Friday, February 29, 2008
LowLight Mixes
I don't usually do music here but I just found this mix called Sequential Circuits again after it's been floating around my hard drive for a while. It's from Low Light Mixes and it just seems to be perfect as the sun goes down on Chicago tonight.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
The nature of..
Mixtapes are cool but really they're very selfish. I mean really, what's more self centered than gifting music to someone so that every time they hear that piece of music in the future, they think of you.
Oh, I miss tapes, there was something way more tactile about the whole selection/mix process. CD's just don't have it.
Oh, I miss tapes, there was something way more tactile about the whole selection/mix process. CD's just don't have it.
Comments from the peanut gallery...
I love the jungle. I love my friends. I was a bit down yesterday because my shit was taken but I'm happy with my life, I really really am.
Just chalk it up to a moment of despair about money and not having any at the moment but whatever. Money comes and goes. Friends come and go, but not quite so easily.
I love you guys a lot. Thanks for being you.
Just chalk it up to a moment of despair about money and not having any at the moment but whatever. Money comes and goes. Friends come and go, but not quite so easily.
I love you guys a lot. Thanks for being you.
Monday, February 25, 2008
no more pictures
So, I'm a TOTAL idiot and I left my bag unattended at a little boteco (corner bar) and somebody walked with it. I hate them for it but I'm more angry at my own stupidity. my camera was there and a sketchbook of ancient origin (a year or so of writings and sketchings...no big deal really...just a record of MY ENTIRE LIFE for the past year)...so as a punishment, as happened with my iPod, I will not replace it for two years. In one year I get an iPod again, two years (when I feel I can handle the responsibility again) I will get another camera.
It makes documenting work really hard but hey...that's why god created photographers.
It makes documenting work really hard but hey...that's why god created photographers.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Feeling wierd...
I'm feeling like starting smoking again and maybe getting a tattoo...
Every once in a while I get this weird self destructive urge which seems to have less to do with punk rock and more to do with whether or not I've reached specific goals I've set for my life. I'm 30 now and I have nothing but friends. I don't know why but sometimes friends just don't seem to be enough. I haven't found true love, I haven't figured out how to even support myself at anything but a sub-poverty level...it's depressing to think that after three decades the only thing that I have amassed is a crap-load of experiences that seem to be useless to employers but are priceless to me. I love living my life but damn, why can't somebody pay me for it. It's a pretty rockin' life, full of women and dancing and music that I don't know how to make (another goal deadline missed)(I can only blame myself) and food, lots of delicious food. I wonder if maybe it's the fact that I have to leave Sঈ Paulo this week. I really don't want to leave. It's exciting, new and full of people in a way that Chicago has no Idea (sic) what to do with...and it works. Things get done. Sure, people are racist, people are racist in Chicago. A friend of mine said that his graduating class at University had 1 black person in it...well my graduating high school class had NONE...that's how white my america was until I left the west coast and lived in Chicago...one of the most subliminally racist places I have ever been.
That is what it is. I had a great time last night, but now I have to leave and try to find a job, or at least a steady sugar daddy that can support my meager lifestyle. Damn, this sucks...dothappiness indeed
Every once in a while I get this weird self destructive urge which seems to have less to do with punk rock and more to do with whether or not I've reached specific goals I've set for my life. I'm 30 now and I have nothing but friends. I don't know why but sometimes friends just don't seem to be enough. I haven't found true love, I haven't figured out how to even support myself at anything but a sub-poverty level...it's depressing to think that after three decades the only thing that I have amassed is a crap-load of experiences that seem to be useless to employers but are priceless to me. I love living my life but damn, why can't somebody pay me for it. It's a pretty rockin' life, full of women and dancing and music that I don't know how to make (another goal deadline missed)(I can only blame myself) and food, lots of delicious food. I wonder if maybe it's the fact that I have to leave Sঈ Paulo this week. I really don't want to leave. It's exciting, new and full of people in a way that Chicago has no Idea (sic) what to do with...and it works. Things get done. Sure, people are racist, people are racist in Chicago. A friend of mine said that his graduating class at University had 1 black person in it...well my graduating high school class had NONE...that's how white my america was until I left the west coast and lived in Chicago...one of the most subliminally racist places I have ever been.
That is what it is. I had a great time last night, but now I have to leave and try to find a job, or at least a steady sugar daddy that can support my meager lifestyle. Damn, this sucks...dothappiness indeed
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Rio Trip Part one.
So, I caught a bus to Rio at midnight last night and have no idea how I mad it on. After the Corinthians match we (the gringoe, gaucho and paulista) walked home from the match to the paulista's house and on the way, (this one's for you A.Kos) had a hot dog (no picture because you're supposed to be scared of bringing your camera blablabla) in the street and got caught in the mother of all rainstorms! I mean 5 inches or so in an hour. Flooded streets and three idiots laughing and drinking in the rain trying to make it home without being totally flooded out (which is ridiculous because 5inches in an hours is like pure water coming down we could have drowned) so we get to the paulistas abode and in true Brazilian style, take showers and change into his clothes. So, now there are three paulistas that are no longer soaking wet standing in his house and we decide to watch a film, and drink. Keep in mind that this is around 1930 and I need to be at the bus depot on the OPPOSITE side of town at 2400. So the film we decided to watch was called Tropa De Elite which is all about Rio and it's dark seedy underside. Great I thought, I'm going here. If you can get your hands on a subtitled version I highly suggest getting it and watching, very good, as good, if not, better than City of God.
So that's done, I'm a bit toasty and I need to go to the Gaucho's apartment and get to Terminal Rodoviário Tietê which is about an hour drive, oh and we need to get gas, so it's 2330, and I'm at the Gauchos house and we decide it's better to go to the Metrô and so I rush through the tunnels and lo and behold, I make it. I'm safely on the midnight bus to Rio, and fall directly into a drunken slumber. Only to wake at 615am in Rio De Janeiro. I promptly hit the first bus I see to Copa, Copacabana/Where music and passion are always the fashion, yes I know that song is about another place but that place was named after this one. So there I am, on the beach, looking up at beautiful mountains and gorgeous blue ocean, but I'm too tired to take a picture. What a mess. I have my bag, so I can't go into the water, there's no locker anywhere and I don't have a place to stay so I just walk up and down the beach loving my life a little more every moment. I can't believe I'm here. The thing that I notice the most, is how similar the beach here is to the beach in Los Angeles. In fact the whole city feels like this.
So after a walk up and down the entirety of Copacabana I receive a call on my mobile that gives me the address for the place where my friend is staying, so off I go to the Lagoa neighborhood and immediately I am saddened by the distance from the beach. I want to live on the beach! but it's a quick-ish bus ride so I didn't complain too much. After all I'm in paradise right?
More later, I need to get some work done.
So that's done, I'm a bit toasty and I need to go to the Gaucho's apartment and get to Terminal Rodoviário Tietê which is about an hour drive, oh and we need to get gas, so it's 2330, and I'm at the Gauchos house and we decide it's better to go to the Metrô and so I rush through the tunnels and lo and behold, I make it. I'm safely on the midnight bus to Rio, and fall directly into a drunken slumber. Only to wake at 615am in Rio De Janeiro. I promptly hit the first bus I see to Copa, Copacabana/Where music and passion are always the fashion, yes I know that song is about another place but that place was named after this one. So there I am, on the beach, looking up at beautiful mountains and gorgeous blue ocean, but I'm too tired to take a picture. What a mess. I have my bag, so I can't go into the water, there's no locker anywhere and I don't have a place to stay so I just walk up and down the beach loving my life a little more every moment. I can't believe I'm here. The thing that I notice the most, is how similar the beach here is to the beach in Los Angeles. In fact the whole city feels like this.
So after a walk up and down the entirety of Copacabana I receive a call on my mobile that gives me the address for the place where my friend is staying, so off I go to the Lagoa neighborhood and immediately I am saddened by the distance from the beach. I want to live on the beach! but it's a quick-ish bus ride so I didn't complain too much. After all I'm in paradise right?
More later, I need to get some work done.
16FEB2008
Two of my favorite cooks in São Paulo. I don't know their names sadly but they make the best food for the price that I have been able to find. In fact it's on par with the most expensive restaurants I have eaten at in Brazil for about a tenth of the cost.
Monday, February 18, 2008
17FEB2007
I went to a Corinthians Futebol Match. They have the largest fan base or Gaviôes Do Fiel which you can see at YouTube all day. I didn't bring a camera because everyone wants me to be scared of being stolen from and so on and so forth. It's becoming quite difficult to get any good pics at all because someone "might steal your camera". I give up. If it gets stolen, it gets stolen, it's better to have the pictures in my opinion!
We were late to the match because Gauchos (gentleman from the southern most province of Brazil, Rio Grande Do Sol) are the latest of all Brazilians and my host happens to be a Gaucho. As we walk up to the stadium we begin to hear the roar of the crowd. Now this stadium is reported to be the single purpose stadium in the world but the en.wikipedia site says nothing about this. We actually heard the drums first, and I thought to myself, "we must be going to war." I had no idea, that this was exactly how every fan in the stadium felt. Upon entering the grounds of the stadium we are beset upon by all sides hawkers of all sorts of wares but primarily, tickets, of which I have know idea how many are fake and how many are real but my guides, the Gaucho and the Paulista (someone born in São Paulo) begin to bargain for tickets. This takes only about a second and we have three tickets for $R30 (fully half the price) and off we go to find our gate. Upon entering the stadium I am shocked and amazed by the throng of people jammed into one another. Almost no one is sitting in a seat and they are standing shoulder to shoulder singing at the top of their lungs. Interestingly, there is no alcohol for sale during the game, there is non-alcool beer for sale but, what's the point? So after an amazing goal with everyone singing and dancing and drum pounding madness, half time is called and we find a seat (assinged seats are useless in this madness) the waiting begins. On the field are some amazing bobble head guys that are playing "futebol" sort of charicatures of the teams that are playing, but no one is paying attention because more sales people are hawking the DVDs of every one of the 4999 games that came before this one. For this, is the 5000th match for the Corinthians and I am present and accounted for!
Half time ends and the madness begins again! I am, at this point, learning some of the songs and begin to sing in horrible Portuguese and if ever there was a crash course in swearing, this is it. So I'm standing there, waiving my hands in the air and cursing like a sailor because our team is sucking for whatever reason...too much cocaine last night, is what I can discern from the crowd, it happens, the other team scores. I can't believe it, no one can believe it. It just isn't possible, despite their superior play today, no one can score against the Corinthians! The attitude doesn't shift, we love the Corinthians and sing songs that say as much. In fact one of their songs says that "I'm crazy, I'm crazy for you, the more crazy I get the harder you play" loosely translated of course. The match ended tied and quietly with people sad, because if you don't win, you didn't win and when you don't win, it's not good. That's how it works with the Corinthians.
How else can I express to you the overwhelming amount of passion that is present at these games? It was incredible and all of this experience for only $R10! I can't believe I've missed this my entire life.
We were late to the match because Gauchos (gentleman from the southern most province of Brazil, Rio Grande Do Sol) are the latest of all Brazilians and my host happens to be a Gaucho. As we walk up to the stadium we begin to hear the roar of the crowd. Now this stadium is reported to be the single purpose stadium in the world but the en.wikipedia site says nothing about this. We actually heard the drums first, and I thought to myself, "we must be going to war." I had no idea, that this was exactly how every fan in the stadium felt. Upon entering the grounds of the stadium we are beset upon by all sides hawkers of all sorts of wares but primarily, tickets, of which I have know idea how many are fake and how many are real but my guides, the Gaucho and the Paulista (someone born in São Paulo) begin to bargain for tickets. This takes only about a second and we have three tickets for $R30 (fully half the price) and off we go to find our gate. Upon entering the stadium I am shocked and amazed by the throng of people jammed into one another. Almost no one is sitting in a seat and they are standing shoulder to shoulder singing at the top of their lungs. Interestingly, there is no alcohol for sale during the game, there is non-alcool beer for sale but, what's the point? So after an amazing goal with everyone singing and dancing and drum pounding madness, half time is called and we find a seat (assinged seats are useless in this madness) the waiting begins. On the field are some amazing bobble head guys that are playing "futebol" sort of charicatures of the teams that are playing, but no one is paying attention because more sales people are hawking the DVDs of every one of the 4999 games that came before this one. For this, is the 5000th match for the Corinthians and I am present and accounted for!
Half time ends and the madness begins again! I am, at this point, learning some of the songs and begin to sing in horrible Portuguese and if ever there was a crash course in swearing, this is it. So I'm standing there, waiving my hands in the air and cursing like a sailor because our team is sucking for whatever reason...too much cocaine last night, is what I can discern from the crowd, it happens, the other team scores. I can't believe it, no one can believe it. It just isn't possible, despite their superior play today, no one can score against the Corinthians! The attitude doesn't shift, we love the Corinthians and sing songs that say as much. In fact one of their songs says that "I'm crazy, I'm crazy for you, the more crazy I get the harder you play" loosely translated of course. The match ended tied and quietly with people sad, because if you don't win, you didn't win and when you don't win, it's not good. That's how it works with the Corinthians.
How else can I express to you the overwhelming amount of passion that is present at these games? It was incredible and all of this experience for only $R10! I can't believe I've missed this my entire life.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Um, totally the best.
Mallu Magalhães
Billed by MTV Brazil as "mini-Feist" and "mini-CatPower" but I can tell you after seeing her last night, I can tell you that Cat Power has nothing on this lady. After having seen them both, I think Mallu rocks the socks off of Cat Power for sure. She even has her father come up and play 3 or 4 songs with her!
Thanks to the owner of PlasticCookies for taking me out and showing me a good time!
Friday, February 15, 2008
I almost choked...
I almost choked to death when I saw the donation given by A. Kos. I hope one day I can return the favor to all of you who have donated to the cause of the B5 Fund International!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/claudiolara/1353629032/
Copacabana here I come. First I'm off to a futebol match tomorrow! It's evidently a classic but I don't know why. I only know that Palmieras sucks and the team I'm going to see rules!
Ah, Brazilian futebol!
Stay warm my friends in the north.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/claudiolara/1353629032/
Copacabana here I come. First I'm off to a futebol match tomorrow! It's evidently a classic but I don't know why. I only know that Palmieras sucks and the team I'm going to see rules!
Ah, Brazilian futebol!
Stay warm my friends in the north.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Click My Buttons!
So if you don't feel like actually putting physical money in my account, you could follow my ads!
Click away at my little Google Ads and I will get paid for it!
Every little bit helps! Thanks everyone!
Click away at my little Google Ads and I will get paid for it!
Every little bit helps! Thanks everyone!
Creepy
I have to say, I find what people are doing with my name, slightly disturbing.
http://www.bucknerinternationaladoption.org/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFxNgAPn9wY
Hey! That's My NAME, you bastards!!!! You could at least be FUNNY!!!!!
http://www.bucknerinternationaladoption.org/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFxNgAPn9wY
Hey! That's My NAME, you bastards!!!! You could at least be FUNNY!!!!!
Funding
Thanks to Kate for her Super Duper charitable donation,
....In breaking news...
I have just received this communication from one A. Kos.
I seem to have gathered some attention:
Are you a 501(c)3 charitable trust? My development department's rigorous screening process produced very little of referential information, short of this quality craftsmanship:
http://coroflot.com/public/individual_set.asp?individual_id=157757&set_id=144067&sort_by=1&
and this biographical datum:
http://www.bucknerinternationaladoption.org/
Well, I trust you, and you are quite a charitable guy, so my accounting department has authorized the issuance of 'BBBBB' funding, that is, Bodacious Brazilian Bikini Babe Bucks, to be used exclusively for the purpose of enjoying life around tropical climates of Brazil where Bronze Brazilian Beauties are suspected to be Basking or Bathing in Bikinis.
Any misappropriation of funds will result in 1.) restricted/eliminated funding 2.) a smackdown 3.) suspected homo eroticism.
Please supply information on transference of funding, whether it be Paypal, check in the mail, carrier pigeon, or what have you.
You are a freeloading, mooching-ass bastard. Sheisty, shrewd, and scurrilous.
Have a pleasant day.
_______
My reply is as follows:
Dear Prospective Donor,
We are indeed a charitable trust, if by charitable you mean that we will take actions to better the world at large. Your donation, while not tax deductible, will go toward strengthening the relatively weak economy of Brazil. While they are currently experiencing an upturn at the moment, it is indeed important to make sure that this turn is permanent. I will personally pledge to you that every penny received via donation (accepted via our website at http://dothappiness.blogspot.com by following the appropriate "donate" button located to the left of the main text, paypal, credit cards and checks are acceptable forms of donation.) will go directly to the 'BBBBB" fund (which is better known by it's short name 'B5 Fund'). This fund is used to ensure that the executive of the B5 Fund enjoy, to the fullest, an amazing view of Bronze Brazilian Beauties that are suspected to be Basking or Bathing in Bikinis, wholly within or the area surrounding Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
To date, we have not recieved official 503(c) status at this time and it is indeed true that we at the B5 Fund are 'freeloading, mooching-ass sheisty, shrewd, and scurrilous bastards'. We nonetheless appreciate your contribution and will of course flood your mailbox with many, many postcards and various unsolicited junk mail, providing you have supplied your postal address to us.
Kind regards and Keep cool.
ndb,
CEO
B5 Fund International
dothappiness.blogspot.org
flickr.com/photos/suspected
....In breaking news...
I have just received this communication from one A. Kos.
I seem to have gathered some attention:
Are you a 501(c)3 charitable trust? My development department's rigorous screening process produced very little of referential information, short of this quality craftsmanship:
http://coroflot.com/public/individual_set.asp?individual_id=157757&set_id=144067&sort_by=1&
and this biographical datum:
http://www.bucknerinternationaladoption.org/
Well, I trust you, and you are quite a charitable guy, so my accounting department has authorized the issuance of 'BBBBB' funding, that is, Bodacious Brazilian Bikini Babe Bucks, to be used exclusively for the purpose of enjoying life around tropical climates of Brazil where Bronze Brazilian Beauties are suspected to be Basking or Bathing in Bikinis.
Any misappropriation of funds will result in 1.) restricted/eliminated funding 2.) a smackdown 3.) suspected homo eroticism.
Please supply information on transference of funding, whether it be Paypal, check in the mail, carrier pigeon, or what have you.
You are a freeloading, mooching-ass bastard. Sheisty, shrewd, and scurrilous.
Have a pleasant day.
_______
My reply is as follows:
Dear Prospective Donor,
We are indeed a charitable trust, if by charitable you mean that we will take actions to better the world at large. Your donation, while not tax deductible, will go toward strengthening the relatively weak economy of Brazil. While they are currently experiencing an upturn at the moment, it is indeed important to make sure that this turn is permanent. I will personally pledge to you that every penny received via donation (accepted via our website at http://dothappiness.blogspot.com by following the appropriate "donate" button located to the left of the main text, paypal, credit cards and checks are acceptable forms of donation.) will go directly to the 'BBBBB" fund (which is better known by it's short name 'B5 Fund'). This fund is used to ensure that the executive of the B5 Fund enjoy, to the fullest, an amazing view of Bronze Brazilian Beauties that are suspected to be Basking or Bathing in Bikinis, wholly within or the area surrounding Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
To date, we have not recieved official 503(c) status at this time and it is indeed true that we at the B5 Fund are 'freeloading, mooching-ass sheisty, shrewd, and scurrilous bastards'. We nonetheless appreciate your contribution and will of course flood your mailbox with many, many postcards and various unsolicited junk mail, providing you have supplied your postal address to us.
Kind regards and Keep cool.
ndb,
CEO
B5 Fund International
dothappiness.blogspot.org
flickr.com/photos/suspected
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Rio Trip!
Thanks to Alison Simonian I am only about 74USD away from a trip to Rio de Janeiro!
I just found this pretty awesome flash site for the Rio Fashion Week, which has passed but the site is still pretty darned cool. For those of you who don't know I've been studying my butt off trying learn this sort of stuff.
I just found this pretty awesome flash site for the Rio Fashion Week, which has passed but the site is still pretty darned cool. For those of you who don't know I've been studying my butt off trying learn this sort of stuff.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Little help...
Ok, so thanks to the current administration and the inability of US citizens to live within their means and not cause serious devaluation (yes it's much more complicated than this I know) of the US Dollar (dolar, in Spanish, means pain), this trip is costing *WAY* more than it should.
As a consequence, I find myself in need of taking up a collection for a sojourn to Rio de Janeiro. If you can help, please do, any amount is welcome. Below you will see a 10 Real (R$) note, these are the new ones printed on plastic paper with a transparent part to prevent copying. They cost roughly six and half dollars US at the moment and buy lunch for one and a half people...
And this shall end my shameless panhandling and haranguing of my friends and family.
Thanks and Be well!
As a consequence, I find myself in need of taking up a collection for a sojourn to Rio de Janeiro. If you can help, please do, any amount is welcome. Below you will see a 10 Real (R$) note, these are the new ones printed on plastic paper with a transparent part to prevent copying. They cost roughly six and half dollars US at the moment and buy lunch for one and a half people...
And this shall end my shameless panhandling and haranguing of my friends and family.
Thanks and Be well!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Back to Happiness
So we were going to go to a club for Carnival because we couldn't get to the beach for a reasonable price, but then...something magical happened. There's this thing called a Bloco that happens in the neighborhoods of every city in Brasil...You can check out my set on the Bloco at my flickr page!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
If you love your Friends, Children or Grandchildren
Please do not vote for McCain! I'm asking very nicely and respectfully. I have just found this article in American Conservative (yes I read these from time to time) Magazine that just makes me so scared for the world that I can't help but ask you to please, for the love of your children, grandchildren and anything else you hold precious, give your vote to someone who will follow a path of love and happiness (maybe not necessarily peace) rather than WAR! We just don't need more human sacrifice. We live in a world where we put guns in the hands of our impoverished children and tell them, "If you survive, you get to go to college". I've been there. I can talk about it all day. This video does pretty well at explaining it though.
I really have a hard time thinking of myself as an American Citizen when our government treats it's own citizens, it's "protectors" like this. dotsadness and dotdespair.
I really have a hard time thinking of myself as an American Citizen when our government treats it's own citizens, it's "protectors" like this. dotsadness and dotdespair.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Postcards (Cartaos Postal)
The first round of postcards is going out on Thursday. I'll f you don't get one, drop me a line and give me your address!
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Anything goes...
This is one of the main markets in the Centro district of Sao Paulo. Very cool. You can sell anything here, and I mean anything.
Death and Taxes
As tax season approaches I would like to remind you that no matter where you go, you have to pay taxes. This ticker is how much the citizens of Brazil have paid in taxes this year. I have a video as well that I will post later to show you how fast this ticker ticks!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
One for Alex
Brazilian hot dogs in the street. Evidently this place is open until people go home because the dude was there at three in the morning, and yes we're still standing...but only just.
Friday, February 1, 2008
No Rio For Me...
Disappointment abounds. I won't be going to Rio after all, my ride left without me, it was really nice of her to invite me and then leave without me. At any rate I'll be here in Sao Paulo for Carnival and perhaps as CarniRock since my friends here don't seem to like samba so much.
Alison just sent this boingBoing link to me...chilling but I don't think the judges ruling will keep them out of the parade. I can't believe that any judge anywhere will ever really stop an artist, at least not without going as far as Hitler did.
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