hale.of.bay

2008-10-12T22:36:00.008-04:00

...for the time being I'll be concentrating my bloggin' efforts over at THE ARTICLES. Here I will be dutiful and keep up with a post series called: Relics, in which I delve into the connective realms of sound, time, space, and place. This month my focus is on sixties psych from Sweden.

Please link up to this website and indulge yourself in things greater than my everyday old goobery rants and raves!
Peace and Love!

2008-09-03T11:30:00.004-04:00

Atlanta's articles collective has special audio treats for you all this week with a very special "week of albums" featuring friends of cabbagetown and the pickett street family proper.
Cruise over to thearticles and give yourself many gifts of sound...

2008-08-26T23:23:00.003-04:00

currently humbled by my own idiocy...showers, cupcakes, and david lee roth make me feel better about things.
I mean fucking jesus christ...JUST LOOK AT HIM!!!

This video changed my little kid life...I think it was the personal connection I felt with mr. roth over his ribbon dance solo towards the end...
Feel good hit of the fall:

2008-08-09T23:35:00.003-04:00

McCain PWND! by Paris Hilton...

Wow. McCain's really got nothin'. Comparing Obama to Paris and Britney!? For those who haven't seen his most recent low blow piece of bullshit add, check it:

And now for the giggling cunt's rebuttal:

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

Three points for Paris!!
...seems like she's got it all figured out too.
In other news, Norway beats the USA women's soccer team in the Olympic opening match.

2008-08-09T14:26:00.003-04:00

Home home.
Things are different now, but many things are still the same.
...the persistent early morning buzz of a low flying crop duster...a soft rustle from the maples outside my window...birds chirping and squawking to one another, crickets...so many crickets...the calm rattle of the cicadas, informing and assuring me of the constant cycle that is life and death. Life and death.
Yesterday my 99 year old great grandma who is one month away from turning one hundred was moved from her assisted living home in a nearby town to the nursing home in Tipton which means her health is no longer stable enough to support her living with independence. Which really is fucking amazing for a 99 year old. I recall last summer her joking about wishing she would, "just die already" said with a smirk on her face. Maybe it's selfish, but I wish she would just make it one more month.
I really miss my grandma today. I keep trying on all her rings that are in my room. I know she's been dead for a year, but coming home this time and not being able to go home to her house has felt really shitty. I don't really feel like doing anything today. I just want to go to town and have lunch in her kitchen. But I can't. Someone else lives there now.
My mom just left the house because she was bored. I'm kinda bored too. But it's beautiful outside. I need to go out to it. I really miss everyone in Atlanta, my love the most...and I miss Cabbagetown. I feel silly because I haven't even been gone four days!! In limbo and homesick.
I've been collecting a lot of cicada exoskeletons in the past few days. Each year during this time they shed, lay eggs in the ground, and die. The skeletons I've found are most commonly on the underside of tree branches, and are one of the few visual traces these insects leave behind in their short but noisy life. This is the first summer ever that I've actually been able to see one come out of its' hard shell. Before this, I've never seen a cicada in a tree, or flying, or anything...just their skeleton, and just their noise.
...I think this is some kind of lesson.

2008-07-16T11:26:00.010-04:00

Dimen Village- an enclave nestled in the mountains of Guizhou, in Southwest China is home to five clans and 528 households of the Dong minority. The Dong people, who have persisted in the valley for over a thousand years, have no written form of their language- which is commonly compared to the song of cicadas that dance through the fields and mountains near the village. Seasoned elder women, simply called Za, sing the songs of the village, and teach it to all the village children- most are able to sing a Capella, in rhythm and in key by age 5. However, it is reported that only one living women can sing the entire hours-long saga of the Dong people. Many fear that the traditional stories and songs sung by the za will be forever forgotten with an increasingly disinterested youth who label the historic songs as boring and passé.

The Dong people also rely heavily on Feng Shui masters who cleanse the disheveled spirits that often haunt and plague the village. In an excerpt from "Village on the Edge of Time," published in the May 2008 edition of National Geographic Magazine, Amy Tan recounts a divination ritual preformed to restore harmony in Dimen after a tragic fire and other unfortunate events. Below, blindfolded men, in a trance- ride ghost horses to Yin, the underworld, in search of the cause of events, hoping that upon emergence, they will be able to restore Dimen to a more tranquil place.

"During Spring Festival, and for the first time since 1979, the village would be cleansed again by the same ceremony, Guo Yin—“Pass into the World of Yin.” In the dim light of an assembly hall, 11 blindfolded men sat on black benches. The Chief Feng Shui Master called out incantations from the Book of Shadows. As fragrant rattan burned under the benches, assistants gave the men a rope of twisted straw to hold at both ends. More incantations were murmured, two bells rang, bowls of wine were stirred, and the 11 men slapped their bouncing knees, as if goading a horse to move forward. Soon they were galloping in a frenzy, and the oldest of them, a 73-year-old man, whinnied like a spooked horse, shot up, and leaped backward onto the bench. He had mounted a ghost horse and was racing toward the World of Yin. Assistants kept the frenzied rider from falling. Soon more riders mounted their ghost horses. The Chief Feng Shui Master sprayed water from his mouth to light the way. With more incantations the ghost-horse riders could go to deeper levels. At each level they could see more.

In 1979 the riders had gone to the 19th level, where they saw their dead mothers and fathers. Stay with us, their parents urged. If a Feng Shui Master provided the wrong incantation, the riders would not return. This time, the master would take them no further than the 13th level. It was still possible for them to find the illegal burials. At that level they could also see the backs of maidens, the Seven Sisters, as beautiful as fairies. Chase them, the Chief Feng Shui Master said, to urge them to go farther into the underworld.

That day the riders discovered where the illegal burial lay. After the ceremony they left the hall and walked to a slope that was shaped like the back of a comfortable sofa. At the top of the sofa was a small rice field, and buried several feet into its wall was a large ball with a thick crust. Unlike the Eldest Son of the fire starter, someone had placed the happiness of ancestors above that of the village. It must have been the doings of a greedy family from another village. The Chief Feng Shui Master broke the ball open, removed the ashes, and mixed them with rice wine, pig and human feces, and tung oil. The mess was thrown into the public latrine, and those ancestors who had once occupied the best place were now stuck forever in the worst."

(photo credits, Lynn Johnson)

Read the full text here.

Listen to the "Cicada Song," which won the silver medal of Natural Singing Style on the 12th National Youth Singing Contest hosted by CCTV in 2006. So awesome.

2008-07-15T14:56:00.015-04:00

...as I stall to embark on my policy analysis research paper about how population cluster sizes shape attitudes on immigration and illegal immigrants...my mind refuses to think of anything but time lines about where I lived and when. I guess if I'm going to skip class and fuck around on the internet, I may as well do a census.gov/memory warm up exercise and try to get this bullshit out of my head (and the vein of Monty Python... get on with it!).

June 19th, 1982 - August 2000 = Tipton city, Iowa, 3,110.
August 2000 - December 2000 = Ames city, Iowa, 51,557.
December 2000 - September 2001 = (brief summer stint in Bemidji, MN) Tipton city, Iowa
September 2001 - October 2002 = Winter Park city, Florida, 28,083.
November 2002 - December 2002 = Tipton city, Iowa
December 2002 - May 2003 = (sometimes Manhattan) Brooklyn borough, New York, 2,465,326.
June 2003 - July 2006 = Atlanta city, Georgia, 486,411.
July 2006 - December 2006 = Iowa City city, Iowa, 62,649.
December 2006 - NOW = ATLANTA!!!

Studies show there is an identifiable correlation between the two variables discussed above, and as a transient observer, I can definitely attest to fact that people are shaped more by their environment and habitat than they may realize. However, thinking in terms of sheer city size seems short sided... and to understand a true connection between one thing and another...you must analyze hundreds of variables that could possibly resemble a composite of a person's ideological framework. But perhaps a place based variable does actually realistically depict a probable ideology- as a person defined by their dwelling could be considered an ultimate amalgamation of character. A city space being a sum total of all that is, in one given area...(buildings, streets, cars, ethnic diversity, lack there of, jobs, houses, money, jobs, schools, old people, kids, crime, sex, etc.) I guess where I struggle is knowing where I'm from, knowing who I am, and then realizing that "studies show" I'm less likely to feel a certain way or do a certain thing about whatever based on a sample (and also how the city size variable discounts regional differences). I understand the concept of standard deviation and outliers, but I also know that I'm not some rare anomaly. Often times I fear statistical observations in that I feel they dangerously misdefine huge segments of the population. And when it comes to policy and resource allocation, huge mistakes are made everyday, and have been made in the past, causing cyclical failure as people struggle to fit into a numerically designed system, whether they are aware of this or not. But in the future, I think our traditional ways of data collection and statistical analysis will be obsolete...it just won't be current enough, fast enough, applicable enough...maybe it will even be laughable as people realize how much was missed by over relying on numbers when direct observation could have easily constructed so many more connections?

...in other thoughts, I'm really stoked on CCR and Rush right now...
(closer to the heart OR freewill might be my new summer theme song!?!)
Also, I hope the dream of preforming Fortunate Son topless that is shared by Erin and I will sooooon became a reality. YEOW!

2008-07-14T12:49:00.004-04:00

If you know me, you are probably aware of my penchant for GOOOOOOGLEY EYYYYYES!!!
I've dreamed of covering the city with them for some time...but you know...never really got around to it. UK artist Filthy Lurker, has made some hilarious googley installations on various trees, bushes, and trash bins in Europe and Asia (judging by the photos on deviantART). Peep more peepers and other lurkings here.

2008-07-08T14:37:00.011-04:00

(Passerina cyanea) This is an indigo bunting. They forage on the ground or in trees or shrubs, eating mainly insects and seeds. Wikipedia sez they migrate during the night, using the stars to direct themselves. Beautiful.

In other thoughts...

the norwegian word for good is god. And god is gud. But really I think what is god is what is good, and that is that.
ya dig?

genericized trademark.

Oh, and last night my new favorite work buddy ben and I were contemplating what the word was for when a product communicates not only the brand name of the item, but also the function of the thing itself, thus becoming language with common usage, synonymous with its' own consumerist demand and market dominance. Well the word for that is genericized trademark. I think he'd be surprised as I am that the word for the concept of things like Kleenex, Post-it Note, Q-Tip, Scotch Tape, Xerox, etc...isn't more exciting. Oh well. I guess proprietary eponym sounds a bit cooler.

2008-06-27T19:42:00.001-04:00

today is my grandma's birthday. she would have been 71.

2008-06-24T15:14:00.006-04:00

me + right now = fuuuuuuuck.

(ps. appolgies to those looking at this on a pc, apparently the colors of my blog look like total dickhole...I need to update that shit anyway, but just so you know I was going for a sage green burnt orange thing, whatevs!)

2008-06-08T03:38:00.002-04:00

also, there is a roach in my closet...and yeah it crawled across my hand about thirty minutes ago.

2008-06-08T03:09:00.000-04:00

Hvordan sier man how do you say?

2008-05-21T11:05:00.001-04:00

cedar.
lavender.
mint.

2008-05-15T18:18:00.003-04:00

holy shit it's burial mound for realz...

2008-04-09T19:45:00.003-04:00

I'd like to take a moment to thank whiskey and bill groundhoug day ghostbustin' ass murray.
Thank you.

2008-03-19T20:59:00.004-04:00

...the poster for the benefit I've been working on for Portland non-profit, Bikes To Rwanda.

BTR's goal is to improve quality of life in Rwandan farming communities through a bike workshop and maintenance program that provides transportation resources for basic needs and enhances production of quality coffee. Cargo bikes help farmers harvest their crops quicker and easier, making it possible for more of the crop to reach potential buyers. In the past few years, Rwanda has developed a reputation to producing top-quality specialty coffee for export throughout the world. The result has been tremendous economic and social benefits for the people of Rwanda: coffee now generates more than half of Rwanda's export income—some US $46 million in 2006—and it helps support thousands of families. As Rwandans earn more for their coffee beans, families take a step up the ladder of economic development toward a better life.

This year, BTR will be focusing its efforts on building bike shops for Rwandan co-ops. The shops will be gathering places and resource centers where people in the co-op can maintain, service, and construct bicycles. It is our goal at Octane to support this community, our global coffee family, as we work to raise enough funds to construct a bike shop in Rwanda.

2008-03-11T13:51:00.004-04:00

So much going on right now, but I wouldn't have it any other way!!
I need to do a MEGA POST about the Bikes To Rwanda Benefit I've been throwing together at full speed...but in the meantime, if you are reading this, I really want you to get involved. It's all about community, and one that is bigger than just the city you live in. Ride your bike in the race, submit a spoke card for the art show, come to our shop and just have fun over the weekend, whatever. I just want to see your face.

Quick Schedule of Events, ALL @ Octane!

Friday April 11th: Latte Art Throwdown + Octane Kitchen Kids Grillout Session (PBR Keg on the Patio?) @ 8pm

Saturday April 12th: Bike Relay Race @ 6pm / Spoke Card Art Show @ 8pm + Queen Zarlacc, Lord Slug and Rhythm and Booze on dem platters!

Sudnay April 13th: Pecha Kucha time TBD, watch really cool 4000 second slide shows on cool topics. I (+ others?) will be tracing a coffee to it's origin in 20 slides!

Monday April 14th: All Rwandan Coffee Cupping led by M'lissa + guest speakers

This big weekend keeps getting bigger! So keep your lookin' balls locked!!

2008-01-31T01:01:00.001-05:00

thoughts...

2008-01-23T13:14:00.001-05:00

...spencer recently brought to my attention that almost all of apples' oh-so-chic products have been directly inspired by this man...Dieter Rams. Rams designed for German consumer electronics manufacturer- Braun, for 40 years, and was their director of design until 1995. His talents embody functionality and aesthetics: from personal radios, lighters, speaker systems, and cameras, to turntables, calculators, personal razors, and televisions- his pieces are elegant and timeless, and his philosophy for creation is a guiding ethos.

Dieter Rams' 10 principles for good design:

• Good design is innovative.
• Good design makes a product useful.
• Good design is aesthetic.
• Good design helps us to understand a product.
• Good design is unobtrusive.
• Good design is honest.
• Good design is durable.
• Good design is consequent to the last detail.
• Good design is concerned with the environment.
• Good design is as little design as possible.

P1 pocket record player, 1959, and T41 pocket radio, 195

LE1 loudspeaker, 1960

look familiar?!...more at

dieter rams @ design museum

2008-01-21T21:01:00.000-05:00

What is your great ambition?

To become immortal- and then die.

2008-01-16T21:44:00.000-05:00

IT ACTUALLY SNOWED TODAY!!!

2008-01-05T14:09:00.000-05:00

Dammmmmn it has been a truly amazing year.

2007: a Highlighted Review

(show and tell)

:Music:

Swamp Ape

With each performance... with every listen... an experience emerges from sound.
...and each time it's different, but every time it's dark, heavy, and full of doooooom.
And yes, that is six O's on the doom scale (on a scale of none to six, mmhmm).
My favorite show of the year: Halloween- which featured Swamp Ape's brother in noise, Mr. T.J. Blake. T.J.'s knack with the sampler, paired with his expressive sound manipulation, added a deep level of spatial texture to the already mind melting duo.
Plus, Spencer was a wizard and Joe was an unraveling mummy who actually kicked over his cymbal and bled on his snare. So hard.
MY BOYS!!!
You propel me to distant lands filled with morbidly inviting rivers of evil.
Gracias.

The Pretty Things

Another new band for me this year...London's The Pretty Things.
Thanks to Joe, I heard S.F. Sorrow and was completely blown away. Psychedelic pop at it's finest, complete with provocatively dark lyrics and creepy layered sound collages.
Some interesting trivia: members of the Pretty Things can be heard in, Dawn of the Dead under the moniker Electric Banana. Their song "Cause I'm a Man" is the track playing when some logger-esque zombies get all hacked up and stuff (if I remember right). I was lucky enough to snag the Defecting Grey 10" a few weeks ago and haven't been able to stop listening to it since. It features 4 crunchy tracks from the 67/68 era and is must listen for anyone who digs S.F. Sorrow, or the Pretties at all for that matter.

Dungen

Gustav Ejstes, can I tell you I love you? So what if I can't speak Swedish, but god damn, JEG ELSKER DEG!!!
So what if that's Norwegian and so what if I still listen to Ta Det Lugnt like more than once a week.
It's fucking perfect.
Two things I can be thankful for this year...I finally got the self titled release featuring dungen's early works. Spanning the years between 1999-2001, the album is actually 3 long tracks seamlessly woven together into one cohesive, yet distinct arrangement. According to Gustav, each track is meant to provide the listener with 3 different experiences: Stadsvandringar is about city walks and observations on urban life, Midsommarbongen- (midsummer bong) is a musical homage to summer life, and Lilla Vannen- (little friend) represents love.
Each track is full of beauty and pure Scandinavian magic.
Second thing...dungen released a new album in May of 2007. Swedish for "10 Bits", Tio Bitar features 10 eloquently crafted tracks that range from dynamic psych rock to true pop- from folk to sweeping melodies, all of which certainly call this lady away from American reality.

SunnO))) and Earth @ the Independent, July 4th 2007

Aside from a totally weird crowd and a chic in attendance who was actually wearing a blanket and neon yellow dayglo face paint, this show ripped. SunnO))) was great and fucking loud as shit and all, but the true show stealer: Earth. Dylan Carlson shreds so hard yet so subtlety, creating what could almost be a soundtrack to a lost and dusty Leone film. Adrienne Davies played her kit with such patience, every cymbal sizzle gave me chills. Perfect keys, and an impeccable bass player, the 4 person assemblage of Earth could have played music for 15 hours and I wouldn't have batted an eye. A truly captivating performance. I witnessed skill and heard time.

:Things:

Our Lady Lupe

You are a magical animal and I love you.

Pause Button Mix Tapes
Made my first, and was given my first. Thank you Spencer and Joe for showing me your ways.

Felt
Probably my favorite material ever. So much diversity and depth, yet so simple. I made a felt mask this year.

Magical Journeys
Taking trips with friends and people you love without even leaving your house can hardly be topped.

Ill Grillin'

Eating is ill. Grillin' is even iller, especially with all your homies. So many baddass meals with friends went down this year.

Gnomes

My Halloween costume and in general life inspiration, Gnomes are not only cute and clever, they also help injured animals and have smart home remedies.

Richard's 25th Birthday @ Karaoke Melody

This was one of the best birthday celebrations I have ever been to. Gettin' crunk in a private room + singing + hilarious videos = where it's at.

Tattoos by Dave Talsma

I think it could be said that Dave is a wonderboy, a jack of all trades, a player on many stages... and now that this one's got a tattoo machine, a dream combination has been made. Coming soon to your skin, this man is on the up.

Smart Wools
Thanks to Rena, the entire Picket Street Familia has warm, dry, cozy feet and toes. What a great sock.

Chomp and Stomp Chili Cook-off

I had a fucking blast making chili for a bunch of people I didn't know (and a lot that I did!). Larisa and I entered one chili each, under the name The Pinto Bean Assassins, and cooked up around 6 total gallons of Asian themed, bomb ass chili. The response from the crowd was supremely flattering, as the day was beautifully rewarding.

Aprons by Mackie

In conjunction with the Stomp, Larisa and I rocked beautiful all over print aprons crafted by screenprinter, artist, and super dude- Mackie. We now wear these gems in the kitchen at Octane so come by and see them in action. The print features all kinds of kitchen items, utensils, and appliances, and is by far the most fun and unique all-over design I've see this year.

:Places:

San Francisco

Fucking amazing public transit, beautiful architecture, breathtaking landscape. I can't say that I left my heart there, but I most definitely made a space in mine for the golden city by the bay.

Mi Barrio
571 Memorial Drive Atlanta, GA
A neighborhood staple. A true family business. The best Mexican food, served by the most amazing and genuine people. Plus, they change the channel to Soccer for our crew.

Books Japan
6251 Peachtree Industrial Blvd
Atlanta, GA
I love simple places that make you feel like you are in another country. Books Japan has the cutest staff and the largest selection of Japanese books and magazines that I have seen anywhere in the U.S.. Plus they have a cafe- serving coffee, tea, and elegant pastries and cakes. The seating area features modern, plywood tables and a plasma screen t.v. that plays anything from anime to Japanese melodramas.

Full Moon Records
1653 Mclendon Ave NE Atlanta, GA
Great selection, great prices, groovy owner.

Victory Vintage 303 E College Avenue Decatur, GA
http://www.victoryvintage.com/
THE best in mid century modern with a great selection of new books and other kitsch items. Affordable classics, plus too many dream pieces to count. Pure design inspiration.

:Acquisitions:

My 1993 Geo Metro Hatchback

I'm in love with my car.

My Gretsch Catalina Jazz Kit

I am also in love with my drums.

Mi Casa

My first house, plus an awesome roommate with a crazy awesome kitty. It is home.
-------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you to all who are in my life.
Thank you to all who got me back down to Atlanta, and who keep me grounded and full of love everyday.
To all my new friends I couldn't be more grateful for the friendship I have found in you.
This year, a love was lost, but a big one was was gained.
...to my Grandmother Marsha-Ann Rose Rochau. You live on in me, and will for all time.
(and yes he is tall!)

2007-11-29T05:42:00.001-05:00

falling asleep to owls,

waking up to marta.

in-between dreams and bed covers,
the daylight seems too far away.

2007-11-14T18:23:00.001-05:00

ode to saturday...

(and to sunday, haha!)

2007-11-12T15:53:00.000-05:00

I should be reading about policy evaluation right now but my mind has been overtaken!!

...feverish excitement compels me to collect each and every moment, nuance, and fraction of good that has occured the past 10 months, and assemble them into some monolithic treasure that can be kept for all time.

My basket is getting huge.

...and current company continues, with increased momentum, to burrow deeper into my existence...thank you.

These times and places feel nothing but right.

2007-10-31T15:48:00.000-04:00

...this is for matt...

This for the thinkers
This for the urchins allergic to they own stingers
This for the absurd verdict linkers
This for that cat at my shows that's always got prophetic opinions
but cant remember where his drink is...

(thanks aes rock)

2007-10-30T23:39:00.000-04:00

how is it that every year, you seem to wake up and, all of the sudden- fall is here.
and you can see your breath in the newly brisk air,
and scarves get wrapped around your neck,
and you must dig out the gloves you so hastily stashed away when spring did the same,
and the warmest bed becomes your haven,
and all you want to eat is soup,
and some place close, a fire burns- and either the smell or the heat penetrates you in some way...

as things around me in the natural world dry and change and put themselves to bed for a while-
in many ways I'd like to do the same...
and with them shrivel into a new existence.

one that isn't far from what I know, but is a state that truly is different.

2007-10-16T03:56:00.000-04:00

okay now something good for bedtime.

2007-10-16T02:14:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I feel like everything's going on around me and I'm just watching, and although I feel "busy" I don't really have this glorified sense of completion I seem to assume everyone else has.
Some days I think maybe my actions don't add up.
Or that I am out of context with myself.
Like, at one time, I had bigger plans....or something...
And it's that something that gets me.
I guess I remember my last few days of camp I guess I just turned 13...we had to fill out these silly fill-in-the-blank surveys, joking about what we would be doing in 5 or 10 years, and what we would be doing when we were 30. My answer to this was blandly: "probably still in school for something".
sommmmmmethhhhhing.
Like I already knew at that point that I wasn't going to have a clue how to focus my brain even when I was older and supposed to have things figured out.
But then again, what does that even mean?
And who should really give a fuck?
Why all this bogus pressure on myself? It's mostly self-concocted anyway...
Can't something be as tangible or elusive as one would like?
Isn't that the beauty of the freedom and choice that surround the option?
Despite my ability to agree- my placid observation is temporary, and this inability to put my finger on what I want to happen in my life (and consequently put this into action) is stressing me out to beyond ridiculous levels. But, I fear my obsessions surrounding this are jepordizing some extremely vital relationships, that are all fine and good until I start fucking shit up with these stupid thoughts.
My head spins- realizing that I am acting silly, but yet I continue to do so...over and over.

Larisa the other day was telling me about someone who once offered enlightenment with the basic fact- there are simple beginning steps for everything. I can't remember how many she referenced but let' s just say 4 steps. Regardless, the requirement of identifying issues one through four, helps to put the situation in an immediate context- which naturally will lead you to the next set of steps, and the next part of the situation. They sighted how you can't (or shouldn't is better here... I suppose, you can do whatever you want to) even begin to think about step 99 until you simply take care of the easy ones at the beginning. As common sense as this process seems (basic addition, rational thinking) her telling of this really clicked with me: I'm compulsive about things I can't control.
It's quite basic to understand, that when you create unpredictable scenarios in your head, you constantly victimize yourself with those assumptions. And this is a dangerous cycle.
Simply put...as Mr. Stanton taught me in 6th grade: to assume is to make an ass out of u and me.

And I know this.

And as much I dream to think and plan for the future...it's so ridiculous to think I can control an outcome by simply (or complexly) mulling over it.

But seriously. It's 3 am.
And a person that loves me and that I love back is directly behind me, and to break it down into simple steps, somewhere around the 2nd or 3rd, I should have been comfortably sleeping with him by my side. Stressing about how I am going to make sure I can convince him the goods outweigh the bad, should not be included in steps 1-4. Playing with emotional scales should not even be in any steps. Neither should adding up actions, or tallying arbitrary debts.

I guess I just need to read some Kant and shut my face.
...and open and relax my head a bit more...

2007-10-06T19:00:00.000-04:00

if I hear that new band of horses album one more time at work (or EVER again for that matter) I might just have to kill-a-man.
fucking auto-tune bull shit, and the lamest lyrics I've heard this in a minute.
total fucking crap.
...just had to get that out.

2007-09-05T12:17:00.000-04:00

ode to self-portraits with meredith...

2007-09-04T11:10:00.001-04:00

...a fraction remains. But the reality of what truly is, is much larger...
I'm ill with horrible thoughts right now-
all that I hope are never ever true.
Get cooked, but stay sweet.
Get cut, but stay whole.

2007-08-22T19:19:00.000-04:00

That old certain feeling...

It's back to school time again, and I'm reminded of the coffee and cigarette sustenance that became oh so georgia state last time around.
Waking up early, staying up late.
Finding time in the strangest places.
...that force- somewhat centrifugal, that just straight up keeps you going...

Funny how quick summer goes away.
But when you flip through your mind- in retrospect, it truly is one long swirl of memories to write home about.

I lost a little bit this summer...but overall I gained the most, and have been lucky to feel strongly tied and more compelled to particular things and people. One person specifically I must say...

As summer fades, I'm giddy with more than just thoughts about scarves and sweaters.
I've got a love.

2007-08-09T22:16:00.000-04:00

she's so...

heavy.

2007-07-15T20:34:00.000-04:00

summer is good.

2007-06-17T14:48:00.000-04:00

aahhhhhhlaska...

2007-06-07T22:13:00.000-04:00

I can't drink like I used to...
(and yes that really is a good thing)

But things get wacky when my drunken self, plus my partner in crime ms. d, decide it's a fine idea to polish off an entire bottle of whiskey.
(?!?!)

2 am hot dogs, forgotten toast, accidental phone calls, and cigs in the house.
(black out steez)

At least I didn't burn the house down.

2007-06-05T22:19:00.000-04:00

it's summer once again and there are so many things to get super-stoked about... san fran...sunno))) and earth, bike adventures, hopefully a trip up to new york, and maybe one back home for a bit?!
also not showering is up on the list as of late...

...my biggest summer goal: grow some hair on my feme-balls and stop being a bitch on dem drummms yo!

anyway, here are some pics from lately...

2007-04-25T18:20:00.000-04:00

I dreamt we went sledding- onto a frozen pond...

Did I turn into a polar bear on the ice?

I think you already were one.
Then we rode bikes in the snow.

I want to ride bikes in the snow with you.

But we would wreck one million times!

Not if we put chains on the tires...

2006-12-08T01:27:00.000-05:00

I've been so neglegent to this blog.
Oh well.
My mind has been everywhere lately but here, and I think that's a good thing.
Once again, my life is strewn about... in boxes, bags, in trunks of cars, and under beds.
It's really hard to focus on right now- but what I want is so close I suppose I shouldn't even bother speculating...
A totally cool thing happened today and it involves a german one piece jumpsuit which I am going to ROCK all winter.
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You know what's lame? The spell check on blogger.com questions the word blog.
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Some things are for sure... and they always involve the people in your life that you love and love you back.
It doesn't matter where you are- what's good is always good.
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There are a lot of things I am going to miss about Iowa City and Iowa in general...
...but my heart is throbbing for the ATL...

2006-10-24T23:39:00.000-04:00

It's a bit insane the things I've managed to keep a hold of after 6 years of moving all around- and even a bit more strange the things that end up together that are from different alyssa eras. A lot of stuff has been popping up from the Full Sail era lately as I've been on a tangent search for these photobooth strips I had taken with various people in Florida...
I haven't found them...
But I know they are in an envelope SOMEWHERE!
Luckily I found a cool mix cd a really swell friend made... and some awesome party fliers... some special notes AND some SEXY BOYZ pins that never made it to their destination...
It's really hard to let go of such good times, and I think that's why I'm such a freaky pack-rat. All these little scraps of paper are more powerful than memories to me. When I see them- I'm transported to another time...and the air is super heavy, and there are palm trees and broken sprinklers spewing out over endless parking lots...and I am underage, and literally, truely... carefree.
It's so good- it's a movie.

2006-10-18T19:30:00.001-04:00

It looks like winter outside right now...
Somthing about the sky and it's tone tells me snow isn't too far away.
I'm stalling at the computer before I face the chill- looking at the sky and thinking about being snowed in on what street was it??? east 79th or something? with my pals Mere and Justin G...booty shakin' in our socks to the snow and lil'kim.
It was one of the worst snow storms I have been in, ever- but also one of the best.
The subway tunnels were drifted shut that morning.
...I walked to work later that day in my split converse all-stars.
snow thigh deep...
new york city baby.
That's the kind of up hill both ways story you tell your kids.

2006-10-13T20:14:00.000-04:00

there was once a house that someone built for something good...
now it is just a chimney

some warped glass that blasted out of the windows and melted together

.bales of hay.

2006-10-11T17:46:00.000-04:00

This weekend I was able to snag ride to the Rochester Cemetary near the Cedar River/Rochester, Iowa area. I didn't really know what to expect, but the reason I wanted to go was to see one of Iowa's last remaining natural prairie spaces. Less than 1/10th of 1% of the actuall natural prairie of the state of Iowa exists today. Iowa used to be a sea of swaying grasses, flowers and shrubs and was an extensively dense habitat for a plethora of birds and animals.
Now- Iowa is a sea of corn and soybean fields- most corn is used to feed livestock. A lot of it gets turned into precious corn syrup too.
There's big push locally for ethanol of course- but that's always been around here as far as I can remember...and I was at Wal-Mart the other day and actually saw "local" plastic-y hangers made from corn too. I'm down with that.

Anyway...

There has been a lot of controversy over this cemetery in recent months because people are actually still being burried here- and with burried dead comes living concerns of how the heck are we going to mourn with all these weeeeeeeds around. There has been protests from the naturalists and ecologists to keep the area in tact- but more vocalization from the people burrying the dead...and so it goes, the spot was pretty mowed off when I got there.

Massive Oak trees shroud the disorderly grave markers

The oldest grave I could find had someone under it that had been born in 1771...

I liked the way these had appeared to turn BLACK!

A little Praying Mantis flew near to take a break and well... pray, right!?
This one totally knew I was taking its picture and proceded to creep behind the grave and stick its head out at me to stare... NO STARRERRING!

Which way is UP?

This was a really cool visit, and though I would have liked to see more natural habitat- it is a very interesting place to check out. All weird and sprawling and old... a classic creepy cemetery.

2006-10-05T17:00:00.000-04:00

october is the best month...
best weather, best colors, best air.

the sky is so pure and blue! (just ignore the power lines!)

Iowa City Modern...

Asian Market down the street from me=sauce heaven

something about this market is very comforting. small, saturated, colorful, smiling faces, old grandma in an apron sitting and chatting swiftly with delicate patrons.
...it reminds me A LOT of Tomato Company Inc. near Atlanta as it has just about any candy, snack, tea, veggie, noodle, bean, seafood critter, and condiment you could imagine, plus an Asian bootleg video rental section. This place even has the vcr set-up exposed...I didn't get a photo b/c it was right behind the checkout and I didn't want to seem invasive- but I quickly counted at least 12 vcr's and maybe 4 dvd players all hooked up in some sort of bizzare synchronicity.

has this been in Vice before???

The Iowa City public library is right behind my place.
...just a view from outside the window I was studying near today...

2006-10-02T15:40:00.000-04:00

I awoke from a regular nights sleep to find that fall had appeared.
...and the trees were set ablaze to shed their cinders through the air!
but I ask-
where did the locusts go?
where were they ever?
even the crickets have started to cease.
and the world is drying up wherever you turn.
the fields that were once strikingly green-
are stark and brown today.
the sumac that was once vividly blood red-
is a deeper, more dense mahogany, almost black.
but oh! there is so much life in even what is dying.
for the ditches are rampant with that which is wild-
and the color rages on until it’s frozen in time.

2006-09-19T15:30:00.000-04:00

...back on a def jux kick again... mostly aesop's labor days and el-p's fantastic damage.
Especially el-p.
Quality and innovation over-ride the nostalgia factor- but only by the thinnest sliver of difference. Still just listening to the first 4 seconds of either of these albums sends me back to places I'm lucky to have been.
....kind of makes me want to move back to new york...
Well actually, REALLY makes me want to move back to new york!

It's crazy how certain people can encompass a place through assemblage of sound.
Thev'e done it and I know this.
...the best news is- el producto has a new album coming out soon, and no doubt I have intensely high hopes.
But could our leader actually let us down?
I shall think not.

follow him: el-p's production blog

2006-09-15T00:10:00.000-04:00

I read today that "thick eyebrows" are in for fall.
cool.

in addition to the eyebrows- I vote we all take cues from this charming little fellow above... sweater vest = must have
let's bring it back in full effect.
turtle necks too.
in fact... while everyone's at it- let's just get sharp marionette style.
monocles, little white gloves, suspenders, wingtips.
why not?
don't be surprised if when you see me next I got my puppet style on- and I mean the "good" kind of puppet. not the kind on a string.

2006-09-11T01:54:00.000-04:00

Today a man came into where I work.

He is blind- but does that really have anything to do with anything???
...he first asked me what our brownie/bar selection was- so I told him:
4 mint
1 zebra
3 walnut fudge
4 coconut macaroon

he proceeded to order:
3 mint
1 zebra
2 walnut fudge
1 coconut macaroon

oh yeah... and FOUR diet sodas.
When the total exceeded 16 dollars, he told me he had but 15 to spend, so I suggested he take off one of the sodas (which cost a ridiculous amount anyway... $1.35 per 12 oz can) so he did and had 4 cents to spare. (TIP JAR GONE WILD!)

He then asked me to unwrap the brownies for him, which was fine- but I was shocked to see him sit down and eat every one of them.
That's right... 7 brownies... 3 sodas... one sitting.

My encounter with blind brownie man kicks off my new project of identifying excessiveness.
It might just be the biggest problem in the world today.
Seeing that man today was such a real-live, physical metaphor.

As we just victims, forced to participate in a consumer driven world controled by super power politicians and ceo's?
Or are we blind idiots who create our own destined fuck down by not making the right choice when we actually have one to make?

So kids, strap on yer bibs and get ready for moments of over indulgence, binging by design, packaging monstrosities.
Everything All The Time.
World Wide Buffet.

2006-09-10T18:34:00.000-04:00

...things I am learning about food...

-how to not scorch the fuck out of everything with a gas stove and shitty pots and pans-
albeit...does anyone want to get pretend married so we can gift register for all new le creuset?

-cooking for one-
not only is it NOT fun...you eat too much and have left overs with a nasty tendency to get all skanked out.

-el myr can NOT be recreated in the kitchen of today nor the kitchen of the future-
howtheydodat?
some things are better to not know.
el myr on myspace

2006-09-06T00:15:00.000-04:00

I wish I knew more about the true possibilities of this... but has anyone ever noticed or thought or wondered if there is just some limited amount of physical appearance options in the world???
...and through moving and mating they get planted and strewn about all over the place, things and people seem unique and individual, but they really are not that different from someone else they've never met or seen... and never will.
It's the doppelganger idea- and for me it's everywhere.
...you'll see someone in one location and then 1000's of miles away, there they'll be again.
Hey, there's that really tall guy with the flaming red afro and confident face...holy shit... there's that super annoying wanna be musician chic with the really awkward fat hanging over her jeans....and fuck it, over there is that really nice nerdy gay guy who's always wearing pastel button up dress shirts and looks totally sharp all the time. And look over there... it's the guy who gets a medium dark and tips a quarter.
Seriously... it's almost haunting- the people I just keep seeing over and over wherever I go. I'm not saying that these people aren't unique in their individual personalities, but I've lately just been very aware of these neither better nor worse, but strikingly similar people, who for some reason or another just can't stay away.

2006-09-01T22:15:00.000-04:00

I washed my dishes 2 hours ago and my sink still has not drained.
...brushing up on my tenant rights at present...
anyone have any tips for dealing with negligent landlords?
In the meantime, I fear my sink and it's clogged and twisted depths. What if some sort of snake comes out of the drain?!!?

I guess it's not as bad as the time meredith, scott and I had some other tenants corny-poo in our bathtub.

2006-08-28T22:09:00.000-04:00

So that summer came and went, and I became cold...

I'm not sure that it broke 60 today, and every time I checked... it was 57 degrees out there! August 28th and in the 50's!!!!
Hoodie weather is in full effect and I am sooo happy for that.
Jacket party 2006!!
Guess it's time to unpack the long sleeves and scarves I so adore.

I am slightly concerned about the poor little veggies finishing up their summer in the fields. Although their end is nigh, thems' be chilly temps for harvests to come.
(Hopefully the farmers market this week will still be good to go.)
Here is a shot showcasing only a fraction of what was available from last weeks selection-

...feeling pretty lucky that within 2 blocks- I have a 2 times a week farmers market and 2 independent organic food stores always full of local items.
New Pioneer Co-Op
Tait's Natural Foods

The very yummy Oasis Falafel Cafe even uses local soy oil for all of the deep frying.
Like I needed another excuse to eat french fries...
Oasis Cafe

2006-08-28T01:05:00.000-04:00

now approaching midnight.
avoiding my textbooks at the moment...
oops.. there it went.

here are some photos I snapped the other day from the tornado damage that occurred in Iowa City a while back. The building next to this church had wood splinters protruding from its side from the force of the wind slamming the holy debris in like toothpicks.

2006-08-25T23:11:00.000-04:00

Today was kind of frustrating.
Sometimes I have a hard time communicating to adults in positions where they always deal with people who don't know what they want. They are so used to making things so basic and general, and basically making people's minds up for them.
I know what I want.
I know what I don't want.
I've fucked around too much already, and I don't have time to waste.
And usually when dealing with university faculty- I end up telling them about the program I'm interested in b/c since it's not generic, they don't even know anything about it.
All I want is to make progress at a reasonable but quick pace... and I don't need anyone to hold my hand and walk with me taking baby steps.
...I go in to the Study Abroad office today to talk about the Icelandic exchange program with a program advisor and she ends up talking about fun times in Costa Rica so I can fulfill my foreign language credit. I told her I wanted to go to a school with a solid earth science and environmental studies program and that I wanted to focus on sustainable development IN SCANDINAVIA.
I got the notion towards the end of the meeting that she didn't even know what that was and that's fine, but just ask me. It's going to make things a lot easier for both of us.
I know that sometimes I can be bull headed- but shit, don't waste my time talking about Central America when I specifically tell you I want to study in Scandinavia.
Anyway, here are some photos from my place and what not....

this is my building

always at home with eames

stuff!!!

2006-08-24T17:05:00.000-04:00

...appetite for destruction...

if anyone out there can think of the best name for this sandwich, I will send you a prize!
so start scramblin' yer noodles NOW...

2 slices of soft wheat bread of some sort
1 medium sized carrot- finely shredded
herbed tofu- extra firm
sprouts that tickle your fancy (I like broccoli sprouts!)
pickles- hamburger dills yo!
hummus of your choosing- I've found scallion to be rather tasty
annie's goddess dressing (it HAS to be annie's goddess!!!)
yellow mustard (mustardayonaise if you're "like that")

....so....
-spread a decent amount of hummus on the bottom layer of bread
-pile carrot shreds on top
-then, put a decent amount of sprout action on top of that
-drizzle the golden dressing that annie made on toppadat!
-NEXT! thinly slice the herbed tofu lengthwise if you can- to get the most coverage
-stack 2-3 pieces of tofu on the sprouts...etc.
-pickle that shit UP!
-draw a pretty mustard design on the other piece of bread
-top, smash, cut...eat!

fuck jars.

They are so hard to get open. Imagine if I were an old lady with arthritic hands. It's only going to get WORSE!! I seriously had such a hard time with this that I almost cried and threw the jar at the wall. But the fact the mess would have been way worse made up my mind. To all you pickle jar manufactuers out there... have a heart... not all homes have men between the ages of 15-55 in them.

2006-08-24T13:11:00.000-04:00

look ma, no ketchup!

here's some photos from my super exclusive pinic in the park with myself.

mineral water, veggie booty, bomb ass sandwich, vegan cookie... evolution...
what more does a gal need anyway?

yuummmmmm............

2006-08-23T20:42:00.000-04:00

greetings from IOWA!

So...I had previously planned on being more initially thorough with this whole blog thing... I had desires to photo document the entire process of the big move. The parties, the packing, the move-out, the move-in and all the chaos that is strewn in between and around. Aside from the photographic side of things I also wanted to start this as a way to practice articulating and recounting my observations in a more outward way. Maybe that seems bogus and wordy, but it's what I mean. I have a feeling that the next few years are going to be very much about process and collection- so I may as well get a jump on things and start sifting through the sediment now.

Back to the imagery!

...I wanted you to see (even though maybe it's all too obvious) the visual transition from South to North... I wanted you to see what it looks like when you drive into Iowa over the Mississippi River by way of Interstate 80. I wanted you- my Atlanta lovers!!- to be in the drivers seat of a 16 foot Budget rental truck as I took a left turn down Quincy's gravel Avenue... up the short lane of my 1860's farmhouse shaded by overgrown arborvitaes- and get that feeling... this is home again.
Did you catch a glimpse of my crazy dog racing around the yard to greet us in a frenzied blur?

But alas, the trip I made was solitary for the most part. My dad- who is generally silent and non-obtrusive, flew down to help me with the drive back. Most of my time was spent driving and thinking. Collecting the hazy memories from an amazing week exploding with drinks, hugs, sweat, love, and last minute connections; returning to the moments to savor them once again while simultaneously driving away from them.

I left Atlanta in the early, soft pink morning of July, 31st, 2006 and arrived at 1259 Quincy Avenue that very same day. So much was physically far from me, and that felt pretty heavy. But more heavy than the all the 16 wheelers that dominated my 1000+ miles of travel- was the weight of emotion I carried with me. I truly felt that I had left so much behind.
I still feel like I have left so much behind.

20 or so odd days have passed, and it's true...
I have proven myself wrong.
I long for Atlanta.
I miss the things I didn't think I would.
But I am okay with that! I know I am here in Iowa for one simple and specific reason= to finish school.

So- on with the next.
School started today...I've been working at a coffee shop...catching up with old friends and family... etc. etc...
I am moved in to my new apartment, and though it's a work in progress, I'm getting used to what it's like to live alone. Lots of walking around in my undies, really.
Iowa City is a small treasure worth delicate exploration, so I'm in the process of checking out the spots and what not- just trying to soak in...I'll do some features of the cool places coming up in future blooooogggs.

In the meantime, here are some photos, some of which will require more in depth explanation at a later time! Until then.
Much love from your forever displaced girl...

cabbagetown tunnel

scott and I trying to pop blood vessals in our face?!

me husking corn w. an effed up face- ultimate grilling session followed...

amazing shot by Bobb Lovett of the lovely home of said corn- if anyone is familiar with Iowa artist Grant Wood... this photo looks like one of his paintings!!!

bobb's senior photo that never happened- everyone ask bobb about the rental car story!!!

it is truly rediculous in Tipton...