Monday, October 31, 2005

Mass 2 Chi


I left Mass around 745am and arrived in Chi at about midnight. i stopped for just gas pretty much, and kept it movin all the way thru. The only weather I encountered was a little rain in Ohio, but in comparison to the rain i usually see in Ohio it was nothing. Traffic was straight the whole way, and everything all in all went smooth. The drive was more about taking photos while driving and reminiscing on previous roadtrips. All the rest areas in New York, especially between Syracuse and Buffalo I had slept in numerous times. I remembered which one had an ice cream vending machine but did not stop at it. I remembered the 35 mph turn in Cleveland, and the road that takes you to Canada. I'll leave for Montana some time this week following Halloweeen, which is actually this evening.....

"House of the Rising Sun"Jimi Hendrix
"40 oz For Breakfast"Blackalicious
"I Can't Kick This Feelin' When It Hits"Moodyman
"Hello, It's Me"Jon Legend

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Last NYC Photos 05.06

Yesterday schedule, timing, events occurring- everything was on time and kept the day rolling smoothly. Unfortunately I don't have photos of every event, i guess due to poor planning, and because of the random things occurring.
I had lunch with the bro and got to check out the Orvis designers office building with their amazing view from the 27th? floor- Times Square to BK panoramic, good stuff but no pict sorry.
Then coffee with an old friend Lauren- again no pictures, back to BK to chill with Marcia and talk about ghost stories and the job market.
Caught up with Luis in the city around 9:30 and took him out for a few hours and then took it on home. Great day.


These photos are from yesterday, and are decent enough to post up but not a good representation of how epic the day was, end to end. Today im taking my game back up north to do final prep work for the drive this weekend, and then it's finally gonnabe on.
The final photo is choice- this is the landlord to the building I lived this summer in brooklyn. he would just barge into the place sometimes, say something mildly relevant to justify his entry, then go on about the physics of life. His thick accent sometimes would just completely lose me in what he was talking/chastising us about, but generally by the conclusion I had the gist down. I wanted a photo of him but had to remain lo-key about it. He wouldn't portray the same reactions for a planned photo, so it was great this opportunity presented itself to shoot him doing his thing on someone else. His character was very genuine and i hope i catch another story again sometime.

The Undisputed Truth "The Main Ingredient"
Joy and Pain Maze
Days End Dj Krush
Don't You Want My Love? (long version) Moodyman
Passin Me By (Fly as Pie Mix) The Pharcyde

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Encore!


Toyota is putting a new engine in my new truck because warranties work like that. Mechanics work also, but only when their supervisors say 'go', so theres been a long delay in the chain of command on getting my ish moving. Massachusetts did what mass does to me and bored me into oblivion, so with a few solid days to kill and my truck not being ready to roll until fri-nite/sat-morn I cleared up some time in my PDA for one last trip to Brooklyn- A farewell tour of sorts, which is more like a shopping errand list of things i needed to pick up before heading west. Such things included: Canal St. 5 dollar aviator sunglasses (now 3 dollars or 2 for 5 since apparently we're in the canal st. off-season), some mo ram for this computer at the apple store, possibly some records at ttlab, and anything else that pops up........Got word that my man Luis got a job promotion and hired by the production company he's been working for. Much respect for that!


Artifacts"Whayback"
Theo Parrish"Lost Keys
Les Mccann"Compared To What"
Stevie Wonder"Detroit Hustle"
The Bar Kays"Son of Shaft"

This is the latest in the season I've been out east since...damn....7/8 years- high school no doubt....im getting anxious to be out west, feels like im showin up late to the party thats already goin on but doesnt really go off for another couple weeks.....

Sunday, October 23, 2005

Artificial Leadership


I'm still in Massachusetts, and this depresses me slightly, but I'm still ahead of schedule- be in chi by halloween....well this time here has had me catching nightly television i'd only heard about before but never had the chance to catch, due to better things to do. Watching taped episodes with the fam of shows like "The West Wing" , and that geena davis show where shes the first woman president have gotten me asking questions about the reasons these shows even exist in the first place. There is a Washington, D.C. where this is really occurring, and altho no doubt similar backstabbing occurs in a similar fashion, the comparison between the leadership figures between these shows and reality is so lop-sided it's absurd. I watched an episode last night that had a character speaking on his beliefs between seperation of church and state/creationism vs. evolution/etc, and behold a well-spoken and articulate candidate that isn't cutting corners! I'm sorry but is that unplausible to anyone else? When's the last time a serious candidate for the office of president spoke like that?

We're looking to the television for a reality of our government that is less than a partial truth. People are being pacified with these images to forget how the government is actually being run.

I've been finishin up chp1 of the mix-movie, google video takes awhile to accept the upload so ill try to get that going before i leave, which will be weds/thurs im hoping!

Thursday, October 20, 2005

...Yet Another Epic, Untold, Saga...


Regardless of stories we've heard about conceptions of right and wrong/good and bad, we're all familiar with stories of War, and that really no one wins in the end. History buries these stories in bound pages deep in musty basement corridors, where only age-worn antiques still stroll down, all maybe just to circulate the abundant spiderweb buildup. Let it now be said that although history told us a tale of the Battle Of Lexingburg and Concord, be it known that the ending has yet to be told....
The tension between these two towns, the build-up each year, the family's breeding children to become star soccer players, the bake sales for new uniforms- the weight of the social world lies on but a game, held at a modest middle school in a modest hamlet, known to most as lexington.
I approached the battlefield unsure of what to expect, the general of the lexington army was pacing end to end of the field as if to fuel the motivational fire these warriors with being fueled with. It is to no fault however then to the leader, that Concord took the battle. In the end it was a grizzly fight that came left a lot of blodd sweat in tears on the field today. Some were murmuring of that final goal being the "Shot heard Round the World" and that this rival has been quenched, but the Lexington team told me by the look in their eyes this is but another chapter in a bitter rivalry locking these two towns together- truly justifying each others existence through raw, bloody war. This was a game for both teams to players to tell their children about one day.....Much respect to Coach Andy Wright for leading his team to a close second in this round, in what the Ancients once called socca...
...On my way to the gam-ahem, battle i stopped and picked up a new camera and im still getting used to the lens, so it wasn't intentional i only got a little of Andy in the shot.....Truth be told I did not just randomly get a beer with the soccer coach but was meeting an old friend who I hadn't seen in ages (just think Swedish Jedi). Caught up and discussed everything except taking our pilot to networks, The Swedish Meatball...

Aightthassiit i am spent. Got a phonecall on the way back telling me I have a place to live this winter......might go work for a couple weeks in Michigan on my way out west....am trying to come thru minneapolis to see another jedi friend (not swede tho)......chicago i need to make it thru as well but time is running short........we welcome all side ventures, especially if they fund themselves, so perhaps michigan takes some priority......

New video to be uploaded soon! Chapter 1 of the Video Mixtape!

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Formulating the Gameplan

It's Tuesday the 18th of October. I'm looking to be leaving hopefully in less than a week-ASAP is the name of the game, but some hurdles still need to be jumped. I need a new digi still camera since an ATM door in the STL last weekend took mine out (RIP). And theres a vehicle appointment this friday at the toyota dealership to make sure everythings all good. I came into some money through some savings bonds and am retiring the 4Runner at approx. 186 thousand miles- I know thats a little weak but im not tryin to make a Toyota commercial here, im tryin to make it thru desolate wyoming where theres no cell service...if you've been there, especially at 3am with no sleep alone you definetly feel me here.....

Took the cousins to the Burton Factory Outlet" in Wrentham, Mass a few days ago. It was cool catching up with them an im on the hunt for a wide jibby 155 for him at a good price, he's leaning on some Burton/Jeenyus decks but we'll see what pops up with a 258/260 waist for good $$$....oh and i got both of em UN INC tshirts coz they were 10 bucks each and i dont see those kids often enough anyways.....
Ima post some new video with some prepping for the trip, maybe even with a time-lapse or two! (so stock in snb flicks....)

Oh, and if you're a snowboarder you need to check Paradox by Standard Films, and even if you're just into amazing footage go there and check the trailer- followcam low flying heli shots are unbelievable! The movie is dope but those shots make the flick epic....i understand the hype on The Community Project but i think this is gonna be vid of the year- (its Standard forchristsake!!) and actually when it comes to the whole "capturing riding for fun" idea im actually more looking forward to checking December with the Air Blaster kids (t parka and andrew crawford- shot by jake price formerly of robot food.) Time will tell though.........................oh yeah i have to mention First Descent, since I do want to see that film do great- more people need to know about the history of snowboarding and who put it down where and when- kinda in the same regard people should really know Mark Gonzales almost as well as they know who Tony Hawk is....
....below is a still from First Descent with Terje Haakonsen posting way up in Alaska................................................TOP5-NOW


"Its Your World" Common
"Nuthin Ta Do" Common
"Invocation" Common
"Interlude" Common
"My Way Home" Common



Bonus:
"8 Minutes to Sunrise"Common w/ Jil Scott

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Mr. Pooba Jackson Ties the Knot!


Now I've heard from credible sources that St. Louis is a city with many hidden treasures, and from the experience we had at the City Museum I can def believe that, but damn- does anyone live/work in downtown STL??? Seriously this place was hauntingly deserted always, and I got up with an old friend of mine named Matt Grande and he had the same impression when he came thru with the military years before.....to anyone interested he's doin well and is almost done with the military and definetly done with Texas....

East STL strip clubs are no joke, this is a proven fact after this trip....not much can be mentioned of the overall debauchery except dude outside the spots was killin' it at the time we thought with the bbq....in hindsight maybe not tho...
Our man Pooba got his tho and from what I recall we all had a good time with it, everything went according to plan- no runaway brides or Donald Sutherlands fallin in the cake- the only thing that really went wrong for me was my digi still camera got busted from a door closing (dont ask) so I missed shooting most of the fun things that occurred...like the whole reception....

A Nice suprise was the bonus day in Chi with Lee and B takin a stroll down memory lane and hittin up all the usual spots with the exception of proally only the Palmer House Pool.......... I flew back to Mass after that insane trip with a 102 fever and 3 days played out on the couch......All the best of luck and dumptruck loads of fun to my man Pooba for getting it done right- I only wish my Sword hadn't been at the cleaners during the wedding, I was planning on knighting him for his wedding present...too bad he'll have to wait and pull some heroic deed for his next opportunity......

Saturday, October 15, 2005

Videos Online


Google hosts videos for free! I've uploaded and condensed 3 videos I made a few years ago in Chicago for streaming. Obsubtivity I did senior year in school. Theres a voiceover with me rambling on randomness, but to cut to the chase the project was really about how places hold memories for people. My old roomate Justin Lee helped me shoot the scenes where I am walking around, and I did all the video/sound work.
Dislocation I made my 3rd year in Chi, and its really about channel surfing and how ones train of thought is derailed so often while watching television. In a way its also like a Ben Russell Mixtape-The Video.....
1860 Miles was a short I did 3rd year where I took my first westward roadtrip. It's very short and simple but I got to play with a couple parts with compositing (like the driving photo here....)

This was all unexpectedly made available thru Google, as I already mentioned. If you're interested in having Google host your videos do a search on google for video hosting and the link will be the first to pop up.