Linkology: 10.16.06

I haven't done one of these in a couple of weeks. While some of this is old, if you haven't seen it yet, it's new to you:

* Got a pregnant friend? Why not buy them the creepiest pillows, ever!
* I had a nightmare about bedbugs last nite
* Air America is financially bankrupt. Competitors are morally bankrupt.
* Rabbit
* Blogs v. God
* Rubik's Cube-solving ro-but
* Deep-fried Coca Cola
* Mechanical steampunk lion
* Animatronic fashion (at the end of the video)
* The Glass Book of the Dream Eaters
* Professor of Public Speaking at U. of New Mexico

Workout: 10.16.06

Maybe I'll print a more varied version of this on some tote bags. That could be loverly.

Rules to Follow

While I was picking up some lunch, I passed a guy who was wearing gigantic, mirrored sunglasses. He had another pair clipped to the breast pocket of his jean jacket.

Rule No. Thirteen of Being a Badass: A badass is never caught unawares without his aviators.

Workout: 10.15.06

I am working on a series of 2-4 color prints. The genesis for this project comes from this series of Victorian wallpapers that I thought would make for a great background, especially if I incorporated the opaque Silver Swirl ink I purchased last week from Standard Supply. I wasn't sure what I wanted to print over the wallpaper (shoes? suicide implements? portraits?). I eventually struck on an idea I'm happy with. The series will feature a lot of shadowy figures defacing the wallpaper with cryptic graffiti and sloganeering. I'm still unsure on how the whole thing will come together, but I plan on spending a great deal of time in the studio after work this week sorting it all out. Click on the image below for a larger res of the design.

Listen: Podcast, no15

Oy, it's podcast time, shitbags! Drink deep, this draught of musical goodliness. The tracks:

“Sad Sad City” by Ghostland Observatory
“Fools Gold” by The Stone Roses
“Eau D’Bedroom Dancing” by Le Tigre
“Who Is It” by Björk
“Standing In the Way of Control” by The Gossip
“Don’t Panic” by Coldplay
“London Bridge” by Fergie
“No More Surprises” by The Ettes
“Movie Ending Romance” by Math & Physics Club
“Club Foot” by Kasabian
“People Who Died” by Jim Carroll Band
“Citizens of Tomorrow” by Tokyo Police Club
“In the Morning” by Junior Boys
“Pretend We’re Dead” by L7
“Rich Man” by Ghostland Observatory

As usual, the podcast is available through RSS or iTunes. Here are the appropriate links:

* Subscribe to the enhanced podcast. (rss)
* Subscribe to the mp3 podcast. (rss)
* Click here to visit the "Pleasing To Your Ears" page in the iTunes Music Store, where you can pick and choose from available episodes.
* no15 :: Questions About Queries and Queries About Questions (mp3)
* no15 :: Questions About Queries and Queries About Questions (enhanced)

Here's some link(s) I mentioned in this episode:

* My London, London, London, Wanna Go Down

That's it for episode 15. Please tell your friends. Please tell me what you think. Please post a link on your blogs. Please use the hotline: (206) 202-3142. Please tune in for a new episode this weekend.

Gateway Darks

About six months ago I bid a fond farewell to milk chocolate and fell backward into the smooth, velvety bosom of dark. Damn that shit is good. It's got lasting power on your tongue. It's fucking indulgent. When I eat dark chocolate, I feel like I'm one vagina away from guest illustrating a "Cathy" comic. Darks are like gateway chocolates. I've been seeking out harder and harder darks. Right now, I'm eating a Ghirardelli Intense Dark Twilight Delight candy bar. 72% cacao. There was one that was 83%, but I'm not quite ready to ride that particular dragon.

Give That Man a Raise

This comes courtesy of online conspiracy theory mentalists:

A plane crashed into a building in NY...today's date:
10-11-06.

Now read that [shit] upside down!

WOOOOOOOOOAAAAAHHHHHHHH! Good job Internet rumor mill. You've made Nostradamus proud.

Over and Out

"This Is Radio Clash" was playing in Starbucks this morning.

You can pack it in, boys. Let's head on home. We put up a good fight. But, I'm fairly sure this is definitive proof that we lost.

On the Subject of Portfolios and the Parsons Paradigm

The portfolio evaluation on Saturday was an inspiration. Representatives from more than a dozen art schools converged on Parsons with the goal of advising potential graduate students on the best way to prepare a portfolio for the admissions process. For art school the portfolio is the focus of any application, so everyone there looked strained to say the least.

As a complete outsider, totally unversed in the protocol of art school undergrad programs and portfolio preparation, I was just there to get an insider’s opinion. If they laughed and sent me on my way with a pat on the head, then at least I would know I was way off base. And I could always scream, “I don’t wanna go to your stupid school anyway, least not ‘til 2008, fartface,” and then run for the nearest exit. I was able to avoid the dirty business of scene-causing b’c the response I got was extremely positive, across the board.

I was able to meet with Department Chair and Co-chair of the Design+Technology program at Parsons. I requested a brochure and course catalog from the New School a while back and when I read the section on the Design+Technology program, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. It’s the cream dream of graduate degrees as far as I’m concerned. It would be the perfect place to finally synthesize my disparate interests (design, graffiti, social justice, new media, digital filmmaking, comedy) into a larger body of work and learning. From the Parsons’ website:

Innovation, exploration, collaboration and social activism drive the BFA and MFA Design and Technology programs at Parsons. Situated in the heart of New York City’s vibrant art and design scene, Design and Technology students take their work to the streets, directly engaging the communities and people that inform them. In both programs, students explore areas such as Game Design, Physical Computing, Animation, Digital Filmmaking, Interaction Design, the Web, and more. From bicycles that create Wi-Fi hotspots at neighborhood parks, to walking tours mediated through PDAs and cell phones, to animations projected on the side of buildings, the work created Design and Technology students is part of the city’s constant dialogue with its citizens.

The Department Chair told me students come into the program with humble backgrounds in graphic design and other disciplines and leave completely transformed. She told me that my background in computer science, anthropology, improv, stand-up, design and new media all made perfect sense to her and that I was the kind of schizo the program needed. Phew. Let the application process…BEGIN!

Listen: Podcast, no14

Columbus Day is one of great import to true blue, dyed-in-the-wool Americans like myself. I was off from work so I took the time to sleep in, eat chocolate and masturbate. Thus, the 'cast she was late. Apologies. The tracks:

“I Gotcha” by Lupe Fiasco
“When You Were Young” by The Killers
“Do The Robot” by Turf Talk
“Some Sweet Day” by Sparklehorse
“Better Git It In Your Soul” by Charles Mingus
“I Want Candy (Kevin Shields Remix)” by Bow Wow Wow
“What Deaner Was Talkin’ About” by Ween
“Circle Cysquatch” by Mastodon
“The Illiad” by Tapes ‘n Tapes
“Same Thing” by Pete Yorn
“Planetarium” by Squarepusher
“Backstabber” by Dresden Dolls
“Creeps Me Out” by Ima Robot
“Daydreamin’” by Lupe Fiasco

As usual, the podcast is available through RSS or iTunes. Here are the appropriate links:

* Subscribe to the enhanced podcast. (rss)
* Subscribe to the mp3 podcast. (rss)
* Click here to visit the "Pleasing To Your Ears" page in the iTunes Music Store, where you can pick and choose from available episodes.
* no14 :: Kink Senator iPod Theater (mp3)
* no14 :: Kink Senator iPod Theater (enhanced)

Here's some links I mentioned in this episode:

* Dresden Doll's v. Panic! At the Disco
* Marie Anoinette Soundtrack
* Lead singer of Panic! At the Disco gets bottled at Reading Festival
* Senator Mark Foley's kinky IM chats
* HOT! HOT! HOT! Mark Foley e-mails

That's it for episode 13. Please tell your friends. Please tell me what you think. Please post a link on your blogs. Please use the hotline: (206) 202-3142. Please tune in for a new episode this weekend.

PEG LEG: The Lost Issue

As many of you know, I designed, printed and wrote for (almost entirely) my own comedy magazine in college. It was a labor of love which boasted a subscription base of two to three hundred readers. I released Peg Leg (Southwestern's mascot was a pirate) sporadically over a few years, usually whenever I was overwhelmed by an abundance of creativity. I would stay up for a week, writing, editing, layint out and gorging on Papa John's. It was one of the most wonderful projects I've ever undertaken. The product, while far from perfect, projected a certain charm in it's often poorly conceived comedic premises, flagrant grammatical mistakes and xeroxed shoddiness. I began working on a sixth issue in my senior year but never had the energy to finish it up. While compiling work for my portfolio, I found three rough draft covers of what I was calling "the asshole issue". Three different covers...so fucking ambitious. No wonder I never finished it.





That's myself, Chris and Claire on the covers.

I Lied: The Last of 'Em

I'm supposed to have "10-15 pieces of artwork" for the evaluation. I have a lot of disparate work that I've completed over the years, but a lot of it doesn't explicitly scream design. Nevertheless, I think these three represent my sensibility and graphic taste. Plus, they're inappropraite as hell. Awesome.

Yet More Portfolio Pages

This is it for the moment. I'm gonna go print these puppies and get some shit eye. That's shit eye. I'm going to shit in my own eye. Blurgh!

Even More Portfolio Pages

These is the sum total of design work that I've done for Rapzilla and MC Record Deal, otherwise known as Cracked Out. Distillation.

More Portfolio Pages

This is another one of the pages I've prepared for Saturday's portfolio critique. Shirts and stuff.

Portfolio Pages

This is one of the pages I've prepared for Saturday's portfolio critique. It's the buttons. The one inch ones? That you pin to your shirt? Yeah.

He Doesn't [Write Songs] Like Jesus

A month ago, Brandon Flowers said Sam's Town would be "one of the best albums of the last 20 years". He also wrote these lyrics:

We're burning down the highway skyline,
On the back of a hurricane,
That started turning,
When you were young

Brandon Flowers has a gift for turning shit into diarrhea.

Workout: 10.03.06

I'm burning the candle at both ends this week to finish up a design for my portfolio website and bring all my work together to present at a portfolio critique on Saturday. Late nights, interesting output.

Rub Fish On Your Tits and Skull Fuck Some Shellfish

Happy Yom Kippur!

Listen: Podcast, no13

It's never a good idea to operate podcasting software when you're under the influence. I had a bit too much caffeine this afternoon and I think it shows in this episode. Apologies all around. The tracks:

“Nausea” by Beck
“Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt” by We Are Scientists
“Free Stress Test” by Professor Murder
“The Price I Pay” by Billy Bragg
“Walking the Cow” by T.V. on the Radio
“Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Your Grievience” by Daniel Johnston
“Insane In the Membrane” by Cypress Hill
“I Gotta Move” by Ben Kweller
“3 Freaks” by DJ Shadow
“I Don’t Believe You” by The Magnetic Fields
“Suspicious Character” by The Blood Arm
“In the Morning” by Razorlight
“The Rainbow” by Apples in Stereo
“Summersong” by The Decemberists
“Casssettesingle” by Fujiya & Miyagi

As usual, the podcast is available through RSS or iTunes. Here are the appropriate links:

* Subscribe to the enhanced podcast. (rss)
* Subscribe to the mp3 podcast. (rss)
* Click here to visit the "Pleasing To Your Ears" page in the iTunes Music Store, where you can pick and choose from available episodes.
* no13 :: Roofed to the Gills (mp3)
* no13 :: Roofed to the Gills (enhanced)

Here's some links I mentioned in this episode:

* Lo-fi viral videos for Beck's new album The Information
* Ben Kweller's Bloody Nose
* Razorlight's "In the Morning" video
* Apples in Stereo sign to Simian records

That's it for episode 13. Please tell your friends. Please tell me what you think. Please post a link on your blogs. Please use the hotline: (206) 202-3142. Please tune in for a new episode this weekend.