexican food the two days and nights I was there. I could eat that stuff everyday. We drank beer and listened to good music while filling each other in on the last few years. Bill was living in Brooklyn and hanging out with a large contingent of Denton musicians and artists all loosely related to the former Good/Bad Art Collective. He had too much fun and realized that he's happier in a less metropolitan town. I guess it really says something about Dallas that for years now whenever I visit another place I immediately want to move there. Corpus and San Antone started looking really good to me, but I'm still trying to find some utopia in the Northern U.S.
On a more somber note Kara and I are taking a break from each others company for a short time. Without going into too much detail, it's something that needs to happen if we want our relationship to be successful in the future. We've been dealt a tough hand since we got together and though it will be a big adjustment we both feel it's the right thing to do. Maybe I'll get off my kiester and produce some artwork now.
The trip was a lot of fun, despite the lack of activities. It was relaxing and I even enjoyed the drive. Kara and I had a good time with Steve, and Ericka. Steve and I even got in some guitar-playing, and skateboarding. We ended up skating a couple of ditches, my favorite one was called HOT LIPS, which seems to be a completely arbitrary monker. Corpus is a nicer town than I'd imagined. It's pretty laid-back, and if you're into the beach thing you can sort of think of it as a poor man's Cali. The architecture seems to have hit a plateau in the 60's and 70's which is mostly a good thing. I guess that's when the town stopped growing, which I believe had something to do with the oil industry( don't most things?). I even visted the TEXAS SURF MUSEUM, which isn't as pointless as it seems. The waves can't really compete with more famous surf towns but you can really surf there. The museum was kinda cool, and they even had some original Rick Griffin art including some covers and illustrations for Surfer Magazine. Rick Griffin was one of the original psychedelic poster artists and underground cartoonists of the 60's.
It was great to see my old pal Billy in San Antonio. It was exactly as predicted and a nice way to break up the drive back home. I ate nothing but Mexican food the two days and nights I was there. I could eat that stuff everyday. We drank beer and listened to good music while filling each other in on the last few years. Bill was living in Brooklyn and hanging out with a large contingent of Denton musicians and artists all loosely related to the former Good/Bad Art Collective. He had too much fun and realized that he's happier in a less metropolitan town. I guess it really says something about Dallas that for years now whenever I visit another place I immediately want to move there. Corpus and San Antone started looking really good to me, but I'm still trying to find some utopia in the Northern U.S.
On a more somber note Kara and I are taking a break from each others company for a short time. Without going into too much detail, it's something that needs to happen if we want our relationship to be successful in the future. We've been dealt a tough hand since we got together and though it will be a big adjustment we both feel it's the right thing to do. Maybe I'll get off my kiester and produce some artwork now.
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Decompression Time!
Kara and I are leaving tomorrow for a much-needed, and long overdue vacation. I hear Paris is amazing this time of year, but Corpus Christi, and San Antonio are going to be just as good to me. We're going to hang out with her sister Ericka, and Steve "The Boyfriend". It should be fun, as they've lived there a little under a year, so the town is still new to them but they know where to go. I look forward to a little beer drinking, skateboarding, and goofing off around the beach. Steve is about my age and still skates regularly, and fortunately he's into old-school skating like me so it should be fairly mellow. There's a skatepark in Corpus, and I think they have a bowl, which I would be into riding. I'm bringing along plenty of bubble-wrap. I'm going to San Antonio after a few days to see my friend "Wild Bill" Ivy.
I suspect that Bill and I will drink more beer, and eat endless amounts of excellent Mexican Food. I think that's about all there is to do there if you're not into the tourist trip. It won't take much for this to be a successful break. I can't wait to get on the highway and "open her up", if you know what I mean. I expect this all to go a long way to maintaining my sanity. See ya Dallas!!
I suspect that Bill and I will drink more beer, and eat endless amounts of excellent Mexican Food. I think that's about all there is to do there if you're not into the tourist trip. It won't take much for this to be a successful break. I can't wait to get on the highway and "open her up", if you know what I mean. I expect this all to go a long way to maintaining my sanity. See ya Dallas!!
Thursday, May 26, 2005
A.D.D. Special!
I'm feeling spread-thin, all over the map. I don't think I've really got a.d.d., but I am easily distracted. I think it's way over-diagnosed. I do think that most people that grew up when I did and watched tons of bad TV have short attention-spans. I also think that there probably are a lot of folks that actually have a.d.d., but I think medicine is over-prescribed. But whenever there's money to be made you'll suddenly find a large portion of the populace that can't help but buy what their selling. This gets me to thinking about the whole "People have always been like this/We are just more aware of it because of the super fast transmission of information" argument. Topics that lend themselves to this are generally of the negative kind such as pedophilia, teen pregnancy/drug alcohol use/delinquency, violence, greed, fraud, and a slew of others. Topics that are perhaps more controversial or hard to classify in nature that prompt this debate include homosexuality, mental illness, child-rearing, materialism, family values, and the mysterious obsession most dudes and some women have with sports.
I tend to lean towards the side proclaiming that people are basically the way they have been since the dawn of time. There are more people alive today than the sum of all people that lived before them (supposedly), so it makes sense that one and all of the many quirks of the hairless ape would be exponentially widespread. This in combination with the fact that for whatever reason bad news is the most popular kind, and the fact that this news can travel the globe instantaneously would create the illusion that the world/this country/kids today are going down the toilet. I won't even get into the fact that I believe the media is intentionally instilling us with an irrational fear. This brings me to something that has been on my mind more and more in the last 5 years, human nature. People never cease to amaze me, and like it or not the ones that have the greatest impact on me are the assholes. I am constantly blown away by the highs and lows of the way people treat others( or themselves for that matter). Let me just say that I am far from saintly, selfless, or philanthropic but I like to think I give as much as I take in most of my dealings with others. I have seen recent examples of extreme generosity(see previous posts) and of extreme selfishness.
I must have been living in a fantasy world to a larger degree than I thought while going to U.N.T. in Denton. That and the fact that most of the people I mingled with were delusional as well (ie. artists/musicians/freaks) made for a harsh reality-check when I moved back to Dallas to become a part of the rat-race. The faster pace, materialism, and lack of a sense of humor or an interest in culture I was accosted with nearly every day caused me to consider relocating many times as I plan to in the next few years. It's really due to a combination of things that I had to deal with more truly evil people in any one of the 8 years or so I've been back than the whole 6 or so I lived in the little college town 30 minutes to the North. For example, I have had far more landlord/housing problems in Dallas. The worst being the cute, little grandma types. They get away with murder because most people are afraid to ask them for anything, and when you do they play dumb like a little wrinkled pro. And don't get fooled if they happen to be "artsy" or liberal or "laid back", they're the most dangerous. I just feel like venting and everybody else is already sick of listening to me. I've got a lot of craziness in my life that is beginning to come to a head right now despite my best efforts. If things get just a little better soon I'll feel like the last few years of struggle have been worth it. At least I'm starting to feel like my cajones are back if you know what I mean.
So as not to be a complete bummer here's some mindless fun:
http://flashface.ctapt.de/
I tend to lean towards the side proclaiming that people are basically the way they have been since the dawn of time. There are more people alive today than the sum of all people that lived before them (supposedly), so it makes sense that one and all of the many quirks of the hairless ape would be exponentially widespread. This in combination with the fact that for whatever reason bad news is the most popular kind, and the fact that this news can travel the globe instantaneously would create the illusion that the world/this country/kids today are going down the toilet. I won't even get into the fact that I believe the media is intentionally instilling us with an irrational fear. This brings me to something that has been on my mind more and more in the last 5 years, human nature. People never cease to amaze me, and like it or not the ones that have the greatest impact on me are the assholes. I am constantly blown away by the highs and lows of the way people treat others( or themselves for that matter). Let me just say that I am far from saintly, selfless, or philanthropic but I like to think I give as much as I take in most of my dealings with others. I have seen recent examples of extreme generosity(see previous posts) and of extreme selfishness.
I must have been living in a fantasy world to a larger degree than I thought while going to U.N.T. in Denton. That and the fact that most of the people I mingled with were delusional as well (ie. artists/musicians/freaks) made for a harsh reality-check when I moved back to Dallas to become a part of the rat-race. The faster pace, materialism, and lack of a sense of humor or an interest in culture I was accosted with nearly every day caused me to consider relocating many times as I plan to in the next few years. It's really due to a combination of things that I had to deal with more truly evil people in any one of the 8 years or so I've been back than the whole 6 or so I lived in the little college town 30 minutes to the North. For example, I have had far more landlord/housing problems in Dallas. The worst being the cute, little grandma types. They get away with murder because most people are afraid to ask them for anything, and when you do they play dumb like a little wrinkled pro. And don't get fooled if they happen to be "artsy" or liberal or "laid back", they're the most dangerous. I just feel like venting and everybody else is already sick of listening to me. I've got a lot of craziness in my life that is beginning to come to a head right now despite my best efforts. If things get just a little better soon I'll feel like the last few years of struggle have been worth it. At least I'm starting to feel like my cajones are back if you know what I mean.
So as not to be a complete bummer here's some mindless fun:
http://flashface.ctapt.de/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
