Video Juegos

I've played this game, and it is the awesomest. You have one objective main objective, and when you reach that objective at the end of the only path you're able to follow, strange shit happens, dude.

Check check it.

Saatchi Online

As an artist, it's important for me to make sure the rest of the world is seeing my work. As you know, I've already joined Flickr.

I was told today about Saatchi Online, but my exploration of the site makes me wary. It is poorly designed (i.e. bland) and the buttons to chat with those artists who are online are cheese to the max. Anyone have experience with this? I've heard a big success story with this, and the side panel on the site (if you scroll down... another huge design flaw) seems to indicate that there are many, so this is something I'll keep in mind. If you have some positive experiences with this site, please let me know!

Hypnotic Journaling

I find that when I write down dreams, or thoughts, or stories in a flow-of-consciousness style, I become very relaxed, and equally focused on what I'm writing. The rest of the world seems to melt away, and the words on the page become the only real thing. Time begins to disappear as a thing to be kept track of. Sometimes I'll realize I've been writing for a full hour, and it feels like only ten minutes have gone by.

One woman is calling this "Hypnotic Journaling." There's a bit about it on Moleskinerie, which has a link to her site.

What was the last thing you wrote that you're proud of?

Three Places

Yesterday, as I mentioned in the Sunday Roundup, I went to the Strand Bookstore at the corner of Broadway and 12th St. in Manhattan. Outside was a huge selection of hardcover and paperback books, all for a dollar each. Picked up three from that, including Dave Eggers's "You Shall Know Our Velocity." A steal.

The inside is beautifully packed with books. I was so overwhelmed by the amount of books I wanted to buy. I bought Franny and Zooey, by J.D. Salinger, and a selection of Tolstoy plays.

Wringing with a headache and having been for hours, I decided against going home because it would only mean staring at a computer screen. So, I walked a couple of blocks to Wok to Walk, where I'd eaten once with my friend Zach, which is around the corner from Cinema Village. I began reading "Redemption" by Tolstoy over my curry rice with tofu, veggies, and pineapple.

After I was finished, I went to the Blackbird Cafe, a personal favorite of mine on Bedford Ave., in Brooklyn. I've only been there a few of times but I've been going more frequently lately. I was just there last week, and my friend Sarah and I sat in silence listening to mixes we'd made each other (if I can, I hope to post both the cover art and tracks that were on mine to the site here for your listening pleasure). Last night I sat and drank tea, read the rest of the Tolstoy play (which was awesome), and made small talk with my server, a very nice girl. She offered up a favorite pastry of hers, a Melomakarona. It was my first, and it was delicious (and free!!) I've vowed to go back every night that I can.

So, there you have three great new places to visit when next you're in New York City!!

Moving barns

There's a fella in California who thinks he's cracked the Stonehenge question. That question, if you're not aware, is, "How the f-bomb did they make that thing by hand?!?!" No cranes, no lifts, no machinery of any kind, just pure human strength would have had to have made the glyphs, and they're several tons per stone.

But this California native is moving blocks that big (and things even bigger, like an entire barn) by hand. By himself. He's using nothing but gravity and wood, and forgotten technique. Maybe Sufjan should rewrite his song about Flint, MI to include this dude!

Weekend Roundup

Well, it's been a busy week for this blogger, but while Sunday might be a day of rest for others, it is a day of catching up for me! Here are a few of the things I've stumbled upon in the recent past, an opinion or two, and hopefully in the midst of it all will be something perfect for you!

- Au Clair de la Lune -

http://www.firstsounds.org/sounds/1860-Scott-Au-Clair-de-la-Lune.mp3

If you're having trouble figuring out what that sound is, let me help you: It is what is now being called the oldest recording of a human voice. According to Wikipedia, the recording by Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville "was a ten-second snippet of a singer, probably a daughter of the inventor, performing the French folk song 'Au Clair de la Lune.' This phonautograph recording is now the earliest known recording of a human voice and the earliest known recording of music in existence, predating the longest surviving Edison phonographic recording of a Handel chorus, made in 1888 twenty-eight years later."

Exciting news for the worlds of both music and science! You can read about the event at these sites, among others:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23835160/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89douard-L%C3%A9on_Scott_de_Martinville

- The Face of CGI -

It's hard to look at this face and not feel confused. It is so lifelike in appearance, and yet so unnatural in its movement. It is, according to BoingBoing, CGI. If that's true and from start to finish, this thing was made by a computer, that's pretty exciting and creepy. The link for more information links to a site that is in Brazilian, so I can't figure out anything more than what I've said here.

The comments on the aforementioned BoingBoing post seem to share some of the incredulity that I have. But the thing is cool either way.

- Earth Hour -

Yesterday was an historic day, as the first annual "Earth Hour" took place all across the world. In recognition of the huge impact that the use of electricity has on global climate change, from the hours of eight to nine p.m. people all over the world turned off their electrical appliances and lights to call attention to the need for change. What a fantastic event! If you missed it, don't worry, because I have two bits of great news:

1) EVERY time you turn off electrical appliances, whether they're being used or not, you are helping to cut down on your environmental impact!

2) There will be another Earth Hour at the same time and date next year! The site even has a handy-dandy counter to keep you informed on how much time there is until the next one.

So keep on saving the planet, people, because we kind of don't have a choice!

- Strand -

In my search for used books in New York, I have stumbled upon Strand Bookstore, the only remaining bookstore on New York City's former "Book Row." It's 15,000 square feet of used and cheaply-new books!! I will be going there this afternoon to wallow in its excellence and to pick up a book to turn into a gift for a friend's approaching birthday.

- K.R. -

If you really keep up with things here at the 'Copter, you watched a mini battle royale this past week over remarks made about world famous lead actor from (among other films) The Matrix, K.R. In fact, March 25 saw a record 13 VIEWERS! The most ever in one day

"But wait, you just said his initials. Why, Sam, why aren't you saying his full name? Especially if he got so many more people to look at your fantastic blog?!"

Well, these are great questions. As you may have noted in the previous posts, I think his acting is funny at best, but funny in that "I'm not supposed to be funny, I'm being serious" kind of way. I love the Matrix, but in general his performances are phoned in from a parallel universe - a badass one, perhaps, but one nonetheless. What you may ALSO have noticed in the past week is that a few funny comments made about K.R.'s acting and his newest film, "S. K.," got me into some deep doodoo with the K.R. occult. It seems his minions patrol the internet 24/7 looking for bad press of any kind, even from a "nobody" like me, and shoot it down, hard (their tactics seem similar to those of Scientology, in that respect). They even went as far as posting on another site's comment board and use my site as an "example" of what could happen if that blogger didn't watch his lip (you can read his post and the dastardly comment-in-question here.)

At any rate, I've picked up a lot of flack from all this K.R. junk, and defending myself only forced more oil down my throat. So, it is the official proclamation of the IMOCOPTER blog that the name "K. R." shall never be spoken again. The ill-conceived sludge-fest that has been my comments board in past days has caused anguish and anger that is completely unnecessary. So, while I may continue to fling doodoo back at K.R. and his clearly insane followers, I will never speak his name here again, largely because this has ceased to have anything to do with the actor himself. The "K.R.-be-gone!" spell has been cast upon this fair blog!!

Photoshop Xpress

Another element has been added to the Adobe periodic table: Px.

Adobe announced the beta release of Photoshop Express, a photo-editing tool that runs directly through script on the internet. The clincher? It's FREE. High School and College students can rejoice that now they can perform necessary photo adjustments without the pesky costs of buying Photoshop or the inconvenience of tracking down cracked copies of it.

To use the product, you've got to become a member of the service, which entitles you to 2GB of online storage space for your photos to be posted and publicly viewed, should you so choose. Based on reading the Terms of Use, it seems that one downside of this sharing service is that other people can link to, absorb, and print your work through the service, which is definitely a downside for artists.

While I'm excited by the ability to do photo editing online (this can be great for laziness and being abroad), I'm hesitant to join. The discussion of rights allocations is absent from the Terms of Use, and I am always hesitant about putting WORK on the internet through someone else's service. We've seen companies try to assume the rights to their users' work simply by slying it up in their Terms or EULAs. Also, this business of other people being able to save and print full-quality versions of my images is scary. Then again, it should be the same concern with sites like Flickr. I guess the difference with Flickr is that on Flickr I get to specify what kind of licensing agreement I hold to the work, and I'm not sure if you can do that on Px.

At any rate, one should perhaps ignore my fervent paranoia and check out the service, as I intend to do. I simply won't be publishing any sensitive material that I consider to be "my work."

As a final word of clarification, it would be prudent of me to note that Px is nowhere CLOSE to Photoshop CS in its ability. No masking, no layers, none of the things that make Photoshop the magnificent and omnipotent creature that it is. It's just a tool for simple fixing of the majority of photos in terms of color correction and the like.

This

...is an awareness test.

The End

It's been a long 24 hours or so. I'm done. This has been both infuriating and upsetting. Something that I wrote in about 30 seconds to be nothing more than amusing has resulted in so many miscommunications, flaming hit-and-runs, and wastes of everyone's time (mine and the people commenting), and that's just unnecessary.

A quote from the comments board:

"Let me give you a very simple reason all this happened:
You said this:

'(and let me be clear here, if I wasn't before: Keanu Reeves is NOT talented as an actor)'

And there are people who simply disagree, who probably also think you're a douche for stating it as if it were fact, and being unreceptive to alternate opinions."

Between my two posts and a variety of comments posted (as someone so gracefully, eloquently, and kindly pointed out, more comments than any other post has ever received on my blog), the above comment comes from the ONLY person (myself INCLUDED) who has considered this from both perspectives, without regard for who may actually be "right" about anything. And I think that it's a good place to end this fiasco. The end.

I swear to BLOG...!

Instead of responding to the comment just left on my previous post, I thought I'd share this (slightly old) video with you instead, because it's not trite or boring; it's HILARIOUS.

My previous comment about Street Kings is instigating a bit of controversy, so I thought I'd briefly address the issue here (and finish this post with the video that was originally in it, when I only had one post that I was trying to sidestep because I thought it was a random bullet).

I'm hesitant to even be responding, because I have absolutely no idea the kinds of people who are commenting. Expressing positive emotion anonymously is humble, but expressing negative emotion, or just plain calling me a jackass, and doing so anonymously, is cowardly and helps no one.

That being said, I'll talk about why I am appalled by the trailer for Street Kings. First of all, I don't think that getting "good reviews" or being considered for an Oscar means anything. The Oscars are a long way away, and they are not without their fair share of swill every year. People are constantly passed up for Oscars despite giving better performances or turning out better products than the winners they butt up against. It's politics, people.

Also, I think it goes without saying that making a lot of money does not implicitly make you good at anything other than making money. I am always incredulous when people who are not talented (and let me be clear here, if I wasn't before: Keanu Reeves is NOT talented as an actor) at particular trades or skills are heralded, or well paid in those fields, when they rise above the heads of those more deserving. And I am not saying that because I *secretly* believe that I am more deserving of that money than Keanu Reeves. I'm saying it because I can think of tons of people, from nobodies in community theaters, to people working hard getting bit parts in large films, to people who deliver monster performances in the independent and international film markets, who are more deserving of the recognition, if not the money.

My opinions about the film or Keanu Reeves or ANYTHING on this website have absolutely nothing to do with who I am in terms of my successes as a person. I'm incredibly young, and it would be absurd to expect me to be a filmmaking genius recognized in any major circle. My age and lack of success does not mean I can't have intelligent thoughts about filmmaking, a specific film, or a specific actor. I think that studying film for years academically, on top of the lifetime I've spent studying them, at least entitles me to that. I'll admit that my post was facetious, sarcastic, and dry, but the opinions in it were not just my own. They are shared by many people. Intelligent people.

The film stars many people who are poor actors, or are not actors at all. The Game is a rapper. While he may have good acting chops, I have yet to see those chops. Meanwhile, I have seen several rappers (P. Diddy among them) who decide to go into acting and fall on their faces, but the swill gets made anyway because they have DRAW. Most of the actors starring in Street Kings have DRAW, not necessarily acting talent.

And as a side note, Street Kings is clearly an action film. Traditionally, action flicks are not exactly in the business of delivering powerful emotion or valuable social/cultural statement. They are in the business of giving people a lot of bang for their buck: a 72-minute adrenaline rush with lots of fast, bright, pretty pictures. And on top of that, they are popular among, but not limited to, the poorly educated people in this country. And when things are directed toward the poorly-educated and contain lines like "We are the police. We can do whatever the hell we want," I get worried. Because the police CAN'T do whatever they want, and if most of the country thinks they can (which they seem to, because we wouldn't be approaching the police state we're headed toward if they didn't), then one day we'll find ourselves in quite a pickle.

I gave the trailer the slop review and brushoff that I gave it because it has every ingredient that makes it not worth my time. Not because I'm cocky, not because I'm a "jackass," not because I am jealous of these people getting to be in SUCH A SUPER FUN MOVIE MAN I WISH I WERE IN IT BUT DANG, I'M A NOBODY. I KNOW, I'LL GIVE IT A BAD REVIEW!! Not because of any of those things. I gave it the 30 second crap acknowledgment that I gave it because I can see it will foster absolutely nothing in the people who will watch it other than a thrill and pulling down the notches of one's expectation in filmmaking and acting quality. Which is a worthless endeavor.

And if the movie is actually as bad as I think it's going to be, then I feel really, really bad for Forest Whitaker. Because he's a good actor. And good actors don't deserve to be in shitty popcorn movies once they've proven themselves to be above them.

Now, enjoy a funny video. Everyone who posted comments on the previous post about me being a jackass or a jealous nobody probably won't find this funny, or even get the reference, so they should probably just skip the video and go straight to the comments to start flaming. Here are some great names to call me.

Death of Cinema

Reasons I will never ever see the movie below:

- Hearing Keanu Reeves say "We're the police. We can do whatever the hell we want," may have been the single most terrifying moment of my adult life.

- The Game

- Seeing Forest Whitaker in a role that is clearly so far beneath him that I'm surprised the script reached him at all

- Cedric the Entertainer

- Cedric the Entertainer in a red track suit

- Anyone offering Keanu Reeves money to act

- Keanu Reeves accepting money to act

- Keanu Reeves having enough money for food, from acting

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1125869268/bctid1415631237

Facts

Get yo facts straight, homeys. Whatchu know about the economic collapse, and whatchu know about the history of our Iraq status?

Check it.

By a Canadian student:


Kid Does His War on Terror School Project using Porn (Clean) from Arman Noory on Vimeo.

Dolla dolla goin DOOOWWWWWWWWWN, son:

Photographer's Rights

If you take photos, you need to know what your rights are. These days, the police, private owners, and people in general have become wont to tell you that you can't take pictures of stuff. They'll even try to take away your camera or film.

Now, you can know when to tell them "No."

Photojojo, a great photographer's resource site that I recently discovered, has "The Ten Legal Commandments of Photography," as well as links to complete listings of your rights vis-a-vis the law. Granted, if you tell someone "no" when they don't want to hear it, you're gonna be in a pickle. But at least you can know that the law is on your side if you want to see things through to the end, legal recourse and all.

Previous P-jo (yeah, I already made up a nickname for it. What.) posts of interest include:

How to love Polaroid film in these, its last days
Faking Cross-Processing with digital, and loving it

Videozz

Today's a video day, people! I've scoured the bowels of the internetz, and found some great videos for you to enjoy.

--BigDog--

There is something unsettling about BigDog. It's not how much he weighs, it's not how much he can carry, and it's not even the fact that he's a machine. What made me feel sick to my stomach watching him move is how realistically he handles treacherous terrain, getting kicked in the side, and slipping on ice. Maybe it's the noise he makes, too, but the absurdly life-like mannerisms of this incredible machine are staggering. And of course, BigDog NEVER goes down.



--Clapton Shredzz!!--

This video from artist Santeri Ojala is hilarious. Using real footage of Eric Clapton playing a guitar solo with his band on-stage, Ojala overdubbed crappy guitar lines that are strikingly accurate in their attacks, if not in tone, so the illusion is almost completely seamless. And the result is something pretty entertaining. I laughed out loud a couple of times. Can you believe people like Clapton wouldn't want this stuff on the internet? Come on guys, you're talented and famous. Let people have a little fun with you.



--TAKE--

As Dave Burnes pointed out to me, the New York Times knows how to handle the arts, fashion, media, and other right-brained miscellanea. Recently they launched T Magazine, seemingly for that very reason. Now, T Magazine online has begun "TAKE," a series of short short films (12, to be exact) starring "Hollywood’s bright young things" that, as a whole, lay out a single narrative. "Shot by the emerging New York writer and director Brody Baker during the recent Sundance festival, these 12 improvised vignettes were conceived to be viewed sequentially. Each episode, starring a different actor, will build on the previous one." The first one stars Josh Hartnett in arguably his best minute on-screen ever. What excites me most of all (yes, even more than the Band of Horses track in the teaser/trailer) about this is that what appears to be smart, invested, quality drama has been created SPECIFICALLY for the internet. And that's no small news bit. The future is the internet, people.

TAKE - Episode 1


--Hulu--

"The future is the internet," someone wise once said. Whomever it was, they were smart. Welcome to TV on the Internet. No, it's not some Brooklyn indie-band. It's Hulu, where you can watch a bunch of your favorite shows AND movies, streaming, for free, with limited advertising interruption. What distinguish this site from Peekvid, a predecessor, are great design value and big-name advertisers, including 20th Century Fox. That's right, their shows are on there for free and they're bout it bout it. While Hulu has some holes (for instance, not much in the "Scrubs" department), there is a wide and phenomenal breadth of media available, and I don't see this thing going under anytime soon with all of the corporate backing it already has. We may very well be witnessing the beginning of free media.

HULU


--Goldfrapp--

I just got the new album from Goldfrapp, entitled "Seventh Tree," and I can't stop listening to it. Nonstop for days, this album has been playing on repeat in my computer. Apparently more mellow than their earlier stuff, Seventh Tree is a haven of honey-sweet vocals, lush soundscapes, and a heartbreaking lightness. The video for A&E, a personal favorite, is bizarre and slightly disturbing, but does not manage to detract from the heavenly vocal arrangement. And if you've got three minutes that you never want back, you can also check out the Rex The Dog






--Pitchfork.tv--

Pitchfork has been advertising the unveiling of Pitchfork.tv lately, which goes live on April 7. Promising to be a phenomenal source of indie music video splendor, there is little information available about the format, but the site sports a lovely wash. I guess we'll just have to wait a few more weeks.

Pitchfork.tv



That oughtta keep you busy.

PILLOWFIGHT!

Want to watch the feathers fly and the smiles spread? Go to Union Square in Manhattan at 3pm on Saturday, March 22nd 2008 with a pillow and prepare for the greatest pillow fight of your life!

This is a yearly event that I've heard about before. Looks like some fun is there to be had. The official website:

http://www.newmindspace.com/nycpillowfight.php

Apollo Pony

I had completely forgotten about this site until I was cleaning up my Bookmarks... Apollo Pony is a great, though rarely updated, site that is chock full of interesting video-based art, film, music videos, etc. Enjoy this little tidbit!

Roundup

I owe apologies to 'copter readers for the lull in posts. Things in New York have been a bit hectic and I've been missing out on things like sleep and food, so it only follows that the blog has suffered. So, below are a few things I've been discovering over the past few days that I've been meaning to share with you.

--Don't Tase Me, Bro!--
I talk about civil liberties now and again on the IMOcopter, but now there's a great blog all about civil liberties violations across the country. Named for a previously-blogged video of a Tasing at University of Florida, Don't Tase Me Bro! is a compendium of the falicies that are slowly turning this country into an Orwellian shenanigan.

--FUNCLUB--
I had a lovely, random encounter with an old acquaintance from high school, and she directed me to the fantastic children's show that she and her friends have created and are pitching to PBS and other children's television programming sources. The show is called Fun Club. The music is fantastic, the show is entertaining and nostalgic, and the clothes are all-too-familiar if you live in Brooklyn, NY. Tons of fun to watch. Best of luck to the Fun Club.

--Kitsune Noir--
If you love desktop backgrounds, then have I got a treat for you. Kitsune Noir is a great site that offers up music, photography, and art in a cozy and tasteful forum. In particular, there is a section of desktop backgrounds, entitled The Desktop Wallpaper Project. Some of these patterns are astounding. So, drink it up, people, and make your drab desktop exciting to look at again, making all of your friends who come over say, "Whoa, cool desktop dude!" Which is important.

--Yelp!--
Got something to say, some opinion about a restaurant? A dentist's office? A club, or bar? Or basically anything, in any city? Well then check out YELP, a site where you and everyone else gets to review just about any place in any city, so that you can see exactly how real people feel about the place you are taking your next date, or getting your next cup of coffee, or next root canal, or... you get the picture.

Prince Rupert's Drop

Physics is something that has always amazed and intrigued me. So when I see videos on the internet displaying physical properties, especially ones I didn't know about, I'm like a giddy kid at a candy shop where they make candy in front of your face. This video displays a peculiar property of glass: if you drop it in water and let it solidify, the bulbous droplet part is virtually indestructible. But if you snap off the frail little end, the thing explodes! SO cOOL!

Usual Suspects

A classic film moment... this is a personal favorite of mine. Two things of note: One, the laughter is real. Benicio was fooling around with this character, who was supposed to be a bit part, and making everyone laugh during the take. The character ended up getting more screen time because he was so great with it. Two, you can't see it in this YouTube clip, but in the original cut you can see a boom mic coming in from the top.

Enjoy. NSFW if you've got speakers on.

Possessed

An intriguing, short documentary about "hoarders," people who can't help but collect many possessions, "Possessed" is an anxiety-inducing document of a disorder that, in extreme cases, poses physical danger, and can even cause death. It's only twenty minutes or so; a very striking vignette. Worth your time.

I'd like to embed it, but it's better if you go to the site and read the blurb. Plus, the video would probably cross over onto the sidebar which would just look silly.

POSSESSED.

Mystery Jets

OOooo, here's a fun video from Mystery Jets. Cool concept, not a bad song. Very enjoyable.

Sigur Ros

I'm a little behind on this post, but it's exciting to announce that Sigur Ros has put their entire film, "Heima," on YouTube! I scrambled to get the DVD in december, but didn't even get the special edition that I wanted. Regardless of my own pettiness, now everyone gets to enjoy this film for free! Freeculture, hurrah!



Also, they had a contest called "Minn Heima," or "My Home," where people could remix and re-edit footage from the feature into their own film. Below is the a thank you from the band themselves, and the winner of the contest for best "Minn Heima."






If you've been living under a rock, then you might not be aware that Sigur Ros has made some of the most beautiful music and music videos around. Here are a couple of memorable music videos that match their music so well that sometimes you want to cry, they're so beautiful.

Sigur Rós - Glósóli



Sigur Rós - untitled #1 (vaka)

Once

I had a lot of backstory going into my movie tonight, and I hadn't seen it yet.

First, a while back I can distinctly remember seeing the trailer for "Once" and being committed to seeing it. I had to see it, and I had to like it. I knew I would. It was as simple as that. But the title along the way was lost to me and I had no means of tracing it. Not that I had taken the time. I always know that these movies have a way of finding their way back to you.

This movie found its way back to me. It was nominated for an Academy Award and, against all odds (three nominations for Enchanted, for Spaghetti Monster's sake), WON.

What had struck me about the trailer was the brilliantly, instantly emotional song "Falling Slowly." I had never heard it, I simply knew it was attached to this fictionalized love story for which all music had been originally written/composed by the actors themselves. But already I felt it tug at my heartstrings. And then, at the Academy Awards, watching them perform the song, the strings were pulled harder, even despite jeers coming from my hipster friends behind me. If it was true, and it really was cheez, then I was sold on cheez for once. It was a beautiful song, sung beautifully and passionately by two normal people (who may be beautiful, but not exceptionally so).

So to position number one on my Netflix cue it went. Straight to the front, I said, apologizing to the hundreds of movies that may just have to diligently wait until I watch everything ahead of them.

And tonight, I watched it.

I can do nothing but applaud this film. The music is elegant (and after all of these crosses with "Falling Slowly" I was brought to tears by both of its appearances), and the story is well assembled. While the acting occasionally falters, I was not remotely turned off by it. My attention was held from the first note of the first song of the first minute of the film until the surprising end, an ending which left me full of emotion - not because of any kind of resolution, but because of the lack thereof. I was still full of all the things I had been feeling until that moment, they were still at the core of me, as they are with the characters in the story's conclusion: unresolved, to be dealt with in my own time in my own way and to my own recipe.

I am so delighted that this film was an amateur endeavor from start to finish, that it has received the accolades it has, and that I have gotten to see it. I recommend it for anyone. It is inappropriate for no one. There are no cheesy love scenes, no poorly written climaxes, only a few curse words, and all of the themes that make us remember what it means to be a person. All within the context of the exciting things that really, truly, do happen in our mundane lives.

I suggest watching it.



Post-Script: I will try to tell you this more often, but I love you.

DIY clothing

DIY is a powerful acronym - DO IT YOURSELF.

No, this is not an angry acronym, it's a loving one. The DIY movement is alive and strong in all of us, and it fosters a community of artists, creative minds, or just the generally handy and inquisitive to create wonderful, one-of-a-kind things.

Two people I know are a part of this fantastic blob of creative phlegm, and it gives me great pleasure to share their wares with you in the hopes that you will find something magical in their work. They have spent time, money, and imagination petrol on these things with no promises of financial gain; they do it because they love to do it. If you love it, too, and want a piece of it, there's a price to satisfy the both of you.

Aki Hayden - assembled.

Michael Belcher - Belcher/Lovestruck Kitty

The Eternal Children

Just watched a documentary on YouTube about the sort of freak folk movement... specifically, it interviews and follows Antony (of Antony and the Johnsons), CoCoRosie, Devendra Banhart, and Vashti Bunyan (considered the Matriarch of the "freak folk" movement). I have to say it seemed to clarify a lot of everyone - both the people and their music. It gave an emotional floor to Devendra and Antony that I had previously not known. Music from both of them, in particular, has found no place to sit in me, but I find myself now very much in tune with Antony and eager to hear more of his music.

As for the documentary itself, it's subtle and largely passive. I didn't feel as though anyone was digging around trying to find something except during a couple of the interviews. For the most part, it just felt like I was watching things unfold from a single vantage point. At times I wanted to stop watching, others I wanted to press forward. It is neither good nor bad. It just seems to "be." Let me know what you think. Below, all six parts of "The Eternal Children" by David Kleijwegt:

Scattered Images

I found a great photoset on Flickr. These photos all appear to be constructed out of many smaller photos, almost seamlessly. Is this perhaps only a digital effect, or is someone out there actually diligent and thickheaded enough to make something so time consuming and visually satisfying?

Surveillance and Camouflage

A lot of today's world is about hiding, about covering up, and about trying to find the things that people hide and cover up. Some people believe they have a right to privacy, others believe that privacy means lack of safety.

Desiree Palmen is doing some very appealing work about camouflage, about hiding in spaces. Hiding in private spaces, and hiding in public. Her work, much of which involves people wearing full-body clothing that is painted to look like exactly what is behind the subject, is thoroughly interesting as well as enjoyable to marvel at, and can be found here. It is my firm opinion that you should look at it all.

DVNO

Don't know what it stands for, but as far as I'm concerned it stands for AWESOME:

Justice - DVNO

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Can you figure out all of the logos they're referencing?