de kooning

her.

Crying out for Syria

For the first time, in many years, today I seem to be feeling older. Of course there are the normal creeks and cracks of my joints, but there is no new physical ailment to attain to this phenomenon; rather, I feel as though I have been enlightened beyond my human (age-permitting) capacity. 

Why? I met with a young man from Syria today. He told me of the horrible occurrences his country is facing. His people are being tortured by a morale-less, abhorrent, brainwashing, dictator, al-Assad: a repulsive man who will go down in history next to the likes of Hitler and Stalin. While I will never put my new friend at risk by exposing his identity, I must confess that he poured out his heart to me, nearly in tears, over the anguish of his life, his family, his friends. Without flinching, he told me a of story in which a friend was tortured for two weeks by the Syrian government. He was an innocent man. His throat was gauged, his family still mourns. We talked at length today, for over two hours, about what Americans can do (yet haven't done) about this situation. The Syrians are crying out for our help, but for some reason the mass media has labeled the citizens of his country as "Terrorists that cannot be trusted", and so we Americans have yet to act. 

Factors in why we have yet to take action include the invaluable efforts of our media to keep us at arms length from helping the Middle East. Or so it seems? I have been continuously annoyed by the new generation of anchors like Erin Bernett and all the other stuttering, negative, attacking, news people about. CNN is just the tip of the iceberg. Can we not get over attacking everyone? According to mass media: Middle-Easterns are all terrorists, blacks are about to kill me, and the Hispanics are all illegal. Where is the truth? The unbiased viewpoint from each side? Where is the positive story? How can I actually use my time and effort to help the world? That's the news I want to watch.

While I continue my search to get to the bottom of this, I must also wade through the other back-trodden waters of deciding which politician I can actually trust with my vote. Should I choose the one who talks the talk, but fails to (convince congress) to walk the walk? Or that guy who claims HE can make this country avoid another earth-shattering recession? The guy who is lax on Syria and plans to stay out? Or the guy who, at least, wants to arm someone (be it rebels) toward the fight against the malicious dictator?

While I am still in flux for the latter, I know my heart goes out to my new friend, his family, and his country. If anything, maybe these roads toward Damascus can bring a new light to things as they did for Saint Paul some 2000+ years ago.

And as I feel older, I will contemplate the anatomy of my hair. It is a strange thing... our looks, how we see ourselves as we begin to age:

Revisiting the past

When I knew less.

Or maybe I knew more.

Film, natural sunset. Germany, apples. My life, for nearly three years. Now gone, almost forgotten.

Making that living

After quitting my job nearly three months ago, I've realized all the opportunities I've missed as an entrepreneur. Currently,  I have a few top secret plans in the work for San Francisco that would have only come about by way of having this extra free time. I have also reopened my jewelry box and created a monster of myself. You should see my dining room table. I can make a mess like nobody's business!

A few of my latest creations (whimsical tribal stick mobile included - possibly for sell; I should make more...) :

I'll be at  Art in the Park in  Kingston Springs on October 6, 2012. Please let me know if there are other craft fairs in the Nashville vicinity in which I should sign up. It would be greatly appreciated :)

By no relation

I originally heard of Dan Deacon when I visited Brooklyn for the first time in 2007. My band was playing Cake Shop, and of course, being in a record store pre-Spotify, I HAD to by a new album. I asked the counter guy what he recommended. He pulled out an album near-by, and as I asked him why this one, he gave no other reason than the fact that he designed the cover. I agreeably bought the record - Spiderman of the Rings - and it soon became my go-to jam whilst doing homework or designing on my computer.

No matter where I am or what I am doing, I have always seemed to find a way to re-visit that album. In a way, I think it is why I have an unconditional love for electronic music  (even though Mr. Deacon would refute such a term, as he would imply it is simply - just music). I am relived by the space it brings. I need it sometimes in my busy life - this space to breathe.

Today we celebrate the release of his new album America. I will leave you with this video, which although drives me crazy at times and I want to yell at the people, "NO! You're doing it wrong!" - the music makes me oh, so happy :) 

P.S. side-step guy at 2:35 may be my favourite part.



I wonder if I will ever meet Cake Shop designer boy again. If so, I would give him a thanks for the recommendation. 

I'm neither here nor there, but at least I know where I want to be.

I'm moving to the oceanside,

Where the air is pure and clean.

I'm moving to the oceanside,

Where I can hear my dreams crash into me.

I'm moving to the oceanside,

Where the ground is thick and green.

I'm moving to the oceanside,

Where the sound is a misty sheen.

I'm moving to the oceanside,

Where the songs are born from the sea.

I'm moving to the oceanside,

Where I can look out endlessly.

I'm moving to the oceanside,

Where the dolphins swim freely.

I'm moving to the oceanside,

My love, won't you come with me.