WhiteBelts

As Livermore Falls, So Falls Livermore Part 4

2011-12-19T10:35:00.000-05:00

Country Time
The final unit in this building was also a ground level apartment. It was, in fact, the neighboring apartment to the beat down meth head diabetic's unit. Walking in here gave us the impression that this was going to be a relative piece of cake, as we could actually see a majority of the floor. There were big piles of items loaded up in the corners of each room as if they were intentionally left behind. Randomly scattered in each room were a couple lamps, the ubiquitous wood grained TV sets, Nail clippers, unopened cleaning supplies, lamps and a handful of cassettes - all country themed - hence the name of this post. I'm talking about actual good country music too, like Hank Williams, Waylon Jennings and Slim Whitman. The majority of the leave-behinds were essentially clothing comprised of well-worn hunting apparel, miscellaneous socks, and at least half a dozen hand-knit blankets. It felt a shame to dump these blankets as it was obvious someone spent a lot of time creating not just one, but five - all virtually identical. In the living room closet there was a blue electric utilities helmet, stained shirts on hangers and 2 hand cut walking sticks (one of which I helped myself to as it was a rock maple sapling)

The kitchen, with no imminent odor and quaint exposed brick walls, was bathed in darkness as there were no windows on this side of the building. Flashlights revealed that it was pretty clean compared to the other units we faced, but still held a wide collection leave-behinds such as glassware, coffee pots and other well worn appliances strewn about the counters and cabinets. In the closet with the walking sticks and helmet, I found one polaroid:

Upon closer inspection, we noted that everything in this photo had been, or was about to be loaded into the dumpster. (except the body) This photo was among the few souvenirs I brought back with me. Of the other keepers, was a beautifully eroded rock that appeared like a miniature replica of the cliffs in Monument Valley, as well as a perfectly usable military flashlight - complete with red and green lens covers.

As we loaded the remainder of the abandoned items into bags, it occurred to us, that out of every place we cleared, there wasn't one single book amongst all the detritus except for one dog-eared Danielle Steele novel found on the floor of this apartment. Fortunately there wasn't the same hopelessness here that was so prevalent in the others as the tenants likely just moved on in a somewhat orderly fashion. The building was now cleared of the remnants and crushed memories of the final 4 tenants to occupy the building. Overall, I have to say this was a solidly built and decently preserved building. (The bones of it anyway), With some hard work, and a crew fully outfitted in haz-mat suits, it could once again possibly be turned into warm and welcoming apartments.

As Livermore Falls, So Falls Livermore Pt. 3

2011-12-16T11:50:00.001-05:00

As we wind down the final apartments, I would like to pause and make clear, that aside from the desolation inside the building, I found Livermore Falls to be a rather quaint little town. It also appears that it is in the process of rebounding. There is a brand new hospital being built right down the street from where we were working at the nexus of Main St and the Exit off Route 4. I think this hospital is going to be key in revitalizing a town that has lost most of its livelihood since the closing of the local mills. The hospital will generate more traffic and with it businesses catering to it. This will also be a much more convenient medical facility than Franklin Memorial Hospital 20 minutes North. Aside from this stirring of growth, there are also some very creative elements to this town - something I notice throughout the whole of Maine overall. One business, which is currently for sale by the way, may potentially have the best name I have ever seen for a business.

Sgt Pepper's Only Hot Dog Stand (#2)

I do think the owner tried to squeeze one too too many jokes in with the #2 and the "unSOLD' bit, but that's subjective. Anyway, after a much needed lunch and hydration, we moved on to the next unit:

Apartment #2 Meth Head Diabetics

This was a ground floor level apartment, and one most likely to have been broken into and used as a party pad by the local kids. Fortunately for the owner, the doors and windows were all locked and intact. When we we walked in, on first glance, it did in fact appear to be a party pad. Upon closer inspection though, another story unfolded. We broke out the shovels and began piling the huge mess into the middle of the room so it could be more easily loaded into contractor bags. The discard pile consisted of a couple tires, some very large dog bowls, a couple TV's and yet another closet piled high with cat litter. In the kitchen, we once again found the obligatory nail clippers, jars of peanut butter and unused cleaning supplies. Scattered all over the floor was broken glass, shattered fluorescent tubes, a couple automotive parts, cheap cutlery, broken chair pieces and empty food containers. It appeared that the people who previously occupied this unit had actually taken the time to remove everything of value. Miraculously, there was no rotting food in the sink or fridge (Likely the large dogs had made short work of anything edible)

The bathroom was a comparative pleasure to clear as there were only old bottles of skin cream, shampoo, toothpaste and several yellowed toothbrushes. It was when we went into the back bedroom that the story further elucidated itself. On the walls, every section of sheetrock had been smashed through with back, shoulder and foot sized holes. This was possibly the work of an angry departing tenant or more colorfully, meth rage. It was almost methodical the way each hole was conveniently smack dab between every 2x4 in the wall frame. This was no doubt deliberate and likely spontaneous. On the floor, beneath one of the holes was a rung from one of the broken white ikea chairs. Scrawled on it in sharpie marker was what appeared to be an attempt at sketching. This 'artwork' revealed itself to be juvenile drawings of swastikas and SS logos as seen on German WW2 uniforms. It appeared the artist was trying to perfect his technique as there were many attempts to 'get it right'. Why this person chose a diminutive discarded chair rung to develop his art skills was beyond any of our guesses. Not only was this dude hopped up and angry, but also an artistically challenged anti-semite. Across the room, Chris warned us that this particular room pile contained a bunch of discarded needles and that we were to exercise extreme caution. The small needles were mixed amongst a bunch of used diabetic testing supplies and other almost-empty toiletries. The combo of diabetic supplies mixed with all the neo nazi rage essentially formed the the name of this apartment.

Throughout the day, we had brought various "donatable" items out to the front porch - which we had planned to pile into the pickup and take to Goodwill. As we brought down a basket of reasonably usable canned goods, a couple pulled up in a white 15 year old Volvo sedan. They approached us, asking if they could have the basket we had laid out as well as some other stuff. We enthusiastically replied that they could certainly help themselves. (This would save us the trouble of loading it on the truck) They didn't hesitate for a second. The wife commanded her thickly Hispanic accented husband to start loading up everything. The woman told us, with a never ending cigarette dangling from her mouth, that they had just moved here from Connecticut and "needed stuff". This did our hearts some well-needed good. I immediately ran up to the other apartments gathering anything that appeared salvageable - CD's, VHS tapes, clothing, computers, microwave ovens and rusty bikes - which joined their orphaned friends on the porch. As quickly as I brought down more stuff, it was scanned briefly and loaded them into the car. The husband was grumbling and quietly protesting the necessity of some of it while his wife barked to him that Aunt Maisie would certainly be able to use these things if they couldn't. The man continued trudging back and forth, making as many as 10 trips, until they had filled their car to the point that the back end was sagging a good foot lower than the front. With the realization they couldn't fit another thing, they happily thanked us and bid us adieu (In english of course) as if Christmas had come early this year.

Back in the meth den, after clearing out every room, we had only the bedroom closet to clear. We could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Inside the closet was a broken telescope, yet another TV, a couple dirty sweaters and jackets (surprisingly no Nazi symbols), and a perfectly immaculate brand-new stuffed white bear with a big-hearted valentine greeting "I love your hugs". I guess even raging methed-out diabetic anti-semites can find love too.

As Livermore Falls, So Falls Livermore Pt.2

2011-12-11T11:46:00.001-05:00

Before we head downstairs, you may wonder why I didn't take more photos. I can honestly say, being a fan of iphone 'of-the-moment' photography, I was just a bit overwhelmed by the tasks and situations at hand to possibly think of capturing more after the nightmare that was upstairs. I also just didn't want to touch my phone. The previous post's photos did a good job of summating the worst of the experience anyway. Yes, I'm retro-justifying not taking pictures.

Apartment 5 - Teen Parents.
Upon walking into this unit, I noticed a somewhat less smoke stained environment than the sty upstairs. Instead of the dense stale cigarette smell, we were treated a smorgasbord of air filled with moldy food and cat box odor. There were the obligatory discarded ashtrays full of butts and typical abandoned furniture and food packages. Although the cushions of the oversized crushed velvet couch and matching chair were all relatively intact, they were left in what I suppose was their original places - as though the previous owner possibly considered feng shui. In, under and around the furniture was, at this point, even more stained newspapers, empty junk food containers all interwoven with the ubiquitous discarded clothing. Along the right wall were a massive pair of classic Radio Shack woodgrain speakers flanking 'the entertainment center'. There was a big red splatter of paint behind the speakers, which at first glance, indicated the possibility of finding a body. Miraculously, much to our mutual relief, there was no body. In the closet was more of the same discarded papers, photos and clothing. Items such as CD's, XBox games, and other salvageable electronics were set aside as what we considered "Goodwill material". The selection of these items began to collectively paint the picture of the previous tenants. We began guessing and joking about the various elements out loud to keep our spirits up. We began to think we were getting let off lightly with this place until we ventured into the kitchen and back bedroom and bathroom.

This kitchen, compared to upstairs, was much more cluttered and full of cookware, cutlery and glassware - as if the owners left in a hurry just after a big grocery run. On the floor were at least 6 cases of Ensure baby formula. (just expired this past October) The sink and countertop were piled to the cabinets with every dirty pot and pan ever used in the home. These items mingled with half empty moldy microwave food containers and other formerly edible leftovers. It seemed a a huge waste of what could have been salvageable goods. Once again, in the cabinet underneath the sink, were several unopened cleaning products mixed with a stash of recyclable bottles and cans. A toaster oven, microwave and other well-used, badly stained appliances that were all added to the dump pile. When I opened the cabinets, I was amazed at the quantity of food left behind. Each cabinet was virtually full, and looked as though the owners were stocking up for the apocalypse. At least 10-15 lbs. of sealed bags and boxes of pasta mingled with dozens of canned food items and at least a dozen jars of unopened peanut butter. (some of which still appeared usable) What surprised me here was the fact that mice had not gotten to any of these items since there were no signs of droppings or nibbled packaging. After emptying the cabinets, and leaving the sink for later, I made my biggest mistake of the day. I opened the fridge. I did this partly out of curiosity but also out of diligence for the job. I peered in and saw that the freezer had been left full, and was about to remark on some of the items within when the smell hit me, through my respirator mask, like a 9 iron over the bridge of my nose. The strength and density of the rot smell physically knocked me back against the wall and I began to gag uncontrollably. I ran to the open window for a breath of air while simultaneously slamming the fridge door shut. Through my gags, I warned my coworkers to not open that fridge under any circumstances. After regaining my stomach and composure, managing to NOT vomit in the process, I put my respirator back on and decided to try and tackle the back bedroom and bathroom - after all, there couldn't be anything worse in there right?

Wrong. The back bedroom was filled with a supremely dense and dank cat box smell. This smell emanated from the bathroom, which had been inadvertently converted to a large litter box in its entirety. The dank smell again pierced my respirator like a well aimed dart up my nostrils. At least 6-8 inches of cat litter, pock marked with petrified cat turds, filled the room and bathtub. Mixed in was the obligatory soiled discarded clothing. Some of this clothing however, was different as it was a small child's. An additional wave of sadness crept over me as I observed other children's things in the bathroom such as a child's giraffe night light, a shredded dirty stuffed animal, tiny socks and other decor.

Outside the bathroom, in the bedroom itself, was a massive pile of clothes and other completely random detritus. (the biggest pile yet) These were mostly oversize "hip-hop" style clothes, which despite their size, matched that of a 12 year old white kid who listened to nothing but 50 Cent and Wu Tang Clan. Again, we spotted several pairs of finger and toenail clippers (gold this time), more discarded once-worn socks, several lamps, 2 TV's and a couple hot pink fluffy women's robes and slippers. Amongst these 'fashion-challenged' discards, were more children's clothes. Thankfully the kids clothes appeared more appropriate for a small child - festooned with infantile animal patterns and pastel color palettes. Behind the chest of drawers were more discarded XBox games, broken sunglasses and other depressingly cute attempts at providing a modicum of childhood for this poor little unknown soul. I couldn't bear to delve deeper into the Candyland game that had been left behind beneath more cat litter on the rug. I was amazed at how many bags it took to get this cleaned up. It seemed the more bags we filled with clothing, the bigger the pile appeared. I could have fully outfitted a small army of hip hop kids with the amount of goods left behind. It had become apparent that these people not only didn't know how to take care of a child, but themselves as well. Which led me us to a mutual assumption that the former tenants were a couple of teen parents in way over their heads.

We were happy to have finally cleared this space, taking advantage of the window directly above the nearly full dumpster, to heave the clutter over and out of the space and our lives. At this point, we were also glad to have finished with the more disgusting elements of the day, while simultaneously looking forward to the stories the next units had in store for our imaginations.

As Livermore Falls, so falls Livermore

2011-12-08T10:43:00.001-05:00

I got the opportunity to do some work for a friend this past Monday. It involved being part of a team to help clean up abandoned apartments in a building he owns in Livermore Falls, Maine. The job was described to me as "cleaning with a shovel". Interestingly enough, Doug, who usually has folks in their 20's work with him, was quick to discover that the four of us collectively were 201 years old. We were all excited to see what we were made of and I, always being game for a new experience, was happy to join this 4 man crew. We were, however, not prepared for the impact each of these apartments had on us emotionally. If not for our collective sense of humor, we would have been overwhelmed at the evidence of the crushed hopes and dreams of these former tenants. Each apartment's debris and detritus told a very different story based on the items left behind. I'll try to encapsulate observations of the people's lifestyles apartment by apartment. There were a total of 4 apartments that needed cleaning as the other units were left in comparably immaculate condition. The "comparably" term will be self-explanatory by the end.

We all decided it would be a good idea to tackle the most disgusting apartment first and work our way down to the least to maximize our energy output. Also, we just wanted to get the rough stuff over with. Apartment 7 edged out Apartment 5 by only a small margin.

Apartment #7 - Smokey's

Upon entering the apartment, I noticed that above the doorway trim was what appeared to be smoke damage. Looking inside, we realized it was in fact smoke damage - or rather "smoker damage". The entire squalidly furnished apartment had the dull yellow glaze of a shut-in chain smoker. Every window, wall and item, both vertical and horizontal, had an incredibly opaque coating of tobacco tar. The windows were so thickly coated that, like shower doors, obscured everything visible outside. The smell of stale cigarettes was so strong, it seemed as if he never even opened the windows once.
Apparently the previous tenant had only left the premises 6 weeks earlier, with a single Rite-Aid bag full of "important stuff", and left behind everything else he owned. His computer, stereo(s) VCR, DVD player and TV all remained exactly where he had left them. His VHS tape collection and stack of banal 90's dance CD's were stacked right next to the stereo as if he had just stepped out to go to the store.
The couch, worn well below the foam cusions to the springs, was that classic broken-down brown tweed that you might have seen in your friends' basement in the 70's. Joining the couch in the living room was a stacked twin size pair of mattresses that looked like they had been crushed by a sleeping elephant. These too were worn down to the springs through overuse. Ashtrays, cigarette butts, mail and other items were scattered about - including a notice that the state of Maine was providing him with his next apartment for free. (of which he had refused) The living room closet was stacked high, full of old photo albums (mostly empty), framed baby photos and owners manuals from items long gone. Hanging in the closet was his military issue jacket, a couple unused coats with labels still attached and random pairs of socks attached to hangers. (The sock theme seemed to be one of the many threads we noticed throughout the building)

Moving into the kitchen (off to the left the bathroom) we noticed the stove, counters and cabinets had not been cleaned in years. In addition to the yellow smoke film, were plates and utensils stuck to every surface as if they had been intentionally glued there. Pots and pans covered in an unidentifiable brown substance were scattered about and stuck to the sink and inside the cabinets where dirty glasses joined their glued comrades.

The bathroom - something I had never ever seen quite like, rivaled any abandoned building or crack den you can think of. The photos here attempt to capture the scene but really only capture a portion. Apparently he'd been living there for months without running water - which would explain the hideous pile shown below... (pic courtesy of Chris Johnson, one of my coworkers)

I've never seen a shitstorm like this in my entire life. This man was obviously obese judging from the size of the shorts and other discarded clothes, however the acrobatics required to reach the height of the spray is hard to imagine - even for a relatively healthy individual. The shot I took below, despite lack of lighting, shows this from a wider perspective:

In the back, in what would likely have been a bedroom, were 10-15 contractor bags worth of discarded clothes. Dirty socks were strewn all over with a visible pack of new socks only partially used. In the drawers of an old faux antique dilapidated chest, were additional undergarments and random clothing items along with a few unused cleaning supplies and nail clippers (another thread). There was also a well-worn crumpled list of "Things to do" that looked as if it had been referred to many many times. On the list, #1 was "See psychiatrist about diagnosing mental condition" followed by what appeared to be 20 or so random tasks - one of which, on its own line, said "warm hole" possibly meaning worm hole. (I hoped) In the closet were several more pairs of socks affixed to hangers as well as giant tent-like shirts that could easily fit two of me inside. All in all, this unit was a sickly mirror of obvious mental illness and squalor and told a sad tale of someone who had essentially given up.

Next post, we'll visit:
Apartment #5 - Teen Parents
Apartment #2 - Meth-head diabetics
Apartment #1 - Country Time

FUNGUS AMONG US

2011-10-04T11:53:00.002-04:00

Just a sampling of more that 12 different varieties of mushrooms this late summer/early fall has brought us. There were so many that have come and gone since August.

Tom Brady's Waterpark Adventure

2011-05-24T10:09:00.007-04:00

So the big news yesterday was this series of paparazzi photos of Tom Brady and Gisele frolicking at a water park. One of the shots provide any non-Patriots fan with yet more fodder. I suspect a meme could be born with this idea, mashing this photo with all sorts of scenarios. This instantly ripened several ideas, so my friend Tracy and I fired the first volley. Aaaaand go!

Try @replying me on Twitter (@DJNoRequest) for submissions.

Another 15 Minutes...

2011-04-08T11:33:00.006-04:00

Got a chance to get on the local news - always fun to be in front of the cameras rather than behind. Many thanks to Rich Brooks for directing the cameras my way. Happy to be joined by the talents of Rachel Flehinger & Alexandra Munier as well.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT VIDEO

Pretty much everything I want all in one place.

2010-06-24T22:46:00.003-04:00

a Jim's Cheesesteak, wrapped in a Lorenzo's slice,topped with a soft pretzel. #nom

via foobooz.com

I'm So Sorry

2010-06-14T20:51:00.001-04:00

Yes, blog, I am truly sorry for not keeping you current with the madness. One of these days I'll have the luxury of doing another blog post.

JUST A QUOTE FOR TODAY

2010-04-19T08:09:00.002-04:00

“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!” ~Jack Kerouac

LOVE ALL OVER THE PLACE

2010-03-15T15:10:00.004-04:00

This was originally written as part of Ophelia's Web as a guest post for the topic of LOVE. Of course, I ran a tad late in delivering, but figured I would share just the same. Thanks so much to Elisa for challenging me with such a fertile topic.

When I think about love, so many things run through my head in an instant, it's difficult to even make sense of them, let alone try to write about them. I can at least try to categorize this plethora of loves I feel into two basic human and non-human classifications. The obvious first human expression of my love would be for my family. To me, the two offspring my wife and I created couldn't be a more perfect way of expressing our mutual love.

On the human side, there is also my love of people that make me laugh and that energize me. I love how the right person or combination of people can really bring out the best in my abilities and myself as a person, which is why I love Maine so much. Nowhere have I felt such a genuine friendliness and mutual humanity in all my travels as I do in Maine.

Living in Maine certainly could qualify as a non-human love. But it has led me to a newly discovered love I never knew I’d feel. I now love performing or speaking in public. Ironically, this has been studied and discovered to be people’s greatest fear next to death. I had no idea that as a musician/singer in high school who was always incredibly nervous at performance time would learn to love that same adrenaline rush. Rush is actually the perfect word to describe the feeling I get seeing a group of people enlightened by something I’ve said or done. I love knowing that people get what I’m trying to put across even if sometimes it’s complete nonsense.

On the non-human side, I have my love of social media and more specifically, Twitter. I’ve been on Twitter for just about a year, and recently did some research and created a 'tweet cloud' (An arranged collection of the most frequently used keywords) of my all of my tweets. I found the word LOVE was the one word I chose above all others to express myself.

My love of music is another incredible passion. It is a love so deep and categorically inconsistent, that I wouldn't dare bore you with the details other than my tastes vary as much as music itself. Of course, there are exceptions. Those of you that know me personally could attest to those exceptions as my passion for disliking some music matches my love of others.

And finally, there is also my semi-secret love of all the nerdy indulgences I embrace. Whether it's fine scale modeling, model railroading, oil painting, sculpture or even my unpracticed trumpet and bass playing. These interests are something I would love to have the time to pursue. Those pursuits however, are on hold while I pursue my first listed love above.

OH THE IRONY

2010-03-12T10:04:00.008-05:00

While I've kind of sworn off politics, I have NOT sworn off social commentary. That commentary can sometimes overflow into political circles. Case in point: The Teabaggers. I've been watching this group from the sidelines since I first heard of them a mere 24 hours after Obama's victory in 2008. Whether the media chose that time to point the spotlight at them is not the concern for me. What IS the concern is where this energy of exasperation and anger, that most of us feel in some way, is being taken and by whom.

There was a fascinating piece on NPR last week where Ricky Gervais went on a fact finding mission with a camera crew into the depths of deepest darkest Arkansas. He went in with a completely objective point of view and made no attempts to embarrass those he interviewed in a very real attempt to capture reality. He went all over various small towns into places the regular folk congregate. HS basketball games, bars, town council meetings etc. He managed to cover many different viewpoints, but there was a certain consistency in enthusiasm for the T Party movement.

One piece of this interview segment stuck out to me.
The interviewer (Ricky) asks folks about their life now and their life a year ago. He asked them questions very simply and directly. Universally, on both sides, people start saying how much harder life is and how hey just can't make ends meet. (Something a lot of us could also say as well) Many of these folks he was speaking to had been born into multigenerational abject poverty. Something that is obviously difficult to overcome in any culture. Many of these poor folks were essentially living in a hollow having a MORE difficult time at making it than before. Their response? It was all somehow Obama's fault.Their life-long poverty - Obama's fault.
Mind-blown.
Several people continued on about how the banks and car companies had been taken care of, but what about them? They were essentially pleading for help. They wanted money from their government to help them live and make ends meet. Then, in the same breath, while criticizing the president, they claimed he was also trying to make us us all SOCIALISTS.
Jaw-floor.

Obviously, no one there had managed to look up the definition. Unsurprisingly, these folks are also vocally against healthcare reform - most importantly a public option. "They don't want the gub'mint sticking their noses in anyone's personal life" The very folks who might benefit from a universal healthcare system were rabidly opposed to it. Folks that have absolutely no health insurance or preventive care whatsoever, have been manipulated into angrily protesting policies that would actually help them. Wow. speechless really.

How did this happen?
how were they duped?
Listening to them go on, I started noticing something about their responses to the questions.
They were all repeating each other, gutturally spewing 3-5 word catch-phrases. Talking points they picked up from watching TV. When asked about the details of these points, they were rather dumbstruck and really had no viable responses. Obviously they are continually being spoon fed this stuff by the folks on the other side of the cathode ray nipple. It dawned on me where Bush's consistent 28% approval rating was coming from all those years.

How f'n brilliant was this? The idea of doing these kind of interviews with different groups of people with no malice, or prejudgement. Exposing this obvious exploitation for what and who it is. Let's see who's REALLY behind it and put it out there in the open for all to see. Let the people see the depths of ignorance and manipulation going on at the most simplest of 'grassroots' levels. What could make it even better is that the spineless corporately controlled 'news' organizations would see ratings gold in this - potentially helping to expose it's seedy corporate underwriting. Undermining their very own masters. Using the very tool that's been dividing and manipulating us for years, and using it to expose it's own scared pink paranoid underbelly.

It's definitely something I would DVR.

I HAVE SOMETHING WONDERFUL TO SHARE

2010-02-04T12:12:00.003-05:00

CLICK HERE

It's a bit of a slow load but worth it.

GD

F*CKING HELL

2009-12-11T11:38:00.011-05:00

This is a post that probably belongs on Diorama Getaway, but I want to keep that one reserved for my own work. I forget who originally turned me on to this but it has been haunting and inspiring me ever since that first viewing. Jake & Dinos Chapman, 2 artists that have experimented in many media collaborated on the building of this project. It is essentially depicting Hell. More specifically, what Hell is like for Nazi's. Their use of scale models and more traditional kits coupled with hand made horrific and imaginatively gruesome (dis)figures create a miniature nightmare of epic proportions.

Check the movie out here

While this tends to be a sensitive subject to many, the depiction of the 'payback' to the ones that committed those atrocities seems oddly justified.

Here's some shots of the actual models/sets in 'touring' mode as it went into exhibition. Would have loved to seen these up close in person.

Acadia's Funky Little Secret

2009-10-27T12:19:00.013-04:00

While traveling through Acadia National Park with my wife on our 10th anniversary, we saw many monumentally beautiful things. The likes of which have been waxed and waned poetic for years.

The first day of our 2-day sojourn was a complete downpour. A nor'easter was blowing in steady pounding rain throughout the entire Mt. Desert Island region. We drove the loop road that basically circles to outskirts of the entire park, in an attempt to get a good feel for what we would explore the next day come fairer weather.

No matter what the weather, the scale and grandeur of the scenery as well as the raw heartiness of the local fauna was incredible. So incredible were the various scents, that it was impossible to miss the changes as we hiked. We drifted from salty rocky low-tide air to crispy fallen leaves, to dense pine. occasionally a combination of two or more creating a feeling of chapters as the hike progressed. All of this is, of course, no secret to anyone who's visited.

Driving along the loop road on our first rainy day pass through (about 2/3 of the way through, just past the land bridge), we noticed an old car pulled to the side and the smell of campfire smoke and a plume rising above what was a very steep hill on the bay side of the road. We both noted, 'wow, with this downpour, those are some hearty campers'. Thinking about this the next day on our second drive through the area, I intended to check out what or where this campfire was. I parked our car and descended the steep muddly slope which had no real footing to speak of aside from some exposed tree roots and the occasional rock. As I came down closer, I noticed a small shingled rooftop visible on the rocky shore below.

Once clearing the final bit of slope and foliage, this is what I saw.

Now, knowing how well-armed folks in Northern Maine are, I stepped warily. I called out hello to be sure and not surprise any troll-like resident that could possibly be there.

I stepped away from the shack to gain a better vantage point.

Now, relatively assured there was no one there, I approached the only door to the place. I noted there were several freshly-painted lobster floats with the numbers 1952 carved into them.

As i got up to the door I looked inside the dirty sea salted glass.

At this point, I was coming up with all sorts of back stories as to who might live here. Inside, I noticed a small fire stove with 3 fresh Duraflames. Also noticed a pretty crude food storage cooler and some sort of cookware on the ceiling. Most interesting was gazing up the rickety stairs, was what appeared to be a sleeping loft. Looked like squirrels had been living there the past 5 years. The great thing was, this places official resident was here yesterday in the rain. What a sweet deal, having your own private lil fishing shack smack dab in the heart of Acadia. Despite the overall salty conditions, it appears it still is all about Location. Location. Location.

MARTIN AMIS' STUDIO

2009-09-28T20:31:00.007-04:00

After a contest put on by @Beadinpath and @AWDawno on twitter, I was reminded of an article on Martin Amis, and his studio where he does most of his writing. I loved the quote in the Guardian article here where he mentions how it's away from his house, so he couldn't hear the children, and could smoke. I found it so dryly witty, I couldn't help but share. Martin is, for those who aren't familiar with his work, an author who has written some brilliantly horrific novels such as 'London Fields' and 'Dead Babies' Wiki entry here.

Modern BMW Motorcycle Redesign

2009-08-08T09:13:00.007-04:00

I love how BMW went and redesigned the whole concept of 2 wheel travel.
Looks incredibly dangerous by the look of the driver's exposure.
Still sure as hell looks like a fun way to commute to work.

FUTURE DUO WHEEL TRANSPORT

DIORAMA GETAWAY

2009-05-08T09:19:00.003-04:00

started a new blog that features some of my recent dioramas. Will be expanding to others as time goes by. Check it out at: www.dioramagetaway.blogspot.com

TIMELY

2009-03-20T19:09:00.003-04:00

H/T to several blogs

LEE IACOCCA

2009-02-03T23:15:00.004-05:00

'Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening?
Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder.
We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff,
we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after
a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad,
everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say,
'Stay the course'

Stay the course? You've got to be kidding.
This is America , not the damned 'Titanic'.
I'll give you a sound bite: 'Throw all the bums out!'

You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have.
But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore.

The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in
handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq , the Middle East is burning and
nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving 'pom-poms' instead
of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the ' America ' my
parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough.
How about you?

I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not
outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. The Biggest 'C' is
Crisis! Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis.
It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory.
Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield
yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.

On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in
our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes.

A Hell of a Mess. So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war
with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest
deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge
to Asia , while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health
care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent
energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves.

The middle class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry
out for leadership. But when you look around, you've got to ask: 'Where have
all the leaders gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators?
Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common
sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.

Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us
take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We've spent
billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to
do is react to things that have already happened.

Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina.
Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the
hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in
the crucial hours after the storm.

Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again.
Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan.
Figure out what you're going to do the next time.

Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can
restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that
there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three' referred to Japanese car companies?
How did this happen, and more important,
what are we going to do about it?

Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the
debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem.
The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our
country and milking the middle class dry.

I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your
asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked
and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so
afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name?
Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?

Had Enough?

Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to
light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope, I believe in America .
In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America 's
greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: the 'Great
Depression', 'World War II', the 'Korean War', the 'Kennedy Assassination',
the 'Vietnam War', the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years
culminating with 9/11. If I've learned one thing, it's this: 'You don't get
anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take
action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for
our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising
in this book. It's a call to 'Action' for people who, like me, believe in
America . It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake
off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had 'enough.'

Excerpted from 'Where Have All the Leaders Gone?'.
Copyright (c) 2007 by Lee Iacocca. All rights reserved

Tilt Shift Photography

2009-01-14T00:45:00.002-05:00

I'm obsessed at the moment.
Imagine, anything I want, I can turn into a diorama.
Even home at holiday time...
Sweet.

check it out at:

http://tiltshiftmaker.com/

If Marriage Were Like In The Bible

2008-12-10T19:10:00.003-05:00

Since our Proposition 8 proponents are using The Bible as an excuse to try to be discriminatory against a significant part of the human race, we should explore applying those same standards. If we are to let the Bible define what "traditional marriage" should look like, then our marriage laws should be amended as such:

A. Marriage in the United States shall consist of a union between one man and one or more women.
(Gen 29:17-28; II Sam 3:2-5)

B. Marriage shall not impede a man's right to take concubines in addition to his wife or wives.
(II Sam 5:13; I Kings 11:3; II Chron 11:21)

C. A marriage shall be considered valid only if the wife is a virgin. If the wife is not a virgin, she shall be executed.
(Deut 22:13-21)

D. Marriage of a believer and a non-believer shall be forbidden.
(Gen 24:3; Num 25:1-9; Ezra 9:12; Neh 10:30)

E. Since marriage is for life, neither this Constitution nor the constitution of any State, nor any state or federal law, shall be construed to permit divorce.
(Deut 22:19; Mark 10:9)

F. If a married man dies without children, his brother shall marry the widow. If he refuses to marry his brother's widow or deliberately does not give her children, he shall pay a fine of one shoe and be otherwise punished in a manner to be determined by law.
(Gen 38:6-10; Deut 25:5-10)

G. In lieu of marriage, if there are no acceptable men in your town, it is required that you get your dad drunk and have sex with him (even if he had previously offered you up as a sex toy to men young and old), tag-teaming with any sisters you may have. Of course, this rule applies only if you are female.
(Gen 19:31-36)

props to daily kos for this gem

A BREASH OF FRETH AIR

2008-10-15T22:14:00.004-04:00

a breash of freth air

GOOD BYE FUNNY MAN

2008-06-23T11:33:00.003-04:00

R.I.P. George Carlin.
You formed my entire sarcastic analytical outlook on life.
Your albums got worn smooth from repeated plays over and over.
I met you in an elevator in the 4 Seasons Toronto 18 yrs ago and was dumbfounded as you were standing there with a little white dog that you'd think you'd do a routine about.
I didn't know what to say to you, it was just me, you and the dog in a long elevator ride down.
I instinctively said "Hey, that's a pretty mellow dog."
You said "He's a very well adjusted dog."
Then I waited, not wanting to be another gushing fanboy, til just before the elevator doors opened and looked him in the eyes and said, "Mr. Carlin, I just want to thank you for all the work you've done, I've been a huge fan of yours almost my entire life."

He said "Well thank you very much".

And away we went on our separate ways.

I'm punching out now....

GD

IT'S A MAN-BABY!

2008-05-15T14:11:00.000-04:00

Inspired from the site:
http://www.manbabies.com/

THE PATS CHEATED??? AGAINST THE JETS????

2007-09-12T10:11:00.000-04:00

Sorry gang, I usually don't do the sports related posts, but after reading this morning's news about the Patriots being caught videotaping the Jets defensive signals - something they have been caught doing before, I just couln't resist. So behold the new New England Patriots Helmet/logo design.

I'VE BEEN TAGGED...

2007-07-06T08:42:00.000-04:00

We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

At the end of your blog post, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

1. I bite my nails - not too much to cause bleeding, but enough to look unkempt.

2. I enjoy bulding and detailing intricate and elaborate WW2 military dioramas. I ususally like to feature the German design aspect of the war machines, but since my politically correct self wants not to insult anyone, I usually have the Germans in a state of retreat or defeat in some form or another.

3. I played trumpet throughout Grammar/Jr/High School and have since relegated it to a lost love and randomly attempt to bring back the magic with virtually no success.

4. I have a thing for early 20th century Hawaiian Steel guitar music, not dissimilar to my love of Django Reihardt.

5. After boycotting Starbucks since forever, I finally succumbed and found to my surprise, it is indeed like crack/meth. why didn't someone tell me about this miracle before?

6. I just moved from the cozy womb of the New York City region to the breezy oceany berth of Portland Maine. I am quite pleased about the move and continue to find more and more reasons why this was a good move.

7. I really like Buffalo Chicken Wings even though they really don't like me.

8. When I was a boy of 12 years old, I was playing army and was shot by the enemy. As anyone knows, once you're shot, you stay down. Unfortunately that resulted in, despite half hearted warnings from friends, a boulder rolling down the hill from above me. It clocked me square on the back of the noggin, and I still didn't get up. Once conscious, I rode my bike back home 15 minutes away to a pair of calm, nonplussed parents, despite the fact I had brain fluid leaking from my head wound.
I haven't been the same since.

Heavy Air (Chris K)
Greedo (Dave H)
What Sucks (Chris)
Rev Timmy
Mike J
Jeff G

MY SEVEN MINUTES....

2007-04-18T15:34:00.000-04:00

Last Summer I had the opportunity to review the film "Beerfest" on Fox 5's Dinner for Two Movie Review with Toni Senecal. This was a GREAT time as we got to have some good food and bevvys after the film - which surely inspired some bulk consumption later on in the day. Anyway, it sort of speaks for itself, so enjoy my enthusiastic and hearty reviiew of "Beerfest"

CHECK OUT MY MOMENT IN THE SPOTLIGHT

HAVE A NICE CHE'

2007-01-16T12:57:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Ape Lad for the laugh

THE BLACK METAL DIALOGUES

2007-01-04T17:06:00.000-05:00

Another oldie but a goodie, since we're doing discussions of metal lately. Hat tip to my friend Scott for directing me to this brilliant exchange between a norwegian death matal guy Saiihtam and some wiseass named Lance. Apparently Scott knows someone who knows Lance - and he is indeed a wiseass.

CLICK HERE TO READ

THE KIDS ROCK CHRISTMAS @ THE SHEA'S

2007-01-03T10:51:00.000-05:00

Hat Tip To T&T @ Shea's Lounge for shooting and posting this vid of the kids on Christmas Eve at their fine abode.

CLICK HERE FOR HOLIDAY MEMORIES

STAR WARS AS A SILENT FILM

2007-01-03T10:34:00.000-05:00

Man how great is YouTube? Since it's popularity boomed, there has been an outburst of incredible creativity within the world of video 'mashups' and the like. In a previous post i linked to DARTH VADER BEING A SMARTASS Well now we have another great re-take on Star Wars, this time, Silent Film style.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO

EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW I LEARNED FROM IRON MAIDEN

2006-12-21T10:05:00.000-05:00

An oldie but a goodie, our young friend here submits a letter to his principal protesting the grade he got on his history exam.
His examples of how Iron Maiden's music teaches him so much are, to say the least, quite eloquent.
I won't explain any more, my pathetic attempts to paraphrase his work will only serve injustice to his perpetually passionate prose.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE THE ESSAY

1970's BRAZIL

2006-12-14T09:53:00.000-05:00

Check out this amazing footage taken of and from a small helicopter cruising, at times perilously, through the streets (and tunnels) of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. The footage is set to an amazing soundtrack of 2 songs by Roberto Carlos.

BRAZIL FOOTAGE

Now THATS a wedding DJ!!!

2006-12-07T15:26:00.000-05:00

check this awesome wedding reception party - of course, in Germany. I can hardly imagine what old Uncle Len would have thought had our DJ spun this little number at our nuptials.Would have loved seeing the old timers just 'going with it'

DEATH METAL WEDDING VID

2006-11-14T10:31:00.000-05:00

LIL' POLE DANCER

2006-10-30T10:05:00.000-05:00

This is almost too unbelievable to be real but, it is.
A toy stripper pole for kids/youths.
Above you'll see the unfortunate and traumatized family that stumbled upon this little item.
This is straight from the company's (Tesco) website.
"Unleash the sex kitten inside...simply extend the Peekaboo pole inside the tube,
slip on the sexy tunes and away you go!

"Soon you'll be flaunting it to the world and earning a fortune in Peekaboo Dance Dollars".

Wonder if they'll make one for the lil' chippendale too...

WHILE MY UKELELE GENTLY WEEPS

2006-09-22T15:37:00.000-04:00

This guy, Jake Shimabukuru, whips out the sweetest most sublime version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
Never heard a Ukelele play like this.

UKELELE MASTERY on YouTube

MEXICO TOURISM

2006-09-07T11:23:00.000-04:00

This is a pretty funny sendup of the immigration debate.
Derive what you will.

Mexico Immigration

DARTH VADER BEING A SMARTASS

2006-08-08T10:19:00.000-04:00

This is an excellent example of brilliant editing skills. Taking a simple yet memorable scene from Star Wars and making it into something completely childish and hysterical. Please do yourself a favor and click the link below...

WATCH THE VIDEO!

PRISON VS WORK

2006-06-06T16:06:00.000-04:00

IN PRISON......you spend the majority of your time in a 10X10 cell.
AT WORK........you spend the majority of your time in an8X8 cubicle.
IN PRISON.......you get three meals a day.
AT WORK........you get a break for one meal and you have to pay for it.
IN PRISON..........you get time off for good behavior.
AT WORK............you get more work for good behavior.
IN PRISON..........the guard locks and unlocks all the doors for you.
AT WORK...........you're often required to carry a security card and open all the doors yourself.
IN PRISON.........you can watch TV and play games.
AT WORK...........you get fired for watching TV and playing games.
IN PRISON........you get your own toilet.
AT WORK..........you share the toilet with some people who pee on the seat.
IN PRISON..........they allow your family and friends to visit.
AT WORK............you're not supposed to even speak to your family.
IN PRISON........all expenses are paid by the taxpayers.
AT WORK..........you pay all your expenses to get to work, and then they deduct taxes from your salary to pay for prisoners
IN PRISON .........you must deal with sadistic wardens.
AT WORK...........they're called managers.
IN PRISON.....you spend most of your life inside bars wanting to get out.
AT WORK .......you spend most of your time wanting to get out and go inside bars.

Hat Tip to Tracy for the larf...

IMMIGRATION PROTESTS

2006-05-02T11:22:00.000-04:00

A picture says it all....

THE OLD COUNTRY WAY TO MAKE YOU HUMBLE

2006-05-01T10:06:00.000-04:00

Back in the 80's you couldn't mention wrestling without mentioning the Iron Sheik. Here he is delivering his classic butchered english revealing the "old country way to make a man humble". The ending is worth it too.Hat Tip to Salil for the link.

IRON SHEIK LOSES IT

HYSTERICAL NEW BLOG

2006-04-03T12:14:00.000-04:00

Does mentioning another blog within a blog create some sort of exponential vortex of blogging out of which we will never return? If it is, hopefully we'll have the same cynical sense of humor Lynne of I Hate You, New Guy Who Sits Next to Me has. While just a few weeks old, this cynical reflection of one particularly annoying office mate is something I'll return to again and again - just to see how he's doing at his new job.

DUDE WHERES MY PARTY?

2006-02-07T12:14:00.000-05:00

In case you didn't know, these 'parties' don't really exist.
They are there merely to keep us distracted from what's REALLY going on by spewing endless supplies of opposing rhetoric.

DAVID HASSELHOFF IS GOD

2006-01-12T12:00:00.000-05:00

Well, he flies with angels at least. **CAUTION!! DO NOT VIEW IF YOU ARE OVERLY SENSITIVE TO SCHMALTZ**

MIND BENDING HASSELHOFF VIDEO

CHICO R.I.P. 12/18/97 - 12/22/05

2005-12-23T07:47:00.000-05:00

Poor little guy just turned 8. Got hit with kidney failure
-complications from lyme exposure years ago.
He went in peace with his family by his side.
So sad and unfair.

TOP 30 FACTS ABOUT CHUCK NORRIS

2005-12-17T10:56:00.000-05:00

This thing is laugh-out-loud hysterical.
So many great things I didn't know about the legend that is Chuck Norris.
One of my faves from the list is, "Chuck Norris doesn't sleep, he waits"
click link below for all the rest of the facts.

TOP 30 CHUCK NORRIS FACTS

SPEAKS FOR ITSELF

2005-11-29T17:41:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the Village Voice and Ward Sutton

ODE TO THE AMERICAN HILLBILLY

2005-11-13T07:51:00.000-05:00

Well folks, sorry for the delayed posting...
Below, you will find a lnk to a hilarious movie dedicated to the American Hillbilly. Simple still-frame editing cut to "Dueling Banjos" by Flatt & Scruggs, will have you wanting to go through the cut frame by frame so as not miss one single image.
Enjoy.

ODE TO THE AMERICAN HILLBILLY MOVIE

FIGHTING THEM THERE INSTEAD OF HERE

2005-10-21T17:03:00.000-04:00

I try to keep politics off this blog as much as possible because there's just a shitload of political blogs out there and let's face it, who needs another progressive gloating at the downfall of the neo-con agenda? For the most part I'm successful at avoiding politics, however occasionally news is so un-ignorable that I have to jump on the train. (as in the katrina posts) I recently discovered this "game" on one of those many political blogs out there. This is a brilliant metaphor to how the US has approached the War on Terror, and it's just a hell of a lot of fun for those of us "destructive types". Basically, you get to fire a missile at the bad guys. Accuracy is questionable (just like real-life) and the results are a lot of collateral damage without really hitting the intended target or solving the original problem. (also like real-life) What makes this brilliant is, the more you play, the more "terrorists" you create (more like real-life!). In a nutshell the war on terror would be much more successful if it was fought with responsible foreign policy instead of bombs and genocide. Click the link below to play the "war on Terrorism" game a.k.a September 12th. (You'll need shockwave on your computer to play)

BOMB THE TERRORISTS GAME

HAS ANYONE SEEN MY RUSTY TROMBONE?

2005-10-17T16:19:00.000-04:00

Yes folks, after years of clever hilarity, thanks to Johnny "Big-Dog" Dolan, I have finally found the quintessential guide to any and all terms for bizarre sex acts. Amaze your friends and girlfriends by knowing exactly what it takes to perform a "Roman War Helmet". Bask in the glory and beam with pride as you finally accomplish the "Abe Lincoln". So much fun, and so many home projects for the enterprising libertine. Click link below for the entire glossary of terms.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

HUMAN ORIGINS

2005-10-12T10:54:00.000-04:00

For those that know me personally, we've probably had a discussion or two about the origins of mankind. I've always considered an unorthodox approach to this question because i truly believe that all current religion isn't even close to the real truth. That truth being who we really are, and how we came to be the self-conscious beings we are. I have always wanted to read an honest clear translation of the Sumerian Bible (this pre-dating the hebrew bible by thousands of years) because many of the current biblical tales of great floods et al. originated in those Sumerian legends. The Sumerians were the closest advanced primitive culture to the real answers of how we emerged from the muck and I've always thought that primitive cultures somehow had a better grip on how it really was. Case in point, the Sumerians had star charts that included Neptune AND Pluto as well as the various moons of other major planets. They even named Neptune "The Water Planet" and Pluto the "Ice Planet". These facts predated modern mans discovery by thousands of years! Anyway, long story longer, Graham Hancock has been a great visionary and learned scholar on archaeology and human origins. He has a new book out in which he explores the hallucinogenic world of the primitive Amazonian jungle through experiencing a trip on ayahuasca. (an extremely hallucinogenic indiginous plant of the amazon prepared as you see in the pic above) His current studies concur with several other theories that "the missing link" or the reason the human brain jump-started its development and artistic, societal and mechanical skills developed so fast was due to the discovery and ingestion of hallucinogenic flora. (Other related authors- Terence McKenna, Zecharia Sitchin, Robert Bauvall)

Check the article below

GRAHAM HANCOCK ARTICLE

THE 'TALENT' SHOW

2005-10-11T14:45:00.000-04:00

Through the years I've noticed something universal about modern Americans and their struggle to find good entertainment. (something as rare as the dodo nowadays) Most people can't resist watching cringe moments happen to their fellow humans. I am no exception. Here is a bit of fantastic video of a Mt Laurel NJ Junior High School "talent" show. The link below will take you to the winner of "The Most Beat-Up Kid of the Class of 2004". Dig a little deeper in the site, and perouse the brilliant videos of talent shows' past. Enjoy repeated torurous renditions of 'the Star Spangled Banner' mutilated by sub-adequate guitar playing. (theres one every year) Relish the pre-pubescent butchering of Beatles' classics. (seemingly a big hit with the Jr high School ladies) Theres something for everyone at this site. Now, I know that some of you are saying that this could be construed as 'mean-spirited,' however, as a father of two budding talents myself, this is meant in the lightest of humor. A warm thanks to the visionaries that thought it would be a good idea to post these videos for all the world to enjoy.

TALENT SHOW

PURE ROCK BAND PHOTO HILARITY

2005-10-03T16:16:00.000-04:00

I know this site has been up for a while, but the writing for the captions of these photos gets better with every click. Just try and stop looking...just one more...ok, one more... Enjoy the madcap laughter sure to ensue. Thanks to Jack Grace for sharing this comedy gem, and of course-thanks to Rockandrollconfidential.com for the brilliant writing.

HALL OF DOUCHEBAGS - BAND PHOTOS

SHINING

2005-10-02T13:57:00.000-04:00

it all comes down to editorial. Check out this fantastic re-edited trailer for "Shining".
Using all the footage from Kubrick's masterpiece, but edited as if it were a romantic comedy.

SHINING TRAILER

...AND YOU WORRIED ABOUT SQUIRRELS

2005-09-28T09:48:00.000-04:00

Check out this bear compliments of Kyler.
Witness the latest way to forage the suburbs for food -
and people worry about squirrels on the birdfeeders.
I believe this was shot right here in Croton-On-Hudson, NY
And bears the question (sorry for the pun)
What is that rope made of???

SPEAKS FOR ITSELF

2005-09-28T09:42:00.000-04:00

I wonder if i can get these printed?

1 MORE SHOT

2005-09-21T19:18:00.000-04:00

Just another photo of the 4 of us.
Back to business next post.

ANOTHER BABY PHOTO

2005-09-20T08:24:00.000-04:00

Gonna use this excuse to post another shot of mom and donovan. His first night home & he slept AWESOME. Seems to be quite the mellow little guy - I wonder how long it will stay that way....

VANITY POST: Our Son Donovan is Here

2005-09-19T15:14:00.000-04:00

Yeah, well I had to use this as a vehicle to share the great news. Our son Donovan Jack was born on Friday Sept 16th @ 5:30AM. Him and mom are both doing great. He's the mellowest little guy - which will make a great contrast to the rest of his highly energetic family. Not only that, Sadie now has a little playmate to help take care of. Despite all the nasty shit going on in this world, it sure is nice to see things like this work out so well. to quote Tiny Tim "God bless us - everyone"
...and no NOT THAT tiny tim-tiptoe through the tulips....

BLACK DIAMOND

2005-09-14T10:40:00.000-04:00

Hey, how 'bout a lil' break from all the blatantly visible government-shitting-its-pants talk and have a moment of levity? Well this should do it for you. Meet Black Diamond - "An 'Unreal' Neil Diamond experience." Check the link below for free mp3's, fantastic photos, and a great explanation of how he came discover and ultimately become the great talent that he is.

BLACK DIAMOND WEBSITE

THIS AIN'T FOOTBALL

2005-09-08T16:05:00.003-04:00

Now, for those few acquaintances of mine that still stand behind The Cowboy - even now - I offer this juicy lil tidbit.
Courtesy of the Gaelic Starover - from Bushflash.com comes a simply written comment on Americas current political state.
Quite apropos - especially at this time...

"Now- you republicans, out there, who are still clinging to Bush, out of sheer determination:

If you wanna be a republican, fine. You wanna vote republican, because you're a conservative, and you have no other choice? Fine-

But you have to stop viewing politics, and the fate of our nation, as if it were pro football. Yeah- I know- you want to cheer for your team, defend it when it's down, and rally around the "star player"- it's fun, I know...

Let me break this gently... Your star lineman has just tested positive for steroids, while sniffing coke with a prostitute in the back of a '78 chevette. The Quarterback was found vacationing in an shack in the Wyoming foothills, watching "Scarface" over and over, in a room littered with dead boy scouts. The rest of your team was found in a dirty basement in Singapore, chewing gum, and betting on cockfights while trading in teenage Vietnamese male whores.

Keep your ideology- keep your party- it's all good... However- I have to ask all republicans, here, and now:

Rats have the brains to leave a sinking ship- why can't you muster the same mental fortitude?

Stand with the rest of America, and demand accountability from the people whom you rallied around, for so long- they owe you, at the very least, that much..."

Hallelujah

GILLIGAN DIES

2005-09-06T15:24:00.000-04:00

Little Buddy! Poor guy, reluctantly went along with the Gilligan thing years and years after the show had all but disappeared. On Dobie Gillis - as Maynard G Krebs he sported the beard that launched a thousand copies. Our little buddy is no longer with us. Apparently he had complications from quadruple bypass surgery. Looks like he finally got off this crazy island after all.

R.I.P Bob - Tell the Skipper we miss him too!

POLITICAL ALERT! " i don't think anyone could have anticipated the levees breaching"

2005-09-06T15:11:00.000-04:00

Yeah, no one except his own commission researching the 3 biggest potential disasters in the US. Oh yeah, and this little article snip from Natl. Geo. (FROM 2004 NO LESS)

"...It was a broiling August afternoon in New Orleans, Louisiana, the Big Easy, the City That Care Forgot. Those who ventured outside moved as if they were swimming in tupelo honey. Those inside paid silent homage to the man who invented air-conditioning as they watched TV "storm teams" warn of a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. Nothing surprising there: Hurricanes in August are as much a part of life in this town as hangovers on Ash Wednesday.

But the next day the storm gathered steam and drew a bead on the city. As the whirling maelstrom approached the coast, more than a million people evacuated to higher ground. Some 200,000 remained, however the car-less, the homeless, the aged and infirm, and those die-hard New Orleanians who look for any excuse to throw a party.

The storm hit Breton Sound with the fury of a nuclear warhead, pushing a deadly storm surge into Lake Pontchartrain. The water crept to the top of the massive berm that holds back the lake and then spilled over. Nearly 80 percent of New Orleans lies below sea level more than eight feet below in places so the water poured in. A liquid brown wall washed over the brick ranch homes of Gentilly, over the clapboard houses of the Ninth Ward, over the white-columned porches of the Garden District, until it raced through the bars and strip joints on Bourbon Street like the pale rider of the Apocalypse. As it reached 25 feet (eight meters) over parts of the city, people climbed onto roofs to escape it.

Thousands drowned in the murky brew that was soon contaminated by sewage and industrial waste. Thousands more who survived the flood later perished from dehydration and disease as they waited to be rescued. It took two months to pump the city dry, and by then the Big Easy was buried under a blanket of putrid sediment, a million people were homeless, and 50,000 were dead. It was the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States.

When did this calamity happen? It hasn't yet. But the doomsday scenario is not far-fetched. The Federal Emergency Management Agency lists a hurricane strike on New Orleans as one of the most dire threats to the nation, up there with a large earthquake in California or a terrorist attack on New York City. Even the Red Cross no longer opens hurricane shelters in the city, claiming the risk to its workers is too great."

LINK TO ENTIRE ARTICLE

I sure hope this country wakes up and realizes our supposedly teflon govenment needs a serious douching

THE NAKED COWGIRL

2005-08-31T14:51:00.000-04:00

OK New Yorkers, if you've ventured anywhere near that disnefied cess-pool called Times Square, you've probably seen the NAKED COWBOY Well lo and behold, just 2 weeks after our offices have moved from their times square home, we FINALLY have the yin to his yang THE NAKED COWGIRL. Huzzah for women's rights!I wonder if she's the naked cowboys wife?
If not, I wonder if he feels threatened in any way?
Since I'm no longer in that neighborhood, I guess I wont get the chance to ask him.

THE FARTING PREACHER

2005-08-29T10:37:00.000-04:00

OK, for those of you who have sat late night at my place and watched the video of the farting preacher - this may offer some some closure for you. For others, you can see these hysterical videos by clicking the link below.(sorry WMV) Robert Tilton is a preacher who's been on TV for years. Several years ago someone in the post-production business saw this guy on late-night TV and noticed that his bizarre body language seemed to welcome a little post-added audio. The tape was dubbed countless times, and has now finally become part of the web.

FARTING PREACHER VIDS

TASTES JUST LIKE CHICKEN

2005-08-28T09:48:00.000-04:00

a hearty thanks to Kyler for passing along this stunning shot of nature in the raw. I know snakes can dislocate their jaws to accomodate larger portions but a whole kangaroo just about takes the cake. Speaking of raw nature, also check the link below for the trailer of an upcoming movie called GRIZZLY MAN

GRIZZLY MAN TRAILER

BULLSHIT PROTECTOR

2005-08-24T10:03:00.000-04:00

OK, I try not to do too much politics here on WB, but when I saw this image-I HAD to post it.
This is WW2 veteran Bill Moyers wearing his "Bullshit Protector" during Bushes speech in Idaho yesterday.
What a simple, effective way to voice your discontent while still attending his tightly controlled speeches.
Hopefully the current gestapo won't find a loophole in the constitution to make these illegal as well

THE HEDGEHOG JUST DOESN'T STOP

2005-08-18T12:24:00.000-04:00

Ron Jeremy just fascinates me. Besides his internationally reknowned performances in the adult entertainment industry, he continues to perpetuate his own fame in many ways. Fitting quite well with having earned himself a WHITE BELT some years ago. That said, Ron is now exploring the possibilty of a reality series with ABC. The idea being that "viewers could tune in right before they went out to party." No news yet on what the angle of the show is to be of course. My good compadre Dave Himself over at "Greedo Never Fired" has actually paid a fine homage our hero in a beautifully rendered t-shirt enabling you to show the world your understanding and unwavering support for the hedgehog. Perouse the entire DEE TEES site offering a fine selection of additional t-shirts immortalizing other well-deserved WHITE BELTS as well.

DEE TEES T-SHIRT SITE!

CHRISTOPHER WALKEN FOR PRESIDENT 2008

2005-08-15T17:17:00.000-04:00

Ok, this seems to be no joke. Can you imagine how obtuse the press conferences could be? Imagine him negotiating with rogue states? He'd baffle them and secure diplomacy through strange non-sequiturs. Certainly more well-spoken than our current morron in charge to say the least. I'd say, of all the potential candidates so far - he's my pick as of today. Read up on his policies/politics et al below.

WALKEN FOR PRESIDENT 2008

REMOTE CONTROLLED LAWNMOWER

2005-08-11T18:03:00.000-04:00

Yeah yeah, I know this is the third post in one day, but I just had to drop the dime on this little gem.
You read right, a remote controlled lawnmower. Simple enough idea - incredible execution.
Just the bare bones of what it needs to be, yet still having that sleek RC look to it.
As a person with a lot of lawn to trim, this almost seems worth the investment... of $2,300 plus shipping.
The only drawback is, it'll eliminate some of the heavy exercise i manage to get in
when i actually have the time to cut the lawn.

REMOTE CONTROL LAWNMOWER SITE

FED EX FURNITURE

2005-08-11T15:19:00.000-04:00

This fantastic home-made ghetto-ass furniture was created by Jose Avila.
He used his architecural knowledge to create, build and ultimately furnish his entire apartment-
including bed, couch, chairs, dinner table. desk etc.
He even put up a site to show you how to make the stuff (linked below)
Unfortunately Fed Ex doesn't recognize an "homage" when it sees it.
Jose has gotten a cease and desist letter from Fed Ex claiming he's violationg their copyright.
As these things usually go, it wont be long before Jose has to take his site down.
Heck, he'll probably owe those corporate leeches money for punitive damages or some other BS like it.
Just another example of the man sucking what little blood is left out of us.

Maybe we can make the furniture out of Airborne Express boxes.

FED EX FURNITURE SITE

LOOKS LIKE CBGB's IS GONNA BE OK!

2005-08-11T11:50:00.000-04:00

Looks like local L.E.S douchebag Muzzy Rosenblatt lost his case against CBGB's.
(trying to squander an extra 100,000 outta Hilly - hell, he could buy that whole building if he wanted to)
Fortunately Hilly can continue the tradition that he launched so long ago.
Sadly, however, it seems the quality of acts and price of beers has both declined and increased respectively.
Quoting the judge who decided the case - She cited the impact CB's had on the neighborhood "...the destitution, degradation and substance abuse were rampant when the club opened in 1973. CBGB has proven itself worthy of being recognized as a landmark -- a rare achievement for any commercial tenant in the ever diverse and competitive real estate market of New York City"

A Toast to a true NYC landmark.

Stanislav Szukalski

2005-08-04T15:30:00.000-04:00

One of my absolute favorite artists of all time is Satnislav Szukalski. He was producing dramatic and innovative artwork for most of the 20th century.
Claiming to have no influences, his sculptures are just a hint of the immense talent this guy had. He did lavish study drawings of his sculptures-to-be. Sometimes these drawings would surpass the quality of the actual sculpture(which is difficult to believe). He had all sorts of theories on evolution as well as a whole in-depth personal study on tribal markings related to survivors of the great flood (antideluvian societies of south american region) Anyway - a gallery in San Francisco is having a show of his work.
(sadly most of his largest and most dramatic pieces were destroyed during the nazi's bombing of Poland,
as well as his nazi-confiscated artworks during the bombing of Dresden)

There are 3 books currently available through amazon that have some examples of his work.

Check out the gallery thats linked on this site.

SZUKALSKI SHOW/GALLERY

COMMENTS WELCOME DAMMIT!

2005-08-03T18:29:00.000-04:00

Ok, this is a vanity post.
Tell me what u think of these updates!
Whatever you want, just let me know that someone,
besides my 2-3 fellow blogger friends, is online
and sharing the same fixation on the absurd as I am!
Express any thoughts - insigts - criticism - whatever -
just let me know someone is out there having some kind of reaction to the stuff i post here.

Thanks-

Walking Spanish

Reflectoporn

2005-08-03T07:30:00.000-04:00

OK, I gotta admit - I never heard of this until I saw it on Snopes.
A pretty clever trend where people who are auctioning reflective items
sneak in a nude shot of themselves taking the pic in the reflection.
It's apparently already a trend - go figure.
Anyway, the image above is apparently the forerunner of this trend.
Check the other reflecto-pix courtesy of Snopes.com

REFLECTOPORN GALLERY

McRorie - One Man Band

2005-08-02T14:23:00.000-04:00

Ok, I know what you're thinking - another one man band?!?!
Well allow me to introduce you the wonder that is McRorie.
Here we have a Canadian gentleman that has mastered the one man rock show.
Imagine if you could squeeze the whole band Rush into one overtalented canuck?
You might end up with something resembling McRorie.
Have a look at his website - great vids as well as "original compositions"

MCRORIE - ONE MAN BAND SITE

Those Crazy Germans

2005-07-28T16:37:00.000-04:00

I have become fascinated by the fact that so many American classics have been recorded in german.
Johnny Cash doing "Wo Ist Zu House, Mama?", to the Beatles' "Komm Gibb Mi Hahn" to Petula Clark's "Downtown"
Even Peter Gabriel recorded "Games Without Froniers" in German. There was even one guy - Ralf Paulsen who recorded the Mister Ed Theme in German. But this here song just about takes the cake. In most instances these songs sound kinda neat - however this one may cause you to take pause. For your cacaphonic pleasure, I present to you "Rappers Delight"

Enjoy

(Thanks to WFMU's blog for providing this stunning content)

RAPPERS DEUTSCH

Picking Up Girls Made Easy

2005-07-26T10:24:00.000-04:00

What a find!
Browsing the many music sites the web has to offer, I stumbled upon this.
An entire professionally recorded "how-to" record on how to pick up chicks.
This is an mp3 of the enire album from the late 60's.
Listen! - It needs no further explanation.

PICKING UP GIRLS MADE EASY

The Zoomquilt

2005-07-25T17:18:00.000-04:00

This is a Zoomquilt.
Hallucinogenics not required, but still a lot of fun.
This is a couple years old, yet worthy of posting anyway-
If you drag your cursor up or down you will be transported through a seemingly endless and seamless
world of never ending intricate worlds.
A Collective of artists from germany collaborated on this project.
Pretty amazing stuff.

ZOOMQUILT

COOLIN' OFF NYC Style

2005-07-20T15:24:00.000-04:00

Meet Frank.
He's posing with his prototype, which converts a useless fire hydrant into a nice sidewalk shower.

only in NY

This great image and story were courtesy of BoingBoing which got it courtesy of Siege

SIEGE PHOTOGRAPHY

Run along - Montauk

2005-07-17T19:01:00.000-04:00

(Yes, I know Bond said "Run along - man-talk" but it still sounds like Montauk)

The family went on a week getaway to Montauk
GREAT vaction place - esp during the week
Good times to be had for sure - as you can see

however i would like to share one view from Montauk...

Talk about a real estate boom -
whoever happened to buy some small 3 br bungalow in the 60's
or bought a more modern 4 br for 200k about 8 years ago -
you are now sitting on houses worth upwards of 1million dollars!
(insert dr evil finger)
Just looking at the real estate listings in the local papers was a real eye opener.
serious junk shacks on less than 1/2 acre listing at 850k at the very minimum.
Just another example of why it's a good thing to buy land/property of some kind in some way
-because they ain't makin any more

Pimp My Fahrrad

2005-07-17T18:47:00.000-04:00

Leave it to those crazy eco-friendly germans.
pimp my ride gone schwinn style

PIMP MY FAHRRAD

VINTAGE PORN MOVIE POSTERS

2005-07-07T12:38:00.000-04:00

Remember the old porno mags you hid in the woods when you were a kid?
No matter how water damaged they got they were still THE essential forbidden item.
Remember the ads for the films in them?
If you're feeling the least bit nostalgic, have a look at this great collection of vintage adult film posters from the golden age of porn.
You'll also see the ever classic "Debbie Does Dallas" poster as well.
Some are for sale too!

ADULT MOVIE POSTERS OF THE 60's & 70's

YAY! it's NOT New York!!!

2005-07-06T10:03:00.000-04:00

What a nice way to start the day...
to NOT see New York used like a whore on 8th avenue for yet another event
most New Yorkers would dread ever coming to this fair city

The Old Negro Space Program

2005-06-29T16:51:00.000-04:00

A great parody documentary - well worth the watch

The Old Negro Space Program

Sweet "Justice"

2005-06-28T15:12:00.000-04:00

This is legit folks...lets donate!

Press Release

Weare, New Hampshire (PRWEB) Could a hotel be built on the land owned by Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter? A new ruling by the Supreme Court which was supported by Justice Souter himself itself might allow it. A private developer is seeking to use this very law to build a hotel on Souter's land.

Justice Souter's vote in the "Kelo vs. City of New London" decision allows city governments to take land from one private owner and give it to another if the government will generate greater tax revenue or other economic benefits when the land is developed by the new owner.

On Monday June 27, Logan Darrow Clements, faxed a request to Chip Meany the code enforcement officer of the Towne of Weare, New Hampshire seeking to start the application process to build a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road. This is the present location of Mr. Souter's home.

Clements, CEO of Freestar Media, LLC, points out that the City of Weare will certainly gain greater tax revenue and economic benefits with a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road than allowing Mr. Souter to own the land.

The proposed development, called "The Lost Liberty Hotel" will feature the "Just Desserts Café" and include a museum, open to the public, featuring a permanent exhibit on the loss of freedom in America. Instead of a Gideon's Bible each guest will receive a free copy of Ayn Rand's novel "Atlas Shrugged."

Clements indicated that the hotel must be built on this particular piece of land because it is a unique site being the home of someone largely responsible for destroying property rights for all Americans.

"This is not a prank" said Clements, "The Towne of Weare has five people on the Board of Selectmen. If three of them vote to use the power of eminent domain to take this land from Mr. Souter we can begin our hotel development."

Clements' plan is to raise investment capital from wealthy pro-liberty investors and draw up architectural plans. These plans would then be used to raise investment capital for the project. Clements hopes that regular customers of the hotel might include supporters of the Institute For Justice and participants in the Free State Project among others.

# # #

Logan Darrow Clements
Freestar Media, LLC

Phone 310-593-4843
logan@freestarmedia.com
http://www.freestarmedia.com

RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA POSTERS

2005-06-28T13:03:00.000-04:00

A little rant before the link...

Hate the Supreme Court decision that your land is not yours any more?
Have you had it with the withered dried up state of our constitution?
Sick of the masses just letting it all happen cause they can still drive their humvees to the 7-11 and get 4 jumbo bags of chee-tos for $2.00?
Show the world you get whats really happening...

Heres a nice collection of vintage russian propaganda posters -
use these as inspirations - communicate your displeasure at the current United Socialist States of America .

RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA POSTERS

I wish Tom had internet....

2005-06-24T15:55:00.000-04:00

beautiful train photography for your railroading enjoyment...

RAILROAD PHOTOGRAPHY

70's link now HOT

2005-06-23T13:01:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Dave Himself for helping me with my HTML impaired self

70's NYC Nightlife

Classic 70's NYC nightlife

2005-06-23T10:20:00.000-04:00

For a real feel of the good ol' days of NYC, just check out this gallery of 7o's NYC nightlife

http://www.sohoweeklynews.com//Book/Nightlife/index.htm?page=1

The Essence of a Whitebelt - to be discussed at length

2005-06-22T13:32:00.000-04:00

The original discussion about the white belt was brought up by Jeff G and Tom V.
A White belt can only be worn by ccertain qualified men - there are not many.
The belt could almost be considered a badge of honor - something one must earn.
The essence of what it takes to "earn" one is this:
(however not the only way to earn it)
To have had it all - the world at your fingertips - then,
through personal tragedy or hardship - lose it all
- only to then make it back to the spotlight and have it all again.
Women have also been nominated for a belt however in most cases they wear the WHITE PURSE
So to add to Dave Himself's observation, The original white belt would have to go to Jackie Gleason, or maybe Babe Ruth.
Rob G has a great image printed on an old Yankees program of the Babe's locker
- hanging on a hook is The Bambinos White Belt - truly a magnificent sight.

Bush Unswayed by Anti-War prtests

2005-06-22T12:36:00.000-04:00

"Yes gentlemen, they are on their way in, and nobody can bring them back. For the sake of our country, and our way of life, I suggest you get the rest of SAC in after them. Otherwise, we will be totally destroyed by Red retaliation. My boys will give you the best kind of start, 1400 megatons worth, and you sure as hell won't stop them now. So let's get going, there's no other choice. God willing, we will prevail, in peace and freedom from fear, and in true health, through the purity and essence of our natural... fluids. God bless you all"

Long Live Molvania!

2005-06-21T15:49:00.000-04:00

http://www.molvania.com/video_medium_2.html

http://www.jetlagtravel.com/molvania/antipope_small.html

these speak for themselves...

2005-06-16T13:39:00.000-04:00

so here it is - a chance to argue the single most important question ever

who is belted??