How bold one gets when one is sure of being loved!

random, recent:

the primitive mind is, in the fullest meaning of the word, imperishable.

Doesn't Raffi look streetwear?

In this way the first instinct came into being: the instinct to return to the inanimate state.

Happy Easter everybody! I hope that Jesus rose from the dead in all of your hearts. To celebrate, i bequeath to you a Bible quiz! How did you score?

Apropos of the Bible, did you know what Jesus' last words on the cross were? Many people think that they were:

Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani.(Mt 27:45-46)

Actually, Jesus' last words, as recorded in the synoptic Gospels were:

Yeah, I got some last words. Fuck all y'all. (Mt 25:26, Mk 26: 10, Lk 30:21)

and in the Gospel of John:

I really hate you guys. (Jn 34:18)



Anyway, as mentioned, Eby visited.



I got a lot of this sort of thing.



Then, Eby, having left, i hope for him, sufficient destruction in his wake, his legs shown--by way of a series of hammers dropped in close proximity--to be much stronger than mine for the extended weekend filiming mission, returned to New York with the pictured bag--containing two dozen-donut-boxes of various vegan, "voodoo" donuts for his, one could say, special lady-friend, Camille.




Today I skated Lincoln HS and Burnside.

I have also been reading Henry James' The Golden Bowl. I decided to read it because Žižek wrote about it. But, whew! I read a chapter or two and I need to take a nap.

Anyway, I am going to London in two weeks for an interview at the Institute of Education. I need to present a written lesson plan for 12 year olds. I will also arrive for the opening of white grounds--an amazing 'adapted' skatepark in an unused service tunnel. So, there is is: teaching religion to high school students in the United Kingdom: my future staring back at me.

Alanis' Lady Lumps

BEST MUSIC VIDEO EVER! Alanis Morissette wins.

On the note or awesomeness, Chinatown keeps it gully with "Crying Baby Head" that you can throw on the ground and make cry. I want to be in the Kindergarden class where a kid comes to recess with this thing...not in a pedophile way (pervs), in a fly on the wall way.



In my constant attention paid to crossing signs, I am sometimes rewarded with thing such as this. SHOCKER!



For some reason I have been drawn toward going big with my skating lately. It doesn't make sense since everyone else I skate with just skates tranny these days. I get my kicks, though.

I took it mellow yesterday and skated around downtown with my buddy Dave.



He is a ghost, btw.

Stumptown Stumble

As Leonard alluded to, I took a skate/filming mission out to Portland. Lots of skating went down, and lots of pain and soreness resulted. Here is the escapade via the lens of my phone camera:

On the flight there, the guy the seat over from me looked like your typical middle-aged, middle-class, professional...reading a Harry Potter book! I was amused. I shot the photo when he went to the bathroom to release his magic potions.



We ate at this Creole restaurant in Portland where they wrapped my vegetarian jambalaya like a foil alien creature/crab (or something). We stopped by the same place to get some food to go on my way to the airport at the end of the trip and I was hoping that I didn't have to go to the airport with another one of these creatures...I got lucky (or maybe the waitress that first day was the one looking to get lucky ;)).



Leonard had to go to work the first couple days I was there. On the second day, I didn't feel like waiting for him so I took the bus to Burnside. While waiting for the bus, this guy stopped at the light in front of me...way to live in a mirror, dude!



I took these while crossing the Burnside bridge on my way to the park:





Chat Childress, aka Crooks/Luda Crooks/Ol Dirty Crooks/Crooked Arm/etc, was there RIPPING!



There were a couple spots that I was looking for (which I had magazine rip-outs of on me of him skating them) and he was able to tell me where they were. Unfortunately, one was gone and the other was outside of Seattle. Dude killed that park, as did all the other locs. I got hurt.



Apparently, skateboarding is awesomer than graffiti!



This sign follows Leonard around:



They love skateboarders in Portland! That skateboarder is totally going to punch that rollerblader in the face!



They also like to make food into animals!



Did you know that nicknames for Portland are Mudtown and Stumptown? Those are tougher names than the Big Apple (which is apparently rotten at its core).

Oh yeah, and everybody wears helmets...even tough looking bikers on their chopper bicycles they are forced to ride since they bikes were confiscated after their 5th DUI.

Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise.

1 knee and hand dripping blood
2 ruined boards
1 shin that looks like it exploded
1 scraped up leg, back, and butt
1 pair shorts shredded from sliding out on butt
1 crushed ego
------------------
filming mission w/ Eby

Illusions commend themselves to us because they save us pain and allow us to enjoy pleasure instead.

I find arguing about music pointless.

Of course, I suspect Eby's problem is not really a music-problem at all, but rather a 'brand problem.' PDiddy is embarrassing. Even saying his name is embarrassing. And what?

I think there is another side to him. A kitschy side. I am talking some beyond your garden-variety, cool-dude irony. It is deeper, murkier.

To get right to it: I think that there is something vaguely transsexual about Pdiddy, something drag queenish. For one, there is the glossy charades. So maybe Puff's political costumery seems somehow analogous to gender costumery (I don't care if that's a real word or not). Or maybe it is just the fact that the dude looks like he wear more foundation than Rupaul.

This could really be the future of rap music. Think about how much transvestites did for rock music (Bowie, Iggy Pop, New York Dolls). And, like, with the rap world being so homophobic, what would be more subversive than a transgendered rapper? Trannie-hop? Dragster-rap?

I wonder what would Judith Butler would say. In any case, the beat sounds like early Prince or Cameo in the best way possible. I am not joking about saying I like that song. Dude, what do you want? It's got a nice beat and I can dance to it.

Whatever. I served for jury duty today. We reached a verdict in a half an hour. There were six of us. Everyone listened to each other. No one was angry or rude. Beyond the dirty details of the case (it was a strangulation), the experience was perfectly genteel.

Berrrr, who had the sickest skateboarding clips on youtube, got his account suspended. He had a bunch of clips from the Gnargnar video. I wonder if that was what did him in. This was his final post.



Some final notes:

I keep hearing about how well Sho's memorial went.

When I first met Sho, I noticed he had written a quote on his board. I asked him where it was from. He said it was from Damien Hirst (work pictured). It goes to show how little about art that I didn't know who Damine Hirst was at the time. When I asked Caireen about Damien Hirst later, she let me know how bad this was that I didn't know.

As a note: In the future, I want to talk more about 1) how stupid the skateboarding industry has become, 2) how boring it is to talk about music, and 3) why I am amazing and my life is legendary.

God. That picture of PDiddy is freaking me out. So, in any case, here is something else. Try to forget about it. New Order, "confusion."

Hawt Coulture

Dang! What is with Leonard feeling horrible Puff Daddy songs (are there such things as non-horrible Puff Daddy songs?)?

So it is like 15 degrees here and has been snow-ish lately. This is what it was like on my way to work on Wednesday:






Those pictures are not dirty, that is just God boycotting Head and Shoulders (that is what snow really is, kiddies).



It is going to be in the 50's this weekend! Speaking of this weekend, if you are in or around NYC, you should stop through KCDC on Saturday.



My hood is so confusing. I have so much trouble crossing the street because of at least four of these vague crossing lights within 5 blocks of my apartment.



Speaking about confusing...how are you supposed to try these???



It has to be COOKED!!! You can try samples of cookies and chips, you can try using toys, and you can try out lotions and perfumes, but you CANNOT try Indian food that has to cooked in the store. Maybe one day in the future we can...like when you will cook meals by placing a pill in to a machine and transforming it into a platter of BBQ tofu or something. Speaking of, when are they going to have recycled food? Like in that movie Judge Dread. Or recycled urine, like in Waterworld? Someone needs to get on that.

For the record, professional skateboarders annoy me. I think I am going to stop reading their interviews in magazines...maybe.

Once again, come out to KCDC on Saturday. If you do, you may get one of these stickers.

Analogies, it is true, decide nothing, but they can make one feel more at home.

I don't care what you say. Today, I like this song.


The kids at Boise-Elliot weren't feeling it and staged a wildcat strike.

If you can't do it, give up!

news:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--New: in Portland, most little skater-kids wear helmets when they skate. Old: they also write the names of their favorite brands on their grip tape.

--I Finished The Education of Henry Adams.

--Zizek seems to be on another lecture tour--on how "only atheists can believe." It is mostly at conservative southern colleges. Is it that since Derrida's dead, Zizek can dominate the market for coquettish atheists who want to whore off religion-friendly continental philosophy? Or is the gift of Lacanian/Hegelian thought intended really as a Trojan Horse?

--Transworld and the IASC appear to be backtracking. The meeting of top pros with the IASC has become just a merely heartfelt, authentic sesh with the bros.

--Hung out with Luke, finally, from Life at These Speeds. I met a friend of his who said his parents were in a Christian free-love cult. They travelled the world being promiscuous for Jesus. Some things are apparently even worse than your garden-variety fundamentalisms.

--Using the word "streetwear" will impress your friends. It is best as an adjective. For example, "Ooh, I like that shirt. It is really streetwear."

Q: Of What Four-Wheeled Vehicle are Cars Jealous?

A:

I have something to AKS you

One Reason Why the Countdown is Better than Other Blogs

We know how use apostrophes.

Dodging One-time

I was skating in Bushwick yesterday with Ralph and we were at this park skating a manual pad with a curse on it. We skated it for a little bit then went off to skate some other spots and returned to skate it some more. When we got there, this mongo-pusher was already there shredding:



The curse came shortly after. A police van drove through and there was some tension in the air, but he just kept going, no big deal. But then two cops walked up on foot and were asking to see IDs, telling us that we are not allowed to skate there. They asked us if we have gotten tickets before, implying that they were going to give us some. However, when I pulled my ID out, I made sure to make my card that my cousin (a cop in the NYPD) gave me. They enquired about it and then let us off with a warning...telling us to wait 5 minutes until they are gone to skate. Wow, I was impressed. These were the cops:



That was not the end of it, though. Five minutes later, we were sitting down talking about what just happened. Ralph was saying how lucky he was that they did not look up his info because he thought he had a warrant for a missed court date for a ticket or something. I told him that he should have just run and not worry about me, I can catch up later. Ralph lit a cigarette and then almost immediately a cop car pulled in (after lurking on us from the street). They told Ralph to give them his ID and he did (instead of running like I just told him to do). They told him that he cannot smoke in that park and then wrote him a summons. Apparently they did not look up his info either because they just gave him the summons and let us go. This is that car (with 3 cops in it):



We decided not to spend anymore time in that park and took off to scope out some other spots. I saw some park on the way and went in to check it out. Ralph came in then all of a sudden turned around and started walking in the opposite direction pretty fast...turns out that there was a police precinct on the other side of the park and Ralph was not trying to push his luck. Hahaha.


On a different note, I am going to Portland in 2 1/2 weeks to hang and shred with Leonard. I have a score to settle with a couple spots over there.

Also, the Wetboys have more fun than you do!

Noticeably Unskilled Interview of Eby Whose Blog This is Anyway with Pictures Mostly Stolen from Other Places

Leonard: So, Eby, how is New York nowadays?

Eby: Well, we can start with the weather. The weather is perfect today [note for people not in NYC: it is snowing there]. Other than that, it is the same ol’ wasted resource. I actually ran into other people skating yesterday. So that is good. I mean people that live in NYC, and skating places other than KCDC or the bowl.

Leonard: What is something actually good about the skate scene in NYC?

Eby: There are a million unused spots all over to be shredded, and you don't have to worry about most of them being crowded because everyone will be preoccupied at the TF and the TF2. Like you would be.

Leonard: Fake street spots are way better. So, anyway, top 3 musicians. Or, um, top 3 CDs.

Eby: That is a hard one. Do you want 2 CDs?

Leonard: Or let me guess.

Eby: 2 CDs nutz! But Thanks for ruining the joke. Besides, I buy vinyl, because i am pretentious.

Leonard: What else do you do besides skateboard and make fun of people on OfficialNewYork?

Eby: I am responsible for the less annoying ads and ad sponsorships on some websites. I make Camille mad a lot. I get sliced up by her cat a lot. I watch the White Rapper Show, Top Model, The Office, and Beauty and the Geek, and I film.

Leonard: How are the MBA applications going? Heard back from anyone yet?

Eby: Not yet. I am just crossing my fingers right now. Oh, and I am working on stuff for the Sho Ma benefit we are having at KCDC. The details are still being worked out, but we are editing a video of Sho and we will project some of his art. It is to raise money for his funeral expenses and such. We will have food and stuff. Also, we are trying to print out decks with his designs.

Leonard: Sounds good. Any favorite books?

Eby: I really like Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell, and The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt.

Leonard: Know any good jokes?

Eby: Maybe, but chances are that you would kill it.

Leonard: Aw, man. Anyway, I have a joke. Horse trots into a bar. Bartender looks at him and says, "Hey, why the long face?"

Eby: I am not really the joke guy. I like to play off of things, and I like puns. My co-workers say I always add things to the conversation that kick in later--if that makes any sense.

Leonard: Like CD nutz. Shit. I mean "CDs nutz." Maybe you are right about me messing up jokes.

Eby: AHAHA. Seriously.

Leonard: Ok. Here. AWESOME interview question: top 3 favorite Official participants.

Eby: Slurker! IT DONT MATTER. And there are a few pushing for third. So I’ll stick to two. You aren't the boss of me anyway.

Leonard: Dude, this is my interview though. Respect my game. Look. Just tell me a question to ask you.

Eby: Ask me something about art. Like trivia, or about science.

Leonard: Tell me who said this:“The cinema is a place of intrinsic indiscernibility between art and non-art.”

Eby: Dude. I don't know any of that yuppie nonsense.

Leonard: Ok. Um, wait a sec.

Eby: How can i respect your game if you let me run it like that? I don't even know anything about art or science. I know Seigler gets bummed when I disregard the graffiti founders. I know that about art. If you can even call it that.

Leonard: The quote is by Alain Badiou. Who are the graffiti founders?

Eby: Me. For all that I care.

Leonard: Blasphemy! [tearing my shirt and pouring sand on my head].

Eby: But he is talking about BLADE and TOP CAT and all those dudes.

Leonard: Here's one. Architectural question: what is the purpose of a buttress?

Eby: It has to be a support.

Leonard: Exactly. European engineering was apparently kind of shit back then. So say something amazing for the end part.

Eby: “Skateboarding is skateboarding, and everything else is everything else and its opposite.” -Sho Ma

Pearl Pictures

Here are some recent photos I took with my phone camera in the past week.

I really love how New Yorkers have this obligation to alter subway advertisements...that is not sarcasm.



This was the a canvas at Sho's funeral/wake that people could write their goodbyes on.



These flowers in a vase were laying outside in the snow right outside the door of the funeral home. Talk about symbolism.



Afterward, we went to a Chinese restaurant to eat lunch with Sho's parents and family friends. One of the plates had a chicken head on it (literally!).



So (of course) Budi ate it...





For some reason this didn't come out so well in the picture, but there are two crossing signs near my apartment that are very confusing. They have both the "stop" and "walk" symbols lit up at the same time.



I know the picture is super blurry, but (FYI) Iodine is POISON!



I decided to skate Roosevelt Island alone on Saturday (because nobody else wanted to skate outdoors, or course). I walked there from my place and took these photos on the way.









This was the spot. I had to dodge some patches of snow, but it was fun.





And finally, this tiger was trying to lurk on me hard. He (or she?) scared me so bad.