t h e . c a l l o w . d i l e t t a n t e

ASIA 2011 Food Edition

2012-02-05T15:37:00.005-05:00

BLASTS OF FOOD IN YO FACE!!

Random LIKES of 2011...and 2012

2012-02-03T19:55:00.007-05:00

I wanted to do a Best of 2011, but I figure it's all up here anyway... Travel for the most part. "Deep" mind-blowing realizations about self and the world—I'll leave those to my personal conversations with others. "What I Ate in Asia" will come up one of these days. I just want to share a few things:

Fish Tank (2009)
It's streaming on Netflix. The lead actress was just this girl on a train platform that the director hired to play the part. Michael Fassbender is in it. So sleazy.

Dogtooth (2009)
(Also streaming on Netflix.) This movie is so weird. When you figure out what's happening, it's really fucked up. It turned out that I was sitting next to the main actress at one of my friend's film screenings at his apartment. I think it would've creeped me out if I saw this movie prior to sitting next to her for hours.

Feist | Metals
"Comfort Me"

So You Think You Can Dance Season 8
Sasha and Ricky Top 6 "Whacking" to Beyonce's "Schoolin' Life"

Active Child "Playing House"
This was on Ray's music blog. I thought the video was a joke and I can't not laugh every time I watch this. I think, "Is this for real-zies?"

I know very little about this artist, but was excited by the voracious nature of his art making due to the meaningless of life...and vandalism. Oh, and this headline, "Graffiti artist David Choe to earn up to $200 million from Facebook stock.

The New Yorker | David Eagleman and Mysteries of the Brain
I heard him on a radio podcast and thought him to be the bee's knees. And then I read this. ♥

Savage Love Episode 276
O M G. This came to my UTTER surprise—IRA GLASS ON SAVAGE LOVE!! I think I squealed (mentally) in overwhelming delight when I heard both their voices together. Previously, Dan Savage was on WNYC's the Brian Lehrer Show for his "It Gets Better" campaign, and I thought that was ecstasy in my ears, but nothing beats hearing IRA GLASS SAY DIRTY WORDS ON THE QUASI RADIO...WITH DAN SAVAGE!!!

Lastly for now, THIS—

W T F. This is amazing. I couldn't stop laughing nor think about strangled thumbs. :(

Absent

2011-12-31T17:58:00.002-05:00

My Asia trip kicked ass in case anyone was wondering. I might post up some select photos, maybe of just food, since about 99% of the time was spent on thinking about food, eating food, and making plans to eat food.

Other than this, I've been embarking on a global art project. It's currently in production and I hope you can all participate from the end of January 2012 onwards.

Oh yeah. THIS.

Jump11!!

2011-11-07T00:45:00.001-05:00

Will you JUMP with us?

Metropolitan Community United Methodist Church Award

2011-10-30T19:49:00.004-05:00

In Spring 2010, a group of my friends renovated the rec room and kitchen of Harlem's Metropolitan Community United Methodist Church. Members of our extended volunteer family came to support us as well as members of the Church. It was a hectic 5 day renovation and we raised more than $10,000 in 10 days to support our project. Metropolitan Community United Methodist Church recently had their annual Community Award Ceremony in September and presented us an award for our service project. A few of us reunited to accept the award. All photos credited to Nestor!

Me, Juan, Shawnee, and Diana

The Church's current Choir performing.

The Alumni choir.

Group dinner!!

Night shot!

Nestor and Diana.

You're Always With Me

2011-10-20T19:54:00.002-05:00

Ray ♥

So inappropriately appropriate.

Random creepy house? Check.

When you're having exponentially shitty day, you can always count on your friends to have you excuse yourself from work to do something random...like see Cirque du Soleil's Zarkana(!) (We saw Brooke Shields during intermission. We had better seats than her!)

And this super joyous thing happened. So happy.
{ Jack ♥ Michelle }

Greatest Guy

2011-09-27T07:54:00.003-05:00

I would like to think that when you left us, your energy and spirit exploded and all of us who loved you inhaled a little bit of you. You always made me feel that we were halves of a whole greater than ourselves—that we were living this life to figure out things that we sometimes already knew. You made be a better person. I love you and my heart aches so terribly for you.

Raymond R. Blanco Jr.
July 8, 1984 — September 25, 2011

Buffalo & Toronto

2011-09-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hey super gay best friend and friend, let's hit TORONTO!!

Toronto's population is mostly populated by non-native born city dwellers. FACT. Hence finding awesome Mexican shops (YES TAMALES!!) in Toronto hipsterville.

We took a sunset boat ride.

Then we went up the CN tower the next day. I got to tag the tower. Wrad.

This place has no security.

Back in Buffalo! More sunsets! Beer tower to follow!

Thank you Hurricane Irene for delaying Amtrak for days so that I can spend more time with my best friend by watching him play video games while I molest his awesome lap cat ALL DAY LONG.

Richmond

2011-09-15T21:41:00.002-05:00

I better post this before I forget what I did in August(?)

Best Friends Day 10 in Richmond. Short notice, but what the hell, there's gonna be AZZ EVERYWHERE...and bikes, and MIKEY!

There's so much cheap apartment space in Richmond. I'm jelly.

Bikes on bikes on bikes.

Bike gang! It was so fun biking on these roads with great people.

Best Friends Day, it's like Woodstock for shitty kids.

Gross man-made pool. Naked rope swinging. Dirty shitty kids. Water that's actually green. So fucking gross. The other water option was the bug infested lake, where I saw a dude piss on another dude, a girl snatching up a goose, and Bert No Shirt mount snow skis to unsuccessfully glide across the water.

Against Me! They were at the Vans show I went to on Thursday a few blocks from my joint, where I got a black eye after body surfing. Yup.

This shit is for realz. You're in your bathing suit, in a daze of whatever vice you've been indulging in since getting there, sweating your ass off, trying not to get molested by people, and if you're me, you regret being barefoot because you end up stepping on cigarette butts.

Thanks to all for the culture shock. You either understand it or you don't. Really. I haven't seen it all.

Thank You Steve Jobs

2011-09-01T11:41:00.003-05:00

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything—all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure—these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important... There is no reason not to follow your heart.

Steve Jobs
Stanford University speech 2005

"How Apple Revolutionized Our World: Steve Jobs's dazzling inventions have forever changed us."
Paul Theroux, NEWSWEEK, September 5, 2011

Hey Girl, Hey!!

2011-08-02T22:11:00.004-05:00

Dani and Alex visit from Kansas. It made me really happy. ♥

She's special.

"I'm so happy you found each other." I told them this repeatedly.

Malaysian dessert time.

This is Andy in Union Square.

Given that—Freakonomics Radio: Death by Fire? Probably Not—don't you reckon we'd be allowed to have plants on our fire escapes?

A yam from Eataly.

This is painted. Crazy.

Guilty of taking this singular picture at the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty show at the Met (Hey, I bought the $50 book.) The show was breath-taking and one of the best art shows I have ever experienced. It presented a new personal view on creation.

Fulfilling NYC tourist dreams one point of interest at a time.

Hot Hot Heat

2011-07-24T21:10:00.004-05:00

New York City is in a summer heat wave. Just the way I like it.

RATATAT @ SUMMERSTAGE!!

At one point, I was the happiest I've ever been in my life.

Rooftop suntanning, quite awesome.

When I see a dude with (implant) boobs and/or a chick with a dick, I will have seen it all.

Back to the island!

My Pulse Is Under 65

2011-07-19T22:14:00.002-05:00

Is that good?

George W. Bush's pulse is 43.

Barack Obama's pulse is 56.

Curtain-less. It looks like a Band-Aid.

Don't just look at this. See it. It's pretty cool.

Secret spots.

Ev'ryday I'm hustlin'.

I wish I could just fall in, swim away, and ~~never~~ maybe come back.

"Ewww, stop smelling that."

Can you spot me in this picture?

July 4th. Cruising while sedentary on a low-riding lounge chair.

I love it when people make "art" about me.

Renegade Craft Fair 2011 Brooklyn

2011-06-12T17:04:00.002-05:00

Me vomiting compliments at Jack Dylan as he gauges my psycho level. I had no idea he had a booth! At first, I saw his Joanna Newsome poster, and thought, "Hey, that looks familiar..." Then I freaked out and had to walk away in order to contain myself.

Little notebooks. Yaaaaaay.

Uppercase Journal's "Work/Life 2". I appreciate it when small presses come to these fairs and sell their digs, especially when they have compilations of artist profiles, like this book.

Lastly, there was a booth in the education/freebies lane that offered a free frame to stain and take home. Here's me and Annie's handsome man Adonis. (I was coincidentally wearing the same shirt today.) Slap a family photo in there and DONE—instant Father's Day gift.

Pre-Summer Action Satisfaction

2011-06-10T09:42:00.002-05:00

First of all, please read this. Stay classy.

Biking from Greenpoint to the George Washington Bridge.

MUDSLIDE PARTY!! Mudslides, karaoke, and never claiming that you can "out-gay a gay" (cuz you can't!).

You know summer is coming when I sent out to get McFlurry's for everyone at work.

Masi's portrait on the Rockaway Beach boardwalk.

Ken and Steph get married!! (Professional pictures yet to come.)

After party at the hotel entails:
Securing alcoholic beverages
Playing the "guess the candy flavor" game
Failing to order Dominoes
Playing Kings off a smart phone
Making heaps of junk food in the microwave

Mini golf after diner brunch in New Jersey!

Show-off = Lil' Sis graduating with two majors and one minor. Word.

Post party after Brooklyn Museum of Art's Target First Saturday's Dance Party.

What a night!

This guy had way too much fun.

Happiest Birthday Dad!

Shao turns 21 again!

MIZZOU!!

2011-06-04T18:29:00.003-05:00

Better late than never, I finally visit my buddy Annie in Columbia, Missouri, after four years of saying that I'd swing by and chill in the South. And for what—HER GRADUATION!! Congratulations Doctor Annie of Veterinary Medicine! HOLLAZ.

8 years of grueling studying and prying open animals and cutting out balls later...

WHAT, WHAT?!!

Let's hit the BRO BAR to celebrate and dance in an alley way!

Sweet couch action.

Hide yo kids, hide yo wives, cuz I be molesting sexy cats all up in here.

Abusing Annie's mom at Walmart by making her push me up and down all the aisles.

Hello big steel structure.

ST. LOUIS NELLYVILLE!!

Sweet jumping action.

hhhhotSHIT!! ♥

Dani visits me from Kansas City!!

There's also lots of nature in Missouri... Devil's Ice Box trail.

I biked a good 30+ miles on the MKT (Missouri Kansas Tennessee) Trail. Cool beans. I saw an owl or something like that. (Well maybe not because they're nocturnal...)

MKT likes to make sure you're fit. I like your outfit Mustached Exercising Man.

On the flight back to Brooklyn. What a beautiful cloud blanket.

Pretty fun and relaxing trip. Strange being in a big college town and a place where you pretty much have to drive everywhere. I'll see you in Michigan! ♥

SOFA NY 2011

2011-04-18T00:00:00.001-05:00

Thank you Twitter for reminding me of this, which made me remind my boss/coworker, which caused him to get tickets for us immediately. Annual SOFA trip, DONE. And SOFA stands for "Sculpture Objects & Functional Art". I have to constantly remind myself that everyone isn't an enthusiast and that I shouldn't get slightly irked when asked if it's a "like a couch show or something like that."

This year's show was definitely more finely curated by the participating galleries. There wasn't much "junky" stuff—you know, stuff that's poorly made out of everyday lowbrow materials, but passes off as real "fine art" just because it has gallery representation and has a slight "edge" to it. There's other shows and galleries for that stuff, not at SOFA. However, there was the tendency of the galleries to show recent collections by the same artists they presented last year. Noticing that made the show a little less exciting when expecting to see mind-blowing "new" work.

Some stuff I took notice of:

Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.

Steffen Dam, you are ridiculous. Please go to Heller Gallery if you want to see his work in full well lit glory.

You have to be a little crazy to make this kind of work.

"Ewww! I hate dandruff!"

I want to caress you all night long.

Creepy baby fish bedazzle.

Really? Crimped red hair under that turban? Really, guy?

And this be going on and on and on...

Ummm, the eyes are a little off. I mean, maybe they're halfies(?)

Grrrlz of my dreamz.

San Francisco Day 3

2011-04-17T21:10:00.005-05:00

THURSDAY | MARCH 17

A month later, I'm completing the SF posts.

So Day 3. Last day. Bike Day, baby.

Goodbye bunk mate, the Viking transplant in Sweden, aka the best oatmeal maker that hostel kitchen has ever experienced.

In my other life.

The one and only Loyal Army store in the world.

Take pictures while biking all right.

I rode all the way down not knowing I had to hang right to the Golden Gate Bridge. I had to push the bike for about 10 full minutes back up the hill. It was worth it, only I wish I was on MY bike.

Why hello.

Holy Sausalito! There's a 10 minute+ downhill after the bridge to get here. I can't believe people back to the bridge from here. Pretty hard core. Good day, sunshine.

Took the ferry back. It was St. Patrick's Day. I didn't wear green.

@ South End Grill N Bar. But wait, there's more. Seriously, I had more food. And it was good. This is what happens when you plan things in advance and get a Groupon and are "forced" to consume $40 worth of grub by yourself.

Sirron Norris Studio. Cool.

Awesome first solo mini-vacation. Highly recommended.

San Francisco Day 2

2011-03-26T10:36:00.008-05:00

Wednesday | March 16

By Tuesday night, I had planned out areas to check out for Wednesday and Thursday. Thanks to my obsessive checking of the weather, I decided to keep my bike riding for "sunny" Thursday. So Wednesday was set for exploring the Mission area.

If you go to The Westin San Francisco Market Street, you can ride the exterior elevators up to Floor 32 to see a grand view of San Francisco. (I went up and down about 4 times.)

I love this sign at a busy playground. It's a warning for predators&mdash"HEY YOU CREEP, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!!" It's also empowering for children to know that THEY run the playground and have authority in creating a safe space. (I also think that it's a way for the law to restrict homeless people to occupy the space and make children/caretakers wary.)

I'm walking down Mission Street and I spot this amazing looking church in the distance. It's like a pink sand castle. It turns out to be Mission Dolores, the church that basically started San Francisco.

So as I headed toward the church from Mission street, I stopped at a gallery. I wasn't sure whether to go in or not because I was so drawn to the church, but I spotted a very small etching that that I enjoyed and walked in. Little did I know it was Creativity Explored!!

"We are a nonprofit visual arts center where artists with developmental disabilities create, exhibit, and sell art."

When I saw the book "Fears of Your Life" by Michael Bernard Loggins, I freaked out. I had recently listened to the rebroadcast of his act in This American Life Ep. 234: Say Anything. I walked around the studio area in awe, talking to several artists and experiencing their work.

I was so incredibly happy.

Michael was there and dedicated a copy of his book to my friend Maryann!! I talked with him and Melody Lima, who is CE's first studio artist, for a pretty long time. I kept saying that I was leaving, but I just couldn't! The energy there was so alive.

I can't get enough of these pretty houses.

I had to get some Mexican Food as recommended by a local. This shrimp burrito was banging at El Toro Taqueria. When you pay at the register, they ask if you want tortilla chips, which you can't really say no to because they're RIGHT THERE. For $0.50, they're worth it as there's a free "toppings" bar with at least 5 types of salsa, slices of radish, fire-grilled jalapenos, etc. etc. Fuck Chipotle.

There's an alleyway across the street from El Toro covered with murals, tags, and stickers.

Oh Mission Bicycle Company, your bikes are so damn pretty that I can't even look at or touch them in fear of this overwhelming wanting of creating one for my own enjoyment. BUT, I already have a beloved bike and at the starting rate of $750, it's an unneeded luxury item.

OVERHEARD: "Dude, we haven't sold a frame all this month." To be honest, I didn't more than 2 cyclists ride "could-be Mission" hipster bikes during my stay. Unless they're selling to people outside of SF, SF people really need gears to commute.

I spotted a cheesy pair of snake skin pants in the "CLUBBING" section of a thrift store. HILARIOUS, thrift store, HILARIOUS.

Mission Dolores Park. Extremely nice place to chill.

My bounty of books for Day 2!!
Creativity Explored
Needles & Pens
Paxton Gate's Curiosities For Kids
Mission: Comics & Art

I was so pooped from carrying all my new books while walking all around that I just needed to rest after coming back to the hostel.

Tom Yum Noodle Soup with mixed seafood at Osha Thai Noodle Cafe
Waiter: How spicy?
Me: Ehhh, pretty spicy. I give him a squint and nod.
This was by far the spiciest thing I've ever had in my life. It was practically burning my stomach lining. It was delicious. I'm salivating for it right now.

Successful end of Day 2 in San Francisco.
Never been so happy in my life.

San Francisco Day 1

2011-03-23T17:38:00.003-05:00

Tuesday | March 15

Going to Vegas was my first trip out west, so why not spend a few days in San Francisco? I've traveled to/explored other cities before, but this was my first solo trip. I had no plan except booking one night at a hostel. At the hostel, I looked at a few maps and points of interest and came up with a mental 3-day plan of what neighborhoods to visit and sights to see (and foods to eat).

First stop—SF CHINATOWN! Lots of colorful narrow streets. I just finished my morning coffee and now I'm searching for a bowl of soup noodles. I ask a few shopkeepers where to go.

Seafood noodle soup at Golden Star Vietnamese Restaurant. The noodles are quite different from the rice noodles at the many Pho places I've eaten at in NYC. They're al dente, thinner, and have a nice chewy bounce.

I loved walking down the streets and seeing houses on higher or lower streets in the distance.

A few book covers caught my eye at City Lights Bookstore. There's a nook filled with DIY zines in the back.

At Fishermans Wharf.

Musée Mécanique is a cute place to visit at Fishermans Wharf. I stumbled through the back entrance having no idea what I walked into. It was like an era throwback.

Even the cute boats match the cute buildings in San Francisco.

Lombard Street, the "crookedest street in the world". So I guess going there during shitty weather was a plus since this place is a crazy popular tourist spot. I got a glimpse of it on my way to Fishermans Wharf having no actual interest in going, but decided to go for the hell of it on my way back to the hostel. I trekked uphill from several blocks away.

USA Hostels San Francisco—user-friendly and inexpensive. On the first night, the girl at the front desk, Brooke, drew a few places on the map and told me to avoid "this area", circling the Tenderloin area, which I walked through to get to the hostel. "That's why you smelled all the pot and piss while walking here." Yes, the smells of freshly smoked pot and the stench of old urine will always take me back to San Francisco.

"There's nothing good on that," says the sushi chef as I ordered the sashimi plate at Ryoko's Japanese Restaurant & Bar. "I'll make you a plate with the specials straight from Japan," he continues pointing at "Specials" board. "Okay, sure, why not?" I reply shrugging. The food was delicious! There was also a bowl of rice and a bowl of the creamiest Japanese tofu. He also served the tastiest homemade Ponzu sauce I've ever had with the halibut. I was very full in way that I never experienced before. Maybe it was a "healthy, satisfying" full, instead of my usual "I think I need to barf and/or lay down because I seem to have no control of the amount of food I'm stuffing myself with" full.

Successful end of Day 1 in San Francisco.

Coverings 2011 in Las Vegas

2011-03-20T15:31:00.002-05:00

Yay I got to spend a few days in Las Vegas setting up a meeting room suite with my boss and coworker for the annual tiles show "Coverings 2011". I think I would go back to Vegas to see some shows (maybe some Cirque du Soleil shows or even that Jabbawockeez dance show, and OF COURSE, PEEPSHOW) and eat at ~~a lot~~ some buffet places. I only regret not seeing the Bellagio Fountain Show, BUT I guess there's always next time(?) Picture highlights:

Hanging by the Palazzo pool in our street clothes.

My co-worker Nancy made this! At the Palazzo Pool Shop.

Everything is CASINO-ized!! Even breakfast foods!

Nobody can resist putting a Benjamin in this baby.

My co-worker Howie made this!

Our meeting suite. Bling...bling. (Maryann's butterflies, Kat's Tiger)

Our new water cut ~~dirty~~ antique mirror tiles.

Sicis! Not as impressive as two years ago in Chicago.

That is all.

2-6

2011-03-06T11:44:00.002-05:00

Thank you dear friends and family for coming to my birthday party, celebrating the 26 years that I have managed not to die. Thank you for having fun, eating heaps of food, drinking endless bottles of beer, sweating it out in the saunas, AND all the kind words and versions of "Happy Birthday" and other ridiculous irrelevant songs you decided to sing on mic. I had a blast.

Thank you Mom for the 2-pound cake that was set on fire.
Wishing the wishes that a Sandy would wish for.

LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Lunar New Year 2011

2011-02-21T23:15:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year, Year of the Rabbit! So what does Lunar New Year mean for Chinese people? I can't tell you all the history and why we do all the stuff that we do, but here's a very to-the-point perspective of what this month-long holiday/celebration means to me.

1. Clean the house. Start the new year by cleaning out all the dust and dirt (and bad spirits) from your crib.

2. Get hair cut. (Hey, I only do it at most three times a year, so gotta look fresh.)

3. Go home for big dinner. (Get fat.)

4. Go to big Chinese restaurants for many New Year banquet style dinners. (Hey, you don't stop eating when you're full. That's not American. Banquet count: 3 out of 4.)

5. Collect lucky money in red envelopes. Say thank you and have a Happy New Year as you receive with smile. (Get bills so crisp you kind of wonder if they're real.)

OPTIONAL. Go to Annual Chinese New Year Parade in Chinatown NYC. (Don't make it like you're really going going to the parade. Have some brunch with good friends and catch all the confetti and all the other crap on the ground before the Sanitation Department sucks it all off the streets.)

Fresh New Year flowers.

Dad goes overboard. Something for everyone.

Did we miss the parade? Let's go for ice cream!

Prettiest garbage you'll ever see.

Malaysian New Year tradition. It's a bunch of raw veggies, fruit, raw fish, and non-foods piled together drizzled with a tangy sweet plum sauce that everyone mixes together with their chopsticks. Eat up and enjoy because you can't get this any other time of the year.

Huge venue for banquet dinner with over 100 guest tables. Ambassadors speak. Lions and dragons dance. Karaoke is a must.

COME HERE AND TAKE MY RED ENVELOPE!!

Cousin, why are you so damn cute?

Tiësto @ Webster Hall 02/13

2011-02-19T23:24:00.003-05:00

Look at all that technology.

My first Tiësto concert!! Webster Hall is pretty grimy. They allowed all the ladies skip the line so that they could get security checked quickly, which rendered a long line of just dudes standing outside the venue. Gross. I reckoned it was so that the front of the standing room could be occupied by girls.

Tiësto was great! He really looked like he had a lot of fun and self-satisfaction doing his thing. I forgot about the whole motion graphics element to show, so I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by some of them. (I mean, what was I expecting, lasers? Yeah, I would be equally surprised and not surprised by crazy spasm-inducing laser lights.)

Since the venue was so small, I managed to get all the way up to the "second" row. It was definitely a gross journey up to the front as all these guys offer to let you get in front of them, only to give them the means to touch and grope you. It was uncalled for and nasty. Someone kept touching my hair as if they never felt girl hair before. YUCK. I hope cosmic Karma gets these guys back.

Tiësto shatters the roof only to raise it up. I must've watched this clip 20 times.

KILLER!

Tiësto vs Diplo - C'Mon
Look at the fucking size of these shows. Webster Hall made the show seem like an intimate private party compared to this shit. (Green developers/designers/engineers—please convert all that human energy into renewable energy. I believe in you.)

Hey Snow, Calm Yourself Down!

2011-01-26T23:57:00.002-05:00

My walk home last night.

Museum of the Moving Image

2011-01-26T18:54:00.003-05:00

Dan and I went to the Museum of the Moving Image on Sunday and it was quite a museum going experience! (The museum underwent some major renovations and just reopened this month. Our first visit!) I didn't have any expectations of what MOMI would be like, but the museum took me by surprise. Firstly, the design (floor plan) was well thought out and easily navigated so that you could view and experience each section. We started at the top with contemporary uses of "the moving image", followed by history of image recording technology, then moving making magic and merchandising, followed by "catered towards children floor" with old school arcade games and King Tut theater, then there was the open seating projection screening mezzanine, and the cafe/lobby/auditorium/shop/ticketing ground floor.

Overall, the museum was enjoyable and "complete" to me, as the focus is really about the advancement of technology. There was an extensive amount of interactive activities you could participate in, which screamed MONEY and HANDS-ON EDUCATION as I'm sure it took quite a bit of money to procure and rig the attractive equipment for ongoing public use. (Apple is on the list of sponsors.) Actually, some things had this non-threatening, inexpensive/amateur look to it. Hmmm, my descriptions are off, but I'm sure you'll "get it" when you visit, which I highly recommend.

Make a dance video and then purchase the flip book at the gift shop!

Special effects of "aging" a character. Funny how they explain how the visual would be created "digitally" today after each FX description.

The "first" documentary ever filmed—Nanook Of The North. View it on Youtube

Floor plan of killer Jame Gumb's house in Silence of the Lambs.

Collection of the cosmetics used on the ladies of Sex & the City (the movies).

South Beach Miami and Key West!

2011-01-15T14:00:00.004-05:00

Miami South Beach beach.

Jealous? Don't be. It was really cold on the beach.

At the Gator Park!

The best Cuban dive diner EVER, Playa Cafe.

Rice with calamari. Actually, it was marinated cuttlefish. It was absolutely delicious. So was my morning cafe con leche.

More food. Thank goodness for happy hour right after sleeping on the beach.

What that says.

Hey buddy!

Biking is the best way around!

The water is eerily clear.

90 Miles away from Cuba! (And the Southernmost Menorah!)

Let's snorkel in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico!

Watching the sunset on the boat.

We're like two hungry cartoon cats. El Siboney Restaurant was the place to be for dinner in Key West. It was so good, we went twice.

Happy New Year y'all! They drop a big conch for the countdown.

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeey!

Post #100

2010-12-19T17:58:00.002-05:00

The refusal to subscribe to the "golden age" myth, if you think about it, is the fundamental difference between a progressive and a conservative. Conservative thought always posits a bygone halcyon era: Some manage to find it in Reagan's eighties, some would rather return to the pre-boomer values of the fifties. A progressive, on the other hand, carries no such burden. The whole outlook is predicated on the idea that the best days are, in fact, ahead.

—"Look on the Bright Side" | Michael Idov | NYMAG 11.15.10

A friend of mine once said that she refused to believe that life "peaks" in your 20s. She'd be damned if life did because then you'd always be reminiscing back on a few unruly dazed years. Sure, the excerpt is about our current socio-political climate, but I read it like pessimism v. optimism approaches on life. How coincidental that this is what I'm choosing to post as my 100th post(!) I've had other blogs, but this one is the only one that has stayed with me.

Looking back, I have to say that it's been a pleasure creating 100 posts documenting four years. More of the "good" than the "bad". More of the "happy" than the "sad". More of the "happy" times than the "bored" times. I look forward to the next 100 posts, knowing the best days are ahead.

Bust Craftacular 2010

2010-12-12T23:45:00.002-05:00

It's that time of year again! BUST CRAFTACULAR! For me, Renegade Craft Fair is the half-year big fair, and Bust is the end-of-year big fair. Good deal. It's interesting to see what vendors are up to and what they're not up to—considering that some of the vendors sell at both fairs and bring in new goods. (I think Renegade is more regionally diverse though.) Some vendors from MakerFaire NYC 2010 were there too.

I didn't get a chance to go to Bust Craftacular 2009, so I don't know how the crowds and atmosphere compared, but the 2008 event was PACKED. Maybe it's because they introduced a second floor of vendors that the Metropolitan Pavilion wasn't so packed this year.

Thoughts? Less of a crazy free for all with the repetitive (generic) "crafty iconography"—flora & fauna, bicycles, mustaches/beards, diamonds, etc. There were a few new vendors with CAD jewelry and laser cut metals/prospects, but nothing too exciting. In fact, I thought there would be more of that stuff since there was just so much of it in the past couple of years (but hey, production may be getting expensive.) I also saw a few vendors selling shit that tries to play off the whole "craft" culture—GUYS, PRINTING UNCREATIVE CLIP-ARTY ICONS ON PREFABRICATED PRODUCTION LEATHER GOODS IS NOT WHAT THIS CRAFT NATION IS ABOUT!!

Maybe this over saturation of similar goods and the crumbling of our economy will force people to diversify and not just pump out junky shit that's indistinguishable from one cutesy "brand" to another. AND be the cause of the end of shitty prints on flimsy tote bags that sell for an unjustifiable $15+!! (Which I surprisingly didn't see any of, so I'm counting that as a good thing.)

And now to the spoils!

3 samples for $10: Butter Cookie, Nefertiti's Garden, Peppermint Patty

Magician coins!

Other stuff I liked. (Glass shit by another successful Alfred graduate!)

Unrelated. But isn't he so adorable?!

Oh Yeah, Thanksgiving!

2010-12-12T14:27:00.003-05:00

So my MBPro was out of commission for two weeks as the logic board light blew out. Thank goodness for AppleCare, right?

Thanksgiving is that magical one time of year where our family uses disposables.

Let's get together multi-cultural family and friends! And yes, how I reminiscence of past friends who've come over Thanksgiving. (Yes you, Annie, Jac, and Yumi!!)

No, I'll pass on the wine. I gotta finish this.

Thanksgiving feasting is only followed up by Black Friday coupon sharing.

...And comparing nail polishes while studying up on Black Jack.

American Human Development Index

2010-11-17T23:43:00.003-05:00

[LISTEN]
The Brian Lehrer Show: The American Human Development Index - WNYC

[GO]
Ken Prewitt, Dalton Conley, Kristen Lewis, and Sarah Burd-Sharps | Lessons from The Measure of America - NYU Institute for Public Knowledge

[EXPLORE]
Mapping the Measure of America - American Human Development Project

Congressional District 29, which includes Alfred, where I went for Undergrad: [Population] 90.7% White | Asian American 2.1%

eXtReMe Apple Picking!

2010-11-17T22:39:00.002-05:00

Dr. Davies Farm Stand in Congers, New York is where it's at! It's one hour outside of NYC and for $34, you get a bag and a stick (get $1 back when you return the stick) to get all the apples your heart desires. We got a good amount of apples. $33 worth? I don't know. I have no idea what apples cost. Chinese fruit shops usually sell apples by unit quantity, not weight. Worth the drive up? YES—FALL FOLIAGE, people.

Let's go in eXtReMe style!!

eXtReMe STICK.

eXtReMe PICKIN'.

Fried calamari at "American Dream Diner".

Pumpkin Drop

2010-11-10T23:29:00.003-05:00

A blast from the past! (Fitting for the Fall season.) I won a pumpkin carving contest back in Alfred 2006. The prize was the privilege to throw all the pumpkins off the 4th floor balcony of Harder Hall. Dude, this was 4 years ago. Shit.

Did you see that intense flipping of the scarf? That's the flip of a champion.

Yair's Big 3-5!

2010-11-06T11:51:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday YAIR!! Back to the spa where mostly everyone gets smashed, laugh a lot, eat merrily, and ride a fucking big duck.

Look how happy Yair is!! (He laughs this crazy evil laugh for a good long minute or two. I forgot what was so funny.)

Toes!

The steam room is sooooo steamy—time for a break!

Let's get smashed!

And ride this duck!

Happy Halloween

2010-11-01T12:08:00.000-05:00

Oh yeah, Happy Halloween guys.

DON'T COME AROUND OR YOU'LL GET BUSTED!

THAT'S RIGHT! AND STAY OUT!!

10 Precepts of Environmental Protection

2010-10-31T12:36:00.007-05:00

A few weeks back, I went to a massive vegan banquet dinner as invited by my mom via her boss. I came home with this a postcard that read "10 Precepts of Environmental Protection". It was printed by GreenCompassion.US, but the site is in Chinese. The list made me realize that I could be more conservative in lessening my carbon footprint. I know that for some items, it takes more effort to "do the right thing" than to go the easy route and waste, but if we collectively and consciously waste less here and there, we're contributing to our environment and our personal well being. These are just 10 precepts you can follow:

To reduce greenhouse gases, refrain from buying bottled drinks. Prepare fresh water and fruits when going on outings. As less sugar and preservatives are consumed, you will stay healthier and slim.
To help save our Earth, do not purchase any food and merchandises packaged in Styrofoam. Be a responsible merchant or consumer, support the "Green Environment Manufacture Index" of U.N., never buy any product which produces high carbon or packaged with excessive synthetic materials.
One single AA used battery discarded without proper disposal can pollute 600 tons of water and permanently destroy 1 square foot of earth. Use rechargeable batteries for all electronics. Used batteries should be disposed of properly. Identify used battery collecting stations in your local communities, such as Staples stores or local pharmacies. Organize collecting stations within your neighborhood.
Water is the most precious resource on our Earth, only 2% is fresh water and just 0.007 of it is fit for drinking. 13,000 liters water to produce 1 kilogram of beef. The harm of wasting tons of water can never be reversed. We should choose Organic Vegan Diet. Otherwise, the worldwide water sources could run out very soon!
Reducing the water flow from faucet is a good habit. Flushing water at gushing speed is terrible wastage of water! After washing the vegetables, reuse the water for plants and toilet flushing.
Merchant and consumers should refrain from use of plastic bags except for wet products. Encourage use of plant fiber environmental bags. Develop the habit of having several environmental bags on hand for shopping use.
Except using the dinnerware in restaurants, a true responsible environmentalist should keep on hand a simple set of eating utensils and take-out containers. One should also refrain from using one-time disposable chopsticks and dinnerware.
Sterilization for pets or donation to promote and help the sterilization for homeless dogs and cats are the most merciful actions for reducing carbon. Please visit the websites:
The Humane Society of the United States
NYC Feral Cat Initiative
Advocating extraneous consumerism greedily is pushing our Earth to extinction. A simplified lifestyle of adequate consumption with content and gratifying spirit will save our Earth!
Seek out and be familiar with your local farmers. Work together and try the best effort to develop the farming of organic vegetables and fruits.

According to the German Annual Food Report 2008: The dietary habit of an individual as compared to CO2 generated by a mid-size car as follows:
DIET MILES CO2 REDUCTION
Meat Eater 2956 0%
Vegetarian 1508 50%
Vegan 391 87%
Organic Vegan 175 94%

Ziplining at Hunter Mountain

2010-10-03T18:21:00.003-05:00

Who's ready to ZIPLINE?

We are!!

I'm doing it in fashion.

This pro waves half way.

Safety first!

Wedgies second!

Ziplining is effortless...except for this bridge.

Steph lands a perfect 10 every time!

YEEEEEEEEEEEAH BRO!!

French onion soup at Last Chance Antiques & Cheese Cafe. It was murder for them to seat all 11 of us.

They have really creepy and weird decor all over the place that you can purchase.

MEEEEEOOOOOWWWWW!!

Maker Faire NYC 2010

2010-09-30T22:36:00.002-05:00

MAKER FAIRE 2010!! Nerds, hobbyists, and inventors UNITE! We get there and this lady offers us tickets for $15 a pop. TAKEN. I really have no idea what's at the fair, but the website said:

What can I expect?
To have the time of your life! You'll be surprised and intrigued with every corner that you turn.

Deal!

FISHBIKEZ!! Never would I have imagined that I would one day ride a FishBike! Remember when I posted about them in my Whoa, June! post?

As you can see, I'm struggling and there's only one side of the fish. Why? Because I'm the idiot who fell over and broke the fish door! :( They were cool about it and were really happy that I would try again.

So cute!

Coolest thing ever! We rocked this hamster-wheel-bike-travaganza.

Jenine makes beads!

Free-form thread illustrations!

Pupusas and tamales from Red Hook's Soler.

Alginate molds!

We trade creepy gross thumbs.

Cold Spring

2010-09-12T17:31:00.002-05:00

Orit and I went ~~mountain climbing~~ hiking last Sunday in Cold Spring, New York. It's a little over an hour north of Grand Central on the Metro North.

20 minutes into hiking.

Stuff White People Like #9: Making you feel bad about not going outside

Tea break!

At the "top".

Surrounded by nature!

Cup Noodle/Beer/Marshmallow Break!

Pretty random cool stuffs in town.

...Like antiques! What a deal!

A Day in Queens

2010-09-04T23:43:00.005-05:00

Day 1 of the Labor Day Weekend! Dad and I go to the USTA National Tennis Center for the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadow, Queens, only to find out that you actually need Ground Tickets to walk around the place. Oops. Thankfully it was such a nice breezy day for wandering around.

Hello Queens.

Would you like to ride my balls plane?

Kids playing soccer.

Yummm soccer field food.

Nice schlong.

Strugglng to sit on a tree seat.

Skater boys.

"You can't see China from here." — Dad

The Panorama at Queens Museum of Art! This is a must-see in person.

It's Brooklyn, bitch.

Downtown currently in construction.

Marbling art!!

My creation.

What a nice day!!

Last August Weekend

2010-08-30T22:15:00.004-05:00

Hey, did you know that Pearl River Mart has a "New Pearl River Home Floor"?

Have a statue or three in your living room.

And why not add in some urns?

Your ass sits like a laboring king on these seats. Really. I wish I had $100/200+ to spare on one of these.

Union Square Green Market! EDAMAME!! (Who knew they grew like this?)

Carrot. Nuggets. That's right, they ain't radishes.

BROOKLYN Industries. I don't get you.

AYE ROCKAWAY BEACH!

It took 4 trains to get there.

The beach ends at 149th Street.

Watermelon mint drank. Yum.

FISH TACOS!!!!!! (AND QUESADILLAS!!) Glorious.

Then we went for frozen pina coladas. I'm so good at taking stupid photos within photos.

Get some.

Jumbo organic freedom eggs from Knoll Krest Farm. Twins ALLLLLLRIGHT.

DOUBLE double twins. I win forever X infinity.

Brekkie on the rooftop. So all this time we had amazing roof access and we only find out last week. Better late than never?

Orit's Big 3-0

2010-08-28T21:56:00.002-05:00

Last Saturday, my Girl Doobie turned the big 3-0! We celebrate at a Russian Spa! The spa had a jacuzzi, pool, dry sauna, wet sauna, steam room, deck, and restaurant. The people at the spa were nice enough to let Orit supply alcohol, so everyone was pretty loose. I just kept drinking and dipping in and out of all rooms and pools. Jawesome. I'm so having my winter birthday partay here if I'm in the country or decide to celebrate.

You're the BEST! ♥ ♥ ♥

Jacuzzi and pool.

There was a lot of massaging, wrestling, ball throwing, and splashing. ::shifty eyes::

What a dinner party.

Delicious meat of some sort(?)

Salty fish stuff.

Naked me and Dan take a bite!

Governors Island Friday

2010-08-23T20:42:00.003-05:00

HALF-DAY FRIDAY!! You can rent bikes for free on Governor's Island on Friday, so I went with Winnie and Dad. The line ended up so long that Dad just rode my bike while Winnie and I strolled and made fun of everything. Dad said, "There are a lot of Chinese people here on the bikes. Why? Because it's free." Yup(!)

You go Dad!

Tiny bike!

Dad sits happily at a "prime spot" he secured at Picnic Point.

PICNIC LUNCHTIME!! (TWINS!)

I got these nectarines at the farmer's market near City Hall.

Turned out my pit was split open...and THERE WERE ANTS!!

Kicking off my kicks.

It Started With A Keg

2010-08-16T21:55:00.002-05:00

The weekend started on Thursday last week. It felt like a long work week, so you know, work hard, play hard? And relax like you're drifting down a river...

Jackie got a keg for her "Going Away Party", but the tap malfunctioned and they ended up emptying the keg into a salad bowl and bucket. You rock Jackie. ♥

Jamie, Rosemary, and evidence of Smores.

Why you so cute?

PING PONG MADNESS!!

Paddle eyes.

CANEPAS! (proper: Mamoncillo) Got a pound of these before going TUBING(!!) in NJ down the Delaware River. No pictures as I didn't want any mishaps with the phone.

Sunday's BBQ got rained out, so we made a bunch of food at the apartment. Yay Alfred peeps.

Yelling at Raymond for being sick and not here.

This sounds disgusting.

Cancun, what.

2010-08-15T21:28:00.002-05:00

Family vacation in Cancun! No clubbing, thanks.

The Sunset Royal pool.

It's like a Corona commercial.

Tres Rios Resort, the first and only all eco-green resort in Mexico.

Tres Rios pool.

To the cenotes!

Down the bike trail.

She's a bumblebee at the cenote.

Food after the bike ride.

Chichen Itza, one of the modern wonders of the world.

Like on a postcard.

It was so hot that day.

We're on a boat on the Lagoon!

Sunset Lagoon pool. I dominated the slide.

Tuna, salmon, lobster, shrimp. So fucking good.

HardNYC

2010-07-25T19:45:00.006-05:00

2004: [ALFRED] Jacalin comes to Alfred on study abroad. We're in Don's graphics elective class. Friends! ♥

2006: [SYDNEY] I go study abroad in Sydney. We go on a road trip!

2010: [NYC] Jac "around-the-world"'s again and makes a stop in NYC.

Yesterday was HardNYC with M.I.A. as the headliner. I wanted to go to this awhile back, but had no one to go with. :( So how fortunate that Jacalin and Tim were going!! Thanks to Craigslist, I got a "cheap" $40 ticket. (Holla.) I love this reuniting of friends and doing fun stuff.

Don't mess with us!

This was an 8-hour concert. We start around 8ish?

Die Antwoord. They KILLED! I didn't know what to expect at all. In fact, they were the fucking best thing of the night and I think they were so good that MIA bombed on purpose.

I don't know why people ask if they are a joke or whatever. I think it's original and batshit crazy in the best way.

The DJ after Die Antwoord killed the high energy. MIA's grand entrance was stalled so many times that the energy was sucked out completely. It was like an American Idol finale, but worse because I kinda expected MIA to somehow bring it hard, but she didn't.

We were pretty close and it didn't make it any more exciting. The graphics were okay and the best thing about the set was the rain+lasers combo at the end. She didn't use it to her advantage though. It was pretty lame.

Adriaan and Tim. On the ferry back. Going on and off Governor's island was pretty smooth.

Jac and Tomo. We're all so beat.

Dirty feet kaleidoscope.

We chilled the night before and it turned into a awful wig party.

Naho

Look at this fucking hipster.

Adam and Adam.

Maki!

Besties at the Met!

2010-07-18T18:25:00.002-05:00

Temple of Dendur. This goofiness never gets old.

Original graphic art.

Yo check out this slingbag!!

Doug + Mike Starn on the Roof: Big Bambú

This is the shit!

Staircase to the "top".

Bear mask!

Art in warfare.

Look at this fucking French hipster (matador).

Ocean City, Maryland

2010-07-14T22:05:00.003-05:00

For the July 4th weekend, I invited myself along to a friend's annual trip to Ocean City, Maryland. Much fun, relaxation, food, and sleep was had. Good times.

Yay, the beach. The sand was incredibly hot.

On the boardwalk.

@ Phillip's for all you can eat seafood buffet!

Pretty.

Favorite 1.

Favorite 2. (Thanks dual camera iPhone4!)

Outside our apartment.

The mighty crabfishermen.

Behold—a crab. (They like chicken.)

Our vacation comes to an end.

Oh, and my boyfriend won Wimbledon over the weekend too.

Whoa, June!

2010-06-24T22:20:00.004-05:00

I can't believe it's almost the end of June. June always flies by—why? Because of all the fun you have!!

My sister blows up my phone because she got free METS tickets!! Field tickets baby! The new stadium is amazing!

World's Naked Bike Ride!! I had on clothes.

LESS CRUDE, MORE LEWD!!

LESS GAS, MORE ASS!!

In front of the United Nations.

MERMAID PARADE!!

This is the fucking shit. My friends and I decided to leave and after walking up the ramp to get to the boardwalk...we quickly find out that we've just joined the boardwalk part of the parade route. Awkwardly awesome.

ADA's Chairs for Change Carnival Celebration!

This was one crazy party for kids—they had a cotton candy machine, popcorn cart, snow cone cart, spin art, a DJ, MC, and dancers, a magician, face painting, portraits, and games. They played Usher's O.M.G. and the place turned into a kiddie club.

They had this game where the kids compete to stuff as many balloons as possible into a t-shirt. I can see how this would get brutal if adults played this game.

The chair banks!

Lille dumps out the $$ into a big chair. I think it's amazing how they came up with this fundraiser because of the fundraiser I proposed with my Friends in Action 74 team. One person CAN make a change. HOLLA.

Matadors

2010-05-30T20:24:00.002-05:00

Israel Pancho ♥
I wish I had a reliable scanner.

Egg Twins

2010-05-18T22:24:00.003-05:00

My first! Love it. Lucky 11/12.

New Things On Long Weekend

2010-04-25T22:19:00.002-05:00

Dinner at Dan's apartment with Hilal!

Baked trout, steamed broccoli, sauteed portabella mushrooms, and fried plantains. YUM!

Art time! SHRINKY DINKS!

It starts out this big...

And once heated, the plastic art shrinks down to this!

I made a watch coaster for Dan.

We baked it in the kitchen, but it shrunk too small for a tumbler coaster.

So now it's a coaster for a shot glass.

Creation collection.

Masi and I cross the Brooklyn Bridge for the first time to go to Orit's house.

Awww!! Ray (aka Teddy) knows how to shake paws!

Mikey visits from D.C.!!

After biking to the Whiteney Museum of Art and back to Brooklyn, we treat ourselves to some damn good vegan food at Foodswings. This is their version of the KFC "Double Down", but with veggies! Mmmmmmm.

Adam's 2-6 celebration!

We light the cake on fire.

Rosemary makes the most delicious cakes!! Chocolate with a hint of coffee--MochaCake!

Must-See Documentaries!!

2010-04-21T21:35:00.002-05:00

See What I'm Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary

SEE WHAT I'M SAYING is the first American film to be fully subtitled for the country's 30 million deaf and hard of hearing viewers and opens the door into deaf culture for those who are "signing impaired."

Deaf culture is unique. Out of the nearly 30 million deaf and hard of hearing Americans, only 10% have a parent who is deaf, making deaf culture one of the only heritages in the world that is rarely handed down from parents to children. Deaf culture is composed of a community of people who consider deafness to be a difference in human experience rather than a disability. There are deaf entertainers within the community who perform mostly for deaf audiences, many of whom are trying to cross over to the mainstream. This film is about four of those entertainers.

SEE WHAT I'M SAYING is a powerful and unique look at deaf entertainers that touches on the human nature of these unsung artists. Its universal appeal transcends the four intertwined stories, allowing audiences to peek inside deaf culture and see this vibrant community in a fascinating new light. The humor and the pathos are eloquently supported by Kubilay Üner's soaring score and guided by director/producer Hilari Scarl's unique vision. [from website]

We Live In Public

Ten years in the making and culled from 5000 hours of footage, WE LIVE IN PUBLIC reveals the effect the web is having on our society, as seen through the eyes of “the greatest Internet pioneer you’ve never heard of”, artist, futurist and visionary Josh Harris. Award-winning director Ondi Timoner (DIG! – which also won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize in 2004 – making Timoner the only director to win that prestigious award twice) documented his tumultuous life for more than a decade to create a riveting, cautionary tale of what to expect as the virtual world inevitably takes control of our lives.

Harris, often called the “Warhol of the Web”, founded Pseudo.com, the first Internet television network during the infamous dot-com boom of the 1990s. He also curated and funded the ground breaking project “Quiet” in an underground bunker in NYC where over 100 people lived together on camera for 30 days at the turn of the millennium. With Quiet, Harris proved how we willingly trade our privacy for the connection and recognition we all deeply desire, but with every technological advancement such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter, becomes more elusive. Through his experiments, including a six-month stint living with his girlfriend under 24-hour electronic surveillance which led to his mental collapse, Harris demonstrated the price we pay for living in public. [from website]

Bloody Sexy Beast

2010-04-20T23:20:00.000-05:00

Masi ♥

Staycation Weekend

2010-04-18T22:29:00.002-05:00

Two awesome weekends in a row?! What have I done to deserve such pleasures? Can't and will not complain at all. It feels wonderful to do what I want to do.

The beautiful clouds outside my window.

Flower tire bikes for Chairs-for-Change. Check the site out!!

Paper flowers.

The quintessential tree-lined Brooklyn block that I live on. Damn beautiful.

SOFA NY 2010

2010-04-15T23:11:00.002-05:00

My bosses won VIP tickets to SOFA NY 2010 at an auction and invited Tavia and me to join them!! Tonight was the pre-showing before the opening tomorrow. It was a great experience, supporting me as a "glass enthusiast". There was a lot to see, people to meet and see again.

HOLLAS!! I got to keep a catalog.

First thing you get to see is HELLER. Revived respect for Lino.

LOVE THIS. Mel Munsen.

Mistah tough guy.

Crazy weavings.

Mary Ellen with friend in front of her and Kevin's Mostly Glass Gallery display.

Alison's display.

A whirl of cherry blossoms!!

Tea?pots.

Gerit Grimm's dancers. She was a grad student at Alfred when I was a freshman. Go Alfred Alum!!

Tavia's favorite wood necklaces.

Jan Huling's amazing bead work.

We have a lovely dinner. Tavia and I end up here. I love New York City.

Oh Spring in NYC

2010-04-12T23:13:00.002-05:00

Dane came down for his first visit to NYC!! We had quintessential Spring in New York City weather—breezy, super sunny, flowers and tiny leaves blooming on trees, and of course, public art and PUPPIES! We walked an incredible "number of blocks" to the point of the backs of our knees hurting, but it was all worth it for the scenery, getting lost and finding new things, staring at stuff, bikes, and the FOOD. (Falafel!) A tiny, tiny snippet of our wonderful weekend:

They just might be finished with the condos on the waterfront in Williamburg. Maybe.

Poached eggs and roasted beets & taters at Brooklyn Label in Greenpoint.

Madison Square Park cherry blossoms.

Antony Gormley's Event Horizon @ Madison Square Park.

We are friends.

Central Park was absolutely beautiful.

Deliciousness at Le Grainne Cafe in Chelsea.

Steffen Dan @ Heller Gallery.

The Hearts Unite

2010-03-22T23:53:00.002-05:00

Dan, you're my hero!!

Dan found a cute way to have Heart 2.0 "up".

Now 2.0 has a Big Brother to look after it. I love it. I'm sure it will raise a few eyebrows and get some chuckles.

The Heart 2.0 LIVES!

2010-03-20T21:32:00.003-05:00

So Heart 2.0 lives in photos. Yay(!)

The Heart 2.0

2010-03-20T19:57:00.002-05:00

I had a pretty traumatic experience today. Dan accompanied me to put up 2.0, and as we walked away accomplished, we saw that the teenagers who watched us put it up with joy and excitement had ripped down the Heart. I yelled at them. I was so upset and angry because they had destroyed a beautiful thing that belonged to someone else. A woman from the neighborhood acknowledged us for putting up a beautiful artwork on a building she considered "ugly" (a new condo/apartment construction), and the teenagers watched with curious and excited interest. I don't know why the teenagers did what they did, except that they are (fucking) jerks who don't know that what they did was a (fucking) asshole move after they expressed how "cool" it was that we were doing such a thing.

Talk about irony. Teenagers are "rebellious" and here they are supporting THE MAN by ripping down a street art. What the fuck is that about? I guess those kids love authority. Maybe some years down the line, they might just have a cathartic moment in which they figure that that what they did today hurt someone else and their actions took something unique and fun away from the neighborhood. Anyways. You live, you give, you learn.

So this is the Heart that Miss Sandy gave to Mister Frank.
I ♥ YOU BUDDY!!

The simple quick sketch.

Complete in black and white Sharpie marker.

I hardly use color like this. Special!!

Finishing it with a bit of hairspray.

"IT COMES WITH FRESH FRUIT! FRANK"
Frank, you get it right?

On the corner of Hollywood and Middleton Road in the Bronx.

Asshole kids pretending to admire only to tear the heart down after we leave. FUCK YOU. It was terrible to hold the remains. THE AGONY.

The Heart 1.0 UPDATE

The Heart 1.0 LIVES!! Dan shows me all the ways it has evolved to "belong" to the neighborhood. I like it.

Dan never saw his name on the Heart. It was ripped off before he could experience it, so he tagged his own. ♥

Miracle Morning

2010-03-17T22:31:00.005-05:00

Every day is a miracle because we're not always granted another day.
"So whatever you are, whatever you created, never compare, accept, acknowledge, make the most out of it...Perfect!!"
~ Frank
It is what it is.

Happy New Year

2010-03-14T22:17:00.002-05:00

It chewed up my arm. Free money, food, and love—why not?

Jury Duty and Yoga Class

2010-02-24T19:38:00.004-05:00

A view from the 18th floor of the Brooklyn Court House

Yesterday was a day of firsts for me. I got summoned to do Jury Duty and what a unique experience! We watched an introductory video and the motto of Jury Duty turns out to be "YOUR TURN". WOW. They never once sugarcoated the fact that this civil service was fun, and bluntly told all of us that it's our obligation as U.S. citizens. That made me feel real good. I actually got to sit in the jury box by lottery to answer the little survey for the judge, prosecutor, and defendant lawyer. FUN! I even got some laughs in court. At the end of the day, I wasn't selected for the criminal case, but I got a really great coloring book from a children's bookstore nearby!!

It's like John Green made it specifically for me.

After my short civilian "work" day, I seized the opportunity to take a pay-as-you-wish yoga class in my neighborhood. It was amazing first class!! I love it. I even bought a mat and went again today! It was relaxing and I enjoyed pushing my body to get stronger. (My body is currently mush.) The rotating instructor Tara finished with a quote that really spoke to what has been up for me lately. I hope this will inspire you too.

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
Harold Whitman

A Valentines Gift

2010-02-15T23:35:00.004-05:00

A gift from my heart to one of my hearts, Dan. It's amazing to declare something out of nothing and have it happen. And what better way to celebrate another person and art itself than public street art? If you love something, give it away.

I worked on this everyday during my lunch break for a week.

Finally finished after a couple of drawing marathons.

Each hand drawn.

My dedication.

This was posted in my neighborhood. How sweet you copy cat(s). ;)

Wheat pasted in Dan's neighborhood! My buddy Frank! ♥

A surprise for Dan that he can pass by everyday, appreciate, and watch change. If you're in Chinatown/LES, find it on East Broadway between Clinton and Montgomery. [Photo Credit: Dan]

In The End

2010-02-06T11:32:00.005-05:00

In the end, everything is going to be okay. So if it's not okay, it's not the end.

This week has been so topsy-turvy for me physically and emotionally. I've been worrying about stuff since last weekend and the worrying festered throughout the week. In the middle of the week, I hit a major interruption and it's been up and down since. Yesterday, I got to clear all this shit with my buddy Juan. I'm really happy for our friendship and the way that I have developed as person to be open with him. The funny thing is that on a Friday night, a night when people go out, party, and be merry, Juan and I were chatting on the phone and Skyping. What a great way to "end" a week.

4s up!!

The new WhiteBerry

Call me! ding ding ding ding ding ding ding!!

A Colorful Start

2010-02-02T22:25:00.002-05:00

The New Year started out with a bang as Adam and I held our "Low Key New Years Party" that eventually turned into the "WILD 'N OUT!! PARTY" as friends ended up getting mad drunk—breaking glasses, hugging the toilet vomiting, passing out on beds, making out on the impromptu living room dance floor, trying to hammer in scarf into the ceiling with screws using a high heel...the usual house party stuff. So it means that it's pretty much too late to have an apartment warming... Future parties, YES PLEASE!

I have been happily busy at work, playing with my new found buddies of my Leadership Program, and just in living everyday life. My family is doing great, I've been working on my art stuff, and spending special time with new and old friends. I'm turning the big 2-5 at the end of this month and I can't wait! I have a lot to be happy and proud of. It still surprises me how far I've come step by step. I focus on what I have and live forward with all my possibilities.

Funky aqua blues and greens Tiki Blocks at work. Always in action!!

My work table!

I'm finally on this one AGAIN.

Christina and me at our boss Allison's 40th Birthday Bash "40 and Fabulous!" as she would say. [Maryann and I built the diamond mirror wall, and Liz mastercrafted the "Valium" sign.]

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T21:49:00.003-05:00

Fact: It always rains on Halloween.

Who's ready to party?

I AM!!

But I need some chow first.

Dangerous: An all metal Michael Jackson tribute band. SEXAY.

@ The Emerging Artist Party at the House of Bumble.

Hello Autumn

2009-10-26T19:02:00.003-05:00

At Prospect Park.

There's a white horse in the background.

Biking off the path.

There's geese shit everywhere. Later, as I bike, I see a bunch of them fly to the pond in V-formation.

Pretty.

Having a conversation.

I want hair like this. (The color scheme I mean.)

CMJ (Sort of)

2009-10-25T16:29:00.003-05:00

I actually didn't go to any of the CMJ events, but I did go see three bands play: The Empires at Union Hall, the XX at the SOHO Apple Store (CMJ sponsored), and Leisurely at Shea Stadium (Mike Stroud from RATATAT was there too ♥).

@ the Delancey. (More at Brooklyn Vegan.) I really enjoyed their performance. My friends and I were lucky enough to be standing right behind the seats as we didn't have CMJ passes. The music and vocals were the clearest I've ever heard during any live show. I tried to see them again at TriBeCa Hotel, but without a RSVP, didn't get in. I did manage to have a non-awkward two minute chat with Jamie Smith (programmer/DJ) as he unloaded equipment.

Other slightly "exciting" firsts: (1) Bitched on back of a scooter. (2) IKEA browsed for our imaginary apartment.

Baltimore Nerd Fest 2009

2009-10-18T00:52:00.004-05:00

I tagged along with the Autumn Society for Baltimore Comic Con 2009. Much B.O. was smelled (or cautiously wafted) and bouts of giggling were had. Then I creepily became DJ Fleg's shadow and a captive car passenger in the suburbs and a city I can't seem to navigate.

Cuties.

Nerd.

Freaks.

Babe.

Hot booth babe.

Beautiful sunset.

Inner harbor.

Dragon boats.

Food.

More food.

Joe and Stephen @ Developing Nations.

Henry on the rooftop.

UMaryland Mall.

Can you hear me now?

The Elephant Engine High Dive Revival.

Ewww. Flashback.

Laptop Cozy

2009-10-09T19:46:00.003-05:00

Mac accessories are stupid expensive—why? Because Apple comes out with a new(ish) design every year, so accessory companies might as well make the most money that they can, while they can. Tekserve sells sleek *Speck hard case covers for $49. (Cheapest on Amazon is $25, but out of principle, I don't online shop for things I can accessibly buy in the city).

My cheap ass decided to make one.

I use an iSkin ProTouch Classic to reduce finger oil griminess (and crumbs).

Half stitch.

I WOULD like to get this Casauri Laptop Brief. It's mad slim and sexy ($59). Too bad I don't commute/travel with my MBP everywhere. (Boo. Hoo.)

Europe August 2009

2009-10-05T23:19:00.007-05:00

I finally upload SOME photos. I might add a few more (later). Slideshow doesn't display captions. :( Click click through the photos for the narration!

www.flickr.com

socallow's Europe August 2009 photoset

September Haves & Wants

2009-09-23T19:58:00.013-05:00

COMP | TECH | DIGI

Vuze: The most powerful bittorrent app on earth. Aggregates torrents from the major torrent search sites. Current popular movies on DVD take less than an hour (if not half) to download. I finally got RATATAT's Mixtape Vol. 1!

My AIAIAI Y-Com headset crapped out. The mesh in the left ear bud detached and stopped outputting any sound. :( Thank goodness there is a year replacement guarantee on defects and wear/tear. Since I use headphones practically everyday, I decided to get a pair of Grado SR60i's as a buffer (also comes with one-year replacement guarantee).

AIAIAI Y-Com
$70 @ dijitalfix

[+]
Thick cord, 5+ pairs of different bud fittings. Compatible iPhone button/microphone is VERY handy when you need to pause music and/or take calls. This is great for me because I don't have to constantly unplug the buds with my dirty work hands. Very sleek design. All in all, I have to say that the Y-Com's quality of sound is the best I have experienced. The layers of music are crisp and easily distinguishable at a middle volume and the bass is booming. They also serve as a great noise canceler at a higher volume without leaking noise pollution. *These are the headphones you really need to get if you want to be engulfed and taken away by audio.

[-]
The wire at the buds are slightly curved so that they can hang behind your ears, but they tend to pop off my ears. The best fitting bud fittings help prevent the slippage. Since I have used them for long lengths of time every day, I have experienced hearing degradation.

Grado SR60i
$79 @ dijitalfix

[+]
Looks great, and it's so comfortable! It is what it is—the sound is right at the outside of your ears. Good for "background" listening and wearing for long periods of time. The cord is so thick and long that you can use it as a self-defense weapon.

[-]
NOISE POLLUTION!! It is an open air system, so whatever you listen to, everyone else does too. :( Not good on public transport if/when you want to be a courteous rider.

VISUAL

True Blood. Let me guess, either you haven't been watching and all your friends have been raving about it and demanding that you watch too, or you're the one that's doing the raving/nagging. I am hooked and I'm currently downloading season two. (Don't spoil it. I'll bleed you!)

AUDIO

The great thing about working in a studio with your own table and blah blah blah is that I get to listen to my music, audiobooks, and podcasts ALL day. Album highlights!

	Jay-Z \| The Blueprint What can I say? I regret not going to the 09/11/09 Madison Square Garden performance. BUT, I DID see Jay and Be in person, like five feet away, at the Beach House/Grizzly Bear Jelly Pool Party in Williamsburg. (holla.) *D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune) *Off That (feat. Drake) - A list of what's IN and what's OUT.
	Kid Cudi \| Man On The Moon: The End Of Day Did you see my last post? CRAZY!! (Watch Mike SHRED!!) This is his first studio album and it truly leaves me wanting more. His narrative is pretty safe—it feels like being a freshman in college and having a sense of yourself, but you're exploring and trying to get to know yourself deeper. He's the quasi-quiet blossoming foundations Freshman who writes as well as draws in his sketchbook while Kayne is the Senior Art Star who still takes Junior classes and Jay is the alumni who everyone knows and talks about ALL THE TIME. *Alive ft. RATATAT - What? I love them. :D *Up, Up, And Away (The Wake And Bake Song) - TOTAL summertime Pop song.
	3OH!3 \| WANT Okay, everyone's heard Don't Trust Me. I was a little bit more curious and listened to the full album...and What. The. Fuck. Totally not expecting what Wikipedia classifies as Electronic Dance Music/Rap-Rock/Crunkcore/Crunk-Pop. Is it really crunk? Well, listening makes me bare my teeth a lot and want a full grill ever more longingly. Give it a listen(?) *I'm Not Your Boyfriend Baby *Richman - WOW. And I ain't sippin' on a mixed drink, pinkie out, lips pink, Talkin' to a rich skank filled up like a sperm bank, I'm 'a go where I always go; Drinks are on the house, Whiskey's on the rocks while your sister's on my mouth.
	The Beatles \| Abbey Road [Remastered] Come Together sounds so good, I could vomit. I once thought that Aerosmith's version was better, and now I sheepishly take that back. And I officially hate MJ's version. *Oh! Darling

Kid Cudi & Ratatat, Till's NEW MUSIC VIDEO!!

2009-09-21T22:19:00.004-05:00

Hot. Shit. (!!)

Till made this!! ♥

AC/DC @ Giants Stadium

2009-08-01T12:32:00.002-05:00

My friend Mike D. had an extra ticket and I was like "Hey, why not?" It was more amazing than we ever expected (well, I went in blind.) There was animation, fire blowing machines, pyrotechnics, glitter confetti cannons, inflatables, and FIREWORKS (way up in the list of favorite things). All rock performers should aspire to be as awesome as them in concert. Angus Young did a guitar solo that lasted like 30 minutes—in which throughout it, I had to hold my face together with my hands because it was melting in disbelief of how incredibly awesome it was.

Yay, it stopped raining!

"1! 2! FUCK YOU!" Anvil.

The show just went on and on. Amazing.

The concert and the crowd were a whole new experience for me. There were so many "dudes". Like white dudes—drunk New Jerseyesque white dudes with conservative haircuts that just grunt and yell lyrics who would all belong at a NASCAR event if they were out in the Midwest made up 90% of the attendees. I haven't seen so many dudes crowded in one place in my life. I wished I had took pictures of just people. :(

Then on the NJtransit back, there was a dude with a RATATAT t-shirt on. It made me smile.

The High Line

2009-07-30T21:12:00.002-05:00

Friends! Visit NYC so we can stroll through the High Line!! We'll get ice cream, take many camera-phone photos together, and end up in Hell's Kitchen, where we can dine on brick oven pizza served on mini two-tier racks or get tapas y vino(!)

Artsy.

The old and the new. All these new glass buildings = mosaic patterns.

I love brick.

You can see the Statue of Liberty from here.

Gah, Photoshop color corrections not showing up. :(

Evernote

2009-07-29T21:44:00.003-05:00

If you're like me and you need some sort of electronic/life (now officially one entity) organization, get Evernote NOW. I was searching for Apps that I could add to my iPhone for organizing August's Eurotrip, and there Evernote was—green and FREE. The syncing is flawless and super fast. Now if Apple's MobileMe and Evernote teamed up together, would that be...heaven? I finally feel like I'm putting my MacBook Pro to use... Sad.

By the way, I currently don't use MobileMe. Apple has a 60-day trial and it's $99/year after the trial. Worth it? My life isn't chaotic and important enough for it (yet).

Slide the volume all the way up.

Rewards, rewards

2009-07-28T20:32:00.003-05:00

After building 200 square feet of mirror tiles (and another 21 of the same pattern), I get this project:

O M G.

240 square feet of M I N I Basketweave.

Each square is 3/8" x 3/8" and each stick is 1/2" x 1.5". You've got to be fucking kidding me. What kind of person orders this?!! Seriously. Whatevs, I'm going to mosaic the shit out of this bathroom.

It's Growing

2009-07-27T22:34:00.002-05:00

I've been growing Crocobillies again. I started last summer and after one whole year, I had only made about 5 crocs. Not good. :( So with renewed interest, I set out a plan to blow through 2oz. of roving a week. In reality, I'm only going through about 1oz. every 10 days because I'm taking the time to join them in the mass/pile. I'm already getting concerns (critiques?) about the mass and the visibility of the "center". I think each crocobilly will be more distinguishable when the glass eyes are set in. This is only about 1/20-25 of the projected finished size. Let me know what you think.

This shit is hard to photograph.

Sitting on top of a 2009 drawing.

Summer?

2009-07-26T23:27:00.002-05:00

Well, we're half way done with July and it feels as if summer just started. Whatevs. Here's a photo dump.

In Chicago for Coverings 2009. Awesome.

To date, the BEST concert of my life at Terminal 5.

VIP baby!! Balcony, next to the speakers, above the body wave of hamsters below, crashed BACKSTAGE.

GAS 2009, Corning, NY. The Burnt Asphalt Family Barbeque Performance.

Dane revealed all his treasures to me. OMFG.

Rob's studio.

Dane and I blazed through a trail in Ithaca and ended up here.

Birthday twins!

I'm a band.

The coolest wall in D.C.

Uh, you gonna eat all that? [Chuck's Phil ♥]

Expression twins. Yay ~~spaceships~~ jets!!

Back from Governor's Island.

MGMT at the Bandshell. Lame.

DJ Carpetbagger and DJ Boxcuttah @ Fanny Pack!!

Waiting for Matt & Kim at Pier 54 with Liz.

After biking over the bridge to Rockaway Beach...in the rain.

It's like Cape Cod... Uh, nevermind.

Outside Pier Glass.

Watching the thunderstorms roll in from the pier.

This is what a stack of 200 square feet of glass mirra looks like... (Just in case you were wondering what that would look like.)

Noticed Art Direction

2009-03-08T10:14:00.004-05:00

After being a loyal customer of DirecTV for several years, the company gave us a free trial run of Showtime+ for a few months. Last night I caught two episodes of United States of Tara. When I saw the print ads in the subway stations, I thought it was a stupid comedy series, but after reading the review in The New Yorker, my curiosity was piqued. The beginning of the show does an adequate job of recapping what has happened in the last episodes without giving anything away. If you've ever seen the show, it's not as if anyone knows what actual past experiences Tara's been through to cause her to have multiple personalities (which is the premise of the show). The best part of the show is the opening.

My favorite detail is T's ponytail.

And today, I experienced the video for Coldplay's Life In Technicolor II. It does a pretty good job at making you think "What's next?" A catwalk? Pyrotechnics? Awesome.

"Fuck yeah." ~ the video taping dad.

I am 2 Dozen Years Old Today!

2009-02-27T22:33:00.003-05:00

I got carded...again.
It's funnier when the dude selling you the ticket is younger than you.

Regular dozens, not baker's. Yay! It's my year as a work horse of society! (So is Obama, so double YAAAAAAY!!) Here are my birthday horoscopes (or as I like to say "horrorscope"):

am New York
Help support your partner this year, and she or he will come up with your structure. You need one, because you're going into full creative mode. You need someone to feed you when you forget. Be kind or this won't work out.

The New York Post
Disruptions of one sort or another are likely over the coming 12 months but according to your birthday chart you are in need of a change, so it's not really a cause for concern. You will find you have reserves of courage you never knew existed. [++]

NY Daily News
Happy birthday, Pisces! You have a colorful and sometimes eccentric personality. You adore being mysterious and can be a dreamer. This year, make a concerted effort to pinpoint your goals. Make a long-range plan for the year and adhere to it — with focus, you can achieve a great deal. This is also a great year for concentrating on your home and domestic life. [++++]

Eh, I buy them.

Plussssss...

Hot shit, I'm part of the cult!!

Museum of Arts & Design

2009-02-22T19:02:00.002-05:00

New favorite art museum! I'm the kind of museum goer that likes to look hard and fast. I tend not to look at things too long, and like to read description blurbs of the pieces that catch my attention or am left clueless by. MAD's location is easy to get to at 2 Columbus Circle (A/B/C/D/1 Columbus Circle), and with 5 floors of exhibition space, there's just enough objects/installations to experience without you feeling overwhelmed (like MOMA) or wondering why you paid $10+ to look at a few things that you don't consider well executed "art" (personal op, open to interpretation). There are also three artist studios (with rotating resident artists) that are open to the viewing public, which I found to be very welcoming and accessible.

C'mon, they have Devorah Sperber piece! Visit!!

Must see: Second Lives: Remixing the Ordinary [to April 19, 2009] (There's a piece by Joe Lewis III, the dean of my alma mater, School of Art & Design, NYSCC, Alfred University)

Interact: STUDIO SUNDAYS, Intergenerational Programs, every Sunday 2-4PM (There are so many kids!)

http://madmuseum.org
http://www.madblog.org

Catwalk Tragedy NYC 2009

2009-02-21T20:02:00.005-05:00

Adam was on assignment, photographing the event for his friend Jenny's online magazine Auxiliary Magazine. I knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity to witness the madness when he said, "It's a goth [well, Jenny calls it "alternative lifestyle"] fashion show...but it's like a beauty pageant show too." And then he mentioned men's fashion and I couldn't stop thinking of high school goth kids and I was sold.

We ended up standing for more than four hours at the end of the catwalk. When Marlo Marquise walked onstage, we knew the competition was over.

Check out Adam's photo of Marlo

The show definitely had a schedule, but when you put alcohol, technical difficulties, and people with big personalities together, there a lot of non-event time to be passed. And when drinks are $10 a pop, you just stand and stare at people.

Knowing only what Adam told me about the show, I imagined a catwalk fashion show made up of exquisite models with several changes of hair, clothing, and make-up, where the judges were to choose the models who best represented their looks. In reality, I felt like we were watching an adult high school talent show. The show fell apart during the "talent" portion. The audience was restless and started throwing shit, the other DJ was distracted by two girls who were fawning over him, and nearly all the judges were drunk and dismissive of the contestants who weren't doing something "sexy".

Some "highlights"(?):

A male contestant walked onstage shirtless and handed the DJ a small jar of mayo and walked backstage. [What an artist, no one understands!!]
While a contestant recited some deep poetry, a drunk judge said, "What is going on?! Can someone tell me what's happening?"
One dude ran out dressed like Hulk Hogan, complete with a large American flag, gnarly mustache, and rip-able shirt and did the whole Hulk Hogan pre-match thing. [It was awesome. So out of place!]
One girl made her costume out of electronic circuit boards. The concept was great but the execution was just awful. She got onstage, stood there and madly tapped on the buttons of a toddler toy that was situated next to her crotch to make weird sounds (aka electronic music) while the MC and DJ jabbed their microphones to the small speakers at her side. This lasted for 5 LONG minutes.
The Merc came out in a black head to toe LATEX onesy and took off this underwear (without undressing) and threw it into the crowd.

This is The Merc.
AND the most obvious of all was the DJ's pants pitched a tent during all the sexy girl acts. I reckon it was more uncomfortable for him than all of us.

All in all, I had a great time! Personal bests were Voltaire the MC (please read his 12.30.08 post), and Suicide City who played an amazing, back-flipping set. (I want to see them play again!)

Snark Alert

2009-02-18T23:29:00.003-05:00

David Denby, film critic for The New Yorker and author of Snark: It's Mean, It's Personal, and It's Ruining Our Conversation, takes issue with the prevalence of snarkiness in the internet age.

Urban Dictionary:

Combination of "snide" and "remark". Sarcastic comment(s).
Also snarky (adj.) and snarkily (adv.)

"Your boundless ineptitude is astounding," she snarkily declared.
Verbal ingenuineness that is brief, subtle, yet quite stabbing. Snark is often marked by deep creativity & use of psychological attack. It employs coldbloodedness and is best served unprovoked. Snark can contain hidden complimentary meaning under a mean face, but it hurts more than it strengthens.

I've noticed that I have been a victim of some recent snark. I don't know what to make of it because I have an acquaintance level relationship with this person. Was the snarky comment meant to hurt me? Am I supposed to feel bad? If the answer is "yes", then I'm confused because I just feel sorry that that person can't confront the situation and instead goes for snark. (Ultimately looking pitifully scornful and immature.)

I have to admit that when I'm among friends, we embrace snark as a means to joke around. (But hey, isn't THAT snark? Not entirely so because we're not directing it to others. We're fake-snarky to each other.) To an outsider, we may sound like jerks, but if you really listen to how we're feeding off each others' joking snarks, it's quite obvious that we're mocking our snarky-selves.

Maybe I'm getting it all wrong(?) because the comment wasn't even sophisticated enough to be snark. Or maybe I just love saying snark. Snark. Snark. SNARK!! I ♥ SNARK!

Dude, school costs a lot

2009-02-17T16:48:00.010-05:00

Outside Brooklyn College Library

Like almost everyone else this past fall, I was engrossed in U.S. politics. I not only listened to Brian Lehrer religiously each morning, subscribed to the New Yorker (by becoming a WNYC member), and read Best American Political Writing 2008 (well, I have a few articles left), but I even picked up a freelance gig illustrating for my friend Mike R.'s political column, The NYLean. (Website coming up soon!) So meeting up with Mike (who lives in my neighborhood and went to JHS with me) never takes a few minutes because we talk A LOT. Mike=politics, political science, government. Me=social welfare, social-economic class stratification, cultural capital.

All this talk with change thick in the air made me think, "Dude, if I want to make a "change", like in social matters, what should I do?" Mike answered, (upon overhearing my thought) "Sorry to say, but you have to go into politics. Government makes policies that affect society." (Agree or disagree, this was within our conversation.) After a few exchanges with me grimacing and not wanting to get into Politics politics, he suggested that I go into sociology—that is, take a couple of sociology classes at Brooklyn College (where he is a grad AND an adjunct) and see if I like them. If I do, go for grad school.

So I did. Well, I'm doing that.

Three weeks ago, I went to my first day of class. Physically, I went on a whim. I say "physically" because without an ID, instructor permission, or having even paid for ANYTHING, I just went to my classes every M/T/W/Th evening.

Today was the last day to add/drop classes. I'm not even a proper student. I'm not yet because I have to pay for the classes, which is what this post is really about (sort of, I'm getting there): Since I have a BFA, I have to take these two sociology classes in order to be admitted into the BC sociology grad program. Cool, but as a "non-degree seeking student taking an undergraduate course", each credit costs $250...which means that my two classes cost $2000. Oh snaps.

Photobucket.com really stepped up their graphics department... Yeah.

Okay, so the point is that if I saw how much these classes cost a couple of months ago, I would've just said "Fuck it, art forever baby." But since I took the liberty to "try" out the classes for nearly a month and found it surprisingly easy to enroll AND add classes all in one day, I'm very happy that the circumstances did not let the money issue deter me from even trying out the classes.

To put the money issue into perspective:

Undergraduate tuition comparison: New York University (private) vs. CUNY Brooklyn College (public)

You (as well as I) can argue each school's credentials, culture etc., but as a post-undergraduate art school kid who already had the whole going away for 4 years to college deal, it's really what you make of your experiences and interactions on campus and in class. (Plus, I'm paying full out my own pocket this time and from now on. Thanks Mom and Dad!!)

FOTC @ the Gutter

2009-02-15T20:55:00.003-05:00

Awww... I miss the Gutter. Good Summer08 memories.

Stupid Economy

2009-02-14T18:37:00.004-05:00

Four people got laid off on Thursday. I saw it coming. My bosses said everyone else is safe and that if the company gets more work, they'd be the first ones to be called back. I thought I would be okay with it, but I felt quite sad. Everyone's not each others' best friends at work, but the studio just seemed more quiet and less cheery. Plus, it didn't help that while the bosses were talking beside my table, no one thought to tap me on the shoulder while I had my headphones BLASTING. Eh.

I think I'm so AHHHHHH!!! about the economy because I listen to NPR (Talk of the Nation) and WNYC (The Brian Lehrer Show) almost daily. They make everything sound so scary, (not in a FoxNews kind of way) but that's how our economic state is right now. Excellent audio journalism though! ;) Listen on your comp or get the podcasts! [NPR: Planet Money is also a gem...and they always have interesting music choices.]

P.S. I got my annual cold this week. I was miserable.

My parents came back from Malaysia+Thailand and all I got was a t-shirt.

End of Summer Movies

2008-09-07T13:50:00.003-05:00

Young People Fucking
[City Cinemas Village East]
It's funny, sad, and for the most part, believable. When I'm mindless at work, I think of the "dirty talk" part of the movie. It never fails to brighten up my mood.

Trouble the Water
[IFC]
First account documentary of Hurricane Katrina 2005 in New Orleans. I saw this yesterday night when Gustav 2008 was passing NYC.

July Flew By

2008-08-09T10:17:00.004-05:00

July was crazy. Full of outdoor concerts and movies, hanging out at the park, Beer Island adventures at Coney Island, chilling with new people, and beers everywhere. Cheers July. Cheers.

My sweet Emily with scabs on her knees.

Hold Steady free concert at McCarren Pool.

Eva's baby shower at Sweet & Vicious. (They have lethal frozen Margaritas there.)

Murakami at Brooklyn Museum.

Pete Wentz and Ashley Simpson at Beer Island.

Mike's band, the Nuclears, at the Charleston.

Alex's Berfday Bash at the Gutter.

Hey there co-workers slash friends.

Yes Liz, your pits stink, but I'll lick them anyway.

WATERFALLS! Pier 17 South Street Seaport with Jeans and Em. Oh there's nothing like pizzeria baked pasta after pitcher beers.

I love and will always love you RATATAT.

Sunsets

2008-06-25T22:18:00.003-05:00

I know this sounds really cheesy, but I can't believe that I don't watch the sun set every evening. 14th and 6th Ave. made me realize that I could just spend the rest of my life searching for the most beautiful sunsets in world.

Life's a Blur Part 2

2008-06-22T14:45:00.004-05:00

If my laptop didn't feel like it was going to blow up or burn my hands with the keyboard, I'd blog with pictures more.

4 teeth in one shot. I know, I'm a beast.

Olafur Eliasson's Take Your Time @ MOMA.

Plants and Animals @ Union Hall with Jeannie.

St. Anthony Parade on Mulberry Street.

CMOG's Glass Lab @ the Cooper Hewitt. (I can't believe admission is $15.)

Alfred peeps on the Sky Room terrace.

ANGUS!!

We walked into twilight. It felt like it was going to rain. Or that it was the beginning of the Apocalypse

Whoa it's Fabian!

I finally went to the Brooklyn Brewery. (Fact: Milton Glaser did BB's logo.)

SOAKED!! 4th Annual Renegade Craft Fair @ McCarren Park Pool.

Hey, smart idea!!

Jeff Koons on the Roof @ the Met.

Tits.

Life's a Blur

2008-06-22T13:55:00.004-05:00

Life is a blur to me these days. Each day mingles into the next (as each one should), and I can hardly remember what happened last weekend or whatever every time a week passes. I've been working everyday for the past 6+ weeks, with only a day to the dentist and one for Memorial Day. Another break was filled with non-stop entertaining in the city. Today is the first day in this long stretch of madness that I have spent more than 3 hours semi-lucid/relaxing at home.

So in this long period of madness, I have made friendly and unfriendly with many people. Many new experiences for me. A lot of influence to who I am and who I'm becoming. Here's a list of random stuff (mainly so that I can do a little brainstorming):

Bringing on the charm for a possible reality T.V. show at the flat glass studio.

Getting insulted at a BBQ and politely having to laugh it off to prevent mad tension and verbal smackdown.

Bumping into two friends from high school on the way to work. (Separate occasions.)

Calling out to a friend from college off the street.

Dishing the dirt with an Alfred Alumni coworker.

Almost got into an all-out public shoving match with foreigner at Mermaid Parade.

Cursing in front of kids is now a norm.

Saw my first hyperviolent Japanese movie at New York Asian Film Festival. (Tokyo Gore Police)

Stayed up til 4a.m. at the park feeling connected.

Took 3 cab rides in one night in search of all-nude strip club.

Getting cursed at by disgruntled and impatient cabbie.

Dropping mad $$ on a two-person Japanese dinner.

Pulled a 13 hour day at the flat glass studio.

Playing/sucking at pool for $17/hour.

Laying in bed hardly sleeping for days on end.

Hanging out with mad shady individuals, only to realize they're even shadier than you first thought.

Loving punk rock without trying.

Comic books make me happier than hanging out with people. AND shopping.

Particular friends of mine are true gold. They don't front.

Learning to digest before acting upon frenzied circumstances.

Saying fuck it, fuck you, and kiss my black ass to all the shit in the world.

Absolutely loving RATATAT and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs more than I ever did.

Missing my Birdie.

Not apologizing for asshole behavior and attitude.

Realizing how much I love and miss hot glass in one weekend.

I finally got my hair trimmed after 2 years.

Blu's Muto

2008-05-16T22:24:00.003-05:00

Thanks Jeannie for showing me this!

www.blublu.org

OMG David Bowie (!)

2008-05-03T20:19:00.003-05:00

My first visit to the New Museum was two weeks ago with the lovely Em Hue. Now I work there. And guess who came in and I totally did not notice. DAVID BOWIE!! I felt equally excited and embarassed when my coworker told me how nobody noticed him and how I was also oblivious to Bowie's gloriousness. I'm usually not all into that celebrity hype stuff, but now I can't help but be on the look out for glimpses and interactions with random celebrities.

Other first day sightings/interactions—Tina Oldknow, the curator of modern glass at Corning Museum of Glass (coincidences!), and one of Kanye West's party organizers who scoped out the Sky Room as a venue for Kanye's late-May birthday bash. Whoa.

It was really hard not to flash people with all the wind blowing.

French cutie pies.

Oh to live there.

BUST Magazine 2008 Spring Fling Craftacular

2008-04-27T17:27:00.006-05:00

The BUST Craftacular at the Warsaw (Brooklyn) today was incredibly crowded. Four rows of vendors squished together on the concert floor, while DJ's spun 90s prom music on stage.

After the invent and explosion of Etsy.com, I felt that merch was mediocre. Sure every booth had their own customized "look", complete with business cards collected and traded, but the work was just so generic. ESPECIALLY the jewelry!! Small gold vintage-looking chains and the usual charms (sparrows, skeleton keys, fawn, octopi) littered the tables of every other booth. Maybe it's because I've spent a good deal of internet time browsing Etsy that I've seen it all. I was just surprised that there was little variation in accessories. But at least the perspex pendants (although slowly being overdone) were cleanly cut, and there was ONE metalsmith jeweler. (SAVED!)

And then comes the clothing—have we all forgotten that fabrics are supposed to feel comfortable and soft to the skin? Or that reasonably priced cotton garments are supposed to last more than one wash? What's with all the hard "VINTAGE/RECYCLED" fabrics and flimsy raw-hem, worn out t-shirts? AND isn't everyone OVER the whole center chest silk-screened generic monster/cute fruit/squid/octopus/dinosaur t-shirts? It's so last last last year.

ANYWAYS—

The organization was stellar and the staff was very nice.
I did eventually purchase good finds at the -tacular (after my fourth walk around the booths), and around the neighborhood.
Yes, I overused "generic".

Yummy soaps from Biggs & Featherbelle.

SEIBEI!! Where my dogs and monsters at? (Yeah, I know, I just ranted about monsters, but this is not one of them stupid ones.)

I bought a year's subscription for $10. And they gave me a free

DOE tote.

I bought these fibers at The Yarn Tree. Hello new favorite shop.

This is why I think "Blech..." when I think of Williamsburg. A performing street circus. What? I know.

And my favorite Polish chocolates.

Tax Return 2008

2008-04-26T16:35:00.004-05:00

Hallelujah!!

Getting back money that belongs to me!!

Wafting Fried Foods at Work

2008-04-18T22:12:00.005-05:00

I work at a glass studio in a very busy commercial area of Midtown. The studio is very chill, and we have a great view of the city (MSG is right outside).

So every morning, around 11 a.m., this THING happens where a thick wave of grease drifts into the studio from the street level fast food restaurants. It's this incredibly thick smell that just screams "4 CHICKEN WINGS WITH FRIED RICE, FRIED HARD!!". I think about the cooks at Fay Da Bakery greasing it up for the Chinese food buffet lunch and Wendy's fries getting soggy crisp in their nasty deep fryers. And then I get mad hungry.

I wonder how every one in the studio feels about this...

Montreal +/- Pictures

2008-04-04T23:21:00.005-05:00

I wanted to make a slideshow, but Blair (my laptop) is a bit slow. Enjoy! Totally random order.

Conrad and Jesse's apartment.

Would you like more tea?

Montreal triplexes=color.

Caption reads: "Montreal--Wish You Were Here!"
Nothing like a St. Patrick's Day special with cold beers in paper bags.

Waiting for the train.

My birthday dinner--Vegan BLT. Coconut bacon, who knew?

Usine106 Gallery/Artist Space.

YUM CHA!! Tea squirrels.

Brick oven bagels at St. Viateur Bagels.

SNOW STORM.

OLD SCHOOL. This is how you occupy yourself on snow days.

Sarah and I walked across this random and creepy bridge.

Sarah with Conrad's nephew, Angelo.

Ray and me at a New Year's dinner.

Hey, look there!

Sarah's cat, Orangello. He's a very popular outdoor cat on a leash. Super cute.

Atop Mont Royal.

The master Mark Matthews and his careful apprentice. (A reverse chevron marble--it's WAY harder than it looks. You have to use muscles you never thought you had.)

Maple candy! They usually have this up north, but it was a goodies stand for Nuit Blanche (3-day, all-night Winter Festival).

Super. Cute.

Last meal in Montreal--vegetarian Indian food!! YUM!!

The hot shop at Espace Verre.

The coolest low-key hipster lounge/bar ever. Their open mic was the worst one I've ever experienced. But isn't that a good thing?

Beautiful sculpture at Montreal Museum of Fine Art.

Art at Nuit Blanche.

Espace Verre. It's in an old fire station.

Mark Matthew's last marble set. Check out the Duro White!!

De la Commune street.

Jesse (Conrad's roommate) a.k.a. Ultimate 90s Guy.

Conrad's dad showing me a slideshow of his work. (He's a professional traditional Polish dancer and instructor.)

Bad Awakenings

2008-04-01T16:07:00.004-05:00

My lastest dreams have been very confusing. More past friends and acquaintances are showing up to play obscure characters in the dreams. When I wake up from them, I feel very shocked and vulnerable. I wish I could remember the dream sequences, but that would just freak me out even more. It feels as if I can't shake off the feelings the dreams give me on a subconscious level.

I feel very lost.

	Jay-Z \| The Blueprint What can I say? I regret not going to the 09/11/09 Madison Square Garden performance. BUT, I DID see Jay and Be in person, like five feet away, at the Beach House/Grizzly Bear Jelly Pool Party in Williamsburg. (holla.) *D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune) *Off That (feat. Drake) - A list of what's IN and what's OUT.
	Kid Cudi \| Man On The Moon: The End Of Day Did you see my last post? CRAZY!! (Watch Mike SHRED!!) This is his first studio album and it truly leaves me wanting more. His narrative is pretty safe—it feels like being a freshman in college and having a sense of yourself, but you're exploring and trying to get to know yourself deeper. He's the quasi-quiet blossoming foundations Freshman who writes as well as draws in his sketchbook while Kayne is the Senior Art Star who still takes Junior classes and Jay is the alumni who everyone knows and talks about ALL THE TIME. *Alive ft. RATATAT - What? I love them. :D *Up, Up, And Away (The Wake And Bake Song) - TOTAL summertime Pop song.
	3OH!3 \| WANT Okay, everyone's heard Don't Trust Me. I was a little bit more curious and listened to the full album...and What. The. Fuck. Totally not expecting what Wikipedia classifies as Electronic Dance Music/Rap-Rock/Crunkcore/Crunk-Pop. Is it really crunk? Well, listening makes me bare my teeth a lot and want a full grill ever more longingly. Give it a listen(?) *I'm Not Your Boyfriend Baby *Richman - WOW. And I ain't sippin' on a mixed drink, pinkie out, lips pink, Talkin' to a rich skank filled up like a sperm bank, I'm 'a go where I always go; Drinks are on the house, Whiskey's on the rocks while your sister's on my mouth.
	The Beatles \| Abbey Road [Remastered] Come Together sounds so good, I could vomit. I once thought that Aerosmith's version was better, and now I sheepishly take that back. And I officially hate MJ's version. *Oh! Darling

DIET	MILES	CO2 REDUCTION
Meat Eater	2956	0%
Vegetarian	1508	50%
Vegan	391	87%
Organic Vegan	175	94%