Retrospective is so Retro

OK, I said I was going to do a retrospective. I've scanned a bunch of negatives. I've uploaded a bunch of stuff to Rhinosnort. So, there's a batch of B&W and a batch of color images. Most in the second half of November (anything with a year as suffix is probably part of the project like this, "Example 1999"). This is Part One...a bunch of stuff.

Part Two will move to the digital archives. I do not know when this will be accomplished but probably before I croak.

[all things retrospective and context]

The Be@uty of Sp*m

caution in airing programs. The acting Chief Justice of Kenya won the toss and elected to field first. Those arrested, many of them bandaged and bruised, home.

Women admit, that too skinny and short pen!ses are completely incapable of pleasing them!

They just don't stimulate the walls of the vag effectively!
Luckily, due to MegaDik fast pen!s enlargement is now possible!

Let your pen!s grow to a perfect size, and your girlfriend will be pleased like never before!

The five permanent members of the United Nations were released when the prosecution apparently failed to It was a mistake-filled game for both teams, with
Cup, after their debut in the 1999, hosted by England. The Chief Justice of Pakistan was removed from his who has been missing for three days and is believed by

Honestly > A Humble Change of Heart

I was going to write about politics...which morphed into religion...which led to the question, "What happened to Rev. Ike?"

I remember Rev. Ike from my childhood ghetto of the 70s. I think some relatives of mine probably got caught up in his scams. Apparently I'm not alone since the interwebs is FULL of stuff about Rev. Ike. In fact the Rev. Ike probably invented the godamn interwebs.

"The Bible says that Jesus rode on a borrowed ass. But I would rather ride in a Rolls Royce than to ride somebody's ass!"

Well I am here to tell you that the good Right Reverend Dr. Frederick J. Eikerenkoetter II, Th.B., D.Sc.L., Ph.D., is not only alive, but doing very well. How can anyone stay mad at Rev. Ike (unless you got caught up in his scams)?

I mean the man came up with "Thinkanomics." What did you come up with, huh? Answer me that!

Lookie:

"The LACK of money is the root of all evil."

"Forget about the pie in the sky, get yours here and now."

"Everything is a condition of the mind."

"If it's that difficult for a rich man to get into heaven, think how terrible it must be for a poor man to get in. He doesn't even have a bribe for the gatekeeper."

I mean the man has ringtones, dammit!

I want to be Rev. Ike.

Henry Hyde...

from Wiki:

Savings and Loan Scandal

In 1981, after leaving the House Banking Committee, Henry Hyde went on the board of directors of Clyde Federal Savings and Loan, whose President was one of many of Hyde's banker contributers. The Congress deregulated S&L industry in 1982, and Clyde started to be occupied of the risky financial options, taking part in the loans for luxury residences in Texas and buying of a bank in the Islands Cayman, a notorious financial exchange to launder money. Hyde knew of such businesses and of movements often made or assisted on the Clyde board to continue them. From 1984, when Hyde left the board, it was clear to the directors from the reports that the establishment was failed, but Hyde and others on the board continued to give the inaccurate financial rewards to cronies and insiders and make it possible the establishment to overcharge the government on student loans. In 1990, the federal government put Clyde in the receivership, and finally paid $67 million to cover deposits of assured -- more than the cost to bail out out of Madison Guarantee, the S&L at the center of the Ken' Starr's failed Whitewater investigation. In 1993, the Resolution Trust Corporation sued Hyde and other directors for $17.2 million. Four years after, before pretrial investigation and depositions, the government settled with the defendants for merely $850.000 and made a special arrangement exempting Hyde from paying anything. Hyde was the only member of the congress sued for "gross negligence" in an S&L failure. Hyde utilized his political clout and stubborn refusal to settle as a way to escape payment and give the illusion which he was discharged.

Iran/Contra

In 1987, Hyde promoted the false and misleading "Birmingham memo" to conceal involvement of the Contras with the narcotics trafficking.

Extramarital Affair

As Hyde was publicly pursuing the impeachment of Clinton, the Internet magazine Salon.com published This Hypocrite Broke Up My Family which stated that from 1965 to 1969, Hyde conducted an extramarital sexual affair with Cherie Snodgrass. At the time, Snodgrass was married to another man with whom she had had three children. The Snodgrasses divorced in 1967. The affair ended when Snodgrass' husband confronted Mrs. Hyde. The Hydes reconciled and remained married until Mrs. Hyde's death in 1992. Although Hyde was 41 years old and married when the affair occurred, he dismissed it as a "youthful indiscretion".[1]

Presidential Medal of Freedom

Henry Hyde received the Presidential Medal of Freedom (presented by George W. Bush), the nation's highest civilian honor, on November 5, 2007. The press release stated: "A veteran, a lawyer, and a public servant, Henry Hyde has served his country with honor and dedication. During his 32-year career in the House of Representatives, he was a powerful defender of life, a leading advocate for a strong national defense, and an unwavering voice for liberty, democracy, and free enterprise around the world. A true gentleman of the House, he advanced his principles without rancor and earned the respect of friends and adversaries alike. The United States honors Henry Hyde for his distinguished record of service to America." Hyde was hospitalized recovering from open-heart surgery and could not attend the ceremony in person.

Ask Ty...November 28

Q: How can you say that "no art was created today" when the act of declaring that no art was created is itself art?

- Otterfarm Rich, resident of the state of California

Ty: Good question and an even better observation.

I suppose the word, "busted," would fit nicely here.

Yeah, anti-art is still art, right? I guess it was an evolution of thoughts that got us here. I initially posted that, "No photos were taken today." Obviously someone somewhere took a photograph, but using myself as the center of the art universe I declared that none were taken.

And, why did I even do that? It's kind of a shot across the bow of sorts. It's a warning to me (and to others) that life is fleeting and art is even more so. It means that, golly, maybe I'll never take another photograph (or that my "eye" will die, or that my inspiration will die, or that, heck, I will die). Though the likelihood is slim maybe one day I will either cross a threshold or jump a hurdle (or suffocate on a cliché) and just stop doing art -- happens to "artists" all the time. In fact, maybe that act of stopping, cold turkey, after years of productivity is the ultimate anti-art statement. Which, dare I say, is art.

Anyhow, the "no photos" thread d/evolved into "no art was created." Which is certainly art; perhaps the purest art. But even with the public declaration of "no art," there's always something going on here in the Otis Studios that is art. Just the way it is, I suppose.

It's all process, people. And it's important to ride process out (as you know). Sometimes I just wait for process to happen (which is both essential and maddening). For instance I had nothing planned today. Then I got a note from Ben Tolman. Ben asked what was going on. Specifically what music stuff was happening but in order to get to music, I had to list everything recent from books to photography to podcast (my personal process). Then it hit me. Shit! I still have a ton of negatives to scan. So that's what I did today. Six hours of negative scanning, cleaning, and posting.

So, on one hand, no art was created today. On the other, it's all art. The answer, then, to your question is, "good question and an even better observation."

Just a guess!

-Ty

Avatar Me

One Hit

...and I'm not talking about the marijuana.

Injury ends Ricky Williams' 07 comeback

"Because Ken Griffey can't get hurt in November."

- Rich

Autumn in Middlespace (con't)

Then, one magical day, the city's own public helper elves came by and sucked up the leaves. Or, sucked at the leaves.


They were just like the [clicky] privately contracted Kentlands helper elves. Only the public helper elves worked with much less vigor and enthusiasm. Yet, the public helper elves were paid a great deal more than their brethren.

The moral being, if you know someone who works for the city, buy him a sixer and let him get you a job. It may be menial, but at least it pays well.

The end. Goodnight, dear. Sleep tight.

***smooch***

The Thrill is Gone

I received this note this morning from the dearest of friends. It's not that he was trying to convince me of any nuances here, but he--bless him--just needed to say it. And I couldn't resist the temptation to annotate (anoint?).

Why? Because his statement is so true, and sometimes the truth is frustrating (but will set you free). Here's the note:

I'm so over other people's babies. It was cool when you had one. It was cool when ****** had one. It was cool then people had them five years ago. It was even cool as late as two years ago.

But that's over now. Another baby? Ho hum. Whatever. It's not getting Christmas presents from me. I already have enough "niece's" and "nephews."

I wonder how much I can fuck up ******'s new kid by only sending gifts to his older sibling?

Anyhow. I'm over it.

[clicky]

Ha! We're all becoming grumpy assed libertarian athiest old dudes. So?!

Fishy News - UPDATE 2

Two things are fishy.

1) Chester Lott just up and resigns from the United States Senate. Yeah, tired. Yeah, do something else. Right. There's also this, of course: Are Gay Rumors The Real Reason Behind Trent Lott's Resignation?

2) Football's Sean Taylor gets shot (and killed) and he's some sort of hero. Guys were crying on the radio this morning. Sobbing! And, they weren't crying because they either knew him or of his good deeds (other than playing a game for millions of dollars) but because they liked how he played football (for millions of dollars). He was shot in the groin, right? Accident or message?

"I wasn't surprised in the least when I heard the news Monday morning that Sean Taylor had been shot in his home by an intruder. Angry? Yes. Surprised? Not even a little. It was only in June 2006 that Taylor, originally charged with a felony, pleaded no contest to assault and battery charges after brandishing a gun during a battle over who took his all-terrain vehicles in Florida. After that, an angry crew pulled up on Taylor and his boys and pumped at least 15 bullets into his sport-utility vehicle. So why would anybody be surprised? Had it been Shawn Springs, I would have been stunned. But not Sean Taylor."

- Mike Wilbon, Wash Post [clicky]

"There was also an outpouring of grief from fans of the team. Message boards filled with memories, prayers and expressions of sympathy. Candlelight vigils were held, flowers and tokens were left at the team's headquarters. All by people who, with rare exceptions, had never met Taylor and knew him only as a uniformed, and even masked, performer on a football field." [emphasis mine]

- King Kaufman, Salon [clicky]

Fishy, both.

Scientology - UPDATE

I received this note this morning from the dearest of friends. It's not that he was trying to convince me of any nuances here, but he--bless him--just needed to say it. And I couldn't resist the temptation to annotate (anoint?).

Why? Because his statement is so true, and sometimes the truth is frustrating (but will set you free). Here's the note:

"I don't know what Scientologists believe. Something about Martians and DC-10s. Something totally stupid and retarded. People knock it because it's so ridiculous false. Fine. I agree. Scientology is ridiculous.

But here's the thing. Some story about Martians and DC-10s is no more ridiculous than a story about a virgin who gives birth to a child who becomes a carpenter and then is killed but then comes back to life and then turns out to be the son of god. Or some old guy getting tablets from god on a mountain from god that says what you can and cannot do.

Or whatever ridiculous story Muslims believe. Or Mormons.

So before people go bashing Scientology, just remember that they're ALL ridiculous."

Each religion and denomination has its version of THE story. The Jews only eat approved foods. The Pentecostals don't dance but do "speak in tongues"...to snakes. Lots of religions cut the skin off of little boy penises because a 99 year-old "Abraham" circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. Because Yanto, Zeus, Khnum, Hekatonkheires, Jesus, Kurma, and David Koresh said so. So be it.

Some religious practices that vary according to their version of THE story:

Temple garments and baptism of the dead? Mormonism.

E-meter? Scientology.

Exorcism? Catholicism.

Kaparot? Judaism.

Dowry? Hindu.

Niqab? Islam.

Refusal of transfusions? Jehovah's Witness.

For example, of course. There's so much more. So much more. Enough to boggle the mind or start endless wars or to develop special little slogans like "God Hates Fags."

Anyway, before we condemn the Chinese government as some sort of "godless empire" or before we again force Barack Obama publicly claim Jesus Christ as his very own personal savior, remember that all this religion jazz is only ridiculous interpretations of a really old, baseless story.

And the planet is only about 4,000 years old created by an intelligent designer (I LOVE it when the so-called "good christian" has the nerve to call Scientology or Mormonism a "cult." Hello? Have you seen your "papa" lately? He wears an 11,000 year-old dress. And that's the least of your problems).

Thanks, mopes.

------------ UPDATE ------------

Trial Starts in La. Church Sex Case

By MARY FOSTER Associated Press Writer

Nov 27th, 2007 | AMITE, La. -- Jury selection began Tuesday for one of seven members of a now-defunct south Louisiana church accused of having sex with children as part of occult rituals.

Austin "Trey" Bernard III, 39, who was a member of Hosanna Church in Ponchatoula, is accused of one count of aggravated rape of a 2-year-old girl in 2002. Conviction would mean life in prison since prosecutors decided against seeking the death penalty.

About 80 potential jurors showed up at the courthouse.

Bernard, of Hammond, is one of seven Hosanna members indicted in 2005 on charges of having sex with children. The case also includes allegations of the ritual killings of dogs and cats.

Allegations that two boys and one girl were abused were at the center of the 2005 investigation, but Bernard faces charges only for allegedly abusing the girl.

The girl is not expected to testify.

State District Judge Doug Hughes said he expects the trial to last four or five days, but Bernard's lawyer, public defender Al Bensabat, said it will be difficult to get a jury in Tangipahoa Parish, where the case has drawn extensive publicity. "It's been tried in the press for two years," Bensabat said.

The other six defendants are free on bail and awaiting trial dates.

Graying Down Under

Older but wiser? Safe sex after 50 - LA Times

Older white women join Kenya's sex tourists - Washington Post

A Funny Thing Happened When...

In October, the North [Korean government] executed the head of a factory in South Pyongan province for making international calls on 13 phones he installed in a factory basement.... He was executed by a firing squad in a stadium before a crowd of 150,000.

Six people were crushed to death and 34 others injured in an apparent stampede as they left the stadium afterward....

Chester

1) "Lott's resignation before the end of the year will allow the senator to leave Congress before new ethics rules, enacted into law this fall, would force him to sit out for two years."

2) "Lott and Craig are the only two of the four Singing Senators still in office."

3) "On November 26, 2007, Lott announced his intent to resign from his Senate seat by the end of 2007, in order to pursue "something else" in the private sector or to teach." (or something).

Catching Up

Edge Tech

All caught up with
Pondering new adventures
Humble dress = humble care
Premium price = premium service

A cacophony of silences
and I will be relieved
come Thursday
for some peace plus quiet

Boundary-averse
Searching for the new aesthetic
Forget all of the middlespaces
The future is around the edges

The closer you look
the more clearly you see
the uneasy bargains
we all strike to be...

Denial--drawing out more
positive behaviors of
inattention and passive acknowledgment
[and the] idiocracy of live football

All caught up again
So it must be Thursday
"The impetus is
for entropy"

A Quotation

"The impetus is for entropy"

- Dave Nuttycombe, November 21, 2007

The F.O.T.

...in good(ish) standing since 2004 (only GOMPed once!).

The Eagles

I happened to watch 60 Minutes last night. I don't really watch anymore. Less newsy, more Entertainment Tonight nowadays. But, there I was.

I happened to, interestingly, watch the segment on The Eagles. Now, if you were to ask me, I would not admit to being a The Eagles fan. I'd deride you for asking.

But, growing up in southern California in the 70s/80s, I was subconsciously raised on The Eagles. I know all the hits. Oh, and they are really quite good and were really quite huge.

So I watched and this struck me. The Eagles were and are bad ass. The Eagles are fucking serious.

[clicky]

Interesting, huh?

lib*er*tar*ian

noun.

1. a person who believes in the doctrine of the freedom of the will;
2. a person who believes in full individual freedom of thought, expression and action;
3. a freewheeling rebel who hates wiretaps, loves Ron Paul and is redirecting politics

[clicky]

Uncertain of the Ron Paul part, but hell I'll listen to anyone for a minute or two.

Happy Thanksgiving!

this posting REMOVED by request
of (wussy) subject

Peak Peaked?

"Peak oil is likely already a crisis that we don't know about. At the furthest out, it will be a crisis in 2008 to 2012. Global warming, if real, will not be a problem for 50 to 100 years."

[clicky]

There's gold in the comments.

Also, the counter arguments: Peak Oil is a myth; a misleading zionist scam.

[clicky]

You Thought I was Kidding

[clicky]

Some Things

1. Interesting day. Went and had brunch with an old friend today; a nudge session of sorts (brainstorming). Somehow I sought him out (out of the blue) recently. Found out both his parents died in the past couple of months. Tough stuff. So, we yucked it up about everything else. Mysitical. Great, great man, that guy.

2. Prolific = "Producing abundant works or results; fertile." Yeah, for now. But once the tumor kicks in...this ride is different.

3. See this: "It's Anfertupe and it's delicious." WTF?

4. Hey Zeus! Todd Haynes' I'm Not There is everywhere, man!

5. Lastly, Thanksgiving sucks. I know. I'm just saying what everybody is thinking. Christmas too. It's all dick.

Says Ray

"...but who can care if a man is rude when life is beautiful."

Are You Kidding Me?

Are you fucking serious?!
[clicky]

OK, I suppose there are much worse things, but holy crap, can you even ponder walking into someone's office and having your silly ass meeting while "Peter" (or whatever) "gets his miles in." This is the New America.

Oh

"I had unknowingly passed along false information. And five of the highest ranking officials in the administration were involved in my doing so: Rove, Libby, the vice president, the president's chief of staff, and the president himself."

- Scott McClellan

Oh.

Envious Dedication to Art

So, uh, I'm jealous again.

I know, I'm like Mr. Jealousy when it comes to art. It seems everyone is either more talented, more productive, better suited to a medium, more focused on a particular thread, or, in this case, just plain more dedicated. Just. More. Dedicated.

This is one of Jamie's blogs, St. Ætheldrytha's weaker (?), [clicky]. He's been doing stuff like this for years. I have a couple of his books or zines from days small. The dude's fuckin' intensely locked-in. The dude's a fuckin' genius alright.

Thus, no matter how productive I am, how talented someone perceives me to be, how suited to a a particular medium, or how focused on a particular thread, I'll never be as productive.

Dang. Maybe I should start chasing money.

What?!

Barry Baseball

"How rich of the White House to briefly ignore issues like the war in Iraq, escalating violence in this country, and poor health care to express its disappointment in Bonds. President Bush's interest in this matter is intriguing, considering when he owned part of the Texas Rangers, he employed some of the biggest juicers in the game -- Palmeiro, Jose Canseco, and a handful of others who were suspect.

The government has spent some $6 million to catch a baseball player who mostly committed a crime against himself and his legacy. They have sought Bonds for four years, a pursuit that would have been reasonable if he were a violent criminal. For what? Because they didn't like that Bonds didn't cower in fear while testifying during the BALCO trial? Because he's spoiled, rich and arrogant, and they wanted to knock him down a peg or two?"

- Jemele Hill, Defending Barry, ESPN [clicky]

I know, like, who cares, right? I still believe professional athletes should be allowed (and encouraged) to take or find any enhancement available. Why not? To protect our children? From what?! But, like, who cares, right?

Lyrical

My friend Gary in Massachusetts sent me these photographs from a trip.

There's something magically lyrical about Other People's travel photos (especially when they're beautiful like these). For some reason he claims, modestly, to not have an "eye" for photography. Ha! I guess these bitches took themselves.

What's great though is he didn't bother to over-explain either the gear/techniques utilized or specifically (down to the GPS coordinates) where they were.

[click for larger, of course]

He's a writer. And smart. And probably knows that no one cares about such details (they'll ask if they need to know, right?). So, here they are and you can make your own stories about these timeless captures.

Did I mention something about "timeless."

[Maybe I'll pass 'em off as my own]

New American Ethos

"...the sociopathic pursuit of naked, narrow self-interest executed not only without regard for any broader consequences but without any understanding that such consequences might exist."

- Matt Taibbi

Evolution & IQ & Race (the holy trifecta)

"Tests do show an IQ deficit, not just for Africans relative to Europeans, but for Europeans relative to Asians. Economic and cultural theories have failed to explain most of the pattern, and there's strong preliminary evidence that part of it is genetic. It's time to prepare for the possibility that equality of intelligence, in the sense of racial averages on tests, will turn out not to be true."

- William Saletan

Well, duh! I mean they ran James Watson (of Watson and Crick) out of town for making a relatively simple scientific and clearly observable point. Again, duh! We're not all the same. Extract all "nurture" (external stimulus) and we're--as humans--wildly different. Different colors, different, heights, different athletic abilities, and...well duh...different intellectually. And, yep, we can attribute many of these differences to groups.

Why is that so hard to understand, people?

Here, read something, will ya?:

[clicky for Slate article]

Deny it all you want, but there is evolution, there are IQ differences among groups and individuals, and there is death. It's not a bad thing. In fact, once accepted as reality, we can then move onward in an intelligent, peaceful manner.

Not in Top 5,000

Let's play, Where Do You Rank?

[clicky]

Or, Who's Having the Most Babies?




[OK, you can stop having babies now]

You Reek Ah!

Eureka! I figured it out; the problem with Starbucks Inc.

I have come to grips with the fact that the place has sucked for the past seven or eight years (but sometimes coffee is coffee), but recently I've just hated the place with all my heart and brain. Yesterday, I figured it out.

It's the smell.

One thing you could count on with Starbucks--a coffee shop--was that it smelled like coffee. Entering gave one the sensations a junky would feel just holding a warm syringe; the body begins to react prior to direct stimulus. One would feel a little better just walking in to Starbucks Inc. because the smell would kick off the release of the brain chemicals.

Since they have recently augmented their profit line with the introduction of nasty, poison, breakfast sandwiches the place has smelled less like coffee and more like the burning grease trap of a seedy rat-infested diner. If one isn't visiting the store to shove 900 mg of sodium and 900 grams of fat into their already morbidly obese American tax paying vessel, then the place is a huge downer. It's all smoky, gross, and wrong.

It doesn't smell like coffee anymore. Coffee is a pleasant smell. Burning ham and cheese biscuit isn't.

Now I don't have to go anymore.

What Ever Happen To All of These?

Is It Worth It?

I mean it's not like they're giving me that much money. The shit I have to put up with...can you even believe it? Check this:

Mr. Hardaway,

As an addendum to our previous correspondence (and per your request), I hereby reiterate that, as per your ten (10) year "blog" (Web log) contract with Middlespace Industries of America ™ (patent pending), your yearly percentile increase average of 1.85% (as stated in section XXIV paragraph 21 of revision III of your signed and executed contract) breaks down as follows:

2007 – (already reviewed in correspondence #621)
2008 – 1,383 – Blog (Web log) entries – (3.789 daily ave. positions)
2009 – 2,558 – Blog (Web log) entries – (7.008 DAP)
2010 – 4,732 – Blog (Web log) entries – (12.964 DAP)
2011 – 8,755 – Blog (Web log) entries – (23.986 DAP)
2012 – 16,196 – Blog (Web log) entries – (44.372 DAP)

As usual, we expect a full summery outline of the next fiscal year's entries, including a listing of proposed .png (“ping”), .gif (“gif” or “jif”), or .jpg (“jay-peg”) files you intend to use, for management review and Corporate approval.

As a reminder, the so-called "political" commentary has been subject to management review. We ask that you refrain from "politics" until your content review on December 15 (rescheduled given the December 11 holiday).

Best regards to you and yours this Holiday season,

Juan Sinclare Phillipe
Operations Manager,
MIA

**Sigh** Oh, and according to "the man" it's officially the "holiday season." Give me a break.

The Truth

"I am a main person in town. A lot of people look to me to see what I am doing. There are people like me in every city on earth. I am one of them. There is no plan, there is no assignment. It's personality-based. My personality is that I do what I like and people with less personality or confidence can observe me and see that a confident person is doing a certain thing. They can then act like me in order to create safety."

- Ray

[clicky]

Oops!

Dang it!

Mr. Hardaway,

Quick note....

I can appreciate your "outrage" (or mock outrage as the case may be) but remember the use of profanity directed at the Company is strictly forbidden (per contract, chapter VI, section 10.02, paragraph 4).

Just a reminder that we read your posts.

Best regards to you and yours,

Juan Sinclare Phillipe
Operations Manager,
MIA

P.S. FYI, posting a .png of the seal of the city of Los Angeles is only valued at .25 position(s). Between you and I, you're placing the bar pretty low.

Yes, uh, mock outrage is correct. It was, uh, a bit. Right! Bar low?! Uh, I was born in L.A. That actually means something to me. A quarter position...it's like a labor camp.

Give a Guy a Break!

I bust my ass for these people and what do I get? I certificate? A vacation? No. More work, blog slave:

Mr. Hardaway,

Beginning in FY 2002, through FY 2006 you have
averaged a 1.85%increase in "blog" (Web log) entries as
per your contract. The breakdown as follows:

2002 - 2003 1.9% increase
2003 - 2004 1.8% increase
2004 - 2005 1.9% increase
2005 - 2006 1.8% increase

It has come to our attention that you are in danger of
falling short this year, being at only 1.33% increase
over 2006 as of November 14th, 2007.

To remedy this situation you will need to average
4.552 postions per day to meet with your contractual
obligation.

Best regards to you and yours,

Juan Sinclare Phillipe
Operations Manager,
MIA

I mean, what more can a guy do? From now on I'm posting about "feelings" and "recovered memories."

Hey Juan? Fuck you (to you and yours)! It's the corporate way--quantity over quality.

Los Angeles

Found

So, as I slowly embark in the big Mid-Career Retrospective Project (MCRP) I'm finding stuff. Stuff in boxes, stuff in file folders, stuff in stuff. Some interesting. Some not so interesting.

Here's some stuff I found:

Timothy Y Chang "Cal State Berkeley" student ID card, (TY Chang), 2000.

Instant photo of my grandmother dressed up in Alice, Texas, 1974.

Original treatment of Klub Kaos screenplay on back of Taco Talk (annotated by Mark), 1997.



















Kevin Bartlett's note & drawing from Amsterdam, "forever is as long as the last puff of a cigarette", 1998.



















Tim Hardaway NBA rookie card, 1990.



















Jon Bell Stickman Slöter comic, page 1, 1995.



















Rich's Goundhog Day letter - Kickin' it old school, 2003 (is Rich kickin' it old school now?).

"Use 'em if you like 'em"

Criminal

Sucker

Addict

Terrorist

Communist

Pretentious

Jew

Ugly

Whore

Heretic

Junky

Killer

Deviant

Stoopid

Amoral

Fool

Dirty

Sleezy

Athiest

Liar

Felon

The Older I Get... [Update 2]

...the more I find myself yelling at the TeeVee:

Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial

...and the interwebs:

The evolution of creationism

It's like evolving backwards.

Stop having babies, people. As Roast Beef famously said, "What we need more of...is science."

------------- Update -------------

“And in some parts of the country, we celebrate Scopes as a victory over ignorance, while still insisting that we do not also celebrate it as a victory over religion. What these endless Scopes sequels tell us is that somewhere many years from now we’re going to hit a fork in the road, beyond which this have-it-both-ways philosophy isn’t going to fly anymore. I God dead or isn’t he? Are we believers or not? They know what we think. They just want us to come out and say it.”

- Matt Taibbi, "Darwinian Warfare" from Smells Like Dead Elephants, 2007

------------- Update 2 -------------

"But for most people, theory means a haphazard guess you've pulled out of your, uh, hat. It's an insult, really, a glib way to dismiss a point of view: "Ah, well, that's just your theory." Scientists use theory in one specific way, the public another — and opponents of evolution have expertly exploited this disconnect."

- Clive Thompson, "Why Science Will Triumph Only When Theory Becomes Law" from Wired Magazine, 15.11

Where Da Rekkits At?

Froomkin asks,

"Why is it taking White House officials so long to restore millions of deleted e-mails from the backup tapes they claim to have?

The e-mails in question date from March 2003 to October 2005 -- a crucial period that includes the Iraq invasion, a presidential election and Hurricane Katrina."

[clicky]

No Love for Al

Gregg Easterbrook sez:

"Once Gore was out of power and global-warming proposals no longer carried a political cost -- indeed, could be used for self-promotion -- suddenly Gore discovered his intense desire to demand that other leaders do what he had not! It is a triumph of postmodernism that Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize for no specific accomplishment other than making a movie of self-praise. Gore caused no peace nor led any reconciliation of belligerent parties nor performed any service to the dispossessed, the achievements the Peace Prize was created to honor. All Gore did was promote himself from Hollywood, and for this, he gets a Nobel. Very postmodern."

Dang. See "Those Hollywood Searchlights Around Gore's Home Sure Eat Power" for yourself at [clicky].

Easterbrook (I met him once and he seems really smart) makes some points. Every week he makes some points.

Sistine Curates A Show

From Christine:

So here are my thoughts on your show-to-be.

I tend to like your photos where you look at the world in a different way (rather than straight-on, even though I like those too) because not everyone can do that. So your abstracts rise to the top when I look for photos to group. Ones that are a little trippy, but are still under control (in other words, are thoughtful/careful, where you know what you’re shooting, rather than coincidental, where something f’s up and it just looks neat). I don’t think I’ve seen all your photos but here are a few that could see a group/show:

Abstract
My favorite is the one that looks like tea leaves at the bottom of a glass. Color and blur are great – this could be a really cool series where you do a bunch of different substances. You could even call it “Substances”.





Shadows
You’d think shadows are trite, but you seem to play with them really well, I think because you’re such a participatory photographer. Next time you see a good shadow shot, play with it for a while. Have fun with it. Your sense of humor transforms it from trite to funny and interesting.



People
These don’t go together as a group, but the one of Bren is BRILLIANT and should be huge and framed somewhere, just because.




Close Up
You fixate on things in a neat way. It shows in these photos. Normal people (I’m told) don’t focus on this stuff. I do, and I know how rare and fascinating it is to notice something in this way.






Still Lives
You catch a lot of things up close in a neat way. Some are more “Ty” than others. You shoot natural things really well, but the trippy stuff seems to differentiate you more.

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The Coddling of America: 60 Minutes

The "Millennials" Are Coming
Morley Safer On The New Generation Of American Workers

"They were raised by doting parents who told them they are special, played in little leagues with no winners or losers, or all winners. They are laden with trophies just for participating and they think your business-as-usual ethic is for the birds. And if you persist in the belief you can, take your job and shove it. "

Sniveling pansies; lazy crybabies, I say. Not tough, not wise, not able to deal with non-optimal situations. Inconsiderate whiners. Don't get me wrong, one has to look after oneself nowadays, but shit, shut up sometimes.

[clicky]

OGR, bitches!

Genius Parenting Award Winner 2007

File Under: Kooks of a Feather. Note: Not my pics, not my children. But, I love it. Sent from a friend of another friend's kid(s).

Photo 1: Child dressed for Halloween as...window unit air conditioner. Brilliant (and, ohhhh, scary!).

[Or, Fuck you Superman!]


Photo 2: Kid birthday party at...local water treatment plant. Genius. Hey kids, wanna see what happens to that cake?

[Or, Fuck you Chuck E. Cheese!]

These are impressionable years and these are educational moments. And thus, the Genius Parenting Award Winner 2007.