Let's make some meanings
Being invited to take part in this seemed a good opportunity to explore my interest in wisdomisms with some avant-playfulness. Nathan was up to the challenge of designing within random constraints involving common aphorisms, dice, a hat, a coin toss, eleven typefaces, and randomly generated RGB values. The site's got some kinks, so click to our page and use the calendar to see the pieces.
> "Aphorandomisms" at 30 days, 30 pieces (March 2008)
{frontispiece}
We were still young but our hearts were wanting
The moths returned but not the enchantment they had once brought
When we were the shame of the world, everything was our disaster
Now we are motheaten and own nothing
> sans (photos by jeff economy)
The Cleaner is in
His name is Justin. He's a soft-spoken and unassuming guy, but don't let that fool you. I call him the the Cleaner, and he'll whip your ass into Spartan shape. Rather than vying with a bunch of meatheads at Cheetah or Bally for a bunch of strange machinery, you could try Crossfit, a total core strength and conditioning program that is growing fast nationwide. My buddy Justin opened Chicago's first affiliate, Windy City Crossfit, and it's already collecting a dedicated and supportive community of good people of all shapes and sizes. It's lo-fi, DIY, and a fun way to kick your own ass and have fun living in your body again. It's also inspiring to know someone who turned their dream into a business within a year of quitting their corporate job. Congrats to Justin, and best of luck.
Let me know if you're interested, and I can help get you started. Here are a couple of quick videos to give you an idea.
intro / "This is madness!"
Nippon redux via null
The latest null* exhibition is underway and is a the first in what promises to be a series of "dual city sessions." In the dark trunks, Tokyo. In the light trunks, Singapore. Hideki was invited to participate again and invited me to collaborate again. He's nice like that. The exhibition theme was Japan and nature. Since we're both stateside again in our own respective cities, we revisited our time together in Japan during ohanami and my crappy journals for some source material.
Something about a beard
I recently grew one while reading The Brothers Karamazov. Seemed like the thing to do. Along the way I found this fantastic thing called the internet, which is really helpful if you're looking for a brainiac like Hubert Dreyfus to help you get through a dense text without feeling like dummy. His is just one of the interesting classes from MIT, Berkeley, etc. available as podcasts or audio (search iTunes for more). I'd also recommend syncing yourself for On The Media every week, as it's the best series on NPR no matter what your dirty stinking liberal soy latte friends say. So that was my summer. Whoosh. Hope yours was pleasurable enough.
Water, water, everywhere
My brother has been named (what the press is calling) the state of Wisconsin's first "Water Czar." We're proud of him.
Cue the groupies
I've joined the band, i.e., contributed a piece to the first issue of Book Band. It's a new, independent venture curated by Ryan Maconochie and the first example I've seen of a truly genre-neutral periodical format. Is it an art book? Scrapbook? Zine? Lunacy? It's a great example of what I'm calling "publishing on demand," a publishing model I expect to see a whole lot more of in the very near future. Exciting stuff.
Concerning work of the paying variety
I have samples and case studies available, if you like. Just email. In the meantime, you can check out a project I did recently with my friend and collaborator Hideki. It's kind of an animated fashion spread for thousand-dollar flip flops.
The fine line between charity and stupidity
Ever had the burning desire to help some idiot accomplish something completely insane? If so, my boys Nathan and Anthony are your boys, too. Nathan is the guy I traveled with in Turkey, and Anthony and I used to work together on the magazine. They're about to race (against each other) through 2000 miles of uncultivated Indian terrain in motorized rickshaws. For charity, of course. And they need our help.
Here's the Rickshaw Run website.
Donate some gas money, buy a Rock Shaw 2006 t-shirt with devilhand logo, or just follow the madness and pray, as I will be, for their safe return to these shores and their senses.
Update!!!
They're back! And only one flipped tuk tuk and broken nose between them. Nathan and Jake, intense mf idiots they are, were first to arrive in Darjeeling and will likely end up in Guiness for getting there in 8 days. Anthony and the Good Korma crew took their time getting to know the people and culture and taking pictures instead. These guys are heroes of mine, and I'm glad to have them back. Get your Rickshaw Run g-string while you still can.
"A Trip of Ruins"
The Greeks, Trojans, Seljuks, Mongols, Ottomans, Children's Crusade, and all other conquering hordes that have trampled the Turkish nation over the years have nothing on the bearded madman NateDhamma and myself. Yes, friends. My monthlong campaign on the Turkish nation is over. These hewn-rock cave phalluses are known to the hippies that have adopted the central Anatolian region as "fairy chimneys." Click them to see some crappy pictures I took when my camera wasn't broken.
The illusion of progress
Recently finished a workshop at StoryStudio Chicago and thought I'd spread the word. It's independently run by writers for writers, which is admirable and catching on. The makeup of the human animals you'll find here is more of a crapshoot than at any university-run shop, but the price is worth the gamble. Classes range from long-term to one day, including some designed specifically for lazybones slackers looking for a quick kick in the pants to generate ideas and exercise their mettle.
Real Simple Real Simple Syndication?
I'm currently looking for some RSS resources that a digitally challenged writer like myself might be able to manage. Namely, I'd like to set up an open (preferably anonymous) blog to load directly into an RSS-fed screen saver. Email ideas and check back in a while to see if I've done anything with them.
Free Blake
Who among us hasn't wondered where to get the complete works of William Blake in one convenient text file? Try here.
Tokyo, March 2005
Here are some photos from my trip, you vultures.
Chicago, April-May 2005
As promised, some photos of my home city for my new friends.
Ta no shii
Back from Tokyo
Photo galleries will be available soon enough for the people I've promised. I took over two thousand, so bear with me as I edit. If you're so hot for a taste of my trip, you can download my own personal Lost in Translation soundtrack--a mix of stuff I was listening to, heard around Tokyo, or picked up along the way. Click to download:
Karoshi Curve Vol. 1: Ronery Gaijin (99MB zip file)
Karoshi Curve Vol. 2: Tea for Otaku (76MB zip file)
Karoshi Curve Vol. 3: Shibuya Lost & Found (92MB zip file)
