Artist: Laurie Lipton

I ran across this amazing artist via phantasmaphile through this post. The artist, Laurie Lipton, has one of the coolest artist's websites I've had the chance to run across. Let me put it this way, it has screaming flowers. SCREAMING FLOWERS! Awesome. The art seems super detailed and beautifully executed, I wonder how these pieces look when you see them in person. The subject matter is macabre but has a definite sense of humor(or that could just be my twisted sense of perception). Check out the website!!

Great source for music, movies, various media

I don't know if I'm totally behind the curve or not, but I've been discovering tons of cool stuff on this site, www.archive.org. There's a bunch of cool old-timey music and a variety of other things. All legal(or so I hope!). Want some Buster Keaton movies? How bout this great Blind Willie Mctell song?

Oh what else today? Well, I never thought this would happen, but I'm actually enjoying some vlogs on youtube. For some reason I didn't think I could ever get into those things.

Yes, I know I'm spending so much time on the computer. Unfortunately it's the only semi-productive thing I can do. I went to the grocery store today and that zonked me beyond belief. Oh, it makes me so angry! Can't I just be like my old self and have some energy again! Well, I try and be as positive as I can, because I figure it's better to be happy than waste my time being sad!

Been missing my buddy.

Film: Au Revoir Les Enfants

The main reason I've even been thinking about the World War II period, other than the video I just posted, was that I recently saw the movie Au Revoir Les Enfants.

The story takes place at a Catholic boarding school in France during the Nazi occupation. I really got into this movie, although I wouldn't call this the greatest movie ever. The thing that resonates is the innocence of all the children involved, that events far out of their reach or control are shaping their lives in ways they can't even imagine.

This movie serves as a remind of how difficult life must have been in those days. Moreover, I think it's an extremely shameful part of French history that should not be forgotten.

I don't know very much about common everyday things of this era. I know about the fighting, leadership roles, and those sorts of things, but not so much the human stories, except for the Jewish people. I'd like to read about how the Germans coped during this time, how the French lived, how did Londoners live their lives in the midst of air raids... There was suffering on all sides, and enough shame and sorrow to spread all around.

Oh, I love this guy(doesn't everybody)

This sweet old man reminds me of my grandparents. Whenever I get to see them I love trying to get them to tell me stories about the World War II era. My dad's parents were in Paris at the time. A couple of years back they told me about it. It sounded horrendous, having to live under Nazi rule for 5 years. The sirens, the fear, the lack of resources... Hearing those kinds of stories makes me realize how lucky we are to be living in a relatively peaceful and stable society. The next time I see them I'll have to ask more about it, I don't feel like I know the whole story.

My other grandparents were in the south of France. As my grandmother tells it my grandfather tried to organize some resistance fighters, but it ended in catastrophe. Some of the guys my grandfather was with started shooting at the Nazi planes and ended up getting mowed down because they gave away their location. I guess guerrila warfare has gotten way more sophisticated these days.

I think it's sad that Europe had to go through two devestating wars like it did in the 20th century. The world lost a lot of great minds and talent through all the killing, not to mention the scale of suffering endured by so many. Maybe it had to take two terrible, crippling wars for the fighting to actually stop and buck the trend of previous European history.

Thank you Paris.

Paris has broken the celeb monotony. At least, in a minor way she has.

Paris on her new album:"I, like, cry, when I listen to it, it's so good."

Do I need to add anything to that. Was that scripted? It's too funny. Paris is once again pushing the envelope, teaching artists and any sort of creative person(heck anyone for that matter) that modesty and humility are qualities that can now be considered trashy, not hot, worthless and completely unredeeming.

Unfortunately I'm sure she's playing up to that dumb girl image she's cultivated. She knows that lines like that are pure gold. I'm serious, I bet she's a whole lot smarter than anyone thinks.

Debate? Bush vs. Ahmadinejad.

I am so happy. I just found a very funny article in which Ahmadinejad offers to debate George Bush. That would be fun. Pay per view. $50? I would pay.

Now, I think the Bush/Kerry debates showed us that debating has lost all sense of value in our day and age since everything is about gloss and spinning and looking good and having pretty teeth and all that(actually I didn't watch the debates but that's what I'll claim anyways because it works with what I'm saying). Look, if I've learned anything in my life, it's that looking really really good always beats out intelligence and moral uprightness. Always. If you look good you can get away with all the naughtiness you want, take a gander at our celebrities(oh how I love you dear celebrities!)

Now, we are in the 21st century. Since debates are so passe, I propose that they set a date and time for something cool and wacky, something postmodern. They should have a hot dog eating contest. I would propose a kung fu match, but that almost seems too bland, almost too befitting of my sense of humor. My inner American entrepreneurial spirit tells me we should do something better than a debate, because we could make WAAAY more money. Pay per view. $100, 200... We're all winners in this. Just keep brewing up a storm with Iran Bush, it'll be sweet, you're gonna make us a hell of a lot of money!! We just need to find the right postmodern money-making event to pit Ahmadinejad against George Bush.

Hopefully Bush doesn't blow this thing for us and decide he wants to just blow them up. We would lose a whole heck of a lot of potential earnings and profits if he did such a thing. I'm not a fricking weapons contractor, I'm an entertainer. There is no entertainment value in just blowing these people up, the only ones that win with that are the aforementioned weapons contractors and the news networks.

Verbal sparring, ratcheting up of tensions, it's fun, sort of like the Cuban missile crisis. Boy, those were the good old days when we didn't know if a 3rd world country might blow us up with Russian supplied nukes. Well, I guess all we have to worry about today are rogue terrorist groups with no borders and lots of resources.

I forgot what I was trying to say, hehe... I don't think I had much of a point except I thought the debate idea was kind of funny.

Artist: Natalie Kocsis

I discovered this artist via Art Junction. The work is very fun and crazy. The artist, Natalie Kocsis, has a website here. I love this sort of illustrative style. The way this artist draws eyes and teeth, it's the best. This art makes me want to jump up and down and have a good time. You can never go wrong if you are doing drawings and paintings of pirates and the Cheshire cat. Never ever. Remember that if you are ever stumped in terms of what to paint. And adding big swirling eyes and fat crooked teeth always helps.

What's up celebrities?

Ok. I'm going to admit it. I'm seriously pissed. Other than the Tom Cruise thing the past couple of days(which I think was kind of lame anyways), the going's been a bit slow with celebrity news. Can we just have one awesome insane incident, like, right NOW!? What the hell are the celebrities doing? Have they become so domesticated, sipping their orange mocha frappuchinos that they forgot how to do all the awful things that make them great? Here I am, not feeling too well, with the knowledge that a terrible celebrity scandal would totally make my day. Now, I do feel it in my bones, I know there is something coming, something really crazy, weird, something so outlandish and hilarious that we will never again be able to forsake said celebrities' movies and products from here on in to the end of our days. This crazy incident is in the air.

Nonetheless, the lack of publicly released sex videos, documented outbursts and threats against various cultures, and rehab stints due to massive intakes of drugs and alchohol is, well, it's surprising and disappointing. Celebs get a boatload of money so they have free time to entertain us with their antics, don't let them forget it. As you chastise them for their antics, always remember to secretly thank them and keep paying to watch their movies and buy their tell-all autobiographies. They need that money to keep supporting their scandal filled leisure lives. Oh American celebrities, your scandals and ridiculousness are unrivalled and unparalleled in the modern era. Thank you for pushing the envelope.

One Book... I don't really get the meme thing.

But this looked fun. So I'm going to go off of what I saw at this post at culturespace.

One book that changed your life: Crime and Punishment, by Dostoevsky.

My parents' had been pressuring me to read more books outside of school, in an effort to make me more 'cultured' or well-rounded I suppose. Maybe that's why I have all these links on my blog to culture sites, right? Anyways. I was so busy with schoolwork and sports that I didn't have the time nor did I really care to read more.

At some point I got fed up with my dad's needling comments about lack of culture or whatever it was. I was French godamnit, and that meant that I had to become a snooty bastard. I decided to read a book that had been lying around my room for a while, Crime and Punishment. I still remember how amazed I felt in reading that novel, like I had discovered a new avenue for understanding life. Crime and Punishment was so powerful and psychologically dense, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I quit the basketball team so I could have more time to myself, and thus began my book reading adventures.

One book you've read more than once: Catcher in the Rye

One book you'd want on a desert island: Probably the Bible. Hopefully I will figure out what I need to do to please God so I can get out of such a mess. Plus the Bible is pretty long, so that should eat up some time. Can I have both the New and Old testaments?

One book that made you laugh: Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris.

One book that made you cry: Bernard Edelman's Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam

One book you wish you had written: Gravity's Rainbow. Because then maybe I could understand it. This is probably one of those books you shouldn't read at 17, or at least I shouldn't have. I read the whole thing, and I don't think I understood any of it.

One book you wish had never been written: Can't think of anything. Even terrible things like Mein Kampf serve a purpose.

One book you're currently reading: La Guerra del Fin del Mundo by Mario Vargas Llosa.

One book you've been meaning to read: Sorry, more than one here. I want to read Stendhal's La Chartreuse de Parme. I'd like to read some Balzac novels, and also some francophone African literature. I've read a lot of literature from Africa, but funny enough, not from the french speaking parts.

Um, I can't help myself? More football.

At the risk of glutting my blog with football videos, I will just post one more, but it's a good one! A Barry Sanders' highlight reel. It's weird, the kids that put these things together tack on the worst music. This Sanders' video has a techno track, which is probably the most palatable of all the things I've heard so far.

How to feel better? Why, a Reggie Bush Highlight reel of course!

There aren't too many things to do when your heart hurts. Cross out the alcohol, drugs, random violent movies, and other debauchery. No, there is one thing that helps. Watching a crazy good athlete do what he does best. Most people who might stumble upon this video have no knowledge of football. That's ok. I think these grainy clips showcase a certain kind of poetry. Hope this guy does well in the NFL.

This morning

This is a sad morning. I woke up with a sick feeling in my stomach and a pain in my chest. This big ol' house is so quiet. All I hear is the endless drone of the air conditioning system.

I shouldn't have written that thing on mydeathspace, I feel like I jinxed my dog. I should not have written about death, that was a big mistake.

Anyways. Although this is difficult, life is still full of so many good things.

There are many things happening in the world. Surprisingly enough George Bush and I have something in common. We are currently both reading books by Camus, isn't that a wonderful coincidence. I wonder if that is a harbinger of my forthcoming presidency?

Bad News Bears

My dog died this morning. I won't get into it, but of course it's gut wrenching and terrible. He was my best friend. He's helped me through my illness, always keeping me company at the house. I just hoped he might be able to see me all the way through. At least we had him as long as we did, and we had so many wonderful moments.

Stiff Little Fingers-Suspect Device

This is a great song by a good band. I luuuuuvvee the fashion. Wuuhheerre did you find those cut up t-shirts, so sexy and anti-establishment. I better check to see if they carry those hot shirts at Neiman Marcus.

Wow, MyDeathSpace

So, I just found this article on MyDeathSpace, a site dedicated to all those who have passed away on MySpace. I quickly glanced through it, and it is very powerful. In a sense our culture really shuns death and dealing with dying, yet at the same time I'm not sure if a site like this is the healthiest way to confront death. It makes things slightly surreal, although, maybe it effects others differently than it would me. I don't know, kind of like the nuclear bomb, really dangerous if handled by the wrong people. I have a bad vision of death being commercialized or profited from in a disgusting way. Moreover, I think it's fine to consume mass media, but to become fixated on a site like this, consuming death media... It could easily be very creepy. I don't think I'll be visiting that site again.

Movie: Les Felins and other things

Today I got to hang out with a really good friend who's in town for a little while. I didn't feel too tired overall, so that was a nice time.

Clear and Present Danger was on earlier in the day, I really wanted to watch that, but instead I spent my time reading. Damn, what a waste right? I only got to see the part where they blow up the drug dealer's house. I wanted to see the part where those guys on the roof pop out of nowhere and start launching rockets. Cool stuff. I've never seen the whole movie, I doubt it's all that amazing, but for some reason I think I'd really dig it.

Later, I watched part of this old French movie, Les Felins. I thought it might be decent, it has Alain Delon in it who I usually enjoy. But this movie was bad, just really heavy-handed, lots of silliness, but not in a good way. No redeeming qualities, except it had some good looking women in bikinis. That is it. Throw in some rocket launchers and drug dealers and maybe I'll mark it up a notch in my book.

Khod Breaker

I randomly came across this video(come to think of it, I guess everything on the internet is pretty random). I really wanted to write this video off when it began. Set-up: Two very very nerdy looking white guys, rapping in French, plus a terrible beginning(funny bad though). Could you imagine a better recipe for disaster? But once they get going, against all odds, it ain't half bad.

Updates: Lots of things to post soon...I hope

I haven't felt too well the past couple of days, so I haven't been able to do too much, except for tv, and that's not 'doing.' I consider that vegetating. Nonetheless, as everyone will be quite happy to hear, I have acquired an even broader knowledge of celebrity beefs(there isn't just one show on this!). The tv has also bestowed me with knowledge of old Roman shipwrecks and engineering skills, random football trivia and facts, baseball pennant race information, and more things to worry about in terms of current events, so I almost feel relieved that I'm not well enough to step out into the incredibly dangerous world that awaits me outside my doorstep.

I do have some great news. I've had pockets of time where I've felt well enough to draw a little bit. This is really exciting, I haven't been able to pick up a pencil these 9 months, and although my drawings aren't exactly intense, they are a start. I've been drawing little creatures and monsters, sort of magical little things which are fun to mess around with. I'll try and post some when I finish them.

I've discovered so many awesome things on the internet lately, I can't even believe it. If you have an insane desire for some French rap, which I suppose is an insane desire in itself, I discovered a great site, yolala.org, which has a bunch of great podcasts of French rap. The selection is really, really good.

I've also been reading up on energy policy. I'm trying to gain a solid understanding about this subject because I'd like to have a well informed opinion. I'll try and make a post on this at some point, although since I haven't been feeling too well, I haven't been able to dig too deep. However, I have been able to find some good sites and articles on this subject, which I will include whenever I make the post.

Haven't been feeling too well...

Not sure how much I'm going to be able to post, I didn't even realize how well I've been doing lately until I feel like I do now and being on the computer is a struggle.

If it's raining and you must use an umbrella, please don't let it eat you.