This Is My Life, Day 3

Last Saturday night, Candace went to the Relief Society broadcast, leaving sis and me alone for the evening. So we did the masculine thing and went shopping.

We hit Kmart and Walmart for some clamps and CD jewel cases (I still have a spindle of stuff I got from Bryan last time we were down in Vegas) and scoured DI for some cool stuff. I needed a hardbound book to use as an example for Book Arts and I found a rad old English book with an olive green cover with an orange exclamation mark on it (I'll post some scans of this sometime because I think it is really cool - if you couldn't tell by my gushing all about it), some National Geographic issues from the magical year of 1977, and these super-duper-rad Little Golden books.

The one on top is from the mid-50's and it is cuh-razy. It's about this kid who loves merry-go-rounds and has a dream to build one that has real animals on it instead of wooden ones. Well, he grows up and realizes his dream, but the animals freak the grown-ups out. So he does what any rational human being would do - he paints the animals to look wooden. That way the adults don't get freaked out by the thought of their kids riding on the backs of wild animals, and the kids get to ride on the backs of wild animals painted to look like wooden animals. It's a win-win situation. Entirely logical. And crazy.

Anyway, the illustrations are really cool and I just knew that it must me mine forever and ever. I'll have to post some scans sometime soon.

The title, by the way is The Marvelous Merry-Go-Round. It should maybe be subtitled This Book Is So Amazing That After Reading It Your Head May Explode. Or have some kind of warning of it's mind-blowingness. Anyway, that's my life.

What Is Up With YouTube?

So I spent a good deal of time last night trying to set up YouTube so I can imbed a clip of my rock&roll hero David Byrne accepting his Video Vanguard Award at the 1985 MTV Music Awards last night (and I am currently trying to do so now) but for whatever reason - I'm blaming black magic - it isn't working. So, I'll just link to it instead.

What's that? You want to see David Byrne covering Beyonce's "Crazy In Love," backed by a marching band? Okay. It's here. Man, is YouTube the rad or what?

This Is My Life, Day 2

Candace and I were talking about how weird it will be when we don't have Maddy around some day. She's getting older (we've had her for four - five? - years now and she was probably around two when we got her), and it's something I'm not looking forward to. This bout of canine existential dread was brought on by Candace's reading the world's saddest book like ever: Marley & Me. Seriously, every time I looked over at her while she was reading it, she was sniffling and teary. "Marley's always puking on the Persian rug," she'd explain through suppressed sobs. Anyway, I love my little black and white friend. Ever since I brought her home from the shelter, her little body shivering against me the whole way, we've been buds. She's cute, loyal and crazy, so basically - she fits in.

Man, I Love Doing Comic Frenzy Posters

Seriously. They're incredible amounts of fun and a great way to try stuff I've been wanting to try. This one has roughly a bajillion layers. Also, it is unabashedly pink. And the type is entirely hand-rendered. I showed a proof of this version to my good friend Shon and he noticed that there was no admission price. Aw, shucks. I fixed it, but it's not on this version. I hope he was able to print them this morning, because I was having a devil of a time trying to get it to open on his computer. Anyway, here it is:

I've entitled this one: Wheee!

This Is My Life, Day 1

Growing up in sunny Las Vegas, I never really understood the idea of coat hooks. Now I do. I love that the coat rack, as the weather gets colder, is an indicator of who's home, of what's going on. If all the coats are up, we're all here and (hopefully) happy.

Okay, I'm Back

Yesterday turned out okay. The slightly emo day has gone away, hopefully forever. Over the next few days, I'll be posting a few random Polaroids of the things and people that surround me. I've entitled this segment, This Is My Life.

I bought a Polaroid camera a long time ago (Candace & I weren't even married yet, I believe) with the intent to capture things that struck me as beautiful or strange or noteworthy. There's something charming about the immediacy and unpredictability of a Polaroid. The shots never, ever, ever turn out how you think they will, no matter how much you try to properly frame your shot, but once you resign yourself to that fact, you find yourself happier with the outcome.

It's similar to the appeal of Holga or Lomo or other toy cameras, I guess; the whole "Don't think, just shoot," aesthetic. So, the last couple of days I took that mantra to heart and tried to capture things that meant something to me. So, ladies and gents, This Is My Life, in quickly-snapped pictures.

Ever Have One of Those Days?

The kind that start off with a glimmer of promise but somehow trip over themselves, crashing into a heap at the foot of some secluded staricase wher it lays crying and skin-kneed, halfway through and no matter what you do you can't manage to pull yourself out of the funk you find yourself in despite trying everything you can think of to do so? I am having one of those days. I have to go back to school in like a half hour and then it's off to work, so I don't forsee the big black cloud with angry teeth and a big black heart dissipating anytime soon.

[sigh]



I promise the funny will be back soon. If not the funny, at least some Polaroids of my life. But hopefully, the funny as well.

An AIGA Invite

I got this AIGA invite done today while procrastinating an Identity Design project that's due tomorrow (I also got a Comic Frenzy poster mostly finished - just need the info - and finished a Book Arts book that was left unstitched... it's amazing how much I can get done when I'm running away from another project). We're doing invites similar to the Collaboration invites Brandt & I cooked up over the summer. I was given the letter "G." Is it gentleman or gorilla? You decide.

And yes, I used a halftone. Sue me.

Anybody Want Some Free Stuff?

Okay, so I'm going to pimp some of my favorite online services, both of which are giving free trials so you can also know of their goodness.

First off, there's eMusic. It's an online download service that specializes in independent music. You pay a flat fee and get a ration of downloads per month. Right now, I'm on a 40 downloads for $9.99 plan. Now, I'm no mathematician, but that, mein freunds, is what we in "the bizz" call "a steal." I can send you an email for a two week, free 25 downloads (no strings!) trial. Lemme know.

Next up is Netflix. It is the rad. If you are still going to the video store weekly only to wander around and then end up waiting in the super-long line to rent something you don't even really want to watch anyway, well friends, you are lame. And probably a Communist. And you probably don't recycle. Or bathe regularly, if at all. Anyway, I got an email that will give anyone I send it to a free one month trial. That's two weeks longer than their normal trial. That is the rad.

So, if you are interested in trying either of these services, email me and I will hook. you. up. Cuz that is how I roll.

Yes. He Is.

They Said It Couldn't Be Done, But One Man Dared... Your Boyfriend!!

Meet Giles, of the New England Haberdashersons. He is 76 years old. He likes soup and postage stamps. He has a regal moustache, one that he keeps waxed and trimmed. He has a smoking jacket made from the finest silk. And a yacht. And a tail. And his entire body, except those parts he is able to shave regularly, is covered in coarse, black hair. He also has six fingers on his left hand and 12 toes on his right foot. He coughs constantly and smells when he gets wet. Some people think that the reason for all of this is the fact that his family has been inter-marrying for the last thirteen generations. But what do they know? Those people are probably poor people and what do poor people know? Nothing. That is why they are poor. Hopefully, you will bring in some new blood. Deepen the pool, so to speak.

Did I mention that Giles is incredibly, astoundingly rich? The Habderdashersons are known as "the Carnegies of mink" in certain circles. So... think it over.

Quick One

We watched the first season of the US version of the Office yesterday. Very funny stuff. And to offset that, we have the Hours sitting here. Somehow I don't think there will be as much of the funny ha-ha in that one. I also watched the Straight Story for my Intro to Film Art class Wednesday night and it was amazing. I remembered it being good, but man, I guess David Lynch isn't a talentless hack with a gaping, sucking maw where his soul should be after all. Who knew?

Tomorrow will probably signal the return of Your Boyfriend to Big Red Robot, so there's always that to look forward to. See, life's not all that bad, right?

I Am Not Afraid Of You...

And I Will Beat Your A**, is the newest album from one of the favorites around here at the BRR office: Yo La Tengo. YLT has been one of my faves since I heard their Electr-O-Pura album way back in the day. There are a few albums that stand out as being pretty huge during that stage of my life: Pavement's Wowee Zowee, Sebadoh's Bakesale, Guided By Voices' Bee Thousand and YLT's Electr-O-Pura. All of them weird outsider (I refuse to use the word "indie," - it sounds stupid) rock, all droning and obtuse and all of them still, to this very day, really good. Try and say that about any of the "grunge" (also sounds stupid, but oh well...) classics from the same time period.

Anyway, I fell in love with YLT. There's a quality to them that, for some undefinable reason, really hits me somewhere primal. It's 2 a.m. music, if that makes any sense. There's something about the way that their songs unfold themselves, their mystery or surprise or whatever that unrolls itself differently upon each listen. There's a hugeness, whether emotionally or sonically or both, that all great, transformative rock and roll must possess if it's doing its job correctly.

First off, the title is brilliant.* Just really funny. Yes, I know it contains profanity, but come on? You know you chuckled a bit. Admit it. Admit it. Whatever.

Secondly, It's chock full of song that are just plain good. There are the obligatory loooooooooong songs (this is a Yo La Tengo album, after all), in fact the album's bookended by them ("Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind," clocks in at 10:46 and "The Story of Yo La Tengo," at 11:48, with track 9, "Daphnia," also in this category at 8:51), but for some reason, a 10 minute song from YLT I can not only handle, but welcome. As I mentioned before, it's sort of their thing, ya know? I Am Not Afraid is classic YLT, full of songs that rock, that roll, that sway and pulse, that giggle and weep and kiss and fight. Cut up beanbag chairs, races won and lost, playhouses burned, heavy rooms and hatchets, fights on the train and I feel like going home and I love you but sometimes I just don't get you. They're songs like you and me, living breathing things, all pretty and pissed and playful. Wow. It's late.

Anyway, it's a good album. Check it out. The Matador site's here. The band site's here.

*In fact, it was a banner week for great album titles, with TV On the Radio's newest album, Return To Cookie Mountain also released. (the genius of this title may warrant an entirely separate post... Man, the questions it prompts: What is Cookie Mountain? Where is it? Did you have to get a passport? If there are cookies there, why in the name of heaven did you ever leave? Why are you returning? Did you forget something? Or are you maybe just hungry for cookies? Are there any cookies in this house? I want cookies... )

Okay, So Check This Out...

Marvel comics has finally done something smart! I know, I know, it's shocking, but their site now has this awesome feature: an online database of Marvel characters. It's sort of like an online Handbook to the Marvel Universe, only it's user-created, Wikipedia-style. Now only if this forward-thinking carried over to digital distribution or decent books. Anyway, the page is here.

Supermen & Beef Jerky

Have you ever loved something so much that you just wanted to shout about it to everyone you know, love or just happen to pass while walking down the street? Or shout incoherent praises about it out your car window to pedestrians and shrubbery? Well, friends, that's All-Star Superman for me.

Now, I've already bored you to tears ranting about how glorious Nextwave is (and it is glorious) so I'll keep this one brief and simply say that I love All-Star Superman more than I love beef jerky.

And I loves me some beef jerky.

Writing by Grant Morrison. Art by Frank Quitely. They are unstoppable. It's everything great about the Big Blue Boy Scout wrapped tightly around a nutty nougat center. This is a Superman for the 21st century and beyond.

So there you have it. All-Star Superman: better than beef jerky.

Also, Seaguy is the bizz-omb.

That is all.

Intentionally Inflamatory Statement Week - The Final Fire!

The Final Statement! This isit. Try not to cry too much.

The Final Intentionally Inflammatory Statement is:

"Homeowners associations are miniature fascist regimes."

... and I'm finished. Until next time.

Intentionally Inflamatory Statement Week - Day 6!

The Penultimate Statement!

Today's Intentionally Inflammatory Statement is:

"Cell phones are evil. If you have one, you are evil. Like the devil himself you are."

More tomorrow.

it's SHOWBIZZZ, baby!

Comic Frenzy poster. i got the assignment Monday night and they needed it by Tuesday morning. Churned out in like three or so hours (who needs sleep?). I loves it. I'll admit it, I sorta stole from one of the half-sheet flyers I did for Bryan's new band, the Novelty Act (their Myspace page is here*) but I liked it a lot and wanted badly to see something like it in color. So here it is. I've entitled it... SHOWBIZZZ!

*WARNING: this blog, Big Red Robot, its affiliated corporations and parent company, Globoservrobotics, Inc., do in no way endorse the horrific abberation that is MySpace and hereby absolve itself from any kind of injuries, physical, metaphysical or otherwise, resulting from use of aforemetioned horrific abberation.

Intentionally Inflamatory Statement Week - Day 5!

Intentionally inflammatory statement. Making someone, somewhere angry. Without further ado:


Today's Intentionally Inflammatory Statement is:

"I freaking hated Forrest Gump. And Braveheart. And I've never seen Titanic and I never will."

More tomorrow.

Intentionally Inflamatory Statement Week - Day 4!

So if you missed the set-up... blahblahblah... intentionally inflammatory statement blahblahblah... saying things with the express purpose of making someone, somewhere angry... blahblahblah... further ado:


Today's Intentionally Inflammatory Statement is:

"Football is a boring sport. Like, "poking my eyes out so I don't have to sit through it anymore," type of boring. Like, "is anything else on? Friends, maybe?" boring. Like, "please get me out of here please please please this is killing me with its boringness," boring."

More tomorrow.

Intentionally Inflamatory Statement Week - Day 3!

So if you missed the set-up, all week I will be leaving posts wherein I make an intentionally inflammatory statement. That's right. I'll be saying things with the express purpose of making someone, somewhere angry. So, without further ado:

Today's Intentionally Inflammatory Statement is:

"Friends is the stupidest television show in the history of mankind."

More tomorrow.

Okay, So This Bummed Me Out

Just got an e-mail from my sister saying that, well, Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, is dead. This sucks. Here's a New Zealand news story.

I am more than a little bummed out right now. I mean, I'm not shocked - this is a guy who made a living doing just crazy insane stuff that was bound to kill him - but it's still a bit of a surprise. Dude was the man. His vast knowledge, his genuine enthusiasm, his sense of humor and the big brass ones this guy had will be missed. Anyway, just thought I'd bum the rest of you out.

Intentionally Inflamatory Statement Week - Day 2!

So if you missed the set-up yesterday, all week I will be leaving posts wherein I make an intentionally inflammatory statement. That's right. I'll be saying things with the express purpose of making someone, somewhere angry. So, without further ado:

Today's Intentionally Inflammatory Statement is:

"Angelina Jolie looks like a man in drag."

More tomorrow.

An Un-Inflammatory Statement

I made meatloaf tonight. Candace, what with her "lady sickness," and all, has been in no shape to be cooking, so I took matters into my own hands - literally and figuratvely - and made a mighty meatloaf.

And it was - SURPRISE! - edible. Surely the Apocalypse is nigh.

Intentionally Inflamatory Statement Week Kicks-Off!

Okay, so all this week I will be leaving posts wherein I make an intentionally inflammatory statement. That's right. I'll be saying things with the express purpose of making someone, somewhere angry. Let the inflammation begin! Wait. That didn't sound right. How about:

How's that? Oh well, I've already made the little picture and I think it sounds cool. So there. Anyway.

Today's Intentionally Inflammatory Statement is:

"The Eagles are incredibly, obscenely overrated."

More tomorrow.