Charlie Alvarado

!

2009-06-23T06:45:00.000-07:00

Mixtape USB stick...

2009-06-22T01:29:00.000-07:00

(via skull swap)
I hope this never gets used for the use of giving a "mixtape". Tapes are still the best media on the planet for making mixes... hands down. turntables are cool too.

Santtu Mustonen

2009-06-22T01:25:00.000-07:00

via NCOTB

Plant Gadgets (wanting an iPhone?)

2009-05-11T12:05:00.000-07:00

This is definitely one of the most enticing things I have seen and iPhone do, but given the recent Patriot-Act-Like-information-monitoring-gestapo-style, I think I can still hold off... but dang. sweet. (via Boing-Boing Gadgets)

another awesome plant related gadget I have recently discovered is the Easy Bloom, a cheesy-looking electronic flower you stick in your garden for 24 hours, whilst it measures pH, water, nutrients, light cycles, and who knows what else... Then the fun happens when you plug this baby into your USB port, and voila! Read-outs and graphs galore, along with some software to tell you what's wrong (or right) with your soil/placement if you are trying to grow a specific plant. It also suggests plants based on what you've got, all for around 60 smackers (american).

1940? really?

2009-02-12T08:30:00.000-08:00

new year op(portunity)

2009-01-09T11:22:00.000-08:00

Terry Gilliam's inspiration for 12 monkeys

2008-12-06T10:16:00.000-08:00

Fun with the city (and bikes)!!!

2008-12-05T15:42:00.000-08:00

this is part of a larger project called XCLINIC: the fruits of many, including natalie jeremijenko, an incredible designer and fearless interdisciplinary thinker. check out some of her many projects.

Book (every 3) Month(s)

2008-09-29T19:11:00.000-07:00

I am way behind on finish a book every month, so I am going to be reading a few kids books in order to catch up. Lame, I know, but this last one was really dense, but really awesome.

A Thousand Years of Nonlinear History by Manuel Delanda

Beyond the use of metaphor which merely scratches the surface of his better points (e.g. people and ideas move in waves, economic hierarchies are like geological strata, etc.) , I really enjoyed the giant step back from time scale in an approach similar to that of the Long Now Foundation. I found Delanda's analysis of material and energy formations over time extremely exciting and full of provocative questions about what the next 100(0) years will look like.

I loved the first two sections, Geological and Biological.
Auto-catalytic loops?!? Hierarchy vs. Meshwork? magnifique!
Even the linguistic history chapters got me towards the end.
Though I felt a truly objective approach slipping away at times, I felt that he managed a pretty neutral and factually based standpoint throughout.
The only thing missing in this beautiful work is an INDEX!

next up: Fantastic Mr. Fox

Plumbing Blog?

2008-09-08T18:28:00.000-07:00

http://radiantplumbing.com/blog

Taste Artists of Art Flavours...

2008-09-08T12:35:00.000-07:00

I have long been interested in the possibilities of narrative or theoretical application of tastes and smells. The first time I actually encountered someone doing anything close to it was at Mel Zeigler and Kate Ericson's retrospective at the Austin Museum of Art (AMOA), which featured their piece The Smell and Taste of Things Remain. I am thrilled to learn of at least one more artist using this technique. An Italian gelatto maker, Osvaldo Castellari, made 4 unique flavors to illustrate concepts; Memory, the Archive, the Spectacle, and the Body. I will be searching for more documentation, as I would love to find as many descriptions of the tastes as possible. For now, here is a small overview of the project written prior to it's debut.

Also!

I have an idea for how to do

8. document change over time

Some combination of up to 6 people (1? 2? 3?) decided to try to fight me for no reason, so I have some gnarly carnage en mi cara. Nothing broken, but won't be biking for a few days. Look forward to some time-elapsed healing, if all goes to plan!

Ar(t)chitecture

2008-09-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

Monika Sosnowska - this woman's quirky architectural interventions bring the beauty and vigor of design to a world of wit and expression. Her work is critical and timely and encourages a new perspective on the role of architecture in urban spaces. She has a command over intimate details and monotony of repetition. Coinciding with her installation for the 52nd Venice Biennale, she will be releasing a book, and speaking in Basel this friday with Andrea Zittel. I wouldn't mind being there to say the least.

DANG!

2008-08-04T01:01:00.000-07:00

apparently these two guys in florida will program a song on the "Rock-afire Explosion Band" based on the highest bid. Thanks LP.

30. Bike Far?

2008-07-23T03:20:00.000-07:00

out farm-to-market 969...

One of the Best...

2008-07-21T00:49:00.000-07:00

I recently saw what could be the most beautiful movie I have seen, if not to date, in a very long time. It is called "I Am Cuba" and was made by Mikhail Kalatozov. The cinematography is lump-in-the-throat inducing. Seeing as that it was made in 1964, it may have actually been avant-garde to shoot hand-held footage. The shots are constantly moving around the subjects and spaces, and tilting to allow just enough room for everything to dizzyingly fit. Check out the trailer...

or the whole thing... phwew!

Godfather and Washtub Bass...

2008-07-21T00:40:00.001-07:00

I have fallen even farther behind on reading books, listened to a whole bunch of albums in their entirety, finished the Godfather Trilogy, and made/played a "washtub" bass.

~~26. watch the Godfather trilogy~~

My thoughts on the Godfather: I'm not sure why I chose theses of all films to be on my list. Perhaps because I was curious about the third one and felt like I would never be able to really know how I felt about it unless I saw them all. It seemed like anything I heard about III was really polarized: it is some peoples' favorite, while many abhor it. I thought it provided a much needed (after the first two) human element to Michael Corleone. Sure it was 14+ years late, Sophia Coppola isn't the greatest actress, and it has a lot to do with the Vatican. It frustrating to see he is lying and vengeful in the first two so its nice to see Michael as someone with convictions, or at least a soft spot for his family.

Similarly, I would like to see Dark Knight, but have not seen it's predecessor, so I have been watching Batman Begins in 2 min. snippets all day.

annnnd... I made and played a "washtub" bass. Thought the washtub is more of an office trash can than a washtub, it sounds great through a contact mic mounted on the bottom (top). This method also works for making a bass out of a door...

I played it at the chicken-wire-shit-sling-cage-match at Beerland (pictured). Thanks to anyone who came, threw stuff, participated, or all of the above.
so...

~~71. make and play a washtub bass~~

Long Time Coming

2008-06-12T03:13:00.000-07:00

Though I have been particularly absent from the blog-o-sphere, this is my first entry in over a month, so as is to be expected there has been much going on. I have not only been a lame internet writer, but have also fallen behind on my letter writing, so if you have written me a letter, and have not yet gotten a response, worry not. You are on my mind.

I have continued to read a book a month. I finished "curious incident of the dog in the nighttime" last month for starters, amazingly keeping me on track for:

101. Read a book every month (3/33)

(click the dog picture to get directions for a "curious dog" origami card.)

I have also:

019. ~~ma[d]e friends with older people~~

I'm not exactly sure what this was going to mean when I put it on the list, but I think I have done it. Though I do have some friends that are almost twice my age, I have made 2 friends who definitely qualify (50+), mostly thanks to Grant. In previous postings, I mentioned the self-proclaimed "bike dude", Kansas, who has certainly moved beyond "acquaintance" status. Most recently, I have enjoyed the company of a man named Bill who lives down the street in a nursing home. He used to be a rancher until fairly recently, when he started losing feeling in his hands and feet. I'm not exactly sure how old he is, I would place him at about 75. He is really sharp and privy to the most surprising of topics. On Saturday, we spoke of Eminem, Marilyn Manson, and Fellini. I lent him one of my favorite movies of all time, Underground.

044. ~~learn old games~~ (2)
Thanks to Bill, I also learned some old games. They are both baseball related games, but one is called:

"Flies and Skinners"- similar to "500". Flyballs are "flies" and "skinners" are grounders which are each worth an agreed upon point value. When a fielder gets to a certain score, the privilage of bat is theirs. and so on...

I can't remember the name of the other one, so I will wait on that one.

011. get on roofs (6)

Parking Garages Count! I have been on two notable garage roofs, which I will count for the spirit of exploration I hoped to embody when I set this goal. I rode bikes to the top of the new one at about 21st and Pearl with Shane Wood a few weeks ago, which gave an eerily new perspective of West Campus. New buildings always kind of freak me out, but I am glad to see more dense residential zones and "mixed use" developments, even if that just means putting a Pluckers (local hot wing eatery) under apartments.

I got on top of another parking garage somewhere near 38th and speedway, which has at least one noteworthy amenity. A Basketball court!

Last (and sort of least), I got on top of a house of some friends of friends in my neighborhood during a party. Textbook example of "Big head Theory" which basically states: It takes two to move a crowd. Funny how when no one is on the roof, no one thinks about it until they see some other folks doing it. The Great Dan Bui and I successfully lured about 10 people up there to drink a brew-dog.

Book a Month...

2008-04-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

I checked out and never finished Will Bradley's book called Self Organization:Counter Economic Stategies, which was really great, and I did finish most of it. Alas, almost doesn't cut it. but! I did finish Leonora Carrington's The Hearing Trumpet last week.

I enjoy her art immensely, so I thought I would give her a read. She is a surrealist born in 1917, so much like the main character of the story, she is almost 92. The book is really short, but difficult to get a hold of. I found a copy through interlibrary loan, from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Anyway, the main character is a spry old gal, who has been sent to an institution for "senile women", crawling with strange spiritual ritual enforced by a mean man and his wife. Given that it is written by a surrealist who hung out with Max Ernst and Picasso, wild twists come as no surprise. Potent imagery, the spirit of children in old people, mystic pseudo-religious history, werewolves, poison, and of course, the hearing trumpet, all make this book enjoyable. don't get wrong. I typically can't get into fantasy. but she bad.

101. read a book every month (2/33)

and...

011. get on roofs (3)

I got on some folks roof at a party this weekend, though I have no idea whose house it was. people kept threatening to invite Skidmarxxx. lots of black.

Volunteer...

2008-04-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

In light of my lack of employment and desire to keep busy, I have been trying to offer my services on a volunteer basis. If you need some extra hands, feet, brains, etc. feel free to let me know.

Here are the places I have volunteered at so far:

Church of the Friendly Ghost: making flyers.
Rhizome Collective/Inside Books Project: sending books, writing letters, making food.
Black Star Co-op: Tabling at the Dogfish Head short film festival.

so...

~~041. volunteer~~

I would love to keep track of the hours, but it's a bit difficult...
how about a tally?

7 flyers (untold hours).
8 hours.

B to the arter...

2008-03-31T15:55:00.000-07:00

I haven't quite kicked this off in the big way I one day hope to, but so far in the past three weeks I have bartered for bicycle repair.

The first was upon my return from Seattle, when I exchanged a bike tube for a sandwich (from Bossa Nova) with Lee from East Side Peddle Pushers.

The second was with a man named Kansas who has lived in town for 3-4 years. He lives out at bio-squat and has been working on bikes for 30 years. My roommate, Grant, bought a bike from him with a particularly crazy paint-job but a particularly cherry ride. Kansas makes/refurbishes/repairs his own bikes, trailers and all kinds of stuff, including his own design for a recumbent bike. Since the bike Grant bought malfunctioned, he picked-up, fixed and re-delivered the busted wheel. Since he was around, I talked about outfitting my new bike (single-speed) with gears. He trued my wheels, and tuned my brakes. In return, I offered a great okra soup I made the night before.

sooo....

058. ~~barter~~ (3)

p.s. Kansas is new to the internet, and is trying to get the word out about his work. If you need a bike or bike repair, I will do my best to contact him for you. Also, he is looking for a new habitat. He is extremely low maintenance and would love a garage to work in, a yard to pitch a tent in, or any other alternative living situation. He is also more than willing to pay rent, but would love to be an in-house bike mechanic for a co-op. Hook a brother up. The man is 60, with a rock-solid work ethic.

Also! Check out Austin Time Exchange. I recently found out that it is legal to print your own money, to be used locally. Barter it up, ya'll!

Back from Seattle, SXSW, and Installing Cult of Color.

2008-03-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

So, at the beginning of the month, I took a road trip with my friend Stephanie to Seattle that took almost a week and covered 5,300 miles of driving. While I had great ambition for the trip, planning to get a short haircut (#014), give haircuts (#23), get in a hot spring (#025), visit an apiary (#028)and pick fruit (#031) none of which I did. However, there has been far more success than failure in the last week. So here goes!... :

On the way to Seattle, we stopped through Denver, and I got to see my friend/tower climbing boss/beat generation incarnate, Jeronimo, Matt Case, Macon Terry, Fei Wu, Jamie Jack, Macon's girlfriend Brynn and her friend Jenn(y). We tore the roof off the sucker. And Matt decided to come with us. We left Denver after a good hour of piano playing and wrestlin' which ended some time around midnight. Then we had to drive through a snow storm in Wyoming all night at 30 mph.

021. visit a new state (2)

Idaho on the way, where Stephanie punted an ice cream cone (!)
Montana on the way back, where we ate a cholesterol-fest of a breakfast at "The Hanging 5" diner.

015. make bets for things that aren't money (1)

Stephanie was convinced her legs were longer, so we made a bet for shoelaces. Yeah, I won. She bought me some sweet red plaid fatlaces at Archie McPhee's, but we have reason to believe that Matt stole them when unloading his stuff. Punk. (Archie's is kind of like Toy Joy, but way better because of their incredibly random stock of industrial parts, lenses, machines, buttons, wheels, containers, and all around weird stuff that can only be a toy through the right pair of eyes.)

036. footrace

I raced Matt from the cupcake store where our friend Darin works. I won, but it wasn't a very good race. Unfortunately my best races have been prior to the conception of this blog... wanna race? let me know...

045. go to the beach

In Seattle, Stephanie, Ian, Matt and I visited the Olympic Sculpture Park, right on the Puget Sound. There are some pretty sweet sculptures, but best of all, it is right on the water.
At the very bottom left of this picture, you can see the rocky beach where I jumped in. It was definitely as cold as I expected (perhaps even slightly less), but for some reason the salt caught me totally off guard. Then I went and watched Be Kind Rewind with no underwear (it was wet).

027. listen to an new album in it's entirety each week (4/143)

I know I listened to a gang of new music on this trip, but the only things I know were knew to me were two bands from Seattle - Girth's "Living In Truth" and Sean's "Singers Ruin Perfectly Good Bands". Both are circulated through Brutal Prog, and are mostly precision-metalish in their sound. Sean is an incredible Piano and Drums duo that is simply unprecedented. Ah yes, and Estradasphere's "Palace of Mirrors".

029. meet 3 people who have had strong influence on me through their work (2/3)

On the way back to Austin, Stephanie was kind enough to oblige my potent desire to see Secret Chiefs 3 in Houston. Little did I know that Estradasphere was supposed to open, a special reward for the extra effort. After the show, I talked to Trey Spruance- the brains behind Secret Chiefs, Guitar player for Mr. Bungle, and truly an inspiration musically and philosophically.

Back in Austin, SXSW, blah blah blah... THIS WEEK, I worked installing the work of Trenton Doyle Hancock. I randomly went to his talk at UT about 3-4 years ago where he mentioned he was working on putting together a project with the Austin Ballet. After the long anticipation, the event is finally happening. The show is called Cult of Color, and Arthouse is hosting an installation about the collaboration between TDH, Graham Reynolds (musician), and Steven Mills (choreographer) that brought this baby to fruition. So...

~~004. be involved in a theater production~~

And I got on a fabulous roof in downtown Austin last night. So...

011. ~~get on roofs~~ (2)

053. - Changed!

2008-02-28T00:23:00.000-08:00

053. get recently aquired hitachi VCR to work with Panasonic Camcorder

The "Panasonic Camcorder" is the one that all of my childhood home videos were made on. This thing is a beast. I can remember countless school plays, dance recitals, and pretty much anything at night having a crazy light burn that would make trails across the picture.

Here is the down side:
It came with it's own VCR that had a slot for a battery pack enabling it's portability. The VCR connects and powers the camera through a cable labeled "Serial". In the inheritance of this magnificent media relic, there was no VCR. Thus I am on a quest for a VCR that has "Serial" output, maybe even a battery. anything that will make this camera make images.

I recently thought I stumbled into a goldmine when I found a VCR with such a port, but no battery. Old, old hitachi, complete with a handle. $2 at the Goodwill bins. I bought a chord that powers it from Radio Shack. Alas, all the belts in the VCR are crusted over and snapped immediately upon turning it on.

So...

053. get Panasonic Camcorder to work

Almost.

2008-02-28T00:15:00.000-08:00

056. complete a crossword puzzle (correctly) by myself

Roofs, Car Stereo, Spring Garden

2008-02-19T14:05:00.000-08:00

011. get on roofs(1)

Brian F., and his roommates, Josh, Will + (is that it?) hosted a party on Saturday with a Spider-man bounce-house-moonwalk. Damn those things are fun - but - they also had a huge crate in their backyard, enabling easy access to his roof, eye level with Spider-man. The goal is multiple roofs, so I'm halfway there I suppose...

100. read all Nicolas Bourriaud's Books (1/2)
101. read a book every month

I just finished Nicolas Bourriaud's Post-Production: Culture as Screenplay: How Art Reprograms the World, which talks mainly about contemporary art primarily from the 90's that uses existing elements of culture, albeit architecture, images, text, colors, or even completed works themselves. His discussion of artwork is reference-laden, and as a result, it can be hard to envision what exactly he is talking about. Many of the artists that the book discusses, create work that is difficult to understand through images, or even eye witness. Unfortunately, this flaw can be daunting, but his writing is edgy, passionate, and new so I was willing to stick it out.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<.other news.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I successfully added a CD player to my car! No longer will I be relegated to tapes! Music never sounded so good (barring the time when the original CD player wasn't broken). Ironically, in light of this new power, I am on a tape making kick. If you want one, let me know! I will make you a one of a kind mix as I rifle through my music collections and the radio.

Even though my goal is to listen to an album in it's entirety each week (which is hard to do in a car) I will be able to activate those piles of CDs that get so little playtime. If you have something you think I should hear, send it my way. Email? Snail Mail? FTP? DL? sure!

My roommates (Grant and Devin) and I went to the Austin Sustainable Food Center in an incredibly weird, futuristic, gold mirror-glass building called "The Twin Towers". We got a gang of free seeds, fertilizer and literature. If you are interested in starting a garden, it is a great place to get seeds, and now is a great time to plant a spring garden (i think). Today, I will plant, Spinach, Cilantro, Carrots, Broccoli, Snow Peas and Micro Greens. This is the first food I have grown from seed, so I know very little about the timing. Wish us luck...

Alright!

sketchbook found, list posted!

2008-02-15T14:42:00.000-08:00

The 1001 day clock has been ticking for a good 2 weeks and I had yet to post the actual list. In all it's glory, it is now posted for your browsing and perusing pleasure. For those who don't know, several acquaintances, friends, and roommates are challenging ourselves and each other to complete 101 things in 1001 days. If you see something you want to collabo on, let me know. I removed "make list" from its prominent position at number 1, which was completed almost two weeks ago. With this massive list update, I am realizing I will need to keep a count instead of simply crossing off some of these endeavors.

058. Barter

I'm not sure if it counts, Kevin Addickes proposed a themed mix CD trade. The theme he gave me was "Spring Heeled Jack". The theme I gave him was, "moneyless society". I have made a mix TAPE in lieu of a CD and it has been delivered.

052. Bull's Eye!

Do red ones count? I went to Dog and Duck on Tuesday with Michael Greene, Dan Bui and their roommate Tyler met us there. We played darts, and while i got several red bull's eyes (meaning the outer ring of the center) the 3rd dart of my turn bounced off the board, and I hastily picked it up and threw the only black bull's eye of the night. It didn't count for the game, but the Bull's eye count is up to 1.

057. buy food i have never tried and cook with it

At Whole Food's on Saturday, I bought a taro root. Its texture is rough and hairy on the outside and sticky potato on the inside. I have had taro chips, but never prepared it myself. Though "Joy of Cooking" (1997 edition) suggests baking them, I sautéed it in thin slices with onion, garlic, pepper, ginger, jalapeño and scrambled eggs. It was awesome.

081. (re)make clothes (picture coming soon)

I sewed a shirt to another shirt. My leaning tower of Pisa shirt which hung on my wall for the last year was sewn to my Israeli army shirt. It is quite the mash-up as Nathan Greene observed
on it's first outing.
The Italy shirt was purchased by my friend Molly Pierce on a trip to Italy, where her mother was inappropriately dressed to go into a museum. Apparently, sleeveless shirts are not allowed, but there is a convenient souvenir stand nearby. It looks like the nike logo, with the tower for the letter "I".
The Israel shirt was given to me by my friend Adam Robinson.

027. listen to a new album in it's entirety each week

This week it is Nat Baldwin's Most Valuable Player. I had the pleasure of meeting him on Wednesday at his show at Rancho Relaxo. Everyone in his band was extremely friendly and talented. I still can't get over one horn arrangement made to sound like backwards guitar. Phwew. I think I will have to listen to this one again soon. (right now.)

As soon as I get a computer of my own (within the week! thanks, sis!) my documentation with be more rich, thorough, and frequent. alright!

Dang ol' loosin'

2008-02-03T23:05:00.000-08:00

I have lost my most favorite sketchbook.

At least the one I have been using. If you have seen it, please let me know. It has my name and phone number in it.
Frustrating, every time I think about it. Especially because of the fact that it is the only place in that contains the original list of 101 things to do in the next 1001 days.

The list was completed on Tuesday while at a book tour reading/listening of David Isay's work with StoryCorps. Little did I know, he was on my "List of things to check out" in the front of the aforementioned displaced sketch book. I found out about him through one of my recent favorite Artists, Christine Hill.

Today, I played kickball, organized by Patrick at the "West Austin Park". If you are in Austin on a Sunday, drop by any time between 3pm and sundown. I think it happens every week (even when there's a super bowl.) I also made a flyer for a show at the Hole In The Wall on Feb. 15 featuring, The Black, The Reverse X-Rays, Follow That Bird, and Martin Crane. It starts at 9, and will be worth showing up on time for (Martin is great).

Sir Richard Bishop at Rancho Relaxo (Austin, TX), JANUARY 26th!

2008-01-17T09:01:00.000-08:00

The good folks at Rancho Relaxo, and Mr. Zach "birthday boy" Stacy have succeeded in bringing (or at least planning to bring) Sir Richard Bishop to Austin on Jan. 26th. The bill looks something like this:

Sir Richard Bishop
The Weird Weeds
Ralph White
Ethan: Master of the Hawaiian Ukulele
Gary Barftits
Country

Starts at 5pm.
3402 Merrie Lynn

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Starbucks, Urban Sprawl, Nationwide Obesity, and the Situationist International

2008-01-09T09:48:00.000-08:00

Recently, straddling the fence of a job that requires me to drive 13 miles each way every day and the possibility of having a job I can walk or bike to has made me think about a lot of the ways that we use urban space. Looking at psychogeography, Constant Nieuwenhuis' Unitary Urbanist utopia -New Babylon- and interaction artists highlighted by the writings of Nicolas Bourriaud (Relational Aesthetics, Post-production), I have been considering the overlaps between art, commerce, city planning, and the differences between public and private space usage. Now I add health to that list.

One of the major ideas of the Situationist International (SI, 1957-1972) movement was that as long as situations and environments remain the same, so will the life we lead through them. In order to subvert the imposed infrastructure of cities (i.e. sidewalks, roads, fences, dead ends, parks, etc.), situationists would employ the spirit of the flaneur and the concept of dérive ("drifting"), wandering as they were compelled, seeking the possibilities that may await when their journey became the destination. It has been said that much of the failure of SI Utopian models was due to their over-politicization or lack of execution when bringing their ideals into reality through means of cooperation with architects, city planners, officials, and bureaucracy. Regardless of the lack of material presence, their ideas are valuable points of consideration in light of excessive (in my opinion) interest in passive, encapsulated activity (e.g. TV) and growing problems related to obesity and lack of exercise.

Obesity and TV
According to Consumer Lab, the average American household has at least 100 channels. According to Trash Your TV, the average American watches more than 4 hours per day (28+ hrs. per week).

I just read two articles on Forbes.com about the 50 most sedentary and most obese cities in America. The articles compile data of exercise, the body mass index (BMI) and average TV consumption, among other data sets. One of the most interesting points was their observation that each of the cities they looked at had its own issues that contributed to their problems of obesity (>%60). Lack of access to healthy food, lack of proximity to markets and leisure, lack of public greenscapes, cultural lifestyles (see Louisville - bourbon and tobacco). Maybe its because what's on TV is so great, but... probably not.

Corporate Initiative

Chicago-based non-profit, CEOs for Cities (and many others), are working to promote health in the workplace, and are making efforts to show that the Big Boss does care about your wellbeing and happiness. As horrible as a lot of corporate activity can be, the power that they have in terms of Capital - the mixture of accumulated labor and tools of production - is unprecedented and can be found no where else. This power doesn't have to be overtly domineering, imperialistic, destructively consolidated, or dehumanizing, or simply based on purveying goods at the lowest price to consumer/customers, but could be the point of insertion for a subversive infrastructure that reverses many of the problems of American cities. A recent posting on the CEOs for Cities blog showed the role of Starbuck's in creating hip, comfortable spaces where ever sprawl may roam.

What if we had to work for that comfort? What if the payoff was worth it? Though it may seem counter intuitive to remove the convenience from a store, an anomaly in the context of that comfort could go farther than one would expect. People are very comfortable with the idea of going to a coffee shop (particularly one with a recognizable logo, and a generally homogeneous , nationwide aesthetic). They know what to expect and they seek it out. As much as we like to hide it, we are like mice looking for the cheese. Creating ways to inject city life with a sense of exploration, and surprise invigorates our sense of discovery. Combining this idea with the need for walking and biking friendly cities, we could have secret Starbuck's, tucked away in a forgotten corners, offering discounted prices for those willing to make the extra effort. We could strategically place them to promote the coupling of exercise and leisure. Honestly, I think I can count the number of times I have had a Starbuck's drink on my fingers (maybe with some toes), but I would venture to say that there are people out there who went more than 365 times last year. Let's give them something to talk about.

The popularity of pop-art and similationists, like Jeff Koons, glorified, or as Bourriaud would say, "made sacred" (post-production, pg. 21) the moment of presentation in realm of marketing, advertising and consumption. Unlike the relationship of moth to flame (desire=death), the conditioned patterns of consumption don't have to be a dead-end. Through careful attention to and mediation those moments of interaction between humans and their desired objects, artists can take part in shaping the city, the neighborhood, the store shelf, and the household.

Since we, as a collective American society, lack the incentives to change our situations and our environments, the slight manipulation of these things could serve the idealistic ends of the Situationists: that our lives become art.

2007-12-30T13:29:00.000-08:00

in this insular world, here
of infinite space
the power to create
confined in boxes.

edges applied retroactively,
the click line in the sand
where everything falls off
on the reflection in the screen.

burning in our lap,
let's make pockets!
the warm void made
of connecting edges.

white space
two for
one/zero
sale.

Truth and Indelible marks

2007-12-30T11:25:00.001-08:00

I am trying to make a more conscious effort to make things in my life indelible. Mostly as an attempt to keep my self from regret, nostalgia, shame, and dissatisfaction. the internet, in its ephemeral hurricane tsunami splendor, has several ways to combat this. the ability to edit and delete posts, even deleting "profiles" etc. allows much of our interaction to be stricken from the record. At the same time, it makes documentation of our interactions infinitesimally easier. One might say, it makes us gods.

av·a·tar [av-uh-tahr, av-uh-tahr] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –noun
1. Hindu Mythology. the descent of a deity to the earth in an incarnate form or some manifest shape; the incarnation of a god.

2. an embodiment or personification, as of a principle, attitude, or view of life.

3. Computers. a graphical image that represents a person, as on the Internet.

of these, i think the one that starts with "Computers" is the least appropriate, mostly because it reduces the powerful process of embodiment and personification to the manifestation of "a graphical image".

Just like printed paper money is backed by gold, the internet is merely a representation of legal tender backed by humans. Our communication of "principle, attitude, or view of life" is present, even if it is limited to boxes (just like the one I am writing in now) for the space of creation. Where else in our lives can we reverse, edit, or cleanly remove the public trace of our actions? Why do we exercise that power? Shame? Selective memory?

The French Historian Pierre Nora said, "History is perpetually suspicious of memory and its true mission is to suppress and destroy it."

Similar to Thomas ("Darwin's Bulldog") Huxley, "The great tragedy of Science - the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact."

In both instances the desired mentality is allowed to dominate through means slaying, suppression, and destruction. The facts are constantly at odds with what we want them to be. Oddly enough, the front lines of this battle are often not only turbulent, but silent, personal, and delusional. When history steps in, and it becomes time to pass these ideas onto the next generation, we can pass the desired result (idealized mentality), shed of its excruciating struggle to become pure.

Ever seen David Lynch's Lost Highway? Bill Pullman's character is suspicious of cameras because he likes to remember things his "own way". Pierre Nora investigates this mentality and often uses French National Memory as his subject, where he is less interested in linear historical narrative of the events that actually occurred than in the processes that adopt the events into collective memory. Histoire des Mentalités (history of mentalities)

"a history in multiple voices . . . less interested in causes than in effects; . . . less interested in 'what actually happened' than in its perpetual re-use and misuse, its influence on successive presents; less interested in traditions than in the way in which traditions are constituted and passed on." -from Realms of Memory

In On Truth, by Harry G. Frankfurt, he says that "it is nearly always more advantageous to face the facts than to remain ignorant of them". He says the crime of lying is creating a false reality, alienating to the victim(s). "The victim of the lie is... shut off from the world of common experience and isolated in an illusory realm to which there is no path that others might find or follow."

On the first Dial-A-Stranger, a radio show on KPWR that pairs stranger's asking questions to strangers willing to provide answers, a question was, "would you rather be right, or happy." In general, people would much rather be happy with a lie, than incredibly unhappy with the truth. If we are happy under false pretenses, isn't that just as alienating as being a victim of a lie? I feel that the utmost happiness comes from being fully aware and connecting with people honestly.

So why not leave obfuscation and anonymity, embracing transparency and accessibility? Though this blog is now 5 posts old, I already want to delete things I said less than a week ago. Somehow I have convinced myself that it is a better practice of power to constantly want to delete something I said and deny myself, than to simply delete it and pretend it never happened.

And i still find it incredibly strange that our monetary value system is still based on shiny metal.

The Helpers of St. Nicolas

2007-12-25T13:24:00.001-08:00

Some one that knows me all too well sent me a video of what are called Krampus. The Krampus are " companions of St. Nicolas" that do his dirty work (i.e. hitting children with bundles of sticks, throwing them into bags, and filling their stockings with coal. )

The video below is not the one that was sent, this one is much more violent and scary. They usually just dance around, but this one shows that they can get a bit more aggressive and physical. I urge you to investigate other Krampus documentation to get a better sense of how the tradition varies. The basic story goes, every December 5th, the eve of the feast of St. Nick, these hairy-scaries take to the street and scare the shit out of children, good and bad, which makes them feel extra good the next day when they are still alive, and have shoes full of candy, apples, and delicious baked goods.

So this Christmas, if you were not haunted by these horned specters, didn't get coals or sticks in your shoes, and didn't suffer multiple whippings, take it as a sign that you improved enough to ward of the Krampus. And enjoy the holdover of Germanic culture in the Americas.

p.s. those bells are awesome.

More on Lorna Dee Cervantes

2007-12-25T01:07:00.000-08:00

The Body Is Braille (with translation)

EL CUERPO ES BRAILLE

Me dice “tu trasero
es tan hermoso.” Sus manos
trazando mi espalda.
Estoy ardiendo como el anillo blanco
que rodea la luna. “Luna de brujas”
dijo mi abuela. En la escuela lo llaman
“un reflejo de cristales de hielo”.
Una tormenta hierve en el caldero
del cielo. Me enamora
pero no le diré
si es presagio
o hielo.

I was wrong about the title (see below). at least google's fifefox search suggestions were. I like the spanish one more. (duh.) My spanish is rusty at best, and has probably always lacked a command of conjugation necessary to truly understand the meanings of poetry, but if anyone reads this and can provide an explanation of the word "enamora" it would be greatly appreciated. In my mind, that line could mean "I fall in love" or "I fell in love" or simply "I love".

Translation is always a fascinating facet of poetry, as Katherine Bash would certainly agree. In her exhibit at Women and Their Work, she had a piece of poetry ( i can't remember which one) with several different translations.

It is always interesting to see which words or phrases generate the greatest differences, and how these points reflect the variety of meanings ascribed to words that would otherwise be complicitly accepted as "understood" were they communicated (spoken) and interpreted (heard) in the same language.

Museums and Subcultural Appeal

2007-12-24T23:16:00.000-08:00

I just heard a small snippet of John Cleese on No Dogs or Philosophers Allowed where he questioned our ability to live in the moment if much of our present is spent repairing the past or preparing for the future.

I found this looking at Lorna Dee Cervantes' blog
which i found looking for the poem "The Body as Braille"
which i found while looking for more information about Olafur Eliasson's installation "The Body as Brain"
which i found on his website,
which i visted to find more about his most recent installation at the SFMoMA,
which i visited trying to find out if Devendra Banhart is in fact in an upcoming Romantic Comedy. He is not, to my knowledge, but is a major part of an exhibit entitled "Abstract Rhythms: Paul Klee and Devendra Banhart".

now for a massive digression:

I'm not quite sure how I feel about the increasing attempts of museums to direct their attention at "the kids" by luring them in through sub/counter-cultural attractions like Devendra's --his name apparently means "king of gods") -- upcoming performance/simulcast (which are sold out/available for $8.00).

A few years ago, I saw DJ Spooky (Paul D. Miller) as part of a starbuck's sponsored event at the MFAH, in conjunction with an impressively comprehensive Basquiat exhibit. At the time I was doing a lot of research into appropriation art/culture, and he seemed to be gaining "academia clout", but somehow when i listened to his music, it failed to make the same leaps. I suppose I expected him to be utilizing "the mix" and his power as a "DJ" (buzzwords for his ideas) to reflect some of the musical and cultural influences that were reflected in Jean Michel Basquiat's work, but he ended up playing songs that you would expect to hear in a run-of-the-mill club, and making overall boring "re-mixes" of videos. The high point was "satisfaction", the rolling stones video where the room gets filled with bubbles. Either way, I was not enticed by Spooky's performance to look at or even consider the paintings and sculptures that served as little more than an elaborate backdrop for his DJ station. I didn't stay all night, and was less than attentive. however, i did attend on 2 other occasions, on DJ Spooky-free days.

The point is, I'm not sure how much events like this really foster lasting participation or interest in the arts, if _____ locust can simply come, gobble up a musical performance by their favorite "hippie, dippy" artist, glance at some stuff on the walls and never return to the museum or even consider the work of Paul Klee. This is an overall cynical response, based on a bad experience, but worth considering.

For the record, today, I like both DB's art and music. I wish him the best in his endeavor, and hope he will shatter the expectations of anyone who is equally disenchanted with institutional art's youth-targeted PR.

"It's the digital age"

2007-12-19T15:55:00.000-08:00

I'm sure it is all too common for a first blog entry to deal with issues of the coming, expanding, invasion of the digital.

I'm sure that this will be a recurring theme as I use easy-click-style publishing to "externalize" my tangible life in digital form. Does it seem strange that we connect to the "outside" world through a network that is inherently contained within objects/machines?

I have usually wanted to do these kind of things by hand, but alas, I have submitted to the "minima" template, if only temporarily, and away I run. Seeing as that I don't have a computer due to unfortunate events of May 18th, I am increasingly streamlining my internet usage, and paring it down to its essential (e-mail, links from friends, event info, calendars, etc.) in many ways. Endless surfing is OUT (for now). Blogging is IN (for now).

There. I bought in to you, Blogspot.com. Your 3 page process to create my own website was too easy. Let's forever be skeptical of each other.