Mausam & Escape

So I just watched Paper Heart. At Sundance, it was described as "self-indulgent crap".. not far off the mark.

If you're not familiar with the premise, it's about a girl (using the term loosely) who doesn't believe in love. She sets out with a film crew across the US, then abroad, the find out what love means to other people.

I don't know who pitched this idea, Jake or Charlyne, but I have to say that she was the one that ruined it for me. Would it have killed you to at least pretend you were having fun? One of the first people interviewed said it was "sad" that she'd never experienced love.. and that set the tone for the whole movie.

I don't know this girl, and I don't want to get juvenile about it, but maybe if she wore something that didn't drape on her like a tent (1/4 of the movie was spent in a hoodie and it was SO damn sloppy), combed her hair, and wasn't so cynical she wouldn't be in that rut.

Ever hear of conditioner? a skirt? heels? a tad of makeup? fitted clothing? You can't blame a (straight) dude for not wanting to be with another dude.

The side story is the plot line with Michael Cera. I can call it a plot now since they not together anymore. Charlyne went to a psychic in Albuquerque and the psychic told her that he was with her for "business reasons". She also predicted that it would end. Truth hurts, darling. Both her and Jake (director) called her a scam artist afterwards and disputed everything she said. I can't help but wonder if it's true now. I don't really care to know the specifics of the breakup, but it seems totally plausible.

I think what hurt the most is that I can see part of myself in this girl.

I used to dress like that... back when I was trying to avoid dating and not be looked at. It was a means of self-preservation. I figured no one would want a sloppy, unkempt woman.. but apparently someone else got a movie deal and movie star boyfriend (temporarily) out of the deal. I'm cynical, but not so much to the point that I can't just sit back and have fun. Charlyne seemed so miserable, and misery loves company. In the first 30 minutes, it seemed like everyone was having a good time but her and she was trying to bring them down with her. The scene at the biker bar pissed me off.

Overall, I feel like I should've stopped watching when my first instinct told me to. I'm pissed that I wasted 80-some-odd minutes on someone who didn't seem to give a damn how the film ended. I'm incensed, and I wanted to type this up before I had a chance to blow off steam.

The New York Times review might be better written, but the sentiment is the same.

There's only three good things that came out of this: 1) I didn't see it at Sundance 2) I didn't pay for the rental 3) I watched it during a week when all my business is up to snuff so I wasn't (technically) wasting time.

It was between this and Whip It, and I wasn't particularly enthused about either. Hopefully I'll have better luck next time, until then I'll link to some good movies.

You soddy Mother...

Damn, D, you can't even try anymore?

Did you seriously come unshaven and in sweatpants? Nice to see you're putting some effort into it.

Watch season 1. Take notes.

(Thank you Hugo Boss, Giorgio Armani, and Madonna Mann)

I swear blazers are not poisonous, pinstripes work, and dress shoes are not reserved for the Sundays your mom drags you to church.

Play with color, but save the pastels (unless you actually plan to become a playboy, then all bets are off)

Also, socks are required.

The farthest you should ever walk from your house in sweatpants is to the mailbox. NO EXCUSES!!

Riots.

Greetings & salutations, all.

This has been a very tumultuous week. Finally all my business purchases arrived (Thank God), but I lost some co-workers to the recession and a friend was lost to jail.

I'm not familiar with the detention system, but only people on the visitors log can come, and only at certain times, depending on what cell block the inmate is in. Images of "OZ" flashed through my mind. I wondered if I was gonna get shanked in the hallways. I'm posting now so all is well.

Below is one of my screen print projects. I've had this blank canvas bag forever and finally decided on an image I want to tote around. It's reminiscent of early woodblock prints. At first I thought it was a female puppeteer, and I wanted to make the puppet a man. My freehand skills are lacking (and drawing in permanent marker doesn't leave much room for error) so I left it as is. Once the print is made I'll paint in the features.

I like my men on a string :)

I drew a quick sketch of this while watching "Alice in Acidland" Lately I've been obsessed with Something Weird videos. They make those 60s propaganda films and light snuff stuff. Click the link and watch the trailer. I was surprised that Bettie Page was on their roster. "The Wizard of Gore" scream at the 1:48 mark makes me laugh every time :)

I also watched the season 4 ender for Miami Vice. I didn't see that coming, but I'll know once season 5 comes in if they jumped the shark or not. Say it ain't so, Crockett!

Given that bail money had to be available no new projects were started in the last week, but I had the screen print stuff lying around so I went for it... I HATE being idle.

Finished a book, started another. Began a workout regimen I'll comment on later as it progresses. Learned a very important lesson....

"Love is the pursuit of shadows"

Is it a bad idea to pick someone up while on the clock? Who cares.. hopefully I don't go chickenshit...

Venus.

Promises, Promises.

I'm breaking one of my own rules: I decided to show you all my 1/2 finished works. Website preparation has been a bitch; sometimes I wish I wasn't so scatterbrained. I'm doing this in the hopes that I can choose ONE of these to focus on and finish. My goal is to have a completed work on my site before my trip to Japan, so when I hand out my business card there's something on my site other than a whole bunch of bullshit.

This is my little origami squad. I recently started making these to zone out, yet still keep my mind active. I was surprised at how peaceful the whole process is.

This is my first mask project in at least 4 years. I'm thinking a bit of a Carnivale vibe. Not quite sure where I want to go with it yet. Needs more paint and sealant before I start working on it again.

This is my "Miami Vice" Florida meets Grandma's-Worst-Nightmare tropical shirt. I have to drop by the suite to pick up the rest of the finishings. Not sure if I want to bring it with me and wear it on my trip, or save it for my site. These are the hard decisions I'm forced to make these days.

And last but not least is my wall art.

I did the background yesterday and added everything else today. Took a picture of it as the hot glue was still drying; it's fresh off the presses. I wanted to add a poem by José Martí because this poem really struck me and would've been perfect for the piece, but the notebook it's scrawled in is missing. Kinda bummed about that.

Anyway, just doing a quick check in so that you guys know that I'm still on my grind and I'm not full of shit ;)

M.

Happiness Trigger.

Goodbye, Christ

"Listen, Christ, you did alright in your day, I reckon ... But that day's gone now.

They ghosted you up a swell story, too, Called it Bible-- But it's dead now.

The popes and the preachers've made too much money from it.

They've sold you to too many.

Kings, generals, robbers, and killers -- Even to the Cossacks,

Even to Rockefeller's Church,

Even to THE SATURDAY EVENING POST.

You ain't no good no more.

They've pawned you till you've done wore out.

Goodbye, Christ Jesus Lord God Jehova,

Beat it on away from here now.

Make way for a new guy with no religion at all --

A real guy names Marx Communist Lenin Peasant Stalin Worker ME --

I said, ME!

Go ahead on now, you're getting in the way of things, Lord.

And please take Saint Ghandi with you when you go,

And Saint Pope Pius,

And Saint Aimee McPherson,

And big black Saint Becton Of the Consecrated Dime.

And step on the gas, Christ! Move!

Don't be so slow about movin'! The world is mine from now on--

And nobody's gonna sell ME to a king, or a general, or a millionaire."

Sing it, Langston. Expensive day today.

Went to Sak's 5th to look for a bag for my trip. My mom got a gift card there from an auction and gave it to me. I always feel weird at those über pretentious high-end stores.

I walked up and the door was opened by two guys in suits looking like off-duty CIA agents (sort of like multi-cultural James Bonds). I looked around and saw chicks toting Chanels & LVs, but thank God for consignment stores. I was in YSL; I wasn't about to be shown up.

"I know a good 60% of the people in here flaunting all that garbage are fronting for mass debt, but I won't call them on it if they leave me alone" I thought.

I ended up buying a bracelet I probably could've got on eBay for $25 and split. Everyone there was really nice, but I still felt like I was in a Venus Flytrap.

Went to the art store and got some screen-printing stencils and markers, working on a mask inspired by Björk. Still waiting for the studs for shirt completion.

Doing big things, chickadees.

Don't do tomorrow what you can do today.

Speechless.

Was thinking of modifying this dress by shortening it and making it a mod dress. Started out business casual; seeing it as Laugh-In or the Mod Squad. I could so see someone rocking this with a mini hem and tall fringed mocassins. I don't have the time to do it with all my other projects. Take a chance, see what YOU can do.

I know I missed my usual cutoff, but it's been a busy week.

Put tons of mileage on my mini bus driving across town. Had to get my taxes done twice: once for personal, once for business. Forgot one paper and it became a nightmare. Audit, schmuadit.

My (awesome, awesome) mom got me what any respectable business would want and need: a phone line :) Haven't set it up yet and I haven't been by the suite in a while... too much to do, so little of me. I need a clone.

Just purchased a new wireless service and have been messing with the router configurations since last night. Just barely finished it and am typing from my laptop as we speak :)

Can't drive for shit and totally banged up a co-worker's car (no one saw it but me and I could've bailed, but I wouldn't do that to her) Got up early and made her a care package for taking pity on me.

More random scrawling done in the night. See if you can interpret this:

* Fig jam (well, that's pretty self explanatory)

* 2 vices (just 2? That'd be a record for me)

* The Green Lantern (not much of a comic book afficionado, but I know who he is)

* Something that looks like "Heroic Love Rat Theseus".... umm, yeah

Movie screening in LA in 10 days, Tae-Bo in a few hours, and lunch is once again deferred.

Where's a Mimosa when you need one?

Solid Gold.

Had a few revelations this week...

As far as my crafts, I've been all over the place. I have a string of pearls leading across my bedroom floor... can't figure out what to do with them.

My current project requires silk (back to the fabric store!) Picked up a roller yesterday to finish up a screen printing project... if only I could focus on just one.

I'm finding pencils and random scraps of paper all over my house with mad scrawlings done in the middle of the night.. The engine is always running, but I only have two hands.

Waiting for some items to come in the mail so I can finish my shirt project. That one seems to be the closest one to completion. Thank God.

Projects aside, I had something like a series of epiphanies this week... Who do I live for if not myself? I think I might finally be at peace with moving away from my family. I can now accept that there's nothing wrong with not wanting a conventional life and the nuclear family with white picket fences, a dog, and 2.5 children.

Otherwise, all is well. Going out sporadically, breaking hearts along the way... :)