Post College (sort of) Education

I was listening to some back episodes of WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show and a caller introduced herself and said that listening to the show is like getting a college degree without going to college. I don't agree completely because depending on what your goals are, there's a lot of specific reading and research one has to do in order to get a glimpse of what you're delving into (hopefully/maybe a life-long interest/passion). When I settled back in Brooklyn a few years back, I entertained going to graduate school for sociology. A friend told me I didn't exactly need a BA in it to apply, and reasoned that I was already many non-fiction books and case studies for leisure. I actually took pre-graduate courses and found out it wasn't for me, but I do still continue to love my non-fiction and science.

In another back episode of BLS, a guest was speaking about how people who read or enjoy much fiction are more likely to be keen to emotions, social cues, and handling of situations in life because they are experiencing how story lines pan out along with the characters they are reading about or watching. It made me chuckle to myself because I don't read or watch much fiction—which leads me to these recommended titles you should watch!

Vanishing of the Bees
This is seriously a great documentary with choice graphics and great peeling of story. It made me consider voting with my dollars by buying organic produce that is available and convenient over non-organic foods.


The Interrupters
This movie is bananas. Dani and I watched it during my visit to Kansas. People are killing people over WORDS. It's more deep than that. It really left us baffled.

Steve Byrne: The Byrne Identity
(It's streaming on Netflix.) Let's clump people together!! I think his 2008 special was better.


Gary Owen: True Story
(It's streaming on Netflix.) Why have I never heard of you?!! His bit on D. Wade's car.

Last, but definitely not the least, this.
Because he screams out Kanye's emails.

4:20 Pig Roast

In celebration of 4:20, I turned on "The Joint", SiriusXM's Reggae station very early in the morning before 8 A.M. at work. Needless to say, people were saying the vibe felt "different". I mean, duh, we never listen to anything but classic rock, 90s rock, and endless jam music. I couldn't wait to get out of work and drink rum out of a coconut.

So is it weird for me to feel glad that people "still make things"? I guess since I have no carpentry skills, I'm impressed by woodwork, which leads me to Robin's backyard. Last year, he lived in Bushwick where he was making a surf bar, but this year, he (with the help of Adriaan) built not only a Tiki bar (serving homebrewed craft beers), but benches, a stage, a gazebo, AND a fire pit in the backyard of his Williamsburg apartment. In daylight, sure you can see some questionable construction choices and finishing, but it looked pretty damn cool. I appreciate the fact that people make shit just so that they can bring people together to chill, rage, and not be at a bar. I'm sure this exists in many places in Brooklyn, but I guess I don't get out much?

OINK. I ate some delicious shrimp enchiladas before rolling in.

JAM ON. So the first band that played consisted of drums, bass, and bagpipe. It sounded GREAT. I'm not being snarky, it was really good.

This is early on. The place kind of exploded later on in the night. The highlight was when a mom brought in her 8-year-old girl to check out the place. What a trip.

Some of it was still uncooked, so they wrapped it up in foil and returned it to the pit.

Kansas City

My last adventure took me to the lands tethering on the Kansas and Missouri State Line for no other than Miss Dani's Bachelorette Thang. This was my second bachelorette get together of my life, and why did I think that it was going to be a normal? Being in the suburban Midwest is a complete shift for me, and so is hanging out with a bunch of ladies. A lot of craziness was experienced and witnessed.

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art!! Alex proposed to Dani at this museum. :)

Claes does a good shuttlecock.

I'm going to make this, but with crazy yarn.

Original messenger bag. This is made from one piece of leather.

Bridge over the Missouri River.

Lithograph by Robert Cottingham. By far one of the most beautifully printed lithographs I have ever seen.

Is this not a cute kitchen? It has a pink oven!

Shake it!!

Do you know what a sex hotel is? Yeah... We stayed in one. The Lincoln at the Chateau Avalon.

We put that tub to use.

The Roman Dynasty, equipped with orgy ready "showering room". (Rather it reminded everyone of a shower that psychiatric patients or prisoners get hosed down in.)

Wine tasting and gifts! I made photo stickers for Dani and Alex.

Things that happened throughout this night/weekend shall remain glimpses of a collective experience.

Party in the limo!! Yeah, drive that limo through the Taco Bell Drive-Thru!!

Make 'Em Say Ugh!!

So you know all your accumulated hours of random public embarrassment dancing pays off when your friend asks you to do it for a project and makes a music video out it. Thank you Linh for the honor!! ♥

Full disclosure: I'm not a professional dancer. O_o

Don't Let This Be You

TOP 5 REGRETS OF THE DYING

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard.

3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

I've been considering these statements recently...especially when I'm at work, in my working bubble, planning out how much more work I'm going to do over the week, and how many art projects that I have yet to complete or start (#=many). Regret #1 is one that I ask myself every day.

I've been thinking about Raymond a lot too. I miss him. We shared a particular brainwave—one based on logic and rational understandings that have almost little to no clout in this world. It's amazing (well, more like mutual brain masturbation) to build on ideas on top of ideas and have IT ALL MAKE SENSE. We'll laugh about it because all kind of doesn't matter anyway. :) We had a quasi fake podcast in the works about our ideas. We called it "you can't come back. cuz why could you?" It's based on Regret #1—how if you did live balls to the wall, you would never go back to hiding your true self since you tasted liberation. (It tastes kind of nutty by the way.) Every time I talk about shit and I feel fucking great about it, little bits of our spirit explode together. I love you, man.

This was the last picture I ever took of Ray.
I took many shots until I got this one because it was perfect.

Spring Creeper

New York City's wussiest winter brings forth a Spring that makes me feel the anticipation of SUMMER. That means all the energy that I stored up from winter hibernation is unleashed in the form of one continuous life stream of bike riding, parties, reading/napping at the park, bike adventuring, secret art projects, mini out of state (and maybe country) vacations, BIKING TO THE BEACH, AWESOME FRIENDS!! Oh and a bunch of other changes. :)

Dinner at Keiji and Jamie's!! The dinner was so delicious! I'm still talking and daydreaming of it.


Fresh egg pasta from Raffeto's in beet+butter sauce with whipped goat cheese. WHOA.


Some of the great company.


THE DESSERTS.


"I know I never wrote back since 2008. This is pretty bad, but hopefully you will forgive me. It's me Julia your friend from Sydney from 2006." Julia visits from Berlin! I ♥ you Julia!! At the extended High Line.


Lots of food at Supercore.


A view from 1 Penn Plaza of Madison Square Garden. Dope.


WELCOME TO THE FUTURE!!


Can you see me now?


This Side of Paradise at Grand Andrew Freedman Home mansion on Grand Concourse up in the Bronx. Creepy.


Welcome.


Art(?)


Me and Diana. :)