A Crash of Rhinos

So you won't be lonely

2011-01-17T18:51:00.000-08:00

This video was my introduction to hip-hop music. I was probably about 10 or 12 when I saw it on TV and I was so enraptured by the lyrics and the flow.

A feeling of hopelessness (or: how the world fell apart peace-by-piece)

2010-11-03T12:32:00.000-07:00

There was hair and skin and anger and twisted faces and a cloud of those watching; all at once a spectacle and yet tragedy...anguish. What a picture it was with two people fighting while John Lennon's Give Peace a Chance played loudly in the background. My life will never be the same. Our lives will never be the same.

Give Peace a Chance from Matjaž on Vimeo.

I'm still trying to understand this man

2010-05-01T14:55:00.001-07:00

Good Video, Great Song

2010-04-11T23:59:00.000-07:00

Sweet Disposition from Fabio Barbato on Vimeo.

Make Love Not Porn

2010-04-11T23:00:00.000-07:00

This is a really interesting talk by Cindy Gallop for TED. There is explicit language so this is NSFW, kids ;)

cindygallop.com
makelovenotporn.com

I'm beginning to realize things about art I've never thought of before

2010-03-30T22:11:00.000-07:00

Wise words from Michael Alden

2010-03-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

"Let your imagination lead you, not your brain. Try to see the world as you did when you were a child, capturing images spontaneously without thought. Put those images together and let your eye be your guide. Have fun, laugh and make others laugh with you! If you can do these things, you will be at the doorstep of style."

Michael Alden

I want this

2010-03-15T17:17:00.001-07:00

Buy it for me, yeah?

What is art?

2010-02-26T21:33:00.000-08:00

Some interesting thoughts on what is art.

I don't drink while I work

2010-02-24T17:31:00.000-08:00

Water from a wine glass just isn't as satisfying. Curbs the thirst, though.

Start the Machine

2010-02-20T13:04:00.000-08:00

Mid-Century Modest

2010-02-10T22:15:00.000-08:00

This is a really great video from a website that I'm part of. I like how it goes into detail about the reasons why things like cabinets exist in the way that they do today. Really great video.

Apple's Tablet

2010-02-03T20:38:00.000-08:00

I haven't heard much about Apple's iPad but what I have heard has been mixed in opinion about the new technology. I've heard that it's limited in its capacity for doing many things, but I've also heard that's its saving grace as well. It's supposed to be more of a go-between for your iPhone and your iMac computer. I will say, I'm definitely excited to see what sort of programs are developed for it and how the 2nd and 3rd generations of the tablet will fare in the market. I know that for me, I don't need to buy the 1st generation of any Apple product as the past releases have been plagued by problems that are pretty much fixed by the 2nd generation.

I stumbled upon this article from pentagram.com talking about how the iPad will change print media and the way we read things, as well as how we approach technology. Really fascinating perspective. Give it a read-through.

The new iPad from Apple, presented in typical Steve Jobs fashion as game-changing, will, in fact, revolutionize the way we read magazines. Combining the rich visual content of a print publication, the ever-changing immediacy of a website, and the portability of an e-book reader, the iPad is something new.

Pentagram’s Luke Hayman, designer of, among others, Time, New York, and Travel + Leisure, was asked how this new format would change the world of magazines and came up with five ways off the top of his head.

A reversal of a decades-long trend

“For as long as I’m been alive, publication formats have been getting smaller. First, oversized magazines like Life and Esquire either disappeared or switched to conventional formats to save money on paper and mailing. Then editorial content started moving online, shrinking to fit computer screens and then even smaller for PDAs and 140-character tweets. The iPad represents the first time this trend has been reversed. Instead of smaller, more low-res content, we have the chance to get bigger, brighter, sharper content. Designers used to making it smaller may have trouble learning to go the other way.”

The end of frequency

“Say goodbye to the idea of monthly magazines, or weeklies, or dailies. Print publications, already under siege by the Internet and 24-hour news cycle, will have to learn to adapt to a world of instantaneous updates. This is most obvious for news and business publications, but it’s just as true for fashion, entertainment and specialized titles.”

A reset on advertising

“The mean little conventions of online advertising—banner ads, pop ups, and so forth—aren’t popular with readers, with advertisers, and certainly not with designers. The iPad’s a new medium that will create a whole range of opportunities. Once people start exploiting what it can do, we may see the kind of creative renaissance that will deliver the next George Lois or Lee Clow. People will start subscribing to certain i-mags just for the ads alone.”

A new way of telling stories

“Editors have been telling us for years that people won’t read long stories online. Yet they will read 1,000-page novels on their Kindles. What will they be willing to read on their iPad? I predict the return of long-form journalism. At the same time, visual storytelling will take deeper, richer forms. Information design will be more important than ever. Something like New York’s Approval Matrix that we designed back in 2005 with Adam Moss is popular in print but will really come to life in this format. Some people might subscribe to it all by itself.”

A new role for print

“If digital magazines with rich, uncompromised, real-time content corner the market on delivering what you need to know right now, what’s the point of print? I think that the publications that end up enduring will be the ones that exploit what print alone can do. The best ones will be things that you want to save, not toss in the recycling bin. They’ll project a sense of craftsmanship and permanence. And each one should be an object that just feels terrific in your hand. If you’re spending most of your free-time holding an iPad, you just might welcome a change of pace.”

Editorial Design, New York, Luke Hayman
01.27.2010

Party Time

2010-01-31T18:11:00.000-08:00

This would be a good video to have on in the background of a party. It's so simple and unassuming. It's too bad that there isn't a series of these videos with a bunch of different songs playing.

Sometimes that's just the way you feel

2010-01-29T14:35:00.000-08:00

Cute Culture

2010-01-25T19:18:00.000-08:00

Had my first day teaching today. It really didn't go as I planned. My master teacher and I decided to move all the desks around and the kids freaked when they got into the room. Understandably. The art room is their safe haven. The place that is always the same, always fun, always there. Now it's changing and some of them are having a really hard time handling it. "Why can't we just move it back? I like it better the other way." they exclaimed. I didn't have an answer except that with the new room setup, they have more room to work at their tables. They don't realize it yet though. I asked my master teacher how it went and she said I did well. I don't feel like I did. I feel like I failed.

We're covering health and safety tomorrow if it rains. I'm going to incorporate Japanese kawaii (cute culture) into the instruction. Hopefully the kids respond before I completely lose them.

I want boba to wash my cares away.

"Daaaa Bears"

2010-01-18T16:54:00.000-08:00

I really wish this was on Nerd Boyfriend. I don't have any particular team I follow when it comes to sports but that sweater is just awesome.

And this is how people make loads of money hand-over-fist

2010-01-08T23:20:00.000-08:00

Back in the U.S.S.R.

2010-01-04T15:57:00.000-08:00

(untitled)

2010-01-03T17:30:00.000-08:00

Life is the most beautiful, most heart-wrenching, most unbelievable thing you will ever live through.

Life, Rhinos and Blogging

2010-01-02T07:42:00.001-08:00

"Why do you call your blog A Crash of Rhinos?"

Aside from the easy answer of, because I liked it, we'll need to take a trip in the way-back machine to when I went to the San Diego Wild Animal Park for the first time. I was on the wonderful tram system that, sadly, no longer exists. The tram operator mentioned that different groupings of animals were called different things. A murder of crows. A gaggle of geese. A crash of rhinos. Oh, I was elated. I thought that it was the coolest thing to have fun names for groups of animals. After a little research on the internets, I found out that these names are called collective nouns.

Fast forward to a couple years ago. I was working on this art piece and was looking to create a blogger site. I wanted to remain rather anonymous at the time, thinking that anonymity would bring more viewers. I even took a photo of myself and photoshopped a rhino head over my face.

The blog lay dormant until March of 2009 when I decided to invest a little more into what I thought it could become. I kept the photo of the rhino-headed me, added a real picture of myself and took a bit more ownership of what I wanted to contribute through the blog. Fast forward to present day, A Crash of Rhinos has become a place where I write about and post things that interest me. It's a place born out of my childhood interest and is growing up as I grow up and experience new things.

Resolve

2010-01-01T16:58:00.000-08:00

I've never been one for New Year's Resolutions. The last time I actually sat down and made out a New Year's Resolutions list, I was in the 2nd grade and it was the day after Christmas break. I resolved to not hit my sister so much. I took it serious then. I wanted to like my sister and have a better relationship with her. Looking back, that's what I see in myself at the tender age of 8.

I'm 25 now and I have things in my life that need real resolution. I've stopped hitting my sister but I don't see her enough, especially since she lives so close. My life has developed such small complexities and nuances that I have trouble keeping a handle on everything. It feels as though I'm just putting out the fires as they flare up. I don't want to do that. I don't want to feel out of control of my own life. It's my life, dammit and I should have some say-so about it! So, in no particular order, I'm putting down in writing (or typing or whatever) my resolutions for the 2010 year.

Develop a routine for my day-to-day living - I believe that this is probably the biggest resolution I will make for the year. For years, I have let the days get away from me. I haven't had a set bed time. I haven't had a set time when I wake up or when I eat or when I leave for work or anything else that I do during my day. I envy those that are able to wake up on time or have a block of time dedicated to going to the gym. I want to be able to have a real handle on my schedule. So, I resolve to stick to a daily routine for at least one month. This means developing a schedule of sleeping, eating, exercising, working and all the other things that I wish to accomplish in a day's time.

Develop deeper relationships with my friends and family - Life gets away from us all. The holiday season reminds us of it. You go to a party with all of your friends and you all look at each other and say, Why don't we do this more often? Honestly, why don't we? Why don't we spend more time with each other, writing stories and making memories? For me, I think I become too wrapped up with what I'm doing, with my life. I had a friend that lived next door to me when I lived in Murrieta. We used to play all the time together and then one day, I just shut off. He'd come to the door and I'd say that I didn't feel like playing that day. My mom would ask me, "Why are you inside when it's such a beautiful day outside?" I can't really answer that question, but I aim to fix it. I resolve to spend more time with my friends and family in situations that lead to quality time spent instead of just time. I believe relationships are more about quality and then quantity.

Develop a daily to-do list - This resolution goes hand-in-hand with developing a daily routine. Having a running list of what needs to be done is important to structuring my time. I've had many people tell me that I am very good with a list but when I don't have one, I'm not as effective. Because of this, I resolve to have a running list of things that I wish to accomplish. This list will change from day to day but will remain an important part of my day-to-day living.

Develop a deeper relationship with God - It was a gradual process, moving much of my focus away from God. There were many factors but I think it really came down to who I have been and where I have gone in life. I resolve to reorient myself in a gradual progression back towards God and where I believe he wants me to head.

Develop better eating habits - Holidays are the worst time for me. Pies and cookies and fudge and calories from fat and sodium and alcohol and sugar and and and... I resolve to cook more meals at home that are healthier than what I have been eating. I will do my best to avoid fast food and will make conscious choices to eat foods that are healthier when eating out at restaurants. I will do my best to eat 5 small meals a day that have the appropriate balance of food groups but don't become monotonous or unappetizing.

Develop a better relationship with my fiance - Everyone wants a better relationship with those they love. I'm no different. For privacy reasons, I will keep this one private, but know that I resolve to take the steps necessary to develop a better relationship with my fiance.

Develop a financial management plan - My mom told me that money problems never go away. Once you get that raise, the car breaks down, you need a new refrigerator, the kids need clothes for school. It's important to be smart with the money you have. I resolve to use the money I have wisely, to budget what I have for the things that I need.

Develop better work habits - It started when I worked as a graphic designer. Never mind the fact that I wasn't given enough work to do for the time that I spent in the office. It really came down to the fact that I did not know how to use the time I was given nor did I know how to focus on my work. So I'd end up checking my email all the time and doing things other than working. This has ended in great difficulty focusing on my work and deeply-rooted procrastination techniques. I resolve to work against what I have taught myself about work and make changes to my own methods of working. I will work to the best of my ability, not stretching myself too thin and developing work-flow techniques that keep me focused and driven.

I'm not saying that these resolutions are set in stone. I don't want them to be my only resolutions, either. I want them to be a starting set of guidelines that are flexible and able to be altered if necessary. I do not see them as static rules or commandments to be fulfilled but as compass points. Lanterns in the darkness.

I am committed to these things.

Art Show

2009-12-18T16:34:00.000-08:00

My friend Rae had an art show opening last month. I took some photos. I think you should check em out!

More here...

Tim Fite

2009-12-17T15:13:00.000-08:00

I just watched this on Current. I think I just discovered my new favorite singer/songwriter for the moment.

Christmas Parties

2009-12-17T14:25:00.001-08:00

I have a costume party this evening and a sweater party on Saturday. I can't wait to get dressed up.

Stuntkid timelapse

2009-12-02T13:59:00.000-08:00

Really great work by one of my favorite digital artists. You should check him out.

$500 jeans? Really?!

2009-11-25T17:53:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Jesse at put this on for writing about what I've been thinking for the past year or so. I've seen the $200 jeans at Nordstrom's and the $1000+ pair of shoes on the internet. I always feel excluded from these things based on my income and therefore discriminated against. Same thing with my size 40+ waist and long torso. I can't wear your "vintage fit" and "skinny low-rise" jeans, but it's nice to hear that, at least in terms of money, I'm not alone and I'm not outside of reasonable.

Drawing

2009-11-25T01:35:00.000-08:00

MILTON GLASER DRAWS & LECTURES from C. Coy on Vimeo.

I feel am overwheight

2009-11-20T00:29:00.000-08:00

1 down, 3 more to go

2009-11-05T23:52:00.001-08:00

My TPA is printing out right now. I feel pretty good right now.

In other news...

2009-11-04T20:22:00.000-08:00

I'm almost done with my first TPA. It's taken me about a week to write it. Not too bad. I was ahead of the majority of the rest of my class for a while. Then everyone caught up. I feel lazy and fat about it. I'm eating too much junk food to compensate for not feeling like I have enough time to get out dishes, make food, clean up dishes, put food away and then get started. I'm probably wrong. I bet it'd take about the same amount of time, it'd be cheaper, I'd eat healthier and I'd waste less gas. Oh well. I'm entertaining thoughts of the gym again as my pants are fitting tight and in the words of Seth Rogan from Knocked Up, "I'm breathing like James Gandolfini." Speaking of James Gandolfini, I think you need to go see Where the Wild Things Are. And so do I. Again.

In other news, I feel like this right now.

Focus makes the best movies

2009-10-31T12:47:00.000-07:00

I still need to see this film

I'm back at college

2009-10-06T16:37:00.001-07:00

On the contrary, I think David Bazan looks like me

2009-09-09T22:47:00.000-07:00

Also, my new Nikon makes a cameo

a little update on my life right now

2009-07-29T21:42:00.000-07:00

Tumultuous. I sort of feel all over the place and in one singular location all at once. There are a lot of things that I'm thinking about at any given time and yet at the same time, I'm not thinking about anything. Maybe it's hormones? Maybe it's that I'm making many plans for my life in the next few weeks? Maybe it's that I'm switching my career? Whatever it is, it's exciting and dangerous feeling all at once. Like riding a bull called "Steamtrain Station" and I nod that I'm ready for them to open the gate. Unleash this bitch and let's ride.

A bunch of my stuff was stolen. It happened last Monday (the 20th) but I didn't know until the following Wednesday. I had a few conversations with key people about it. I retold the story a few times and tried to come up with some sort of reason as to why it happened. Mom thought that I was feeling violated, but my sister had a better explanation. "You feel cheated," she said. "We were taught all our lives to play by the rules. Brush your teeth. Play nice. Don't take other people's things. etc. etc. Then when someone doesn't play by the rules, you feel cheated. They didn't do the right thing and they got ahead. It's like when you're playing organized games at a church camp and someone cheats. They get ahead but you know that everyone would be having more fun if they hadn't done that. That's what it feels like.

The girlfriend and I had a great time at our Engagement Encounter weekend. Learned a lot. Talked a lot. Real intimacy. It was really wonderful and one of the best things I think we ever could have done for each other and our relationship. The jeweler that we are hopefully buying her ring from is going to be looking for the mold this next week. Hopefully by next Tuesday they'll have found it and we can start moving on this.

I have an apartment. It's my first. 1 roommate. He's hooking us up with cable and internet right now. I feel like I haven't done much as far as getting everything ready, but he assures me that he's fine with it. I've been working and he's been taking care of everything. I have a feeling beers will be bought. I'm super excited that I'm finally getting out of the house.

It's really happening.

I nod to the gatekeeper. I'm ready. Let's ride this bitch...

make your body happy

2009-07-24T09:41:00.000-07:00

What's my grandmother doing here?

2009-07-11T16:16:00.001-07:00

Grandma Chase? At the Angel game?

London Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

2009-07-03T00:09:00.000-07:00

London (harder, better, faster, stronger) from David Hubert on Vimeo.

Getting a handle on things

2009-07-01T09:22:00.000-07:00

In place of my own "inspiration book" which has yet to be finished, I have included a photo of Sherry Petersik's from This Young House. The book was a project that I had started about 3 years ago in college. My professors had us find 40 images form magazines, online, newspapers, etc., to glean ideas, concepts, forms and colors from. I had this really nice presentation portfolio that I received from my last job that I used, so all of my clippings and pages were loose inside it. I'd change them out every year for fresh images and keep the old images in Banker's Magazine boxes. I later organized them by size, but still never completed the project into a book.

Well, last night, I took about 2 hours and finally organized all the images into their respective inspirational categories based upon what I liked about the image (color, design, pattern, texture, inspirational artist/genre/medium, and so on). Everything is all organized except for the really small scraps that aren't much bigger than 2"x2". My next step is to glue the smaller images onto pages and stick those into cover sheets and then put everything into the book. I'd imagine it'd take me anywhere from 2-6 hours depending on which glue I use and how fast it dries. I'm thinking I'll use the acid free Mod Podge so that way the images will stay true to their color for longer. Should work out well, I think.

Wave of the future in retail

2009-06-30T11:06:00.000-07:00

I'm a big man. I'm 6'3" 275lbs. I have a long torso, wide hips, an oval face and what would likely be considered a spare tire. To a tailor, I'm an 18.5, 48(XL), 40/32. I have a hard time finding clothes, or at least I like to think so, and I blame it on my weight. For a couple years, I've flirted with trying to start a clothing firm with an eye for style geared towards the larger men of America, simply because it's difficult for us to find clothing that fits us well outside of CasualMaleXL (what used to be known as Men's Big and Tall aka the fat guy store). For lack of drive, funding, connections, and a business degree, I have not pursued this venture, however, today I found a website that may just eliminate my need to walk down the risky path of men's fashion.

J. Hilburn has recognized the need for quality clothing and a proper fit. They are tapping into our culture's current obsession with customization and offering a good product at prices that recognize the world's finances are in a bit of a pinch. JH offers a service that sends a personal style adviser to your home or office to work personally 1-on-1 with you to create custom, tailored shirts for the best fit and best quality at a great price far below what it would cost to get the same quality from a store and then have it tailored to fit you. How great is this idea?! I wish I'd thought of it first. I haven't yet ordered one of their shirts, but I have a feeling that I will be very soon. It seems like a great idea and you can't beat the selection of fabrics and the option of special requests.

Originally linked through JP at The Selvedge Yard

If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change

2009-06-25T18:39:00.000-07:00

Michael Jackson. Singer. Punchline. Broken human being. I heard once that Michael cried every time he sang "Man in the Mirror". I think I know why. I think Michael didn't like himself. Like many people in America and across the world, Michael was a child of abuse and celebrity at a young age. It twisted his sense of what life was supposed to be like and he ended up becoming a caricature of himself. He altered his appearance. He changed his singing style. He did everything he could to change himself to be who he thought he should be. He did everything but change the person inside. That was the one thing he couldn't do. I don't know if it was by choice or because it was just impossible for him. Either way, he didn't like himself and so he hid himself away. I believe that "Man in the Mirror" was his plea to everyone, especially himself, to try to change ourselves and our lives for the better. Michael believed that if we would merely change ourselves, we could change the world. Knowing this, his words will stay with me for a long time.

strontium, sulfur, spandex, lithium, Librium, latex, radium, radon, Rachael Stodard...

2009-06-25T09:35:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading Pygmy by Chuck Palahniuk. I really didn't know what to expect from this book when I first picked it up. I'd read a couple short reviews that talked about difficult language (Pygmy, the main character, speaks in broken English akin to East Asian cultures) and Palahniuk's definitive style of violence and intricate detail. While the book did not disappoint along Palahniuk's style, I almost felt as though he went over-the-top with his descriptions of a stereo-typical mid-west, white, Protestant, American family. Upon Pygmy's first encounter with his host family in America, the descriptions that follow for each member of the family are gross exaggerations of the multitude of traits any American could have, such as being obese or hyper-Christian-hypocrite. Each person has been distilled from many different people into a caricature of who they are supposed to be.

Overall, I did enjoy the book. I was a little off-put that Pygmy's speech did not get easier to understand, him being around English speakers and all. But other than a few letdowns along those lines, it made for an interesting story and while a far-fetched commentary on American culture today, still quite relevant.

Art in motion

2009-06-21T00:23:00.000-07:00

Another great Fairey video

2009-06-17T10:07:00.000-07:00

Shepard Fairey from Arkitip on Vimeo.

For all you aspiring graff artists

2009-06-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

Learn about enamel markers!

One of my heroes

2009-06-15T12:40:00.000-07:00

I really like this president because he's not Bush. That, and I think he stands for something true, not what he just believes to be right.

2009-06-11T20:17:00.001-07:00

Found some really great candid shots on this website. Check em.

"Them that die'll be the lucky ones!"

2009-06-11T12:41:00.000-07:00

The bar silver and the arms still lie, for all that I know, where Flint buried them; and certainly they shall lie there for me. Oxen and wain-ropes would not bring me back again to that accursed island; and the worst dreams that ever I have are when I hear the surf booming about its coasts or start upright in bed with the sharp voice of Captain Flint still ringing in my ears: "Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!"

I just finished Treasure Island. It's the second time that I've read it and I enjoyed it oh so much more than when I first read it in 7th grade. I can remember watching the 1950s version on a cold night in Mt. Shasta with my mom and sister. It was such a great experience, but the book is certainly more enjoyable, especially the language. Such impressive writing. Ugh, and the character of Silver was just so perfect. Makes me want to learn how to sail boats and spend time on the ocean. I highly recommend reading this book. You can read it for free, too, from dailylit.com. I'm starting The Journey To the Center of the Earth next. Should be quite exciting.

I think it's time for me to trim the beard

2009-06-08T11:04:00.001-07:00

Dedicated to my girlfriend

2009-06-05T09:30:00.000-07:00

Praise You from Viperos on Vimeo.

washable

2009-06-02T11:27:00.001-07:00

I remember when "A Day Without A Mexican" came out and everyone was all hullaballoo about what the world would be like if Hispanics disappeared from the planet. For me, I would think that the jobs and functions they perform in the United States would merely be taken over by people willing to do the work. My mom grew up in Bakersfield/Taft and she worked the potato sheds. Her mom picked along the fruit trail of California with her family as she grew up. Why do we make jokes about zit-faced teenagers working at McDonald's? Where have all the rednecks gone to work? How long has it really taken the California economy to become dependant on Hispanics?

I'm not saying that Hispanics have no place in American society. In fact, I believe they are a very important and contributing part of American society. All I want to get across is that a movie like A Day Without a Mexican should not exist based solely on the question of "What would we do without them?" We already know they would be replaced.

A few slices of heaven

2009-05-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

It's interesting how just a plate of fries and an empty shop really can brighten your day. And the fries from the roach-coach are always the best. Forget Burger King. They can only pray for fries like these.

Sean Connery, quite a son-of-a-bitch

2009-05-27T12:49:00.000-07:00

A glimpse into the future...

2009-05-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

Jealousness ensues

2009-05-14T22:24:00.001-07:00

Another really great video by La Roux

2009-05-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

Finally, a music video that imitates the low-budget 80s videos and succeeds. Not a bad song either.

2009-05-14T09:55:00.001-07:00

The new Madonna

2009-05-14T08:59:00.000-07:00

Style from yester-year

2009-05-13T14:37:00.000-07:00

I was on woot.com earlier this morning and found this article on illustrators of a forgotten age. Now, when I think of illustration and advertising, this is the period in which I think of! 30s-60s hand drawn, hand painted illustrations. No one does illustration nowadays like these folks did except a few cartoons (Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Spumco/Ren and Stimpy, Shag, etc).

Seeing those photos inspired me to look up a few memorable cartoons from that era that I feel embodied the style, artistry and feeling of those years-since-passed...

I'm totally flying Southwest only now

2009-05-12T10:18:00.000-07:00

Anti-Dotum

2009-05-10T22:36:00.000-07:00

Mom said that today was her best Mother's Day ever. I was pretty excited about that. It's crazy to think that we almost lost her just a month or two ago. Still, it's nice to have her. I really don't know where I'd be at if she had gone. I think I would have been angry at God for a lot longer than I already have been. Saying that makes me miss my mentor. He's on his trip around the US still. He says that it's the last trip like this that he and his wife will take. That makes me sad because he's letting it be known that he knows how old he is (70s/80s) and that he probably doesn't have much time/ability left. Death is a crazy, fucked up thing. And I mean that with sincerity.

Wow, whole lotta meaning here...

2009-05-09T13:50:00.000-07:00

Watch and learn and think and hopefully, act

2009-05-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

I don't care what you people say, I still enjoy this commercial

2009-05-08T23:39:00.000-07:00

FYI

2009-05-07T22:30:00.000-07:00

I passed the CBEST. Go me.

I can understand now why George Lucas would never want to admit this was made

2009-04-24T09:25:00.000-07:00

Star Wars Holiday Special - Cantina Song - watch more funny videos

Totally weeeeiirrrd!

2009-04-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

I heard this guy on KCRW this morning. It was really good

2009-04-20T22:12:00.000-07:00

Sick

2009-04-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

Like my sister said, just cuz

2009-04-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

Wood block print by unknown artist

2009-04-13T08:51:00.000-07:00

"What, then, is this blue sky, which certainly does exist, and which veils from us the stars during the day? ... And yet this dome does not exist. In a balloon, I myself have risen higher than where the Greek gods were supposed to live without getting to this point, which of course disappears at the same rate in which we approach it."

To learn about this historical print, click here

NYC

2009-04-12T21:01:00.001-07:00

The Lost Tribes of New York City from Carolyn London on Vimeo.

Happy Zombie Jesus Day!!!

2009-04-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say...

Just found this photographer

2009-04-11T17:58:00.000-07:00

Click the title, wait for the bird photograph to appear, click, go to FILM (last on the list) and then click the second photo. You'll like it.

Hippie

2009-04-11T00:57:00.000-07:00

I wear my pants pass the expiration date. I enjoy smelling like dirt. There's just something good about seeing the dust and dirt on my pants that makes me feel like I'm a real person, not just a magazine photo shoot. I had some conversations with a guy I work with sometimes about laws, drugs and the like, and I've made the decision; I'd like to try pot. I'm doing it for personal expansion reasons. Not because it's bad. Not because it's illegal. Not because I'm trying to "shake up the system." I want to try pot because I want to have a wider experience of my life and what life is. This is my choice, and it's been something I've been thinking about for the past few months. I'm sorry that you don't like that. I tell you, though, I can't wait to watch Finding Nemo.

There are a few of these floating around, but this is the only uncut one

2009-04-11T00:07:00.000-07:00

Never thought I'd say this either...

2009-04-08T12:37:00.001-07:00

I'm excited for baseball season starting. I always kinda thought that baseball was a lazy-man's sport. Sitting around, drinking beer, waiting for something exciting to happen. I know that is exactly what it is for some people. However, for me, it's beginning to be about something else. It's drinking reasonably-priced beer in the parking lot before the game with some sandwhiches or chicken. It's standing up and singing the National Anthem and being proud of it. It's getting excited and jumping up and down (careful not to spill your overpriced, but just as good beer) when a good play happens. It's unshelling peanut after peanut and just leaving the shells right there on the ground because you can. It's seeing friends you haven't seen in a long time and catching up and gossipping. It's the whole experience and not just the game. That's what I like about baseball. I bought this shirt BTW. I'm wearing it to our openner tonight. Excitement ensues.

calm...breathe....in...out...

2009-04-07T07:36:00.000-07:00

It was likely just a lot of pent up emotions and anxiety over my life right now, but I feel a lot better than I did last night before I went to bed. I came in this morning and lamented to one of the guys that I work with about not knowing any math. He understood and related. "We know enough math to do our work and that's about it," he said. He's right. I know geometry. I know measurements and how to find volumes and all that. However, I don't know math vocabulary. I don't know fractions. I have a hard time with long division. Math has always been an uphill struggle for me. I just need extra help, and I don't have a problem admitting that anymore. In light of all this, I'm going to go to Borders on my lunch and pick up a couple of those "Basic Math and Pre-Algebra for Dummies" books and see if those will help me. Also, I'm going to see if the GF will be able to help me. It's very humbling and I feel very vulnerable exposing this part of myself to her. It's something that no one really knows about me except maybe my mom. I think this will likely bring us closer and hopefully, that's, in the end, what God intended all along

When I say I'm freaking out, I really mean I am FREAKING THE FUCK OUT

2009-04-06T22:46:00.000-07:00

So I cried tonight. Not over the family shit. Not over my dad dying. Not over losing my job (I haven't, don't worry), not over anything really truly important. I cried because I never learned mathematics. I cried because I don't know what an integer is. I cried because I don't know how to multiply fractions and convert them into decimals. I cried because for once in my life, I need to know how to do math and I don't and it could fuck up my plans for having a happy life as an art teacher where I will barely ever use math and if I do, I can just whip out a fucking calculator!!!

I am so upset and angry with myself. I say things like, "You're stupid for not knowing this! Elementary kids know more math than you do! What a loser! You'll never pass the fucking CBEST and never get a job as a teacher now because you didn't study and learn math!"

It's harsh. I've never been this hard on myself about something like this before.

I'm going to bring the study book to my girlfriend's house tomorrow and beg her to help me. I can't do this alone. I can't figure it out by myself. I hate that I don't know math. I hate that I followed in the footsteps of my father and fell behind, embarrassed to ask questions and get extra help because I was afraid of looking stupid. Now I've really fucked myself over. Good job Matt.

Good job.

It's nice to see how the other half lives

2009-04-05T16:28:00.001-07:00

Even for all my Bohemian leanings, it's nice to be in nice places like this. I can't wait to have my own house, or at least just my own appartment. I don't like living in one room with a whole house's set of furnishings minus couches and refridgerator. Someday my friends...someday...

I wish Proposition 8 didn't pass

2009-04-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

"Do unto others as you would have done to you." - Jesus Christ

"All you need is love" - The Beatles

It's hard to awake with new scars

2009-04-04T19:25:00.000-07:00

It's petty to get upset over not getting an honorable mention at your church's art show. When did it become about me?

I'm still upset though, no matter how petty it was. I think I had a really good expression of the theme. The woman that organized it cried when she read what I wrote. Our head pastor related to what I had written with me. And I'm upset about not getting at least a little piece of paper that said honorable mention? I'm pretty down on myself about it. Life, I guess.

Good news is I've rediscovered Pandora. Also, I'm getting $541 back from The Man. It's the first time I've ever gotten a refund on both Federal and State taxes. Pretty exciting. I'm going to the GF's tnight. Hopefully we'll gain some clarity about the conversation that we had earlier today. I think I hurt her feelings. I didn't say anything bad, I just expressed my feelings about the situation.

I'm going to go to her family's Easter. It was kind of a rushed decision earlier, influenced a little by our conversation earlier, but I'm getting more and more excited about it.

I love easter.

There are no words

2009-04-03T14:53:00.001-07:00

I really don't understand this. Who in their right mind is so lazy that they finish using the rest of the paper towel roll, uses some of the next one that is up in the cupboard and then has the audacity to put the new roll on top of the old!? Tell me this is not a normal practice at your home!

My sister is awesome

2009-04-02T17:15:00.000-07:00

I hate spring

2009-04-02T16:49:00.000-07:00

I almost cried watching this

2009-03-31T09:45:00.000-07:00

I can remember this being one of my favorite books as a child and I have a feeling this is going to be an amazing adaptation with awesome actors!

Never thought I'd say this

2009-03-30T22:55:00.000-07:00

One of my favorites right now...

I can't believe they got away with this

2009-03-30T22:40:00.000-07:00

The long and short of it

2009-03-30T22:05:00.000-07:00

Personally, I think the sparks look better on the larger photo, but this'll do.

I need to read the manual for my camera. It'd probably help me take better photos. Life is long and short all at once. Don't forget that.

I'm a fan of staying up late

2009-03-23T23:46:00.000-07:00

It's funny how I let my life get away from me. I find it rolling down the hill and chase after it like a fool who's lost his hat to the wind. I see signs of it happening and I can't help but wince at myself. Unchanged sheets. Junk and trash collecting in my car and on my bedroom floor. Wrinkled clean clothes hoarded in hampers. It's not a good thing, I tell you. Not good. At least I'm making money, right? At least I have a job, right? At least I live in America and I'm free, right? Or am I a slave to the things I own and the man that owns me? Do I toil day-in, day-out for more "stuff"? I do, but it helps to keep me sane, I think. At least for right now. At least before I really go insane and start collecting my toenail clippings in mason jars and making artwork that sells millions.

Well, hopefully not the mason jars.

Firsts and lasts...again

2007-03-27T22:18:00.001-07:00

Without abandon, we must live our lives to everything we were created to be.

Truly, without abandon

<<<<< (Originally titled: "Got your tape and it changed my mind, Heard your voice in between the lines")

Response: I got a lot of acclaim and lala's from my online friends with this one. I guess it really struck a chord with how we're all supposed to be. Funny, it seems so easy sometimes to give advice to others sometimes, but to turn it around and follow it yourself? That's more often than not harder than pushing a boulder up hill for eternity.