30. Bike Far?

out farm-to-market 969...

One of the Best...

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...

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

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...

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...

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...

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!