melisslissliss

Visit Me at SuperForest.org

2011-04-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

I've not posted here in quite some time and just wanted to let anyone know who might stumble upon this space to visit me over at SuperForest.org.

Aloha!
Melissa

Happy New Year, 2010!

2010-01-01T21:51:00.000-08:00

Had a fantastic New Year's Eve. Shot Chromeo at Club Nokia and then headed to a low key house party with fine American whiskey and a fire pit. Was delightful.

kitty

2009-12-02T17:47:00.000-08:00

(his name is steve.)

In love with this house

2009-11-30T20:03:00.000-08:00

Pigeon Impossible

2009-11-10T19:42:00.000-08:00

Oh, Pigeons.

Official Photos: Band of Horses & War Paint

2009-11-10T01:41:00.000-08:00

(click each for the rest)

Band of Horses & War Paint

2009-11-10T00:12:00.000-08:00

First official photo pass!

(more photos of the show coming soon...)

Ikea + Taiwanese Shaved Ice

2009-11-07T00:44:00.001-08:00

Pictures of neither of those things:

100% 100th Post!

2009-11-06T10:13:00.000-08:00

G'morning. :)

Want to go to San Diego for lunch?

2009-04-29T14:47:00.001-07:00

Peggy iChatted me the other day with those words...

Her friend flew us in his plane!

Here are a couple of snaps from that day. It was awesome, and Aaron was a most excellent pilot!

Texts from Last Night

2009-04-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

I am a text spy. When I'm behind you in line, at concerts, wherever, I will try to look at your texts. I don't make assessments about you based on these texts, I just think it's interesting. I love to do it. And Texts From Last Night is a perfect outlet for it.

Here are some of my favs:

(310): Gettin pulled over, can you watch my dog and pay the bils for a while?

-----------

(215): Stoned at DSW. SO MANY SHOES! THEY'RE FREAKING ME OUT.

----------

(516): gavin joseph was born around 1 oclock 9lbs 12oz... over 21 inches long
(917): Thats what she said

-----------

(917): omg omg i just fucked paul. i need to stop doing this kind of thing.
(310): wait, who's paul?
(917): exactly.

-----------

(847): Rock
(630): Scissors
(630): Fuck

----------

Also: After reading some of these obviously drunken texts, I still can't believe that it's legal to drink something that can produce these types of consequences, but smoking a plant that just makes you laugh at the people dealing with these consequences isn't.

Foxy Snow Diving

2009-04-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

Just wow.

Nina & Kennan Come to Town!

2009-04-20T19:58:00.000-07:00

Jeremy's longest friend, Kennan, and his lovely and talented girlfriend, Nina Nastasia came to town to master the tracks on her new album. We have spent an amazing weekend with them, eating, drinking, music listening, geocaching and general adventuring all over the city.

Yesterday, we took Nina & Kennan, and Emily & Paul to Cloud Cone Point.

Shot In The Back of the Head

2009-04-17T10:24:00.000-07:00

Last summer, when I was in NYC for All Points West, I randomly met Moby in a bar. He just sent me his latest single / video "a strange and dark instrumental, sure to be a big radio hit..." done by David Lynch. Reminds me of Mazzy Star.. Check it out:

Shot In The Back Of The Head from Moby

Tweenbots

2009-04-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

Tweenbots is a little (adorable) robot experiment that Kacie Kinzer did in NYC.

"In New York City, we are very occupied with getting from one place to another. I wondered: could a human-like object traverse sidewalks and streets along with us, and in so doing, create a narrative about our relationship to space and our willingness to interact with what we find in it? More importantly, how could our actions be seen within a larger context of human connection that emerges from the complexity of the city itself? To answer these questions, I built robots ... Mission 1: Get from the Northwest to the Southwest Corner of Washington Square Park / time: 42 minutes / number of people who intervened: 29"

Macbeth Photograph'd

2009-04-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

Jeremy and I have become the resident photographers for the wonderfully talented Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble at the historical Powerhouse Theatre in Santa Monica. Here are the shots from Macbeth!

(click the images for the full set!)

Happy Birthday Jeremy!

2009-03-31T18:01:00.000-07:00

Approximately this time last year:

J's birthday was a significant one last year. I broke up with him. At the zoo. Thank the universe I figured out the right thing to do. That was to be with the man who has treated me better and with more respect than any other man I've know.

To 35 more years of knowing you.

Cuter than you

2009-03-31T12:48:00.000-07:00

Allow me to change your life for the better.

(click above link or the photo)

Via Jim, who doesn't have a current site to where I should link.

Baby Break Dance

2009-03-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

Courtesy Ms. Alli V.

Solo Project

2009-03-26T13:46:00.000-07:00

I took a solo stroll through Huntington Gardens yesterday. For me, a significant path to change is often just getting in the car and driving. I do more thinking while driving than most other places. Thinking about personal growth, change. I have realizations and find understanding in implementation of the action necessary for change.

Yesterday was one of those days. Good. Productive. Thoughtful. Arriving an hour before they opened with some time to kill, I began and finished the book I brought: It's not how good you are, it's how good you want to be. Precisely what I needed to read yesterday. The drive to the gardens proved insightful. The wander through them, even more. The Gardens were beautiful. Perfect weather.

Photoshoot for Survived with J later.

It was a full day of photography, self searching, and challenging myself to succeed.

Extreme Sheep Herding

2009-03-26T13:44:00.000-07:00

Daunting Messy Mess

2009-03-23T14:23:00.001-07:00

I did a first sweep of the garage yesterday. Trying to get organized, get rid of stuff, and feel less scattered in preparation for moving, Burning Man, both, or neither. Regardless, it feels good to know that all the boxes of DVDs or J's wires are labeled and in one place. Definitely pares down the search time. I can even tell you where the rug for our tent is now! (in the duffle bad with all the other useful fabricy pieces :)

Progress -

A more organized mess (click photo to see the notes over each item) -

If Heaven Isn't Exactly Like Lost...

2009-03-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

Yup. Pretty much.

Dilated Pupils

2009-03-20T17:35:00.000-07:00

Eye exam today. They were HUGE. And this is about an hour after I left the office.

Yes, I'm Really Posting This

2009-03-20T14:27:00.000-07:00

The lovely Ms. Alli V. sent me this with the subject line "your dream guy de-robed"

Oh, yes, I still love him.

This Plant...

2009-03-11T18:51:00.001-07:00

Is a clipping from my brother, Dan's, plant that was started as a clipping from my Mom & Dad's plant that they bought the year Dan was born - 1979.

10 Days of Love Bean

2009-03-09T23:23:00.000-07:00

Cloud Cone Point Winter Fun

2009-03-09T22:25:00.000-07:00

Went to the mountains on Sunday for some winter snow fun time.

(Click photos for full set)

Create Fixate

2009-03-09T11:11:00.001-07:00

J and I made it down to Create Fixate on Saturday night for some friends, art and dancing. 'Twas a good time had by all..

I found two artists whose work I want to own.

Sasha Bell makes this gorgeous jewelry.

Walt Hall does multimedia on wood.

WANT.

Perfecting Little Cakes

2009-02-26T11:45:00.000-08:00

I made these Molten Chocolate Cakes (<--scroll down for recipe) for Jeremy for our one year. I didn't cook them long enough and overlooked letting them cool before the inversion step. So they ended up a melted chocolately mess. Albeit a yummy mess, but still not visually appealing.

J is in NYC for work this week, and with some extra time,I decided to try to perfect them. Summer hung with me, in an online iChat kind of way, where I taunted her with words of yumminess... and despite the fact that the recipe creates two, and it isn't reducible because of the eggs, I made them anyway and ate them both! They were so yummy.

Success!

Pst! My offer still stands to make these for you if/when we ever meet, Summer. :)

Love Eruption!

2009-02-25T17:21:00.000-08:00

I have seen these message beans here and there for years. I was a little skeptical about a bean in a can. Especially one that's been laser engraved. And that a plant might not be a good present for some. Jeremy was the right person! And of course the love eruption happens while he's in NYC. :)

Here it is on days 10 & 11:

I think I only love you for your beard.

2009-02-24T16:44:00.000-08:00

Tree Branch Hanger

2009-02-17T12:01:00.000-08:00

I found these adorable little tree branch coat/scarf/bag/key hangers by Bosign at The Container Store yesterday. I can't wait to hang them!

Shhhh...

2009-02-16T20:42:00.000-08:00

It's a surprise!

One Year!

2009-02-16T17:45:00.000-08:00

One year ago today, we shared a booth together. Now we share a life together. Love!

Happy 200th Birthday Charles Darwin!

2009-02-12T15:47:00.000-08:00

Thanks for figuring it out for us, Dude!

Kittens Inspired by Kittens!

2009-02-12T10:08:00.000-08:00

I'm So Giddy!

2009-02-10T16:09:00.000-08:00

It's beautiful.

Barack Obama Is Tired Of Your...

2009-02-05T23:44:00.000-08:00

After hearing what Obama has to say in the following link, I've decided that our President should smoke a bong with Michael Phelps.

Is This Going To Be Forever?!

2009-02-03T00:29:00.000-08:00

I haven't laughed this hard in a long time.

7 Year Old's Post Tooth Surgery Intoxication

Edits...

2009-01-29T13:11:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, January 24, Chelsea, Hillary and I went to Mani's Bakery for the most delightful brunch. Then Chels, Dom and I headed over to Pan Pacific Park for Lou O'Bedlam's micro photo shoot. It ended up being rained out, but the wander around the park yielded a nice crop of new photos that I'm very happy with.

After the park, Chelsea had a hankering for a smoothie, and Erewhon was right there... so she bought some bananas, and we headed to her place. Smoothies were delightful, and then Jeremy made the spontaneous decision via iChat to head to the mountains to place the Cloud Cone Christmas Cache (the Geocache I gave Jeremy for Christmas).

All in all, a perfectly delightful day, which resulted in some photos I'm happy with. This type of editing was new and I love it.

(Full Set)

Barack & Bowl!

2009-01-20T17:38:00.000-08:00

In celebration of our 44th President, we went bowling. Here's the flyer.

Disneyland 2009

2009-01-15T12:05:00.000-08:00

Jeremy, Dong, and I went to Disneyland & California Adventure last Sunday. There is something remarkable about that place that has nothing to do with magic and characters. The infrastructure and attention to detail that makes it magical is much more impressive than any other aspect. There is never a single piece of trash to be found, nor is there a single spec of paint overlooked. The place is kept in perfect pristine condition. I go there and feel like I am in another world. There is always entertainment to be had. And if you know the right places and method of going about your adventure, it's 100% stress free.

Going with Jeremy, who is a Disneyland veteran could not have been better... He knows how to get there in 35 mins or less, get on all the rides you want to go on, eat at the best (and healthiest) places, and never once did we feel pressured for any reason.

About half way through the day, I realized that my watch was missing. Indiana Jones was spent racking my brain about where it could have gone. I usually just keep it on my awesome fanny pack's strap, so the only way it would have come off is if I took the bag off. There was only one place I did that: While watching Bill Hill and the Hillbillies at The Golden Horseshoe while consuming the delicious hot fudge sundae and root beer float that the gentlemen were lovely enough to share with me. So we wandered back over there after Indiana Jones - arguably one the best rides there. They had found the watch but had already turned it into Lost & Found. After some more rides, dinner, and with some perseverance, I was reunited with my watch!

All in all, it was perfect day. Perfect weather. No lines. Perfect companions.

Here are some photos - click each for the full set.

Completely unprovoked, Goofy endorsed Obama!

Thunder Mountain Coupledome. <3

Jeremy takes a nap, and Dong pulls a Halseth on Space Mountain!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-06T09:16:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve was spent in a crowd of a few thousand people and on stage with Moby.

2008 was probably one of the best years I can remember. Consistently good and spent with so many great new and old friends. Shows galore, travel to Dallas, PA, NYC, and Black Rock City!! First Burn! Started a photo business. Met an amazing guy (J!)! Obama was elected!

A couple not so awesome things in there too - first I can think of is the scooter accident. But with all the good must come some bad...

(click photos for the rest)

Scooter Accidents Hurt

2009-01-03T16:32:00.000-08:00

I was in a scooter accident back in November. I have been riding for about 1.5 years and have never had an incident. I also took a motorcycle safety class when I first started and was the only one to pass with a perfect score.

I was headed West on Wilshire Blvd riding home from school and a car pulled out from the right side of me to make a left turn onto Wilshire to head East. I didn't have enough time to get around him, and since he was essentially stopped in the middle of the road blocking both lanes of traffic, there was no option except to attempt to get around him. I was closer to his front end, so I veered left toward the middle of the road and nearly made it.

I didn't though and the right front side of my scooter hit his front bumper. This sent me to the left, and when I tried to correct, I was too off balance from the impact that I was unable to. This sent me and the scooter down on the right side. The scooter slid out from under me and down the road about 100 feet. And I rolled about 3 times before coming to a stop on my back.

The only injury I suffered was a pretty bad abrasion and bruise on my hip, which took the impact.

The guy's insurance company has accepted liability and will pay for my scooter and computer that was in my backpack.

So my question for all of you is this: If this happened to you, would you keep riding? Why or why not?

Mount Wilson Sunset

2008-12-15T23:58:00.000-08:00

Jeremy and I went to Mount Wilson on Sunday for an adventure. The original plan was to drive up Angeles Crest and do some geocaching and see some snow.

We got a bit of a late start, and it wasn't snowing, so we made it to one geocache and then decided to drive to the top of Mount Wilson to watch the sunset. It was perfect. Cold, but perfect.

In Your Pants

2008-12-09T11:33:00.000-08:00

Hilarious.

Radical Times When I Met Radiohead

2008-12-03T17:00:00.000-08:00

First time: 1995 at the Trocadero in Philadelphia - a tiny venue that holds about 1000 people, maybe less. I was like 14 at the time, and we made a shirt that said "I LOVE THOM" with iron-on letters. We attached a little note to it with a safety pin and threw it up on stage during the show.

My mom took us to the show, and we convinced her to let us stay afterwards to see if we could wait around and meet the band. One by one, they started coming out. Thom was the last one and was wearing a leather jacket. We were all just standing around talking to him, taking photos, getting autographs, etc, and my friend started sort of freaking out. I looked over at her, asked her if she was ok, and all she could get out was, "..he's... wearing... the shirt!"

Thom heard her and then said, "oh you made this? it's brilliant! thank you!"

The letter attached to the shirt had our addresses on it, and about a month later, we each received a letter from Thom in the mail. The envelope was handwritten, and he told us to make fishy faces in the photo.

Second time: we went to see them open for Alanis Morrisette (left before she started!). We brought a little bag of things we wanted to give them with another note in it. When we arrived, we went to our seats, which totally sucked. But we were seeing them at Hershey Stadium, which is an outdoor stadium where you can see the whole backstage area. My friend looked down in that area and swore she saw Thom walking around. So we gathered up all our things and ran down there.

In the time it took us to get there, Thom had walked away, but Ed and Phil were there. We called them over, talked to them for a bit and gave them the little bag with the note. They went and sat down with Jonny and Colin, opened the bag, read the note and passed everything around their little circle. We were obviously kind of freaking out at this point.

After a little while, they all got up and went to the buses. When they finally emerged, it was to go on stage. This was pre-Ok Computer, so we freaked out when they played Paranoid Android and other OK Compy stuff. Just before the 4th song, Thom said, "Oh wait a moment," and pulled out a piece of paper from his back pocket, unfolded it and said, "the next song is dedicated to Dana, Kathi, and Melissa." They played High and Dry, and we freaked the fuck out.

After the show, they came over to us, said hello, signed stuff for us and other people around. Thom was talking to someone else and I said to my friend, "this is the best birthday present ever." (it was my birthday in like 6 days, but this was my gift from my friends.) Thom overheard me, asked whose birthday it was, I told him mine, and he said "happy birthday" and gave me a hug. And right as he was about to hug me, he said, "sorry, I might smell a bit." Oh man! like I cared!

Cloud Cone Point

2008-12-01T19:09:00.000-08:00

Jeremy called me on Saturday afternoon to let me know he was on his way home to take me on a surprise adventure! This sounded fun, so I immediately jumped out of bed and got ready. All I knew was that it would be outside and cold. I packed us a lunch and off we went. J insisted that I drive because "that was part of the adventure."

As we cruised along in Laser I saw the sign for Angeles Crest Highway and was even more excited. I've heard great things and had never been... Now I understood why my driving was part of the adventure! Beautiful twisty mountain road that took us up and up...

Finally we made it to what we've now named Cloud Cone Point. We parked Laser, hiked up beneath some Big Pines and came out with a beautiful view. It was definitely cold, so J built us a little fire. We ate our lunch, took some photos, and had a lovely time! We stopped between the two tunnels - a magical place of hope and wonder - and then began our descent along with the sun.

Remembering the new Americana Grove-like mall, we decided to go check it out. There was a gigantic Christmas tree, a massive fountain and the place was mobbed. So we elected to see Australia. Great, fun film!

A perfectly ideal day. :)

Here is the route we took and some photos from the adventure.

View Larger Map

Can be.

2008-12-01T14:19:00.001-08:00

Jeremy posted this last week, and it's still cracking us up.

Enjoy the absurd brilliance.

Ooohhhh Cats!

2008-11-22T01:26:00.000-08:00

Cracks me UP!

Radiohead Perform Neil Young -Tell Me Why

2008-11-19T01:04:00.000-08:00

Jeremy and I went to the Lakers game tonight! So much fun. Took the G9, and while uploading the photos (which I'll post later) Jeremy discovered this video I took back in August, added a title and helped out with the camera shake. Pretty awesome stuff. Glad it was rediscovered.

Prop H8: Perfectly Articulated

2008-11-13T11:41:00.000-08:00

Veteran's Day Sunset/Moonrise

2008-11-13T10:47:00.000-08:00

It really looked like this. Amazing colors. Beautiful sunset with a view and a moonrise behind me.

(click the photos for larger sizes)

My Mom Was IS Hot

2008-11-08T00:17:00.000-08:00

What a Guy!

2008-11-07T16:09:00.000-08:00

All of them

Joshua Tree Halloween Dance Party in the Desert

2008-11-06T10:18:00.000-08:00

Best Halloween ever.

Jeremy went to Joshua Tree last year with the Playa Surfers and suggested we go this year. We organized a group of 13, hopped into The Fits, and headed into the desert. It couldn't have worked out better. We knew the Playa Surfers were going again this year and hoped to meet up with them, but didn't know how or where.

We arrived at Joshua Tree around 11am on Friday. As we drove around scoping out available campsites, we pulled up to one that looked perfect. There were some other people staking out the site as well. We introduced ourselves, chatted, figured out the campsites and started unpacking. Ten mins later, a guy from the other campsite walks over and says, "Is that Jeremy? Were you here last year?" Turns out we were camped immediately next to the Playa Surfers! Once again, playadipity extends beyond the playa!!

The weekend was perfectly relaxing and so much fun. Saturday, we went to Hidden Valley for a day hike. The one mile loop took the whole day because we were so into it! We climbed around like the monkeys we are and had a frigging blast!!

Peggy brought everything to make Hot Totties and Banana Boats. Yummy goodness all around!

Here are some of the photos. For the rest, click any of them to get to Jeremy's site.

To make Banana Boats - peel the top section of the banana, carve out and eat, replace with assorted goodies like chocolate chips, caramel chunks, mini marshmallows, wrap in foil, place on grill, wait for goodies to melt, consume, enjoy!

No, really, dance party in the desert:

YES WE DID!!

2008-11-04T22:56:00.000-08:00

As I watched Obama speak tonight, I cried. For the hope of progress and change that such a landslide brings to me, this country, and the rest of the world. As I walked across the street from Steve & Kristan's, my phone dinged its little email notification letting me know that my friend Joseph had tagged me in a Facebook note. I couldn't have articulated this better:

I cried tonight.

I did.
I cried watching Obama speak in Chicago.
I watched the speech at my downstairs neighbor's house. I've never been inside, but I heard his TV and asked if I could come in.
I sat there surrounded by four black guys and we sat speechless, watching the families of our next president and vice president, white and black, hug each other.

An hour ago I called my dad. He picked up the phone with: "You won. What else do you want to talk about?"
My dad voted for McCain.
Tonight as I watched Obama talk about hope and change, as I watched him talk about leading this nation into a spirit of service––into a spirit of consciousness of ourselves as members of a larger world order––I cried a little.

I cried because something inside me felt like we get to be proud to be American again.
I cried because I knew somehow that the society I'm going to work for, the America I'm going to live in and build for my kids and the kids of my neighbors, doesn't have to be the land my parents and my friends parents understand.
I cried because, on a personal note, my love for all people regardless of race and my anger at the atmosphere of hatred that I grew up around in Republican Orange County, was somehow validated.
I cried because I watched our beautiful new first lady and her beautiful black daughter stand in front of the world as loving family members of the new most powerful man in America.

Let me underline my optimism with reality.
Because Obama is president, this country will not cease to be veined with racism.
Because Obama is president, the wars in Afganistan and Iraq will not magically cease and leave healed countries in their wake.
Because Obama is president, Los Angeles will not cease to have almost 90,000 homeless people sleeping on the street tonight and for many nights to come.
Because Obama is president, the economy will not cease to be in disarray.
Because Obama is president, injustice will not dissolve.
Because Obama is president, there is still no guarantee that gay people will be treated equally. That struggle will continue. Even Obama does not support gay marriage in principle, and there is a good chance that prop 8 will pass tonight. For that, this victory is bittersweet.

But.

Because Obama is president, I can say that the country I believe in (in principle) does not prohibit someone from being in charge just because of their skin color.
Because Obama is president, I can be assured that while our goals might not be fulfilled, at least they are validated and aimed in the right direction.
Because Obama is president, I now believe there is a chance that we might begin to act as servants of the world and its people rather than a hegemonic, money-hungry juggernaut.
Because Obama is president, I no longer have to be ashamed to be American.

Because Obama is president, I have watched one of the most remarkable political victories in America manifested in front of my eyes.

Our generation has spoken.

If you were tagged in this note, it's because you were there alongside me and helped me care about the political process of this country.
Special props and love to my mom Kat and her wife Lynnette. I love you both and nothing can ever take away the love you have for one another. I will continue to fight for justice.

Thanks for reading,
-Joseph

Barack the Vote!

2008-11-04T17:16:00.000-08:00

My Election Day Getup!

VOTE!!

2008-10-22T12:32:00.000-07:00

Dom filled out his absentee ballot last night!! I took photos!

Banksey: Village Petstore & Charcoal Grill

2008-10-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

Pretty much awesome.

In Raindock

2008-10-20T21:58:00.000-07:00

New dock arrangement.

(Got the idea from James)

Violet vs. My New Compy

2008-10-20T15:31:00.001-07:00

She was relentless with her desire to lick it! She failed.

I ♥ My Compy

2008-10-18T22:24:00.000-07:00

New Mac Book Pro!

FACT: I'm more royal than you.

2008-10-15T11:50:00.001-07:00

According to this Wikipedia entry: "A clubbed thumb is a term used to describe the genetic clubbing of one or both thumbs. It is characterized by a particularly short thumb that is round in section and bulbous at the end. The thumb nail is very wide and short. The scientific term for clubbed thumb is Brachydactyly type D or "BDD". Clubbed thumbs are historically thought of as a sign of royalty. This rare condition was much more common in royal European blood-lines than in the general population and was used as a factor in determining the pureness of the blood."

In all their greatness:

This blog entry goes out to my lady, Rayne, who shares in my newfound royalty! Though I'm still more royal than her because both of my thumbs are clubbed, and she's only got one.

Cinderella Slippers?

2008-10-11T11:59:00.001-07:00

I received the following email this morning from my guy friend:

monday night i was on 129th street in harlem looking for a taxi with my friend when we saw a pair of
orange stripper/hooker shoes in a dumpster.
i, of course, grabbed them and put them on(with socks, so as to avoid shoe-borne diseases).
i wore them in the taxi down to the bowery where i got tired of wearing them(they are kind
of painful, to be honest).
as the night progressed i, sadly, forgot about them.
then last night(4 days later) a random stranger/dj came up to me and said 'are these your shoes?' and handed
me aforementioned orange stripper/hooker shoes.
i said 'yes', and immediately put them on, having been reunited with said shoes.
so i ask you, what are the chances that:
a-i'd find a perfect pair of orange stripper hooker shoes at 2 a.m in a dumpster in harlem on a monday night?
and
b-that some random stranger would re-give them to me at 2 a.m on the bowery on a friday night?
i now believe that these shoes are my soulmate.

xxxxxxxxx

p.s-here are my soulmate shoes.

I would like to know if they actually FIT?! Funny how the only reason these are deemed hooker shoes is because of the silver spiked heel. if it were a regular heel, they'd just be lady's heels.

Blah/Yay!

2008-10-10T03:06:00.000-07:00

I have been completely uninspired to post lately. Busy-ness does it, I think. Here's what I've been up to:

----------------------------------

I began that post last night when I was at a pretty low point. I think I just needed a good talk and some sleep. All better now!

I started school about two weeks ago. The classes this quarter are good. Abnormal psych, Sensation & Perception, and I'm doing another research assistantship for credit. Some days are much more interesting than others. Yesterday, for instance, I was pretty bored during Sensation & Perception, started organizing my compy's desktop and rediscovered some photos I'd neglected to post. Shortly after I returned from New York, Jeremy and I rented bikes at the beach and found swings.

We also had two amazing nights at The Greek. Thursday October 2, Cameron, Chelsea, Jeremy and I rode my scooter and Cam's motorcycle to see Sigur Ros. Cameron and I have waited months to see them - especially after our failed adventure to see them in Mexico due to the civil unrest that was happening there.

( ^ also my current desktop - feel free to download the full size. it's scaled for 1440 x 900)

The following night, October 3, Jeremy, Stevel, and I saw David Byrne! It was an amazing performance. Dancers, music, dancing, BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE!! Here is a really great review from of the show.

Two Amazing Artists Collaborate on a Los Angeles Fountain

2008-09-30T15:49:00.000-07:00

Lykke Li & Bon Iver perform Dance Dance Dance...

Giraffe WANT.

2008-09-26T19:05:00.000-07:00

I am infinitely fascinated by giraffes. They're beautiful, majestic, and I relate the whole long neck thing! :)

Found this via Design Milk:

Good Morning Hampstead!

2008-09-25T23:08:00.003-07:00

I housesat for my closest Los Angeles Family for the past two weeks. The following animals currently live there:

Lord Haynesworth

Admiral Nelson

Hampstead (4 years ago)

Jeremy, Hampstead and I made a little movie. Enjoy!

On and On and On

2008-09-17T13:37:00.000-07:00

On and on and on we’ll stay together yeah
On and on and on we’ll be together yeah
You and I will try to stay together yeah
On and on and on we’ll be together yeah

Please don’t cry we’re designed to die
Don’t deny what’s inside
On and on and on we’ll stay together yeah
On and on and on
On and on and on

One day we’ll disappear together in a dream
However short or long our lives are going to be
I will live in you or you will live in me
Until we disappear together in a dream

Please don’t cry we’re designed to die
You can’t deny even the gentlest tide
On and on and on we’ll be together yeah
On and on and on
On and on and on
We’re going to try

Please don’t cry
This world of words and meanings makes you feel
outside
Something that you feel already
deep inside
You’ve denied
Go ahead and cry

On and on and on we’ll stay together yeah
On and on and on
On and on and on

You and I will stay together yeah
You and I will try to make it better yeah

- Wilco

YES.

Burning Man 2008 - The American Dream

2008-09-11T00:20:00.000-07:00

Open playa. Gerlach. Art Car. The Man. Center Camp. Dust Storm. Theme Camp. The Temple. Playadipity. Homeslice. Decompression. Transformation.

These are all words that I now know the meaning. The Playa provided.

The most amazing experience of my life that I've actively chosen to participate in.

Radiohead Mosaic iPhone Wallpaper

2008-09-10T13:23:00.001-07:00

I made this mosaic out of my photos from the show. Feel free to download and use!

Radiohead Hollywood Bowl 08.25.2008

2008-09-08T20:27:00.000-07:00

This show was, hands down, the best show I've ever been to. Pure magic.

(click the photos to see them all)

Setlist:

1. Reckoner
2. Optimistic
3. There There
4. 15 Step
5. All I Need
6. Pyramid Song
7. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
8. The Gloaming
9. Videotape
10. Talk Show Host
11. Faust Arp
12. Tell Me Why (Neil Young Cover)
13. No Surprises
14. Jigsaw Falling Into Place
15. The Bends
16. The National Anthem
17. Nude
18. Bodysnatchers

Encore 1:
19. House of Cards
20. Planet Telex
21. Go Slowly
22. Fake Plastic Trees
23. True Love Waits Intro/Everything In Its Right Place

Encore 2:
24. Cymbal Rush
25. Karma Police
26. Idioteque

Now is the Time!

2008-08-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

I leave to see Radiohead (for the second night at Hollywood Bowl) in less than 12 hours, followed by my immediate departure to Burning Man!

I'll be back Sept 3.

See you on the Playa or back in LAlaland.

Photo by Jeremy

New York is a Swell Place

2008-08-19T01:39:00.001-07:00

Cameron and I went to New York for All Points West. Saw Radiohead twice and had amazing adventures all along the way... We're great travel partners. I can't wait to go back.

Click the photos for the entire set.

I Shot My First Wedding...

2008-08-18T01:02:00.001-07:00

My brother got married June 21, 2008. It's the first wedding I've ever shot, and here it is!

When Modern Design Makes You Work

2008-08-16T01:04:00.000-07:00

One of the more entertaining emails I've received in a while:

"I kid you not, I can't figure out how to flush this minimal modern toilet. I feel like a papua-new guinean who's never seen modern technology. There's no flusher handle thingy or anything. Maybe I just do a dance in front of it and it rewards me by flushing away my pee. modern design gone wrong."

I need perspective! Stand next to it, open the toilet, something to make that thing look less like a trash can, pedestal, coffee cup, q-tip holder. I'm not convinced he's right about this one...

Welcome to New York!

2008-08-06T22:54:00.000-07:00

I am in New York August 6-13 for the All Points West Music Festival to see Radiohead. Very excited to have friends, family, and an amazing camera here with me. (One person is definitely missing though... )

Here's a half decent iPhone picture of the sky when I landed. All other NYC photos will be posted upon returning to LA.

This Is One Extraordinary Person

2008-08-02T00:55:00.000-07:00

It's Been A While!

2008-07-20T19:04:00.000-07:00

Life is happening and here's a piece of it.

World Dive Bar Tour was at Big Dean's this week. And here are some photos to prove it.

(click photos for the rest)

BMW GINA

2008-06-12T11:44:00.000-07:00

Autoblog.com says: The BMW GINA Light Visionary Model that was seen via video being installed in the BMW Museum in Munich last week has finally been revealed, and the futuristic design study shows how BMW designers are thinking outside of the box when it comes to the materials that make up a car and also how the car relates to the driver. GINA stands for "Geometry and Functions in 'N' Adaptations", which basically means that designers from both BMW and BMW Group DesignworksUSA were allowed to throw out the rulebook. This is most evident in the GINA Light Visionary Model's outer skin, which is made entirely out of textile fabric that's pulled taut around a frame of metal and carbon fiber wires...

Amazing. Beautiful. Want.

Big Ideas... (don't get any)

2008-06-07T20:47:00.000-07:00

while i'm on this radiohead video kick...

enjoy this.

(watch full screen. really.)

Big Ideas (Don't get any) from James Houston on Vimeo.

All I Need

2008-06-03T14:36:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted anything. Been busy with school. I saw this a couple of months ago, and just found it again and still can't believe how incredibly moving it is.

Spot On

2008-05-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

Indexed does it again.

Quite Remarkable

2008-05-17T02:03:00.000-07:00

The creativity and time that went into this is amazing.

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Explainer: How To Make a Skull Bong

2008-05-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Slate's Explainer addresses the logistics of how to make a skull bong. Made of a real skull that three teenagers in Houston decided would be a good idea to extract.

"If the skull were too brittle to be easily drilled, the teenagers might have flipped it upside down. Then they could put the slide through the nose as before but use the large hole at the base of the skull—the foramen magnum—as the mouthpiece. The disadvantage of this method would be the tendency for the skull bong to roll over when set down."

I love the seriousness of this article. Very The Onion.

GEM.

2008-05-07T20:15:00.001-07:00

this song is amazing and the video is even more.

gem moments:

1:24 - his grunty face

2:13 - the mouthing of the echo - like we all don't know that's an effect done in production.

2:17 - the failure to edit out his mouthing something else when there are no actual words being sung at that point in the song

2:37 - his hand gesture. um. really?

2:39 - ass slaps to correspond with hand claps in the song (see Jeremy's comment!)

3:26 - the fact that neither of them is even attempting to resemble actually playing the song on their guitars

the ridiculousness abounds.

I essentially just made you a Pop-Up Video.

HAVE.

2008-05-06T12:48:00.000-07:00

Thank you. With many smiles. :)

Happy Touring, Radiohead!

2008-05-05T17:46:00.000-07:00

Tonight kicks off the first night of Radiohead's In Rainbows tour! First stop - West Palm Beach, FL. Cruzan Amphitheater.

I have to wait 4 months and 3 days (August 8th) before I can see them at All Points West! Radiohead x 4 for me this tour. Both nights of All Points West, and both nights of Hollywood Bowl! I still don't know who's coming with me to the August 24th show. I've basically stopped thinking about it until it gets closer to the date. What I do know is that Hillary, Dana, Cameron and I are going to the August 25th show - exactly 11 years since I met them the last time.

Tonight's Set List:

01 All I Need
02 Bodysnatchers
03 There There
04 Reckoner
05 The Gloaming
06 Morning Bell
07 Nude
08 How To Disappear Completely
09 15 Step
10 Arpeggi (played almost twice)
11 Idioteque
12 Bulletproof
13 Where I End And You Begin
14 Airbag
15 Everything In Its Right Place
16 National Anthem
17 Videotape
---------
18 Optimistic
19 Just
20 Faust arp
21 Exit Music (For A Film)
---------
22 Bangers + Mash
23 House Of Cards

Weird Fishes/Arpeggi

2008-05-02T09:45:00.000-07:00

Jeremy posted this on his site the other day, and I can't stop watching it. Robert at Flight 404 created this lovely video to submit to the Radiohead video contest. He explains that "its got some mad crazy super duper beat detection going on. I reused the application I wrote to make the Goldfrapp piece but went a few steps further. I manually input each bass beat, snare, highhat, and arpeggio note, not to mention all the vocals and syllable breaks. Crazy! It took about 6 hours but I think it was the right way to do it. I would have wasted much more time than that had I chosen to do the beat detection algorithmically. But man, scrubbing through that track, over and over, marking every note… it was a carpal pain...."

It reminds me of the circular nature of the world - shooting star, fertilized egg, other various cells, alka seltzer(!) ? Weird Fishes is also one of my favorite songs off of In Rainbows, and I quite like the combination of it + this visual.

Depth of Field Cuff

2008-05-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

Allison sent me a link to this beautiful piece of recycled jewelry this morning. It's a camera lens turned into a wrist cuff. It's so me. Check out the other things on the site by clicking the image. There are some really beautifully designed items.

WANT.

PIG FOUND :(

2008-04-30T10:14:00.001-07:00

UPDATE: PIG FOUND. hmph. The email exchanges that went back and forth between the four of us were quite entertaining. Though quite possibly just for us.

From Cameron:
I will gather weather data and you girls can interview residents.....I'm gassing up my car now

From Melissa:
COACHELLA FOR LIFE!!!!!

We can all skip classes tomorrow and go.

But seriously, that thing could be anywhere. We should check wind reports that pilots check from Sunday night and try to figure it out. oh man. that'd be awesome. Do you have to pay taxes on reward money?

From Cameron:
I think we'll need a boat...a large boat. It is probably off the coast of Rosarito, or even further down Baja. If my 4th grade social studies project taught me anything, it's that these balloons can go really far. I had someone find my balloon note in Virginia...and I lived in South Florida (I promise I didn't know about balloon dolphin deaths at the time). It is hopeless...damn it!

From Melissa:
It feels silly to "reply all" when Hillary is seriously and literally sitting right next to me. But I officially blame Cameron for all ballon dolphin deaths. Can't we just all be professional somethings that don't require us to do real work so we can actually go on a giant pig balloon search. Imagine the dolphins this thing is going to take out! Coachella is now the official dolphin killer!

From Hillary:
We could find a sponsor & film crew for this adventure..it could be the next Cannonball Run: Search for the Desert Swine! Cameron, you will be required to grow a moustache in honor of Burt Reynolds.

From Dana:
as an animal lover, i am willing to take off the rest of the quarter if necessary. who's with me??

The conversation even made it to Facebook:
Cameron left this on my wall: alright so I really think it is in the Sea of Cortez! But it's hammerhead season and that place has a shit load of them. Lord knows what those crazy bitches would do to a two-story pig. Lucky my new barber has a helicopter so we won't even need to get wet.

My reply to him: Yucatan Peninsula. For Shizz.

And the finding of that pig was the balloon in our blow hole of banter.

We were way off. That Swine made it a mere 2.4 miles driving distance. And couldn't even hold it together long enough to get it to the ground. The thing was in pieces. That pig needs some serious help.

Pig Route

Find This Pig!!

2008-04-29T21:50:00.000-07:00

FoxNews just informed me that:

"Organizers for the Coachella music festival announced Monday that the gigantic blowup swine, released into the night sky during Roger Waters' headlining set Sunday, was still out there — and they want it back.

The festival is offering a $10,000 reward plus four Coachella tickets for life for the safe return of the pig, according to spokeswoman Marcee Rondan."

Hillary, Cameron, Dana and I are officially on it! Cameron's checking the weather data, and the girls are responsible for interviewing residents!

COACHELLA FOR LIFE!!!

Coachella'd.

2008-04-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

Coachella was indeed a blast! The official Coachella Crew (the people I drove with anyway) ended up being Hillary, Dana, Cameron, and me. We spent more time actually seeing music than we did in the beer gardens this year. That was a first for me. The day was filled with music, drinks, heat, and loveliness. And this year was probably one of the most stress-free years there for me.

Anyway, music: We walked in during VHS or Beta's set, caught the last couple of songs. I don't really know their music, but what I heard was interesting enough. Dana was a fan of the lead singer's Asian-ness. Then we wandered over to the Sahara tent for Kavinsky, where I proceeded to dance my butt off. Such a good time. Attempted to see some Devotchka, but opted for MGMT since I'd seen them already. The MGMT tent was a shitstorm and impossible to get in, so back to the Sahara tent for Boys Noise. Hot Chip was by far the highlight of my day. Dana and I have been dying to see them since they're new album was released and since we had tickets to a show that was rescheduled until tonight! So Hot Chip twice in three days? But of course! Islands was a bit of a disappointment compared to the other times I've seen them - at the El Rey, the Henry Fonda, and at UCLA. They were having technical difficulties that we think they didn't know about, so it was beyond their control. The new album is great though. Due to Islands' technical difficulties, Animal Collective went on late, and we had to eat, so we sadly, missed Kraftwerk. We were all dying for food though. After food and a quick stop in the beer garden, we made it to Portishead. Wow Portishead. Beth Gibbons voice is like a female version of Thom Yorke's. I have never gotten so many goosebumps because of a voice more times in any other show besides a Radiohead show. The moment we finally got away from the annoying singing girls in front of us was the moment I was able to just close my eyes and feel the entire set. It's amazing that Dummy came out in 1994 and still manages to sound like it came out now. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, they were so ahead of their time. In other news, Beth Gibbons looks very similar to my mom. And then Prince. What to even say about Prince other than he was Prince. It was fun, entertaining, and I got a surge of energy to dance once more!

All in all, it was a pretty perfect day - great people, great music, great dancing, great time.

Here are some photos:

Here are the rest of the photos!

Foreshadow'd!

2008-04-24T23:11:00.000-07:00

In preparation for Coachella this weekend, Cameron convinced me it would be a good idea to get out of bed this morning (at 11:30a) to make it to school in time (noon) to see Islands perform a free show to 200 UCLA students. I made it just in time to grab a wristband and a coffee, the latter of which I then wasn't allowed to take inside, and to see an awesome show. Granted, because it was noon, the atmosphere wasn't exactly ideal, but it was a perfect precursor to a surely awesome weekend. Bus Driver even showed for Where There's a Will There's a Whalebone! Here are some photos - a bit noisy, but I'm still getting used to my new camera and figuring out the optimal settings for lower light situations. Damien, any suggestions?

And after much scrambling on Craigslist and such, everyone I know who was looking for one now happily has a ticket and will have a great weekend. Though it certainly won't be the same without Matty, Alli, and Taylor.

(click the photos to see a couple more)

Happy Earth Day!

2008-04-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

Today is Earth Day! I'm still using my reusable bottle for water. I'm still drinking coffee out of my own stainless steel cup. I'm still riding a scooter that gets around 80 mpg. And tonight, I'm going to walk to yoga as part of their Walk/Bike/Skateboard/Rollerskate to class and get a free class on Earth Day. I try my best on a daily basis to be Earth friendly and am looking for more ways to do so. Anyone have any suggestions?

(photo: This is your Earth on Global Warming courtesy of azrainman)

Study-ma-tron

2008-04-20T15:20:00.000-07:00

Today's been a fun filled day of studying. I've been trying my best to stay off the computer save for an occasional refresh of the Craigslist "Saturday Coachella" search. I'm currently studying for tomorrow's Developmental Psychology exam. I'm not answering my phone and not responding to emails unless they're from someone with Coachella tickets. In case you're wondering, The Period of the Fetus consists of week 9 through the end of the pregnancy and is largely characterized by a rapid increase in size and is also the period in which the nervous system, organs and muscles become organized and connected, and new behavioral capacities like kicking, thumb sucking, and rehearsal of breathing appear. This is also the time at which the fetus' sex is evident. Oh, the life of a student...

Bread. Butter. Cheese. Victory!

2008-04-16T19:21:00.000-07:00

Grilled Cheese Invitational! This sounds amazing. Basically, you just show up and eat yummy grilled cheese sammiches! I work til 8 and will probably head over after this if I can find a food-loving date to join me... Mikey?

(that girl looks like she'd eat a baby)

Good Bye Rob & Big

2008-04-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

It was hilarious yet sad night for Hillary and I... Last night marked the series finale of MTV's Rob & Big. Rob Dyrdek is a professional skateboarder who hired Big Black as a body guard. They became best friends, lived together, and carried out hilarious antics on each episode - murdered out scooters, murdered out a Pinto, then green'd that Pinto, Rob broke 21 Guinness World skateboarding records, and Big broke 2... the fun goes on. Oh! And we can't forget Meaty, the beloved bulldog or Mini, the adorable little minihorse!