Not much has been happening to my body lately so here's the story of my heart instead

Work is stupid. I want a small home, and I want to put golden antlers with ribbons and bones and photos hanging from them above the mantle, and I want to fill the house with streamers and Christmas lights, and I want to make paper pyramid floor lamps covered in hieroglyphics and secret messages. And I want to eat dinner on the floor and listen to music as loud as I want and run around the house in feathers and war paint, dancing and singing along. And then I want to smash the lamps and take down the streamers and rebuild the décor from scratch, maybe make molds of internal organs and turn them into mobiles and hang them everywhere amidst the Christmas lights.

Then I remember that if no one worked then photo equipment certainly wouldn’t exist, and trees wouldn’t get cut down to make paper for the streamers, or the newsprint that I would use for papier mache for the antlers, or to make timber to build my house with. If no one worked I wouldn’t have a kitchen and I couldn’t bake all the love and sadness I cant speak into layer cakes and cream puffs. I have built my dreams on the work of those before me and it seems wrong not to participate, to contribute.

So if no one worked then I guess we would still be cavemen. I guess I would have to find berries and stuff to eat when I was hungry, and they would probably not be very tasty, and I might be cold and wet sometimes, and I might eventually starve to death. I might have to hide from dinosaurs, and run from sabre tooth tigers, and wild boars (who are particularly vicious). But then i could wear fur and eat meat and always have bonfires and run yelling into the woods when i needed to. And really, I think all i want is someone to make cave paintings with anyway.

I've really been trying to make more things lately and I realized that a good way to do that is to make gifts for people. This is an embroidery of the island featured in the television show "Lost," which I have recently become a fan of. This pillow case is for a friend of mine who is pretty much obsessed with this TV show. Anyhow, I really like the aesthetic of this piece and it's also nice to try something new and have it come out the way that you envision. Success.

Cougar Flashy

"Tell yr friends its ok to make and enjoy hip hop if yr white, tell yr friends that hip hop is like punk cause you can do whatever you want with it, also tell yr friends you love them"

This guy makes a lot of stuff under a lot of monikers, and im in love with all of it. Grant Gronewald is from Illinois (which immediately brings him close to my heart) but resides in Melbourne, Australia. My friend Tim Kelly introduced me to Cougar Flashy through this film he made as a series of films on artists in his hometown of Melbourne (Tim now lives in Montreal and will be premiering the first 2 films in the montreal version of this series as part of Pop Montreal's Film Pop FYI y'all)

When you connect with an artist's work it is tempting to feel like you know the artist, or like they would understand everything if only you knew each other. This isnt exactly a fair impulse, but its important to be able to recognize your hunger and need in an artifact created by another person. It helps you understand yourself, to feel less alone, and to want to try and know other people. 

I don't know Grant, but this is what his work represents to me: It represents the belief that all of your experiences and feelings are valid. That embracing the sad parts of life can be done with a sense of humor, and without paralysis. It says that life is temporal, and that thats hard, but there's freedom in it. That there's no reason not to enjoy yourself. That the best of life is hanging out with rad people making rad things.  That you should be allowed to make whatever you feel like making. That exclusion and superiority of any kind is a waste of time. Live and let live. 

probably this is just a reflection of what i believe, what i want to believe, to feel more secure in my own impulse to make things. But I still like to think that Grant would approve of the sentiment. 

You can see drawings here (Hyper Color Castle Collective). If you send him a clothing article and work out a fair price, he will draw on it and send it back, I want something SO BAD, as soon as i have an income (which will be GOD ONLY KNOWS when) this is what I'm spending it on.

Cougar Flashy (Clearings?) music here

more music (prmnt blng) here

OH, Hi again!

OMG its been like two months I feel like such an asshole! Here's the deal:

a) I got a life (Carissa already had one) so neither of us has SO much time for blogging

b) I was living in other people's homes without the internet

c) my new home doesnt have the internet yet and i feel GUILTY using work time for this

d) Carissa's internet sux

I know my homegirl has been taking some photos/thinking some thoughts/making some things she should post, and i have been listening to some rad new tunes and making silly drawings that i will share with you soon. I just wanted to say hi, we're still here and show you this:

thx to janjan for this song!

Roman Candle Sound Like Love

I like bands that are kinda bad the way I like men who are kinda ugly (ugly hot, it’s a real thing). Gap teeth, scars, birthmarks, a big or crooked nose, adorably misguided fashion choices, or a few early gray hairs are just a few items on the LONG list of physical imperfections that unaccountably turn me on. But sometimes a guy is just so objectively handsome, and such a swell fellow on top of it, that I am attracted to him in spite of his perfection.

There is nothing bad, ugly, challenging, noisy, or unpolished about Roman Candle. They can play their instruments and their singer can sing (not to mention write songs). Much of their material could play on Vh1. Your parents would probably like them. The thing is, they are just really really really good. They are delightful. They are that handsome, swell, fellow I can’t help but fall for.

Top 10 loveable things about Roman Candle
1) The core trio of the band consists of Skip Matheny, his brother Logan, and his wife Timshel (they have babies-baby candle!)
2) Their songs are just really good. Their use of language is considered and specific while remaining unpretentious. The only word for their songwriting/storytelling style is ‘charming.’
2)a) In fact, everything about them is charming
3) Their songs are full to overflowing. The sound is so big it just overwhelms you, the melodies are so lovely you don’t even mind drowning in them.
4) Even after playing for ten years they rock a half full dive bar where most patrons showed up for the cavs game like it’s the best night of their lives.
5) They are gracious.
6) They love what they do and each other.
7) They radiate positivity and love.
8) They are inspiring!
9) I want to be Timshel and Skip.
10) I want Timshel and Skip to be my parents.

Roman Candle-Why Modern Radio is A-OK

Roman Candle Myspace for songs from new album, 'Oh Tall Tree in the Ear' (listen to 'Eden Was a Garden')

aftermath

I'm J.J. Abrams and I'm from the future.

I finally went to see Star Trek last night. The top two things i came away from the experience with are:

1) J.J. Abrams loves time travel so much he wants to take it behind the middle school and get it pregnant

2) The Enterprise is so full of Hotties as to render this film basically a chick flick.                   

                                                              

 Maybe you prefer the chiselled jaw and rugged American recklessness, ambition, and heroism of James T. Kirk. Or there's the Darcy of the enterprise, Spock. His unparalleled intellect, exotic browline, troubled past and coy remoteness keep you hoping you are the one who will be able to get past that cold Vulcan exterior and make him love you.

Maybe the boyish face, pseudo new-wave haircut, wide naive eyes, and thick sexy accent of Chekhov are more to your liking. If you have an overpowering fetish for scottish accents and the loveable shenanigans of zany geniuses, there's Scotty for you. For the lady who likes a mature man, theres the no nonsense nobility and pessimistic realism of Doctor McCoy. Maybe you were the first one to believe in the clueless but good hearted, loyal, and good looking Sulu. If you are bi-curious, gay, or a dude there's that tough and foxy Uhura for you.

If you are troubled, 16, and into nu metal, you can fantasize about destroying the world at Nero's side.

Thanks for the future eye candy J.J.!