Mopac and 360 closed, man attempting suicide at the greenbelt

Yesterday, was a good day to be a cyclist.

A 22-year old man with a gun, threatening suicide, was spotted at 3 pm on the Barton Creek greenbelt in Austin by a witness who called 911, according to the Austin American-Statesman. The SWAT team converged on the site and shut down both lanes of Mopac near 360 to handle the situation. In turn, all of Austin's traffic ground to a halt. Cars backed up from Mopac/360, the bottom edge of Austin, to 2222, a near edge in the north. Perhaps you know, perhaps you were in it. The steaming metal beasts of cars trickled along Austin's major highways and side streets with no option of speed. But the cyclists, they, reigned supreme.

I was in a car, heading southbound on Lamar home to Bouldin Creek. From work, at 2222, I heard traffic was a sludgy mess and tried to take side streets and Lamar instead. It barely worked. Scanning the radio for news, I finally found a local sports show devoting some time to discussing the standoff between police and the suicidal young man. I can't say I was glad to hear their thoughts. Their traffic reporter though, had insightful, compassionate things to say. She hoped the situation would be resolved and the young man would emerge unscathed, seek the help he needs and heal. Her co-hosts, chuckled over her well wishes with phrases like "I hope he does succeed! I hope the dude offs himself now and let's us re-open the highway." and, "Man, if you're going to commit suicide can you at least do it at home so we don't have to deal with it?!" Perhaps the best, "This guy doesn't really want to do it, he doesn't really. He's bluffing. But you know there are people in this traffic who now want to kill themselves!"

My car still sluggishly moving forward, I stared out at all the bikes, scores of them, zipping along on thin silver wheels. Beautiful, glinting objects flying along the sidewalk at warp speeds compared to us. This was no planned Critical Mass, just a bunch of cyclists who were doing the right thing.

The cars we all sat in were tremendous burdens. Too big for us, to heavy for us to just pick up and move to the side to scoot home. Yes, they kept us cool. Yes, their air conditioning was a welcome respite from the 101 degree air outside. But their engines are only making the climate warmer. The CO2 created yesterday from the entire city of Austin performing a spontaneous, enormous, collective idling "happening" across the city must have numbered in the hundreds of pounds. CO2 emissions from idling are real, see this primer and you'll stop idling your car at the train tracks or to warm it up in the winter.

The cyclists whipped past us, getting to their destinations on time, and arriving having put their muscles, bones, bodies to work. They arrived happy, upbeat, with quickened pulses, alive. The drivers were exhausted, frenetically giving up on getting home any time soon, while the cyclists played on bouyant tires, zinging past us.

I am putting my car to rest. It's bikes and buses for me. I won't contribute to continued global warming and global climate change. This heat will only get worse if we don't all radically change. And it's time. If you can't figure out how to put your car to rest, post a comment here and we'll help you make it possible.

Dolly Parton's Commencement Address at University of Tennessee

A forever advocate for the gay community, an icon for drag queens, a gentle soul: Ms. Dolly Parton.

Here's a great video of her singing "Jolene" in 1974:

Dolly's introduction by Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen for her recent Commencement Address at the University of Tennessee (see her speech below that): 

Inspiring, palpably painterly work by Keiko Narahashi

Keiko Narahashi's work is gentle, well tuned and tight as a drum. I stumbled on her work through a friend and found it such a pleasant surprise this afternoon. Here is a sampling of some of her work, below. But do go to her website to see more of her work and listings of her upcoming shows.

Keiko Narahashi holds an MFA from Bard and lives in New York. Her son, Micah Belamarich, is also an artist, though more of a graphic designer. He runs ONLY NY, a clothing brand, in addition to doing his own freelance work.

I'm a newly converted bus rider. Join me.

I now ride the bus to and from work because it became too ridiculous not to. The number five bus rolls up 100 feet from my house in the morning and 45 minutes later rolls in twenty feet from my office. I have no excuse.

I went on Capital Metro's website and found this commuting calculator that fully validated my desire to save money and the environment by riding the bus. Through a bunch of data I filled in, it calculated I spend $197 a month commuting to my job nine miles north of my house. That's $2373 a year I could be using for much more interesting things than a car. Like gaycations!! In the present too, the bus gives me more of an opportunity to draw, write, read, watch movies, listen to music, meditate, etc. because I'm not on Mopac navigating the highway like a zen surfer in a metal rocket on tires. 

I am also now predictably on time! My own car could wait for me indefinitely as I changed outfits three times, but the bus will leave me behind if I don't hustle. Now I arrive at work at 8:45 daily, as smoothly as a clock.

Riding the bus thusfar has produced: 2 poems, 3 small painting/drawings, the reading of two books, and the rediscovery of ancient gems in my iTunes including thought-provoking slam poems by the Suicide Kings and Saul Williams left over from my performance poet days. Too, my sense of connection to humanity and interest in learning about others has been effortlessly heightened as I sit next to blind teenagers and aging construction workers, professionals in ties and high heels bound by their laptop cases, young men headed to school or jobs who shout and laugh in Hindi while riding for only a few stops and then departing, and so on. 

The seclusion of our automobiles can feel like a cozy, moving shrine at times, or an extension of ourselves, but during other times, like 5:30 pm Mopac rush hour, cars can feel like boxy weights holding us back from the joy of home. I'm glad to be moving in a new direction. Try it out. I'll see you on the bus.

(This Friday, May 15th, is Bike to Work Day. Many local bike-loving businesses are providing breakfast for the cyclists: see a map of all the food stops here.) I'll be riding!

German Money Ad Doing it Raw

Wow Germany. Thanks for this compelling ad?

NOM and R.I.M., saving straight marriage one awkward acronym at a time.

First, do your research:
1. NOM ad about "the gathering storm" of gay marriage. And, the rainbow coalition of people gathering to "protect us from gay marriage:"

2. The audition videos for hilarious NOM video above:

And now, the main event:
3. Amazing. Thank you thank you gay actors, and straight actors. Thank you for your comedic literacy and perfect wit:

A Gaythering Storm from Jane Lynch

4. And finally, another little gem from Rachel Maddow:

Gay Slurs Lead to Child's Suicide

I found this tremendously important to watch and think about. Hearing this story too, makes me glad Austin has organizations like OutYouth, to help our young people with self-acceptance and raise the understanding, acceptance and celebration of diversity in Austin as well. There's so much further we could go, but at least we have resources to work with.

Susan Boyle

I just saw this clip from Britain's Got Talent and joyfully started crying at work.

Susan Boyle is a 48-year old Scottish woman who aspires to be a singer. After her performance on Britain's Got Talent it's clear that goal will become a reality soon. Enormous congratulations to her today.

Snuggie Pub Crawl

Maybe Austin needs one of these. The drawback is that you have to actually buy a Snuggie. Which is a HUGE drawback.

I prefer the mobile gay bar. But I do want to see pictures of this: Snuggie Pub Crawl, Chicago. 

The nice thing is the proceeds from tickets sales to the Snuggie Pub Crawl go to the AC-Orphanage in Tanzania, an orphanage that houses and supports children whose parents have died of HIV/AIDS or TB.

(Never heard of the Snuggie? See my old post about it here: Creepy Blankets).

Tara Mateik

Great video by Tara Mateik.

See more of his bright, smart, compelling work here.

Dartmouth's Next President, First Asian-American to Lead an Ivy-League

I am incredibly pleased with Dartmouth's choice of Dr. Jim Yong Kim as the next president of the college. His life work is inspiring and his presence luminous. Read NYTimes article about it here.

Ward Shelley, Living in a See-Saw Named Stability

Right now at the Lawrimore Project in Seattle, artists Ward Shelley and Alex Schweder are living in a weighty architectural sculpture for their piece "Stability."

The see-saw hangs from its middle in a large, empty, gallery space and tips up and down as its human inhabitants move about their temporary living quarters. The two artists speak of how they have learned to cooperate in this great short feature on NPR's All Things Considered: Listen here. Or watch an NPR video feature on it here.

Lesbians on Ecstasy Video

Brilliant video in its simultaneous comedy and earnest love, and right right song. Lezzies on X are a gay, electronic group based out of Montreal.

Witch playing at 3 am, Lamar Pedestrian Bridge

Tonight, metal band Witch (Kyle Thomas, J Mascis, Antoine Guerlain and others), are playing at 3 am on the Lamar Pedestrian Bridge. They are the SHIT.

J Mascis is performing with Dinosaur Jr. at other times and Kyle is performing as King Tuff but this is their one show as Witch during SXSW 2009.

CocoRosie and their insulated world

I watched two interviews with CocoRosie and was struck by their disconnected behavior, as if somehow in their connection to each other and their art-music, they are unable/disinterested in connecting with the rest of the world. As a being who is interested in connecting to as many others in the world as possible, and doing so intentionally, I was disappointed to feel this disconnect from them. I love many of their songs, but did not love this. Watch them here, in order:

The first (can't embed).

The second:

They speak of their desire to insulate themselves from the world, create a private space, to make their music from. And this "artists as isolationists" belief is a thread that runs through all time and into the current moment. But I disagree with it heavily now. I do not see it as responsible to create art out of that space. I see it as intentional obliviousness. Willful ignorance of the scope of events going on in the world today. To me, artists, musicians, cultural creators, have an obligation to inform themselves of the contemporary world and history, of philosophy and realities, and then make their new works to further the dialogue or illuminate a problem, or even the best, solve one!

Art, music, culture, is our gift to the world and if we use it only to distance ourselves, or mock the present world as is, we are mis-using our gifts. We are taking advantage of capitalism to support our selfishness. We are feeding our egos.

A very bright article in the New York Times today, by Holland Cotter, has inspired me to think with optimism on how the art world can become. How this economic upheaval can create a whole new way of thinking and making. It's beyond inspiring. Read his absolutely articulate, wise article, "The Boom Is Over. Long Live The Art!" here.

New Video, Anthony Hegarty

As usual, Anthony Hegarty, of Anthony & the Johnsons, has a smoke-filled haunt of a beautiful voice. Worthwhile, albeit a bit cheesy, video to watch below:

Jodie Harsh, London character created by Jay Clarke

Jodie Harsh, recently featured as one of Out's 100 most influential people in 2008, made this dryly hilarious video of herself and friend Scottee interviewing a zookeeper at the London Zoo.

Creepy blankets

Oh my god, the Snuggie. I am definitely barfing in my mouth, but more than that, it's the sur-reality (as in, less than reality) of American culture present in the Snuggie promotional video that amazes. With the vast array of real life dilemmas, interpersonal conflicts, religious warfare, hunger, homelessness, greed, that are prevalent in this world, one would think the focus would be on fixing those, rather than making sure mom's arms don't get briefly cold from reaching for the portable phone while watching TV on the couch under a blanket.

We should not be this comfortable!

Don't watch this parody until you've first watched the real thing (above), and barfed a little in your mouth too, but then watch this parody.

And then after watching that parody, watch this parody:



Cult robes aside, the Snuggie is cheap and supposedly you'll then turn your thermostat down and just wear your blanket around. Perhaps there is some spend-thriftyness with an eye towards the economic downturn and awareness of global climate change in this product and its marketing?

Nawwwww----
it's just a blanket, that's creepy.

Cornify it up

Just click it. And just keep on clicking it until you fall backwards from the bubbling glitterweight of the unicorns and rainbows.



For an explanation see: Cornify.com

In Appreciation of Steve Martin

This man can do everything with masterful grace. I'm not saying his banjo playing is incredible, but you try being an acclaimed comedian then actor, then writer/director and now musician? I can't even remember to water my garden. Let's all get to work. If everyone worked like Steve Martin, our culture would be a bustling boom of perpetual learning and joy. Go get to work!

Austin has a sushi train now! And it's tasty.

Finally, the vibe of a big city has parked its techno-food savvy ass on Austin soil.

Korea Garden on N. Lamar just remodeled and installed a sushi train. When my girlfriend and I walked in tonight we were surprised by the scene: the band Corto Maltese was just leaving as we arrived, tiny hipsters from UT filled a row at the conveyor belt, and, 75% of the patrons were gay. We ordered a hot pot of green tea and took our perch at the counter between a middle-aged, gay male couple on our left and an awesome, quirky student and her friends on our right.

Korea Garden has been around for a while and serves up Chronicle/Statesman lauded Korean food, but the sushi conveyer belt is a new addition. Called a kaiten-zushi in Japan, the metal conveyor belt slickly delivered lots of nigiri sushi, goma wakame (seaweed salad), a few eel rolls, a few california rolls, desserts, and even house salads with ranch dressing on them. Though it would seemingly be fully unexciting to eat an iceberg/ranch dressing salad off a sushi train, Korea Garden's house salad was delicious. The radish sprouts, avocado, carrot and cucumber slivers spiced it up to an enticing level.

When I lived in New York I frequented a sushi restaurant with a conveyor belt like this between Union Square and Gramercy Park (17th and Broadway?) and loved it. Prices were based on the color of the plate, a format Korea Garden will be moving to after tomorrow. For now though, for its opening week, Korea Garden is running a special: all plates $1.50 each! Get it cheap while you can.

Back to the bar around the conveyor belt, an awesome behavior was happening amongst the patrons. In true Austin fashion, as soon as diners sat down they became part of a collective conversation. You can't put Austinites in the same goddamn space as each other and facing each other without a ton of friendly banter. The sushi train I went to in New York was more like a bar; you faced the sushi chef/server. At Korea Garden, you face other patrons. And, inevitably conversations strike up over the sushi and over who wants what as the plates slowly make their way down the line.There's already a Missed Connection about the sushi train! I think it's arrived. And, I think Austin has arrived in some small way. Hear me out on this one: Clearly the young'uns, gaymos and artists have been waiting for this; a new city trinket that facilitates the same gentle friendly Austin has possessed all along.

Happy Birthday Jackson Pollock

In honor of Jackson Pollock, and with deliberate attention towards the fun of creating inky drip paintings on a web page far surpassing the fun of reading Pollock's fairly troubled biography, I post this: Make your own drip paintings!

1968 Mexico Olympics Poster

In researching for work, I found this op-art-ed out fly poster by Lance Wyman from the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. You can purchase it from the Victoria & Albert Museum Shop in the UK here. Lance Wyman's graphics for the 1968 Olympics are across the board righteous. See more of his design work on his website. To see especially his Mexico City Olympics graphics, click on the Mexico Olympics logo near the middle.

Lady Gaga, that's some good fashion

Why I gotta love this so much? The guilt. But I do.

Obama is a constant happy surprise

I had forgotten what it was like to be pleased with what one's government's actions. Never in my adult life had I experienced the U.S. government creating legislation that was cognizant of global climate change and working progressively to curb it, or acting to cease detainment/torture of prisoners on foreign soil without probably evidence. All this in the first week? Thank you Obama.

From the NYTimes:
Obama's Order is Likely to Tighten Auto Standards

Animal Collective's video for "My Girls"

D-dang. Sometimes there is a thing that at first you wish would hurry up and get over with, but then it drags you in slowly, submerges you in its soupy washing machine brand of lovemaking and suddenly you're like, "I like this!" in a way that surprises even you.

I guess that just happened to me, with this:

Inauguration Poem for Obama, on Inauguration Day

As we watch the Inauguration with joy today, a re-post of my poem celebrating Obama's victory, the beauty of our collective connected humanity, and the conscious evolution we are undertaking.

Austin Celebrating in the Streets On Election Night After Obama Won!

A compilation of videos from the post Obama victory melee in downtown Austin, outside the Driskill on November 4th, 2008. My poem (posted above), "Above the Streetlights; The Night Obama Won," is a rumination on that night, what it meant for all of us, and what it will mean in our futures.

I'm glad for the bottom up media that documented that night and got these videos onto YouTube. It was a beautiful street party that night in Austin; jubilant beings finally feeling empowered and inspired by their government. Look at the people in the crowd laughing, dancing, hugging each other. And I've never seen radical young people sing the national anthem or wave a flag before!

Terapeak!

I never sell things on eBay so I'm discovering Terapeak a bit late, but I love it.

I just went on eBay to list a Dansk pepper mill that I bought here in Austin. I typed in "Dansk pepper mill" in the Terapeak search engine that's hosted on the eBay main page. Terapeak analyzed the last three weeks of Dansk pepper mill eBay auctions and said the average value they sold for was $80, and the 26 sold in the last three weeks sold for between $0 and $411. Yes. Thank you simplicity.

And thank you to the Terapeak nerds who thought up such a smart, smart creature of software.

MLK Day of Service in Austin

Tomorrow is the Martin Luther King Day of Service for the United Way and its partner agencies. The non-profit I work for runs Top Drawer Thrift and we'll be with a volunteer crew of ten people overhauling the back room and re-organizing the store so we can put out more donations.

Michelle and Barack Obama have been e-mailing their supporters, as you have no doubt noticed, encouraging them to participate in a nationwide day of service in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.. The day of service honors his commitment to service and non-violence.

Let's get out there and do some good work!

Luzinterruptus's Recent Installation in Madrid

I just saw Luzinterruptus's January 5th installation around Madrid, Acomodate y Lee, on Art MoCo and spent more time looking at the photos on their blog. Each installation consisted of a blue light, most (all?) with antique lampshades, and a book on a string. They were little reading nooks carved out all over the city. The reading nooks were installed in niches as odd as a condom machine, or as clear as next to homeless person's bedroll on the sidewalk.

A very interesting intervention. I'm always drawn to private space insertions into public space or transformation of public space into private. This is a fairly well thought out one. Their other work is equally competent and alluring. Check it out on their blog.

Solargraph

This is an incredible solargraph made by Justin Quinnell. Image is copyright Justin Quinnell. Click here to go to the NASA site with more info on the origin and making of the image (in a soda can pinhole camera!).

Birthday Card for My Sister.

Dang, Coroflot!

There is some seriously persuasive design on Coroflot right now. Coroflot is a portfolio, networking and resume site. The site connects creative professionals with design jobs worldwide. It's a rewarding, fleshy little (big) website.

My friend Blake Almstead, a student in the Cranbrook 2D department, has some of his work on Coroflot. I'm especially drawn to his projection piece on vellum, Binocular Dystopia. Remarkably appealing texture, hint of interrogation video, great scale and choice of materials. Well done Blake.

Coroflot allows you to sort by "most likeys," specialities, most popular this week, and new members. It's a great format and I'll be perusing it like an elitist aesthete stalker for weeks, no doubt.

Anna Sian

Anna Li Sian has just started a site for her photographic works and poetry. Here's a link. It's still under construction but you can get a sense of her skillful eye.

Anna's poetry is tremendous. She and I used to perform together a lot at Dartmouth with Soul Scribes and I miss her poetic presence as a nearby collaborator. Here's a link to some of her older work (from 2005). Here's a more recent posting of her poetry, that includes a bio. She currently lives and works in NYC.

Dave Chappelle's Television Debut

This Dave Chappelle standup has a delicate vintage flavor like a fine, fine comedic wine. Delicious.

Katt Williams is a Genius-Being

In Honor Of Joseph Beuys, How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare

"To make people free is the aim of art. Therefore, art for me is the science of freedom."

-Joseph Beuys

German artist Joseph Beuys's performances, sculptures and drawings, remain contemporary and relevant to me. I feel deep appreciation for his art: his felt wrappings, "discussions with dead hares," his "actions" (happenings), use of fat, use of honey, and disquieting, though noble, performance with a live coyote in an enclosed space. I saw a drawing of his at MoMA once (the link takes you to a different one, can't find the one I saw) that reminded me of the quiet radicalism and simple beauty of his work. Beuys's line is both gentle and direct. It speaks to his own shamanic presence. Here's another piece from the MoMA collection that I feel affinity towards: Eurasia Siberian Symphony 1963. 

Too, Joseph Beuys's radical political fervency was grand, his teaching was devoted and his life an amalgam of intriguing chosen experiences. His time spent in the military created a mythic history of being rescued by Tartars in Crimea in a plane crash and rubbed in fat, then wrapped in felt to heal. That mythology was a loving assistant for his material choices. As I remember it, later in life he became a political activist and even assisted in the founding of the Green Party.

Beuys died in 1986 at the age of 65.

All this to say, wonderful artist. 

Now in honor, watch this video!: