Mind Your Own Damn Business Campaign

Let me tell you a little story. So this past weekend I was on my way down to a wedding and I was running late. I needed to get there early so I could set up the sound equipment for the ceremony portion. Now I encountered near standstill traffic at 3 different points along the way. Being from L.A. I was once very accustomed to traffic. You develop ways to cope; learn words to lots of songs so you can sing along to them out loud, plan ahead by at least an hour and just plain understand that built into L.A. is a need for 3 rush hours: one for the morning, the afternoon and then for lunch but you can't forget the 2 bonus traffic sessions that are thrown just for the hell of it. Anyways I digress, so the reason traffic pisses me off so much is that there is no reason for it. For example at the first point, the accident was on the opposite end of the freeway all the way on the other side of the center divider, why does it need to slow down the flow of the cars going the opposite direction? People slow down to see what happened. Curiousity causes traffic. It was the same for the 2 other points. The path was completely cleared yet there was traffic because people have to press the brakes to catch a glimpse. The thing is no one likes traffic and they all know what causes it because it's the same thing everytime. Curiousity. Knowing this every driver has the opportunity to counter this culture of traffic as they approach the now cleared accident site, to look straight ahead and continue at ther current speed, yet every single person fails miserably. Why? Come on! There is no need for traffic. It simply shouldn't exist. Please, focus, don't look at the sidelined scene as you pass even though you're slowed by the curious fellow in front of you. It'll be on the news when you get home an hour earlier because you didn't look now. Do your part. If everyone does their part we can eliminate this pest. Think of all the hours we'd add to our lives if we just minded our own damned business. So please help me combat the cancerous effects of traffic by joining in the Mind Your Own Damned Business Campaign.

Curiosity killed the cat because the driver was so damned busy looking at the sidelined accident scene instead of the road ahead that he ran over it.

Decoder Ring - Serac

What's not dope about this? I needed this nice dose of "how things work" today.

Music by Decoder Ring
Video Camera invented by John Logie Baird
Wonders of Life created by God

At 93

I got the message today....
Yeah david your grandma passed away today at 4:20 this afternoon on Friday okay so we may have some kind of funeral service early next week okay you call daddy or mom when you have time. okay bye
...from my dad, about his mother.

Decoder Ring - More Than Scarlet

Rad!

A Typical Day...Maybe

 September 16, 2010

Morning:
Had to sit there and have the hard talk, told a homeless lady that after multiple chances it just wasn't working out; she wouldn't be able to stay on our front porch anymore.

Afternoon:
Spent 3 and a half hours talking to Condodyne (pronounced Kun So) Buzado, one of only 4 woman artists in Uganda. We didn't even get to what we initially met to talk about.

Late Afternoon:
Had long overdue art meeting about the future of Regen Art. Drove my friend Steph home and sat on her porch for an hour waiting for our friends who never showed. I walked away having had good conversation and owning a new painting.

Evening:
Went to the studio, finished the sketch for Sarah's tattoo and started 4 new paintings.
 Found out my uncle has 6 months to live.

Derivatives

...and since we're at it:

Hazy

As I was looking for the William Fitzsimmons vid I happened upon this, that's how I find all the good stuff - randomly:



what if i went and lost myself
would you know where to find me
if i forgot who i am
would you please remind me
cause without you things go hazy

Damn

My cousin just told me that she's a part of a club at Berkeley that brings artists on to the campus for free concerts in front of the library.... last Friday they had William Fitzsimmons there. And she didn't even tell me (of course she didnt know I had a not so secret crush on his beard).
Damn!
Damn! Damn! (as I think about it more) Damn!



we're holding out for you
covered in snow
we'll keep the lights on low

Poor Rudy

The other day I was house sitting for a friend, he asked that I run their dog just once. So come Wednesday, I look for the leash I finally find it buried under a pile of shoes, which would've been a clear indication of the amount of exercise Rudy normally gets. The moment Rudy sees the leash in my hand he gets super juiced, running circles, tail wagging ready to roll. I put the leash on and we go, about half a mile to the lake, around the 3.3 mile circumference and back. He does fine, he sounds a little winded but so am I. I was going slow too so the fastest Rudy had to go was no better than a trot. We get home, the moment we step in he collapses on the floor, tongue out, breath fast and heavy, thick saliva frothing at his mouth. I fill his bowl and tell him to "come, get water." He attempts to get up, is successful for a few steps then falls again, gives up and lies there, beat. I have to leave for a bit so I go. When I get back I see soggy dog food in a huge puddle of water in the middle of the living room floor. Rudy puked! Hilarious, a dog so out of shape that he puked. It's especially funny because I could relate. In the letter I leave them; I blame his mom and dad for cultivating a lifestyle of laziness. Poor Rudy, I'll take you out every time I house sit.

Yahweh

Take these shoes
Click clacking down some dead end street
Take these shoes
And make them fit
Take this shirt
Polyester white trash made in nowhere
Take this shirt
And make it clean, clean
Take this soul
Stranded in some skin and bones
Take this soul
And make it sing

Yahweh, Yahweh
Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, Yahweh
Still I'm waiting for the dawn

Take these hands
Teach them what to carry
Take these hands
Don't make a fist no
Take this mouth
So quick to critisize
Take this mouth
Give it a kiss

Yahweh, Yahweh
Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, Yahweh
Still I'm waiting for the dawn

Still waiting for the dawn, the sun is coming up
The sun is coming up on the ocean
His love is like a drop in the ocean
His love is like a drop in the ocean

Yahweh, Yahweh
Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, tell me now
Why the dark before the dawn?

Take this city
A city should be shining on a hill
Take this city
If it be your will
What no man can own, no man can take
Take this heart
Take this heart
Take this heart
And make it brave