No Touch Monkey!

Massive F-Bomb Usage, so turn your speakers down or wear headphones.

Labels: Ahahahah

I was down at the movie theater watching Caveman repeatedly.

Luckily for me I own it on DVD. You should add it to your Netflix queue. Ringo Starr plays Atook who is driven out of his tribe and must make his way in a cruel, savage land, while discovering and inventing a lot of important shit along the way.



Music is discovered.



Blind Caveman Hilarity

Labels: Ahahahahaha, Newwwww Wave, Worth your time

Today I was told that I didn't get the job I wanted at the company I want to work for. For those who didn't get the secret post, the interview was a disaster. My portfolio melted in my car over the Summer and the Interviewer found a typo on my resume that has been there at least 6 years. This for a position which requires Rain Man-esque attention to detail.

While I'm very disappointed, at least this experience has opened a new direction for skill set acquisition. I spoke to my friend Larry at Viva Vox today. He has minimal funding, no more full-time employees and his regular gig at a one Juvenile Detention Facility has been put on hiatus for this year until he gets some funding. But he's still plugging away following his dream.

So what do I have? Temp gigs. And that's good enough for now.

I have to end this post here and get back to my work. The chair won't draw itself.

Labels: Aww Man, balloon popping, The Cap'n

I've cross posted this with Thinking in Picture because, here I'm certain that someone will read it.


Click to enlarge

The Short of it:

The desire to effect change on any medium, plus the belief in the opportunity for positive reception of your ideas unlocks the gate for for a powerful torrent of new, and creative ideas.

The Long of it:
This is the story of B. and Me. B's initial has been changed so he can no way be connected to the story I'm going to tell. B. was, when I met him, a ward of the State under the care of the Missouri State Mental Heath Department, and was living in foster care with 3 other boys. B had been signed up to participate in VivaVox - Imagine Arts Mentoring Program, a non-profit I was working for last year.

The main goal of VivaVox is to give arts training to kids in order to allow them to develop their creative voice, and to channel their destructive behaviors into creative ones. There are drawing workshops, music, dance and poetry classes of which B, participated before finally going into personal mentoring with the poetry/rap instructor. B. happened to actually be the best visual artist of the group, with a desire to draw, but I digress.

Due to political infighting, B and 10 other kids were unceremoniously yanked from the program by their caretakers in early May; 6 weeks before the end of the program cycle and the big artistic showcase/graduation ceremony. That was it for B. and Viva Vox.

This past weekend I ran into B. and his brother down in "The Loop", St. Louis' hip street of shops and restaurants. I asked B. how he was doing, "Fine." He asked me if I had talked to Larry (Viva Vox President) recently, I said no, and he went on to tell me that he he had contacted Larry with a bunch of ideas for Viva Vox. I asked him what sorts of ideas he'd been having, and he told me few which blew me away. Very deep thinking for a 16 year old kid who has spent many years shuffled from home to home, institution to institution. There was a palpable energy and enthusiasm to his words, an urgency to be heard.

Of the hundreds of kids I met through Viva Vox over the years, B. is one of maybe 5 kids to actually use this program to find his creative voice. It so happened that B. was moved from his house to an "orphanage" where Viva Vox was running some programming, and he actively sought out Larry to present his ideas.

When B. was telling me his ideas, I was struck by the parallel to my own recent story: After a creative turnover at the agency I was working for, I was out of a job. I went to work for Viva Vox with whom I've had a long relationship. After six months of hard work some job leads were dangled before me which tempted me to quit Viva Vox and follow up on them. They turned out to be vaporous, and I ended up going into Creative Temp Services.

While searching leads I found a company in a sector which really appealed to me. It's what led me to this whole "Thinking in Pictures", Visual Communication. Learning to Draw thing in which has ensnared my imagination, and caused a dynamic creative outpouring I haven't had in years.

Why are B. and myself so currently creative?

I believe what it comes down to is that in a world where it's easy to become lost as an individual; if you believe someone is going to listen to your ideas, to take your thoughts (pictures, art) seriously, then this creates a key to unlock the floodgates of your imagination, which will in turn feedback on itself and create even more ideas.

Of course where the ideas go from there are completely up to the you. Chances are a lot of those clever ideas are going to fall by the wayside, some will be listened to, some will be adapted etc. I think what is important is not the ideas themselves, those can be generated almost Willy Nilly (don't forget to capture them), but the belief in the Opportunity. That if you want want to keep generating ideas, then you have to believe that someone is receive them and present feedback, otherwise you stagnate. From there it's less a matter of finding the Opportunity like myself, than creating and seizing the Opportunity like B.

Labels: Visual Thinking

Rush was in town last night. We've been waiting all Summer to try and nab tickets day of show.

Blip thoughts from the day:

My friend Kevin teaches me how to keep checking ticket bastard for ticket releases. At 4pm Bastard pulls the tix from the website, time to call.

Do we want Row EE Left section at $51 clams each? Yes...Bastard adds an additional 16 fucking dollars in service charges per ticket.

We are off to the show. Ale tells me she read on the website that parking is an additional 20 fucking dollars! The venue is situated in an office park, but all cars are guided past the office lots to the distant venue lots. 3 tiny, tiny cones attempt to stop me from parking right next to the venue. They fail as I drive around them. No signs mentioning towing...all is well. 20 Dollars is saved.

In line at Will Call looking for Kevin. Who's that? Oh shit, it's my estranged Step-brother (8 years and counting w/o contact), quick look the other way! Whistle softly and rotate away as he walks by.

We watch him pass by for the entrance line. We pick an alternate line.

Showtime. Row EE Left. Good sightlines to the stage.

1/2 Hour in a couple arrives, we are in their seats? All tickets are pulled. They are identical except that ours says LFTL and theirs says LEFT? After some confusion, they move to empty seats in the middle of the row. I notice they paid more for their tix.

I get a soda and check with an usher what the hell LFTL means? It means Left Left! What? I look to where she points and it's EXTREME left. A tiny section with only 4 seats per row which would put me and Ale actually back outside the roof covering.

I walk up there just to see what EE Left Left looks like. AA, BB, CC, DD, EE Holy shit it my estranged stepbrother! I mumble a "Hi" and keep walking.

I report all this to Alessandra using my best attempt at bone sound conduction. It's doesnt work and it's rehashed at the set break as I fear the couple will wise up and ask an usher to have us booted from their spot.

The rest of the show, for me at least, is shrouded with a grey cloak of low level anxiety.

Thanks to our awesome parking, we scoot out immediately from a lot which has been known to keep concert goers stranded for hours.

I would call the show a moderate success. I enjoyed the show, but didn't get to ROCK as hard as I would have liked due to my stupid, stupid mind, while Rush did indeed lay it down HARD!

Labels: Story Telling

In the distant past, the gloss of a bare scalp became the badge of leadership and dominance, whether it was the greased plucked head of the Yanamano or the oily, scraped scalp of an Ainu, Jew, Chinese, or Saxon. It is mimicked unconsciously by shiny metal helmets in many cultures.

Why then do we have so many hangups about baldness? Probably more people have been duped by "hair-growing" elixirs than by any other ineffectual cosmetic. Any man's magazine on the newsstand contains advertisements for secret formulas and special treatments to bring back lost scalp hair. Hairpieces and wigs are commonly used by men to cover the bald patches and receding hairlines. One of the newer alternatives, made possible by plastic surgery, is the grafting of small pieces of hair from other parts o the scalp onto thinning areas, to recreate permanently one's earlier hairline. Recreating the hairline of a 20-year-old is a retreat to the courtship age. We live in a society which bases most status evaluation on one's potential courting currency; that is the secret behind our reverence for youth.

The evolution of human scalp hair has followed this pattern: first it was an erectile threat crest, then strangely, it began to shift. Balding became the threat ideal, and a full head of soft hair was what we clung to as babies - a symbol of maternal-sexual security and attraction, like a round, warm breast. But recently the evolutionary bent has looped into an even odder twist. The symbols of age and status are in disfavor, even repugnant. Now it is the mature male who mimics the post-puberty vigor of youth that has become our and man's ideal. More than any of the other organic epaulets of the past, the threat value of the very high forehead and its exaggeration the bald scalp, has been debased. And like the Confederate dollar, there is something uncomfortably humorous about its continued existence.

Labels: Ahahahahaha

After a trip to the comics section of my local library, I finally got around to reading Bone after seeing it referenced again and again in Scott McCloud's comics interpretation books.

Deeeeelightful! I have read the entire series in about a week found it charming, amusing, heartfelt, hugely comical and adventurous. I can't even imagine following these as they came out for 10 years. I would have lost my mind.

What is Bone about? Three cousins (Fone Bone, Smiley Bone and Phonincible "Phoney" Bone) are run out of Boneville and wind up in a nice green valley filled with A Cow Racing Old Lady, Stupid, Stupid Rat Creatures, an easily swayed mob, and a copy of Moby Dick.

If you enjoy any of the above adjectives as well as having a penchant for visual storytelling (ok, ok...comics) then I suggest you trot on down to the local library and get started on Volume 1 today. 5 out of 5 Arrrr!s


Black Snake Moan & Grandma's Boy

I watched both of these movies last weekend. I'm going to have to call it as Black Snake Meh, as it was kind of dull. Maybe I was just in a bad mood. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either just kind of there. I will say that it was well acted. I give it 2.5 Arrr!s out of 5.

I didn't know that Grandma's Boy was produced by Adam Sandler, or I probably wouldn't have watched it. Someone loaned it to me and said I would find it funny.

The movie is about a 36 year old, dope smoking video game tester forced to move in with his Grandma after he's evicted from his apartment.

It was indeed a funny movie, and great to waste your brain on with very, very mild "dramatic" conflict and an almost nonexistent foil.

Think of it as a poor man's mix of Office Space and 40 Year Old Virgin.

I give this one 2.5 Arrrr!s but recommend it over Black Snake Moan...if you like nerd, doper humor...which very much to my surprise I do.

Labels: Worth your time

The Abduction Pillow.

Found by Alessandra

Labels: WTF

I hope I never have to have a trial by jury.

While everyone is a precious snowflake with a personal history and perhaps an essence that makes them individuals, there sure are some stupid, stupid snowflakes out there.

It was a pretty odd experience for me, and there were some weird group dynamics. While speaking in public is our #1 fear, it was extra evident when prospective members of the Jury were asked to speak up when questioned.

I myself have a clear voice and am not nervous when speaking, but most others in the group were mumblers and stammerers.

Several of them were clearly idiots and at least one was insane, answering a question with a subject that had no relevance to the question asked.

The guy sitting next to me had no verbal opinions about but he was nodding to himself when a woman said she believed that all the police she met were liars and bullies. He was a twitchy bastard. Fussing and fidgeting the entire day, and he stank too.

As it was with the group dynamic, with some questions asked there there were no responses until one person answered, then there was a flood of hands being raised in response. No one wanted to be the first one to admit to their thoughts.

I did find it very telling that when the Defense asked: "Raise your hand if you believe a police officer wouldn't tell a lie on the stand under oath." Nobody raised their hand. She asked it twice more in different ways, but there were no hands raised.

We also all answered that we believed that Police Officers would plant evidence on a suspect.

Wow.

I have to wonder, is it because of what we have seen on police dramas or because we know human nature?

Also telling, the largish number of people in our group who have had relatives do jail time for drug related offenses (or were in fact drug users themselves) as well as the number of people who had issues judging guilt on nothing but verbal testimony. A lot of people seemed to want fingerprints, DNA evidence or video footage.

I'm really surprised they didn't just dump us all and start over again.

Labels: Nothing to see here folks-move along

It's been a while since I've consumed enough media to even have a Media Rodeo, but I've had a few busy Media Days.

For some reason I think people will take these suggestions and/or comment on these posts, but what the hell, that's what blogs are for.

Network

Holy Shit, what an amazing film. I knew it was Alterni-culturally relevant, and prophetic, but...Holy Shit!

What is about? Anchorman gets fired, flips out on air, gets rehired as "Truthspeaking Prophet", goes batshit crazy, gets awesome ratings, fights the Man, Man fights back while co-opting Rebellion and crushing the little guy...the usual.

Agentmatrix was kind enough to post 7 clips abbreviating and highlight the move. So if you want the Cliff Notes version, you can watch them all here:















I was going to post more, but this seems to be quite the largish post, so I'm gonna bag it until tomorrow or the next day.

Labels: Fuck The Man, Media, The Man

We watched it tonight. Ale and I are in agreement, this is an awesome movie.

Labels: Fun Stuff

Behavior Detection Officers’ are now watching passengers’ facial expressions for signs of danger. It’s a new level of absurdity for America.

WEB-EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY
By Patti Davis
Special to Newsweek
Updated: 11:40 a.m. CT Aug 16, 2007

Aug. 16, 2007 - It was bound to happen. Now even a frown or grimace can get you into trouble with The Man.

“Specially trained security personnel” will be watching passengers for “micro-expressions” that will reveal treacherous agendas and insidious intentions at airports around the country. These agents, who may literally hold your fate in their hands have been given a lofty, Orwellian name: "Behavior Detection Officers."

Did anyone ever doubt that George Orwell’s prophecies in “1984” would arrive? In that novel, he wrote, “You had to live—did live, from habit that became instinct—in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized.”

In the study of “micro-expressions”—yes, it is actually a field of study and there are some who are arrogant enough to call it a science—it has been decided that when people wish to conceal emotions, the truth of their feelings is revealed in facial flashes. These experts have determined that fear and disgust are the key things to look for because they can hint of deception.

Labels: Fuck The Man, The Man

If you stop and think about it, Elvis hated doing these cheesy movies, and Roustabout was number 16, yet he's still smiling and looking like he's having a great time. Think about how difficult it is to do in Real Life, and consider then, how great an actor Elvis must have been.

That said...Elvis is Everywhere

Labels: Fun Stuff

Geeze it's still actually Tuesday, but tomorrow will still feel like Tues.

Sensless? Yes.

It's a slow week and doesn't seem to be speeding up.

Email me for my secret post.

Labels: Nothing to see here folks-move along

It was found that red-shirted crew members tended to die in groups. In 17 red-shirt fatality episodes, 8 were multiple incidents, 9 were single incidents. In a little less than 50% of the fatal red-shirt situations, multiple crewmen were vaporized.

via Xblog

I'm Freelancing this week and for a Medium Largish Advertising Company. Everyone seems very nice, though many of them are under the impression I'm the new hire.

For the first time ever, I am in an office with a window, and air conditioning unit and dual monitors. Unknownst to anyone but myself and one other, I have brought my screwdriver in and removed a sliding keyboard unit stopping me from getting comfortable. Not to self: Two can keep a secret only if one of them is dead. The chair sucks and the monitor is too high.

The coffee machine really stands out. It's a Starbucks automachine. It's very cool. You select the size you want, if you want beans from the left, right or both bins then it grinds your beans and makes you a fresh hot cup of coffee. In fact it's supercool. The only problem is that it's Starbucks. Both the House Blend and the Vienna Roast taste just like you would get in the store...like burned rubber. I had to scrape my tongue and brush my teeth after drinking it.

That's really the point of the post. Office with a window, nice people, shitty coffee, cool machine.

Labels: Nothing to see here folks-move along, work

A diapered monkey allegedly bit a young woman on the thumb early
today outside a State Street bar.

The small black and white monkey, 12 to 18 inches tall with a long
tail, bit the woman around 1 a.m. in front of State Street Brats,
then ran off, police said. At noon today, police spokesman Joel
DeSpain said the monkey was still on the lam.

"This guy was in the beer garden at State Street Brats letting women
pet his monkey," DeSpain said, adding that when the 20-year-old
victim attempted to do so, it bit her.

She suffered four puncture marks to her thumb, two on the top and two
on the bottom.

Police today were able to contact the monkey's owner, who lives in a
second-story State Street apartment. DeSpain said animal control
officers were being called in to quarantine the monkey for
observation to make sure it is not diseased.

via-Monkeywire

Labels: NTM

You know, I normally stay away from tech gadgets because I can't afford them, and by not keeping ahead of the curve, I don't feed what would surely be an addiction. Disclosure statement: I have a MacBook Pro that I'm on nearly round the clock at home.

So when the iPhone came out I just kind of went, "Yeah, that's cool in theory, but I'll never get one because they too expensive, and really...BFD."

Well today we happened to be a the mall and we happened by the Mac Store when Alessandra mentioned that they probably have them on display there. Holy crap is that fucking cool!


iphone photo from the store

So as a note to my mom from a discussion we had just Thrusday: Yeah, I could easily see myself with one, and yeah it probably is worth the money.

Too bad I can't afford the little bastard.

Labels: Aww Man

A Man who lived in his own “zoo” of lizards and insects was fatally bitten by a pet black widow spider — then eaten by the other creepy-crawlies.

Police broke in to Mark Voegel’s apartment to find spider Bettina along with 200 others, several snakes, a gecko lizard called Helmut and several thousand termites had gorged on his body.

Neighbours alerted police after becoming alarmed by the stink.

And horrified officers were met by a nightmare scene.

A police spokesman said: “It was like a horror movie. His corpse was over the sofa.

“Giant webs draped him, spiders were all over him. They were coming out of his nose and his mouth.

“There was everything there one could imagine in the world of reptiles.

“Larger pieces of flesh torn off by the lizards were scooped up and taken back to the webs of tarantulas and other bird-eating spiders.”

Loner Voegel, 30, never invited people back to his “jungle” home, a small apartment in the German city of Dortmund.

Police described it as a cross between a botanical garden and the butterfly breeding ground in the serial killer movie The Silence Of The Lambs.

One tarantula had built a nest the size of a swallow’s in a corner of the ceiling.

Voegel also had a boa constrictor and several poisonous frogs from South America.

Spider expert and animal cruelty officer Gabi Bayer said he kept creatures “that should never be allowed in a private home”.

She said: “He had spiders so aggressive they are the equivalent of a pit-bull in the animal world.”

The reptiles were allowed to roam free in the flat.

The heating elements on two tanks containing spiders and their termite snacks had exploded and dislodged the metal tops allowing them to escape.

Voegel is thought to have been dead for between seven and 14 days.

A post-mortem will be carried out in the next few days. But authorities believe Bettina alone was responsible for Voegel’s death.

My big gig is over and now I have to again start hitting the street to look for work. I may have another temp gig with a big agency, but I won't find out until later.

I am taking antibiotics for an infected left index finger which has hampered my guitar practice, (though it was very cool squeezing the pus out).

I'm not reading anything more than Comic Books and Design Books, almost no television or movies. I'm teaching myself to draw.

More when it happens.

Labels: Nothing to see here folks-move along

I've been a Graphic Production Artist for 12 years after I dropped out of Design School due to lack of money. Since then I've become a Graphic Problem Solver, which means I can do pretty much anything to help get the job out the door except for the actual design. I'm sure I could do it, but I lack self confidence.

I decided to throw myself into the deep end of the design pool and teach myself the principles of good design. And I decided to start a new blog instead of cluttering up my personal one with links to design sites and such. So I started Thinking in Picture. Cue the party noisemaker.