Hustler of Culture

laughing is free.

i got this email before i left for holiday:

You are on the A-List for a complimentary copy of Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Second Season Now Available on DVD. Please reply to this email with your name and mailing address. Thank you.

XXXXXXXXXX
Director of Advertising & Marketing
newyorkmetro.com
New York Magazine
444 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10022
Fax:212-XXX-XXXX

a rabid larry david fan, i quickly responded. waiting for me when i returned home was my complimentary copy as promised. thank you new york magazine.

i've always loved curb your enthusiasm. don milvio can't stand it. he never enjoyed seinfeld and can't take the improvised humor. i see in larry david what i love about my jewish family (long story, but they are family). like larry, they work in television and film, live in los angeles and share similar neuroses. they are funny people with funny habits and the show makes me feel at home! the car pool lane episode is my absolute favorite, closely followed by krazee-eyez killa. if you haven't been exposed to the miserable world of larry david, watch two or three episodes before you give up. i promise, you'll piss your pants at least once.

and since i got this video perk i thought i'd plug for more. i like free stuff. i mean the truly you-don't-have-to-do-anything-but-we'll-give-you-this-anyway gifts. i think everybody does. receiving comps is like having a birthday. you didn't have to do much the day you were born (really) but people want to celebrate the occasion with presents regardless. if you want to send me free stuff and if it's site appropriate, i'll plug it. i don't get paid for this blog, so i'll take a hand out. make contact if you want to buy me a little happiness. and don't worry friends, i won't sell out. i get enough free stuff i never talk about. i hustle culture, not commodities even though it may sometimes seem one and the same. i'm a selector. i'm your daddy.

found: old people partying.

our plane touched down at 9:15 pm last night. we pulled up to our home at 10:00. running inside to drop off our bags we were back at the curb and in a cab at 10:15 headed to blvd, a posh new downtown venue dripping with technology and comfortable seating. tired and jet-bloated we were motivated to attend the launch party for shepard's new magazine, swindle, a quarterly lifestyle title profiling art, music and interesting heads. packaged with a hardcover similar to french comic books (hello, collectors) it’s meant to be kept and not recycled. with a title like swindle, how can you resist? support independent press!

checked in and ready to rock, we received wristbands at the door. the respect-bands (don milvio's creation) allowed us to mingle in comfort in a closed off area flowing with free beer. legendary rapper, kurtis blow dropped house favorites. hundreds of street kids appeared to have fun, generally smiling lots. booty shook. and cute boys ogled. off to the side, we enjoyed the night without the collective body odor. the party was solid. glad we committed.

paparazzi had a field day (sic). two old people were snapped making fun of young people. we ran into kyle who we've only run into twice outside of his work since living in new york city. i've known kyle since high school. it was good to catch up. you'd think five days of balls-to-walls partying would've been enough. heh. we thought so too.

polaroid scene is an interesting concept. get me on your list and i'll snap pictures of people at your party. genius, why didn't i think of that?! apparently kids really do check out this site. edwin in southern california emailed to poke fun at us.

team hp san francisco tour.

collage courtesy of dan wolfe

our bay area hols are over. we were in town for the beautiful losers opening at the yerba buena. i noticed at the opening and after party that i knew as many out-of-towners as locals. no surprise. it made sense. those traveling were involved with the show one way or another. others turned up for a free peak of street life. several showed to say they were there but complained about it (too many hipsters). note: if you’re really there to see the art, go on a tuesday afternoon, don’t turn up for the opening! it was so best hanging out with everybody. i was interviewed for a documentary on the show. friends made interesting observations -- like how the art was showcased in a funky order (i.e. ed templeton's photos placed next to larry clark’s photos would have been logical). nevertheless, beautiful losers is a treat for san francisco. everybody go check it out. support the arts. support our friends!

i’m happy that the masses are getting exposed to street culture/life. there is a lot of creativity happening from the ground up. it should be shared and enjoyed. it's great that everyone is beginning to recognize that a generation of skateboarders and street hustlers can contribute so much to the arts. harmony, spike and stacy in films. adam, shepard, and eric in magazine publishing. writers, musicians and artists there are too many of you to individually name.

san francisco jump!

hello friends. we just returned from sunny san francisco. we took a few jump photos. enjoy!

me anthropology.

i made a few new friends in san francisco, but everyone new already knows everyone old. small world stories are all my stories these days and i need something fresh. comrades in music, tech, film, videogames, publishing, art and other creative fields have completely converged. sure, there are plenty of new friends to make but well, i'd like to meet an astronaut -- someone doing something i am insanely curious about and have no connection to. hello, if you are an astronaut, i would like to be your pen pal. the closest i can get to aliens these days is being married to a permanent resident alien and having plenty of extraordinary alien friends. i'm looking for a few anorexic, green-skinned, bug-eyed alien friends too.

i'm meeting people i could've or would've met two to three different ways. for example, jonathan, cofounder of resfest. 1) i met jonathan through tokion in new york city in 2001. 2) good pals pedro, philip and wayne, san francisco-based web gurus have known him awhile longer (when resfest was a basement operation). 3) the res media group is under the palm pictures umbrella. my uncle mike was head of music at palm pictures for a few years. his kids play with jonathan’s kids in santa monica, california. jonathan is directly connected three different ways. he has no choice but to be in my life.

heidi feels our six degrees of separation are now down to one degree. wayne thought, well, maybe two or three. ben's friend, mike, repeated what edward and sharon have always told us -- that there are 500 people in the world who are connected to everybody else in the world. mike and essanee must read the same books. separately, mike is also an old pal of heidi's. she was pleased to see him turn up at one of our round ups. a few nights ago, alan pulled me over and asked me how i knew this guy, pointing at scott. i said i'd met him through jee but that he was also an old friend of our new york-based artist friend, young (who now lives in asia and is surprise, surprise, collaborating with my friend joanne in hong kong). turns out alan knew scott too, having worked together in the past. dan, jee's new beau runs in circles that parallel my own. at the bar a few days ago, he was happy to see some of his old friends rendezvous with our group (mutual friends, bod and yogi turned up with janet). is it possible to tap out this friends circle? have we already?

how relationships form and function have been a long term passion of mine. i documented the wayne chain and refer to it often. maybe someday, i'll study anthropology. in the meantime i'd rather live it then research it.

project sun ball.

ben and i are working on a not so secret gig we've named, project sun ball. the more we talk about it, the more real we can make believe it to be. we are spec'ing a mass exodus to barcelona where we will live and create freely. ben was meant to go not too long ago but found himself a job that requires him to acknowledge san francisco as home base. for someone who loosely calls new york, vancouver, and los angeles home, staying put in one city is a small tragedy.

ben's clever. i asked him if he could build a couple of sun balls and aim it at barcelona (he said possibly with anil’s help). the sun balls’ energy would produce a powerful magnet that would attract creatives forcing them to migrate to spain and start a new colony. we don't know spain all that well. it seems like an inspirational place to live. in the last 48 hours, we’ve been able to recruit a handful of followers/dreamers. so are you coming to barcelona or what?

Defecit Disorder / Downtown for Democracy & Vice Magazine (07/16/04)

Downtown for Democracy  and Vice Magazine present: DEFICIT DISORDER
 
10 bands playing 10 minute sets
curated by Jesse Pearson, Editor of Vice Magazine
 
PG SIX
MIKE FELLOWS / MIIGHTY FLASHLIGHT BAND
EARLY MAN
AMONG NATIVES (EX-BLACK DICE)
BRANCA / BLOOR (GLENN BRANCA AND REG BLOOR)/ ANOMOANON ROGERS SISTERS /
BLOOD ON THE WALL / JUELZ SANTANA / BATTLETORN / SPECIAL SURPRISE GUEST
 
  video art by CORY ARCANGEL, PAPER RAD and others
 
  Friday, July 16th 9PM
  Volume
 
  99 N. 13th St. - Williamsburg
 
  $13 advance at www.downtownfordemocracy.org
  $15 Other Music, Kim's Video or at the door on the night of the show
 
  For more information call  718.290.9153
 
  SUPPORT DOWNTOWN FOR DEMOCRACY!
  KEEP THE CLOCK TICKING ON THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION!
 
Downtown for Democracy (D4D) is a political action committee dedicated to engaging the creative community in the democratic process, transforming cultural influence into political power. D4D fundraising will support candidates committed to liberty, social justice, and participatory democracy, and will be used to educate, register, and mobilize voters. Our special focus this year is on mobilizing voters in key presidential swing states in order to defeat George W. Bush.

godzu got a haircut.

our cat godzuki got a haircut today. for a 15 pound cat, he really is all fur. godzu doesn't like to be brushed much so we haven't much of an option but to shave him annually. he's a very long haired cat. when we rescued him, he was a short haired kitty. with time, his beautiful champagne-colored mane turns into matted dreadlocks. once a year, in the summertime he visits the kitty barber. it's better for him and better for us. wild dust bunnies need vacuuming only once a week instead of two to three. he stays cooler. we are all happier. see, look how happy he is!

later.

i'm a little late for spring cleaning. but that's exactly what i'm doing at the moment. i'm having a fit. it's hard work. i'm tired of moving things around but i'm more tired of the eyesore. i can't relax in my home because my possessions possess me. i was going a bit mental because i couldn't focus. so i'm preparing boxes for the salvation army, conveniently located half a block away. i may ebay some stuff. but i haven't much energy leftover to do that. i'm cleaning out my collections. time to remove the sentimental value of cards and gifts. the memories are better anyway.

how is it that you can dump loads of crap every time you move but somehow more stuff finds its way to you? how did we end up with 22 different coasters? our friends are blind to them anyway. do we really need 15 ashtrays when we only use three? friends, we appreciate the thought, but please don't support our bad habits. all the clocks on the fridge have got to go. i'm short on time and my digital cable box serves me well. its neon green lights always tell me, i should go to bed now. sold the eames ottoman and lounge. new owner writes me emails to tell me how much he loves it. lucky bastard. t-shirts with armpit stains, goodbye or hello, reconstruction! trainers, i love you, you are safe.

Ladyjane at Arlene's Grocery (07/16/04)

Ladyjane is going to be playing at Arlene's Grocery this Friday, July 16.

Arlene's Grocery:
Friday, July 16 - 10:30
95 Stanton St between Orchard and Ludlow in NYC
See a Map

-ladyjane.

Everything Is Soft picnic (07/10/04)

Dearraindrop and Little Cakes present:

Everything Is Soft picnic

Hang out, listen, eat, drink and be merry inside Dearraindrop's psychedelic Egyptian theme park complete with pyramid entryway, 15 foot wooden sphinx with video projecting eyes, talking mummy sarcophagus,
and an underground neon tunnel leading to a black lit make out city.

Saturday bands include Elvish Presley, Hoppy the Frog, Plate Tectonics, the Mystical Unionists, Corndawg, Pcpcg, Algebrassiere, and Threace. Sunday: Temple of Bon Matin, Kites, Feathers, Mouthus, Tighty Whitey,
Slo-Jams, Knifestorm, Dreamhouse, and Yours Truly.

Deitch Projects
18 Wooster Street, between Grand and Canal, Manhattan

4p-midnight; $free food, music, and drinks

Continues SUNDAY

Counter Culture (07/10/04)

Counter Culture

An exhibition featuring site-specific interventions by six contemporary New York artists: Raul Vincent Enriquez, Flux Factory, Ricardo Miranda Zuñiga, Jean Shin, Julianne Swartz, and Marion Wilson. The exhibition, which is free and open to the public, explores the commerce and cultural diversity of the neighborhoods surrounding the Bowery -- the future home of the New Museum -- by pairing each of the six artists with a small business or organization in the area.

A self-guided walking tour created by artist Raul Vincent Enriquez -- including interviews and exchanges between shop owners, customers and the artists in the exhibition -- will direct visitors to the five other
projects in the exhibition.

The collective known as Flux Factory presents Secret Spaces, an installation in an area of Bowery Martial Arts (246 Bowery) not usually accessible to customers. A password, which will be included on the
walking tour map, MP3 and at the store itself, will allow visitors to access a hidden, alternate realm. Each Flux Factory member will leave something to be discovered by visitors once inside the secret space, including various missions that visitors can read about and, if desired, perform. Missions range from the silly to the sublime.

In From Darkness to Daylight, Ricardo Miranda Zuñiga constructs an installation at 1 Freeman Alley (off of Rivington Street between the Bowery and Chrystie Street), reflecting on the history and the future of the Bowery. The sculptural work is made of a series of large ducts, similar to those found in the alley itself, that have been interwoven together and inserted with monitors featuring computer animated characters that reflect different histories of the Bowery.

Jean Shin will place one specially designed, stainless steel counter sink filled with sudsy water outside the NoLiTa restaurant Public (210 Elizabeth Street) for her installation Wishing Well (2004). Pedestrians, shoppers and restaurant employees are encouraged to toss pennies into the sinks and make a wish.

Using lenses, magnets, hoses, and screens, Julianne Swartz creates sculptures that make circuits or journeys through space. Swartz's Can You Hear Me (2004) consists of a pipe system stretching from the
Bowery's Sunshine Hotel to its ground-floor neighbor, Bari Restaurant Supply (both at 241 Bowery).

In creating This Store Too (2004), Marion Wilson was inspired by the philosophy of the neighborhood Bowery Mission. In partnership with the local homeless organization, Wilson will create merchandise with the
assistance of a person in a local residential program. Each person collaborating with Wilson will contribute an object or suggest an idea, which Wilson will then turn into a sculptural object.

Weekly walking tours will be led by the curator and artists. July 10: Julianne Swartz; July 17: Marion Wilson; July 24: Jean Shin; July 31: Raul Vincent Enriquez, plus Family Day event; August 7: Flux Factory; August 14: Ricardo Miranda Zuñiga.

Tours begin at the parking lot at 235 Bowery, at Prince Street, Manhattan

2-3:30p; $free

Continues SATURDAYS through August

good time recorded.

we've spent the last several days getting crazy. i haven't enough brain cells left to detail all that went down. highlights include the one-leg-balance game, kay's altered pants, karaoke, korean bbq, lakeside cabins, sinking kayaks, fourth of july bbqs, fireworks in the woods, birthday celebrations, synapse misfires, and tons of laughing my ass off.

rich got wild. he left a message on marz's phone. needless to say, we partied proper.

no reservations. my funeral.

in march 1992 i was at laguardia airport waiting impatiently for my flight home to boston. my usair flight was delayed due to a heavy snow storm. squatting with other stranded passengers, out of the corner of my eye, i saw panic stricken people run screaming, stopping to press their bodies against the terminal windows. due to a terrible blizzard and human errors (the airplane was not de-iced a second time before taking off), usair flight 405 did not make it to its final destination. instead, the airplane skidded off the runway and into the freezing waters. some passengers and crew died. expectedly, the airport was in total chaos. stranded, i wasn't quite sure what to do. i was only 20! nothing can prepare you for an event like this. miraculously, i found my then boyfriend's aunt at a neighboring terminal and she checked us into a nearby motel. we didn't sleep that night. we stayed glued to the live television coverage of events we both witnessed firsthand and counted ourselves lucky.

in march 1994, i experienced my first terrorist attack at london's heathrow airport. on holiday travel, trying to get home, i was caught in mortar bomb attacks by the IRA. the airport was locked down. nobody could enter and nobody could leave. i was held hostage at the airport by the british government. my travel partner and i were herded from gate to gate. we got on a lot of buses and seemed to go in circles. delirious, we were finally allowed to rest in terminal four and from what i can remember it was the main international passenger's lobby. faced with exhaustion, stress and hunger, we did what we could -- crashed on the floors. it would have been okay if it weren't for the escalating adrenalin we felt every few hours reminding us of why we were stranded. several times terminal employees screamed things like, "there's a truck parked outside of these windows. it has a bomb in it. it's going to blow!" hysterical alarms like this make people move quickly. hundreds ran from the looming windows. after the second day of the lockdown, we were released. i returned home more tired from holiday but was grateful to be safely back in the united states.

David Ellis - Beat Box: A Painting is A Drum Opening (07/02/04)

PLEASE JOIN US!

222gallery presents:

DAVID ELLIS
BEAT BOX : A PAINTING IS A DRUM

OPENING RECEPTION:
JULY 2, 2004, 6-9pm

New work by David Ellis. An installation of gourd speakers, an automated acoustic drum machine and hybrid turntable, field recordinggs, beats, paintings, drawings, and letter press prints.

www.222gallery.com

Please do not reply to this message, if you would like to contact 222gallery or fourxfour, you can do so using the following email addresses: info@222gallery.com or sales@222gallery.com - Thank you!

busted blog.

so hustler of culture is going through a site redesign. the main url (http://hustlerofculture.typepad.com/) is a pink splash page but has gone down a few times. my blog address, aka typepad's url (http://hustlerofculture.typepad.com/me_we/) is up but out of wack. images aren't loading right and links aren't linking properly. so bear with me. apologies. it's going to be so best when it's all done.