CSI, a real piece of… art?

CSI – Candid, Sincere, Introspective? Oh Please No.
 

Grissom: Make sure you document these skid marks.
Greg: (Smiles to himself) He said skid marks.

I have just one question – when are we going to run out of young, pretty, blonde actresses to kill, mutilate, and rape on crime shows? 

These shows are cancer for the brain, like sniffing giant sharpies for 45 minutes straight (not counting the 15 minutes of commercials, in which I wouldn’t be surprised if the viewership were in fact sniffing sharpies). 

Yet when I stop and think a bit (I promise just a little bit), a part of me wonders whether I’ve seen anything more honest than CSI.  I go to art school, and, to be blunt, most of the work produced in the art world, in general, drools with insincerity.  If I could describe the current state of art in one word it would be – “regurgitation.”  

CSI then might very well be the best example of a social study into the current state of society.  If I want to know what its really like to take heroin, do I ask a heroin addict or a scientist?  If I am a sociologist in the far future, studying American culture, I think CSI would intrigue me far more than, say, a Stan Douglas art film.  CSI is honest because its goal is to sell not to tell.  Why it sells, in fact the very reason that its goal is to sell, says more about our world than any piece of art ever could. 

 

csi

tennis!!!

I Love This Game
 

“A perfect combination of violent action taking place in an atmosphere of total tranquility.”

~Billie Jean King, about tennis

 

Here’s a fun little video from my time at Rhode Island of one of my favorite pastimes – tennis! To whoever has never played this wonderful game – play it.  I think it is the perfect sport. Really.  Nothing is as peaceful and aggressive at the same time, it’s great therapy.  I liken every stroke to drawing – the search for a perfect stroke, the perfect line.  And when you hit it, everything in the world is very simply good and true.  One of the greatest things about studying at RISD was my proximity to the free, indoor tennis courts at Brown! Not to mention the many, many outdoor courts that were within walking distance of my place.  It was bliss.

the video was filmed and edited by Andreas (http://www.andreasarnheiter.com/).  Niggah, plz.

 

Album Of Last Week

Singles

“People need people, Steve. It has nothing to do with sex. OK, maybe 40 percent. 60 percent. Forget it.”

This compilation album for the movie, “Singles,” is a soundtrack that pretty much highlights the Seattle alternative/grunge scene of the early 90’s.  I find it somewhat surreal that I am “looking back” at the 90s, but so it is.  I think it is a great thing in it’s entirety…. not my favorite soundtrack ever, but a good one, and, conveniently, what I am listening to right now.  Deja vu.

As always, you can listen to the album to the right in the sidebar widget, just click on the appropriate folder, then on the song.

 

changes

ec mix/playlist 1

This is a playlist I made with a bit of audio editing here and there way back in the day when we had Wednesday music hang out days.  I’m posting this now just in case I can’t post something on Sunday. 

It’s funny, relistening to this, I think about the past, and it doesn’t feel… real.  I remember select memories, remember being there, but I don’t really remember being there, if you now what I mean.  I look at pictures, I watch videos, I go through things I’ve made, think of things I’ve done, and a part of me is sincerely amazed… did I really do this? Was I really there?  It feels a haze.  Whole years have gone by, and for the life of me, I can’t really remember how they did.  I realize then that this year will also go by, like that, this day, and it will be that forgotten thing of tommorow.  I’ve never been one to hold on to things, not really, but I find myself wanting to, I feel I’m at a incremental crossroads, and though I am excited for what may come, I am saddened by the loss of what has.  I realize that even though I am in a good place right now, I am running from it, not because I love the chase, but because I am addicted… to that feeling you get when nothing is known and you embrace it. 

Something I made while listening:

Albums Of The Week – Double Feature!!!

rodrigo y gabriela – Live: Manchester and Dublin

rodrigo y gabriela – rodrigo y gabriela

I must admit that I love these albums for sentimental reasons, but if you do not love them too please die. Please. If this does not get you clapping along, head banging, shadow drumming, air plucking, god damn mother fucking VIBRATING, you are dead to me. 

The live album starts pounding, cools down, then finishes incredibly, the other album is pretty much consistently up through and through.  Pick your poision, or, better yet, take both.

As always, you can listen to the album to the right in the sidebar widget, just click on the appropriate folder, then on the song.

Album Of The Week

Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

This album is one of those albums that justs sticks, that you can keep listening to on repeat indefinitely.  In two words? Hauntingly beautiful.  Listen.  One of my favorite albums this year. 

“Justin Vernon moved to a remote cabin in the woods of Northwestern Wisconsin at the onset of winter…He lived there alone for three months, filling his days with wood splitting and other chores around the land. This special time slowly began feeding a bold, uninhibited new musical focus…”

As always, you can listen to the album to the right in the sidebar widget, just click on the appropriate folder, then on the song.

 

Album Of The Semi-Kind Of-Maybe-FREAK!

Pere Ubu – New Picnic Time

Anarchy, whimsy, joy, hedonistic freedom, violent, loving, surreal release.  Maria, these are a few of MY favorite things. If you like this album perhaps also check out the revolutionary The Modern Dance. 

As always, you can listen to the album to the right in the sidebar widget, just click on the appropriate folder, then on the song.

“Pere Ubu is not now nor has it ever been a viable commercial venture. We won’t sleep on floors, we won’t tour endlessly and we’re embarrassed by self-promotion. Add to that a laissez-faire attitude to the mechanics of career advancement and a demanding artistic agenda and you’ve got a recipe for real failure. That has been our one significant success to this date: we are the longest-lasting, most disastrous commercial outfit to ever appear in rock ‘n’ roll. No one can come close to matching our loss to longevity ratio.” – David Thomas

Zero Is The New One

the zero house… pretty cool, some features:

• Off the power grid, no energy bill: uses solar energy with power to last a week with no sunlight.
• Only 650 square feet, but it includes 2 bedrooms, a full bathroom, living room, kitchen, storage, heating & air conditioning, and decks.
• Rainwater is collected, holding up to 22 000 gallons.
• Closed cell foam insulation.
• Compost unit underneath collects waste with ventilation through the roof.
• House is built onto the ground using helical anchors.

What I’d really like is a teleportable house!  It would be invisible, and could teleport in personal enviroments… so that although it may seem you are sleeping outside, it will feel like you are inside and protected from all the elements.  So really it would be kind of like an invisible house suit.  And all your waste would be teleported out of you, food into you, dirt disintegrated, and it would be powered by happy thoughts. 

But until then I guess this’ll have to do…

Album of the Week

I’m going to upload one random album or playlist I feel like uploading every week (probably Sunday, it seems to be free day day).  I’ll probably only comment with one sentence or a couple, because, well, just because.  You can listen to the album here to the right in the widget sidebar.  I’ve decided against letting people download it because I don’t want to get, um, sued.  If you like it, download it somewhere else. Or buy it.  Or if you know me, we can share. Maybe.

So without much adue,The Black Keys – Rubber Factory.

Well known band + album, but nevertheless, my favorite Black Keys album – the White Stripes with less gimic, more garage, and the right touch of blues.  ”Thickfreakness” with more polish.  And I like polish.  Shoe polish.  Yes.   “Desperate Man” = cool.

 

Ban Mario!!!

The Importance of Being Ericsson

Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest. – Reverend Larry Lorenzoni

 

Find out interesting things about your birthday! I knew I was limiting myself to just the Greek horoscope! I now have a plethora of tools at my disposal!   

Things I really liked reading were my life path number , birth tree, native american astrological sign, and chinese sign.  You can also find some cool sites about your greek sign too on my earlier post. From these 5 or so sources, I must admit one would be pretty much able to figure out everything about me! For morbid facts about your birthday, go here. 142,078 people died on my birthday.

I really liked the postive attributes (good for the self esteem – curt nods in agreement), but the negative attributes were often spot on and hilarious; my birth tree was especially harsh:

Poplar, the Uncertainty
very decorative, no self-confident behaviour, only courageous if necessary, needs goodwill and pleasant surroundings, very choosy, often lonely, great animosity, artistic nature, good organiser, tends to philosophy, reliable in any situation, takes partnership serious.

Excuuuuse me, birth tree. 

For 8/6/1984 As of 4/20/2008 3:06:44 PM EDT
You are 23 years old.
You are 284 months old.
You are 1,237 weeks old.
You are 8,658 days old.
You are 207,807 hours old.
You are 12,468,426 minutes old.
You are 748,105,604 seconds old.

Hooray!

SCHOOL IS OUT! 

 

Protected: “Entertainment” – Introspective

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Entertainment

This is a compilation of violent scenes from films. This video is meant as a rhetorical critique regarding the amount and varying degrees of violence being filmed as a means of entertainment. I wonder if a violent scene, even if used with purpose (as, ironically, was my intent for this very video!), serves nothing but to perpetuate and encourage violence itself. I wonder what it says about the state of our society that we not only view these films, but encourage the production of them.

Be advised that this video is extremely violent, watch it at your own discretion.

The following is an excerpt from a previous discussion with a friend…. there is far more and this friend did punch many, many holes in my argument, but I will just post a general glimpse of my inner confusion in relation to this topic.  I do not know what to think, but I do know that I do not think violence in film should be banned.  That said, after making this video and thinking about it, I am not sure if I would ever myself create a certain type of violent film…. or watch and be blindly entertained by violent films in the same manner.  The research that went into the creation of this video made me physically sick. 

I think a problem with cinema, in general, is that it portrays people in black and white, good and bad… and once somebody is “bad” it is somehow okay to smash their head in with a baseball bat. Isn’t it a little odd that often the “good guy” kills far more people than the bad? You don’t think there’s something wrong with applauding death, no matter the circumstance? Furthermore, I think their is a transference of those ideals to everyday life; black and white, us and them, and i think that is dangerous, because it gives “us” justification to kill, an obvious example being war. I’m sure you and I aren’t pro-war, but the fact is nevertheless wars occur. I love that you trust people, but I don’t know if I do, so much around me says otherwise.

It seems that the nature of film encourages us to give more credence to the reason than the fact. Is that right or wrong? I don’t know, but it’s interesting to me…. our evaluation of reason will constantly change, but what is will never leave us. 100 years ago people truly believed that segregating First Nations people into reservations, and filtering their children through residential schools would help ease our cultures together…. now what do we believe? All I know is that it is true that killing is wrong, and if I show it, even if I believe my audience will know better, even if I believe my intentions just, I will never escape the fact that I am showing it.

Just because something is fantasy, it does not mean it cannot affect us or affects us less. Ifanything, I believe it can affect us more! Because as we enjoy these things we absolutely let our guards down. For example, there are hundreds of stories in the bible, parables, that are clear cut fantasy, yet people obviously take those lessons to heart; a metaphor can be more powerful than fact. Further yet, the creator is a person in himself – what does it mean when people choose to fantasize about things like, for instance, “Natural Born Killers?” Is it okay that we are giving people a way to express abusive behavior? Just because you would never do these bad things we see, and I know you never would, is it okay to laugh/be entertained by it? What if somebody is entertained by watching simulated, fake, staged child pornography, is it okay for them to watch that under the condition they would never act on it? How about that genre of extreme torture porn?

There are many examples of children and adults directly emulating behavior on television and cinema. In Norway two children beat another child to death, it was later found that they did so because they were trying to be like the Power Rangers! In the U.S. a teenager shaved his head, and killed his parents after watching “Natural Born Killers.” John Hinkley, an adult, shot Ronald Reagan to impress Jodie Foster, or rather, a character she played in a film (Taxi Driver). You can say that these people are screwed up to begin with, but that is like saying people will kill anyway, why restrict gun access? Furthermore, these instances, and there are many more, are directly inspired by violence in film. That is, I believe that if said violent films did not exist, these specific cases would have never happened. My dilemma is – what happens if I make a violent film, and I find out that somebody, somewhere, killed another directly because of my film? Am I really going to say they would’ve killed somebody, someday, anyway? How could I forgive myself? I know I can’t live life being afraid of the actions my choices might incur on others, but I also can’t make blind choices. It’s a delicate line, I don’t have an answer.

Their was an interesting study I just read about – basically, it analyzed crime rates in the United States, Canada and South Africa between the years 1945 to 1974 when South Africa did not have television whereas both the United States and Canada had television. His results concluded that the homicide rate in the United States increased by 93 percent [and] in Canada the homicide rate increased 92 percent. In South Africa the homicide rate declined by 7 percent. I mean, there are so many things that point to violence in media as a definite problem. Am I going to disregard that, because its not a problem for me?

Darfur

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”
-Mother Teresa

I found some pictures drawn by children from Darfur, and they really affected me, so I wanted to share a few. Without much adieu:

Abd al-Rahman, Age 13
“I am looking at the sheep in the wadi [riverbed, or oasis]. I see Janjaweed coming—quickly, on horses and camels, with Kalashnikovs—shooting and yelling, ‘kill the slaves, kill the blacks.’ They killed many of the men with the animals. I saw people falling on the ground and bleeding. They chased after children. Some of us were taken, some we didn’t see again. All our animals were taken: camels, cows, sheep, and goats. Then the planes came and bombed the village.”

Taha, Age 13 or 14
“In the afternoon we returned from school and saw the planes. We were all looking, not imagining about bombing. Then they began the bombing. The first bomb [landed] in our garden, then four bombs at once in the garden. The bombs killed six people, including a young boy, a boy carried by his mother, and a girl. In another place in the garden a women was carrying her baby son—she was killed, not him. Now my nights are hard because I feel frightened. We became homeless. I cannot forget the bad images of the burning houses and fleeing at night because our village was burned…”

Doa‘, Age 11 or 12
Janjaweed descend on a village on horses and camels, a woman flings her arms in the air as she is targeted for sexual violence or execution. A soldier takes a woman to be raped. She has a cell phone next to her head: “She wants to call the agencies for help.”

Salah, Age 13
“There were soldiers from Sudan, Janjaweed, and planes and bombs. I saw the Janjaweed take girls and women. The women were screaming. They seized them, they took them by force. The pretty ones were taken away…Girls were taken, small girls too, I think 5 and 7 and 14. Some came back after four or five hours…some we haven’t seen again.”

Magda, Age 9
“We were running from the burning houses. Janjaweed and soldiers with guns and planes and bombs came, all together, quickly. They were shooting…my uncle was shot. I saw them taking women and girls away. All of us—my family—we were screaming and running from the Janjaweed to hide in the wadi [riverbed or oasis]…holding each other by the arms to keep together. Here in camp we are safe, but my father…he was lost.”

Ala‘, Age 13
Like many other children, Ala‘ witnessed conflict between rebel groups and the Janjaweed. This drawing depicts a rebel soldier first shot in the arm, then executed by gunshots to the groin. Ali, a teacher in a refugee camp, said the rebels are killed this way to emasculate them. “They [the Janjaweed] know what they are doing,” he said. “They are doing it with purpose.”

You can view more drawings here

Indeed, the irony became savage today when Annan went on to invoke Edmund Burke’s famous declaration, “all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” For “nothing” is precisely what Annan and the US administration of Bill Clinton engineered in response to the desperate plea for intervening troops from Lt. General Romeo Dallaire, UN force commander at the time of the genocide in Rwanda.

Moreover, “nothing” also comes perilously close to defining what the international community is providing in the way of means for halting current genocide in Darfur…

It is incredible to me that what is happening in Darfur is happening.  It’s shocking to me that I don’t remember reading anything about it in the paper the past couple of days…. not even in the back pages!  I mean, this is genocide!  What’s even scarier is that it’s not the first time something like this has happened, and not the first time we have turned our backs.  I’d have thought we’d of known better by now. It’s a commonly held belief that things have to effect us before we can effect them… but why?  It makes sense, but I don’t understand it!  It’s so confusing to me, and its not fun to think about, but it tears me up.  Everything I do seems senseless in the face of these horrible things.  I’m really confused, nothing makes sense right now, so I’m going to stop writing.  Here are some links to some interesting sites, some regarding Darfur, some not:

• http://savoheleta.livejournal.com
• http://coalitionfordarfur.blogspot.com/2005/08/genocide-and-statistics.html
• http://hrw.org/doc?t=africa&c=darfur
• http://www.passionofthepresent.org/
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3496731.stm
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/mar/14/comment.sudan
• http://www.americanthinker.com/2006/12/how_the_media_and_the_left_hav.html
• http://www.amnestyusa.org/Darfur/Reports_and_Background/page.do?id=1041056&n1=3&n2=52&n3=1172

Although statistics are hard to track or validate in Darfur, here are some general ideas:

• The conflict has affected more than 2.6 million people in Darfur and Eastern Chad (US Govt., UE, UN)
• 1.85 million people are displaced within Darfur (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs)
• 15,000 people die each month (International Coalition for Justice)
• 200,000 have fled to refugee camps in neighboring Chad (UN High Commissioner for Refugees)
• More than 20% of children under five years old are suffering from severe malnutrition and many are dying each day (UN World Food Program)
• Only 50% of persons in need are receiving food assistance (UN World Food Program)
• In March 2005, UN Undersecretary-General Jan Egeland, warned that as many as 3 to 4 million people could need food aid in the coming months.
• In April 2005, the World Food Program announced that a drastic funding shortfall would force them to cut food rations by one-half for one million Darfurians.

 

Critical Review – Stephen Waddell, Contemporary Art Gallery

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”
-Scott Adams

Today I ardently stumbled into Stephen Waddell’s show at the Contemporary Art Gallery.  Considering my  glorious mood (sarcasm intended), I was pleasantly surprised to find myself basically alone.  It was just me and the art. I went in knowing very little about Stephen Waddell or his practice, only having glimpsed briefly a few of his photographs.  I wasn’t excited, but I also wasn’t apprehensive, which, perhaps is the best state to be in when viewing something; alone and without care.  That doesn’t sound very appealing, but I assure you it’s meant to be.

Considering I later found out that the show was intended as a sort of retrospective, featuring many of Waddell’s earlier works in order to give perspective to his more recent ones, I fortunately stumbled into the room full of his earlier works first.  Initially, I was overwhelmingly unimpressed; the first thing that caught my eye, fittingly (I’m a film student), were two super 8 videos being projected on to a couple of walls (at right angles to each other).  So I sat down and let myself watch these videos; one was a series of people, shot from behind, unknowingly being followed, the other a long, over-cranked shot of a person with a shirt over their head, just sitting.  Both were interesting in a voyeuristic way, but made me feel empty.  Being I wasn’t particularly in the mood for empty, I continued around the rest of the room, a series of photographs and paintings.  Although, I couldn’t have cared less for the paintings (in my opinion, lazy Impressionist imitations), I must say the photographs did strike me.  They were beautifully composed, yet the content found within seemed, well, “found;” it felt like street photography, but it did not look it.  I found myself staring at these photographs, and losing myself in a kind of visually beautiful voyeurism.  I had never associated something aesthetically beautiful, or, in fact, any beauty at all with voyeurism, so I was pleasantly surprised to find myself having a somewhat unique experience.

This was a good introduction, or warm up, leading into my exploration of the second room, full of Waddell’s more recent work.  Thankfully, there were no paintings here, just an array of physically large photographic prints.  Each single print was colorful and vibrant, beautiful, yet still contained that voyeuristic element.  I found myself entranced, I have always believed in the magic of life, of the random, of the small, seemingly ineffectual things, and here I saw parts of that feeling captured.  Most of the photographs were mundane snapshots into stranger’s lives, for example, a photograph of a woman, looking and walking away, half obstructed by an out of focus tree.  Or a picture of a man simply fishing.  I found myself questioning, curious, as to whether or not these scenes were constructed or directed, but the question concurrently seemed rhetoric; somehow I absolutely knew they were not.  It’s strange how you can look at a photograph and tell whether the subject is conscious his or her  picture is being taken or not, even if only by their posture. 

Interestingly, the piece that struck me most was the only one devoid of people.  I wonder if this says something about me?  Anyhow, the photograph (which can be seen below), is titled, “Pile,” and is basically, well, a pile of of waste.  This photograph struck me for two reasons, the first being that my first thought upon seeing it was, “there will never be a painting as beautiful as this.”  I don’t now agree with that statement, but that’s what I thought at the time.  My second realization was that if I had seen this scene in real life, I most likely would have been disgusted by it, or at least felt impartial.  Essentially, Waddell has succeeded in forcing me to look at something in a completely different way.  

It is fascinating to me how the photograph of something, or rather, the representation, irregardless of medium (film, literature, whatever), somehow transfers purpose, meaning, to it’s subject.  Even me, just writing this review here, rather than telling you how I felt face to face, seems somehow more poignant.  Something always seems inevitably lost in the articulation, but at the same time found, and I think that is one of the things that intrigues me most about art.  There is something about the translation of reality, that almost insubstantial place, that seems so insurmountably far removed – and because it is far removed, that much more profound.  Perhaps that is what grabbed me most about Waddell’s photographs – he has captured the everyday and removed it from the everyday, giving frame to the mundane.

“Life is the art of drawing sufficient conclusions from insufficient premises.” Samuel Butler

 

 

Mattey Damey Carl a Benny (updated)

I’m kind of busy right now, so I’ll just share a couple of videos I’ve watched the past couple of weeks that I thought were funny.  I have some thoughts on all of them (other than haha), but, for now, I’ll leave it your imagination.  

  

 

 

 

 

Shappy Happy Map a Smackey

“Sometimes I wonder if we live life by reliving life, rather than by living life.”  -Ann Landers

http://www.wefeelfine.org/index.html is a super interesting site, which is, basically, “an exploration of human emotion on a global scale.”   What it is does is “harvest” entries from blogs, and just kind of mashes them together in a plethora of ways.  It’s a lot more complex, and not as dumb sounding as I’m making it, so just check out the site if you’re even remotely interested….. and if you’re not even REMOTELY interested, hell, you shouldn’t even be reading this, because, quite frankly, only remotely interesting people (who, likewise, I expect to be remotely interested) read my blog.  nudge nudge.

It’s always so strange for me catching glimpses of people’s lives via the internet.  It’s for this strangeness that I personally refrain from joining facebook or myspace or friendster or such….  Its not that I have anything against these sites/things, its just they always inevitably makes me feel real awkward (more so than usual)… its hard to describe why!  But I’ll try….. what I realize is that when I did try using those sites in the past, when doing so I always felt this nagging itch… as if I were invading another’s privacy, albeit welcomed.  And being I value my own (privacy) admittedly more than most, it just didn’t and doesn’t feel right for me.  I submit that their are plenty of valid and good reasons to use those sites, but I can’t seem to get away from that feeling.  It is strange knowing someone without them directly knowing that you are getting to know them, if you know what I mean.

But then I realize that I’m writing this on MY blog, and I have to think about it twice.  I guess why this is okay for me and not “that” is because this seems one way and streamlined.  Everything I write is controlled, it is meant to be read, and likewise everything I read, to some degree, I figure must also be controlled.  But I won’t deny it still feels weird…. it is, in ways, kind of the same.  Oh no.  Am I becoming an old fogey?

Anyway, in keeping with the theme of wefeelfine.org, in parting, I will submit that today I am inordinately glad… just because.

 

Rikey Mikey Choke a Likey

“What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Here is a video I watched which basically seeks to share statistics regarding pornography on the Internet in a fun way.  What is interesting is that the video’s method of showing itself borders on pornography!  I am not sure whether the video was made to combat pornography or simply as a tongue in cheek project… but if it was made to question pornography, I wonder whether such a method is affective. 

A part of me admires the idea of a pornographic movie that could question the very medium it employs… but a part of me also says, wait – Can a pornographic movie or a violent movie or a sexist movie or a racist movie, even if made as a satirical, ironical gesture, really serve any other purpose than to inevitably further what it questions in a roundabout way?  I realize that such things intend to shock us, the viewer, into realization… but what happens when such shock wears?  Where do we draw the line?  The proliferation of such into the imagination of the whole….it seems a devolution.  We are constantly affected by what we see, whether we like it or not…. think about cigarettes in cinema for example….even if I put a cigarette into the hands of the most despicable character, even if I show him dying in grotesque manner, the cigarette is still glorified in some manner…. and so it is with the gun or the abusive or the discriminatory.  Even if I film or show the most atrocious act, in some manner, the filming of it, if done well, makes it beautiful…. and I think sometimes there is a  subconscious transference.  So perhaps the answer is to make a truly bad movie about bad things… but then no one will watch it!

at the same time, I realize flaws in my logic… I understand the other side… and, almost absurdly, it makes just as much sense! Maybe more!  Its funny…..there is so much information… and everything can be made to seem feasible… and because of this, it seems I’m often paralyzed into inaction; really, it is a brilliant form of control, that gives the controlled the pretense of control through the facade of knowledge…. to think too much, and do too little.

“The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.” -Socrates

 

ihappy: 17 degrees. Spread the Happy. Mobility Game.

“Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life.” -Burton Hills

I recently found myself in a truly tragic dilemma.  I was the owner of not one – but TWO ipods! oh me oh my oh woe.  So I thought to myself, “myself, two must become one,” and I set out making it so. 

I decided to sell my ipod, but, almost simultaneously, I decided to give away any money I received.  Now, mind you, I am not inordinately rich, I honestly could’ve used the money… but what’s money?  I needed hope more.  I was tired of complaining about all the wrong things in the world, I was tired of bitching and whining and moaning… I wanted my life to be more about “the doing” than “the saying.”  I needed to believe that people could still be good, and it had to start with myself.

So I sold my ipod for $160 and decided to share what I earned with 16 strangers ($10 each).  But I wanted to do more than just give, I wanted to share the spirit of giving….. and I wanted a glimpse into these peoples lives… I am always fascinated by how beautiful people are whenever I get the chance to talk to them individually (not so much in groups, haha).  So, starting with myself, I asked each of these people to do 4 things for me:

1. Name something, anything, that they loved (the idea for this question was mercilessly ripped from someone else’s bleeding literal heart, or rather, mind. I claim no ownership.).
2. Play a group game called “Eat Poop you Cat.” Basically, the first person, me, writes down a phrase, then passes it to the next person.  That person draws a picture based on said phrase. They then pass the drawing on to the next person, and that person writes a phrase based on the drawing (without any knowledge of the original phrase), and so on until the game ends. 
3. Name the first song that comes their mind (you can find a playlist of all these songs to the right [in the sidebar] under a heading “sharing is caring.” You may download these or listen to them here. [perhaps as you look through the pictures? ])
4. Choose someone else to give $10 to.

I’m really happy I did this.  There’s really nothing more to say, I’m just glad. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Ericsson San Pablo Chu

1. Love. Giving. You.
2. I am not young enough to know everything.
3. Woman – John Lennon

Robert Gagnon

1. My 3 Children: Kyla Dawn Gagnon, Dion Lionel John Gagnon, Rebecca May Gagnon
2. See picture above (I will post scanned higher res versions of each page later).
3. I’ve Got Friends in Low Places – Garth Brooks

Robert was the first person I met willing to do any of the things I asked. I think most of the people I asked prior (mind you, I was only asking a certain ‘type’ of person… someone I thought needed the money) were weary of finding someone else to give $10 to.  Interesting – I faced a similar dilemma earlier in the process…when I was first trying to sell the ipod.  My original idea had the buyer picking the first person, but no one responded to my ipod ads for a good cause (I even put up posters).  So I just sold it regularly and picked the first person, Robert, myself.

Anyway, before I met Robert, to be honest, I was on the verge of giving up.  I got off the skytrain at Stadium, depressed that no one was willing to take a moment out of their lives to do a good thing.   I have no idea why I got off the skytrain, I didn’t have to go anywhere near Stadium, I was sitting there, and I was just like, don’t give up, get off, maybe something will happen.  So I got off. 

I was walking down the sidewalk, moping, and I saw Robert walking the other way, he had his cap out, I wasn’t sure if he was asking for money or not.  haha, so I followed him.  After a minute, I saw him ask someone for change, so I marked him.  He looked back at me at that instance, and, I feel, was kind of freaked out, because, obviously, I was following him.  I am not a good detective.  So I caught up with him, and told him everything, and he agreed readily to play along.  I was so depressed when I first talked to him…I was scared to ask him to find someone else to give $10 to.  I was resigned that maybe I should just ask people to answer some questions and draw stuff.  But our conversation led to me suggesting it (finding someone else to give $10 to), and he did so gladly.  Thanks Robert! 

What I most remember about Robert: Robert loves Bruce Lee movies.

Juniper (A.C. Abbott)

1. Animals, the sun, love
2. Swings in the spring, on grass so green
3. The Walk – The Cure

Juniper was probably the nicest, sweetest person I had a chance to talk with.  She was just so full of life and happy go lucky, so willing to talk and inquisitive.  haha, when I first talked to her, I was still scared that she wouldn’t agree to help me find another person to give $10 to, so I didn’t mention it (thinking Robert was one of kind). But she asked me questions, and our conversation eventually revealed my hope, and she did so with vigor.  She was running around chasing people!

What I most remember about Juniper: her hippiness and her french fries.

Bo Buckland

1. My Wife, Christa
2. See picture above (I will post scanned higher res versions of each page later).
3. Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin

Bo was the guy Juniper chased down.  He was a pretty willing, fun guy, he reminded me of some kind of Grandpa. He told me a funny story about how every day of his life he has managed to find a 10 cent coin.  What can I say? Fuck yeah. 

What I most remember about Bo: his red cart.

Christa Buckland

1. My son, Rocky
2. Swing set in spring.
3.  a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) – Big and Rich

Christa is Bo’s wife, Bo led me to some kind of apartment building, and I waited downstairs for them.  Around this time Robert found me, and told me excitedly that he had found another person.  I said, okay, he said he’d go get her and galloped off.  Bo came back down with Christa, we talked for awhile, then some lady came down from the apartment and told us to to get away from the entrance or else she would “spray” us.  She doesn’t see me initially (I was behind the door), but Christa’s just like, “I’m doing a survey!” and gets kind of pissed off, I say lets just move over a bit, and everything’s okay.  Christa’s nice and all, but a bit out of it, I think she is on drugs, or on the tail end of some kind of hit.  But I tell her to smile, and our conversation is nice.  She introduces me to her friend Ralph…

What I most remember about Christa: huge range of emotions.

Ralph Edward Clarke

1. My family
2. See picture above (I will post scanned higher res versions of each page later).
3. Rock & Roll – Led Zeppelin

Ralph, like most of the guys from here on in, was pretty quiet and reserved. As I talk to Ralph, I overhear Christa and Bro discussing pooling their money and doing something after. I am not exactly sure what, but am slightly saddened that perhaps I am fueling some drug deal.  But I figure that somewhere down the line, my $10 will go to them buying a bed or food, and let it be. 

What I most remember about Ralph: his eyes. They were very, just, quietly aware.

Vi Cardinal

1. Self
2. Stick-Man (Definition)
3. Heaven and Hell – Black Sabbath

Vi was very sweet, and smiled a lot, she was very cordial and pleasant to talk to.  She reminded me of Juniper except a bit older, and a little more reserved.

What I most remember about Vi: her laughing to herself as she wrote down, “Self,” and later, “Stick-man (Definition)”

Mick

1. Music
2. See picture above (I will post scanned higher res versions of each page later).
3. Purple Haze – Led Zeppelin

Mick had a lot of one liners, but was generally straightforward to talk to.  He was always just kind of chuckling to himself almost self-deprecatingly. He gave me some jewelry he found on the street! I think its fake, but my friends a jeweler, so I will ask her… I’m hoping its worth something! If it is, I will give everything away again! haha.

What I most remember about Mick: I could never really see his eyes.

Sarah

1. My Jonnie
2. Go where your celebrated, not tolerated. I’d rather be hated 4 who I am then loved 4 who I am not.
3. Sail Away – David Gray

Sarah was pretty nice.  Later, while I was talking to her referral, Jonnie, she took it upon herself to explain what and why I was doing what I was doing with passerby’s.  She also wrote the most interesting, I think, phrase from a drawing.

What I most remember about Sarah: high energy.

Jonnie

1. Hangin’ out with my girl.
2. See picture above (I will post scanned higher res versions of each page later).
3. Changes – 2pac

Jonnie was pretty much quiet, and answered my questions in a straightforward fashion.

What I most remember about Jonnie: his smirk.

Robby

1. Family & girlfriend
2. Be nice to have one!
3. Us And Them – Pink Floyd

Robby reminded me of Kenny from South Park, haha. He had a self deprecating humor around him.

What I most remember about Robert: again, I could never really see his eyes.

Wes

1. My Girls, Hayly & Sharef, & Trees
2. See picture above (I will post scanned higher res versions of each page later).
3. Just Another Day in Paradise – Phil Vassar

Wes had a confident manner around him, pretty decent guy to talk to.  haha, it was embarrassing talking to him, because his initial answer to my question, “what do you love” was just girls and trees.  After writing that, he went down to add the word, “my” in front of “girls.” As he writes down the first letter m, I guess, “money?” and he’s like, no money sucks, and then emphasizes “MY girls” as he writes down the word, “my.” I’m like oh, not “all girls?” Then he’s like my daughters, and writes down their names, and I’m like oh, and remember why I am not good at being conventionally funny… or maybe any kind of funny at all.

What I most remember about Wes: he said he didn’t care about money.

Robert

1. Money
2. Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
3. Crystal Ball – Styx

Robert was one of the more talkative, curious guys. He was fun to talk to.  He seemed to have a lot of life, I wish I could’ve talked to him more, but at this point, I was getting a bit tired.

What I most remember about Robert: He told me about he used to run a business in the Philippines.

Roy

1. Money
2. See picture above (I will post scanned higher res versions of each page later).
3. Yes

Quiet and to the point. He was only in it for the money, I am sure.

What I most remember about Roy: He wouldn’t name a specific song!!

Robbie

1. Drama
2. More Money More Problems
3. We Fly High – Jim Jones

Robbie was pretty high energy and exuberant.  He was one of those hip hop types, he was interesting to talk to I guess.

What I most remember about Robbie: he was the cleanest person I talked to.

Cheryl Strongarm

1. My 4 children: Alysia, Ashley, Aaron & Arlen
2. See picture above (I will post scanned higher res versions of each page later).
3. Should I Stay or Should I Go – The Clash (I’m hoping this is the song she meant).

Cheryl was the friend Robert, the first guy I met, went to go find.  She was real nice and patient, apparently she had been waiting for awhile. I saw her again as I passed through Tinseltown. She smiled. I think she got something to eat.

What I most remember about Cheryl: She can’t draw Earth. haha.

Gary J. Flickinger II

1. My deceased grandparents, Agatha & Charles
2. Dying
3. What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong

Wes reminded me of the actor Norm Macdonald, except less sarcastic/comedic…. although he was still both. He seemed pretty intelligent (bookwise). It is also incredible that he chose the song, “Its a Wonderful World” to end with, being that he was the unknowing last person.  I wish I had talked to him more… I seemed to talk less and less with people the further I got, maybe I was getting tired.  But, in the end, on the way home, remembering things I had talked about with these people, I was content… more than content, joyous.  Its always amazing, thinking about how every single person you pass on the street, every single one has a life, a history as passionate, as true, and as real as yours.  Its magical, really.  Their are so many people, so many lives… I am lucky to have been a part of these ones.

What I most remember about Gary: I saw him again as I passed through Tinseltown, he stopped me and said thank you again.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” -Aesop

 

Holey Smokey Chokey Pokey

“Never let a problem become an excuse.” -Robert Schuller

Here is an interesting world statistic tracking site, based on a mathematical algorithm (you can check out their faq for more info on how the information is gathered).  As of this moment, today, apparently 100, 041 people have died, and 143,287 born. Here are some other interesting figures, some of them are dated, indulge me:

• If 0.5 percent of the worlds’ spending on weapons was diverted to agriculture in Africa, then ¾ of that continent’s poverty would be lifted.
• 500 million people most under the age of five will not survive to childbearing age because there isn’t enough food to eat.  That is more than 10 times Canada’s population.
• A few years ago, the world’s 358 billionaires had more assets than the combined incomes of countries representing nearly half – 45 per cent – of the planet’s population.  Currently their are 946 billionares.
• America now has the highest inequality of income in the industrialized world. In 1940 we had the least disparity of wealth with CEOs making about 12 times that of their average worker. Now it is 180 times as much. So this as seen CEO salaries increase 500% since 1980 while wage earners salaries have dropped 5%.
• The United States is tied with Guatemala in having the richest and poorest 20% of the population.
• The Wall Street Journal just put out the 1997 Index of Economic Freedom. The two winners who they give their highest accolades to? Singapore and Bahrain. Right-wing Fascist police states where unions are outlawed.
• In addition to concentrating wealth and power, today’s fossil-fuel-based system has engendered large imbalances in energy use and social well-being. Its benefits have not been extended to roughly 2 billion of the world’s poor–a third of global population–who still rely on biomass for cooking and lack access to electricity. Today, the richest fifth of humanity consumes 58 percent of the world’s energy, while the poorest fifth uses less than 4 percent. The United States, with 5 percent of the world’s population, uses nearly one quarter of global energy supplies; on a per capita basis, it consumes twice as much energy as Japan and 12 times as much as China.
• An expert for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organizations said that if food production was organized as it is in Holland, there would be enough food to feed 67 billion people that’s 15 times the worlds population. (An argument to show there is enough food to go round).

Here is also an interesting youtube video with some more interesting figures. The first one is dated, but was more interesting for me.

A final statistic (also very outdated, but still interesting):

Instances of the U.S. dropping bombs since World War II – Compiled by William Blum:   

• China 1945-46
• Korea 1950-53
• China 1950-53
• Guatemala 1954
• Indonesia 1958
• Cuba 1959-60
• Guatemala 1960
• Congo 1964
• Peru 1965
• Laos 1964-73
• Vietnam 1961-73
• Cambodia 1969-70
• Guatemala 1967-69
• Grenada 1983
• Lebanon 1984
• Libya 1986
• El Salvador 1980s
• Nicaragua 1980s
• Panama 1989
• Iraq 1991-99
• Sudan 1998
• Afghanistan 1998
• Yugoslavia 1999

NONE of these bombings have led to a “democratic” government even though this was more often than not the reason given for the aggression 

“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.” -Dwight David Eisenhower