AKA Abraham Bacoln

This article says everything I’ve ever wanted to say about homeopathy in ways that I never could have thought to say them.

So this is one of those things I know nothing about but now I’m fixated on it and trying not to learn anything more than I have to before I can see it. I don’t even have any video rental store memberships but I may have to get one just for this.

It’s a movie called The American Astronaut and … I don’t know. Like I said, I’m trying not to spoil anything for myself^* so I’m learning as little as possible. All I know for sure is that between the visuals (I’m really into crazy film noir b&w lighting right now, especially after having re-watched The Man Who Wasn’t There) and the song and the humor I’m dying over here.

Thanks for the heads-up, Erich.

^* though I did watch some kind of silent trailer

Art house

Cargado originalmente por Brother O’Mara

In May of 2005 I was in Houston to visit my friends Matt and Morgan. While we were there we came across the crazy vision you see here. It appeared with no warning and all I can think is that it must not have been me who was driving because I would have gotten into a fantastic wreck. I was amazingly distracted by the intensity and absurdity of the installation. Research revealed it to be a project called Inversion as done by the Houston Art League (specifically, Dan Havel and Dean Ruck). Absolutely amazing work and I can’t describe sufficiently how disorienting it was to drive past it without warning.

So I took some pictures which are kind of cruddy as they’re all point-and-shoot from before I really started to understand photography BUT apparently they’re of good enough quality to get distributed across the entire internet.

As a short aside – I’ve been wondering how long it’d take before I found one of my photos in a strange place and without my permission. I know it’s happening now. Everyone who posts interesting things to Flickr gets their stuff redistributed without attribution – it’s just a matter of time. It happens and I personally don’t believe it can be stopped, and unless someone’s actively selling my stuff I’m not going to start screaming (unless, of course, they’re claiming ownership or authorship, blah blah blah).

So anyway, the other day someone posted this picture of the front of Inversion on one of the message boards I frequent. It took me a minute and then I said, “Hey! That’s my picture!” Then I posted the link to my Flickr set of the Inversion shots and someone said, “Um, Kevin, if those are yours then this site over here is kind of ripping you off.”

I went and looked and sure enough, they were using all my pictures without attribution. I said oh well and went and wrote a very nice email in which I said, “Since you appear to be using them in a noncommercial format I don’t mind but only if you will give attribution.” I got my email response this morning and the guy was quite kind, he said, “Sure thing, attribution given. I got them from over there, though … you might want to tell them.”

Turns out his source had all my pictures too, and they attributed their findings to ANOTHER site, and … once I started to search Google for ‘tunnel house’ (which is how most of the pictures are described) I truly became aware of the strange incestuous nature of the “HERE IS MY BLOG WHERE I POST THINGS I FOUND ON OTHER BLOGS LOOK AT THIS CRAZY STUFF” mindset.

I had to stop at 10. I figure that’s where most lists stop.

[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]

So there you have it. I’m like some sort of internet celebrity except I’m only given attribution on two of those sites (I haven’t the patience to email all of them – you go ahead, I’ll be here when you get back), and the thing is it’s not even my input that’s interesting, I’m just documenting someone else’s far more significant art.

Toby and I were at work in the office. M was sitting behind us playing DOOM.

M: (over the sound of gunfire and imps screeching) Hey, who wants to guess how much health I have right now?
Toby: uhh …
Kevin: No thanks.
M: Oh, come on.
Toby: …
Kevin: …
M: Come on. Guess a number between 1 and 200.
Kevin: 200.
Toby: 1.
M: Very funny. Right now my health is at 174. Kevin was closest.
Toby: I win! I was the closest without going over.
Kevin: It’s true. He was the closest without going over.
M: What?
Toby: It’s like The Price Is Right.
Kevin: He did guess closest without going over.
M: (frustrated) This is not The Price Is Right, Toby. This is DOOM.

Perhaps the most sad thing ever.

Why are we taught to stir drinks using spoons? When I put chocolate syrup in milk and stir it with a fork it sure does get blended a whole lot more efficiently.

It is fall.

1. It is cold when I wake up.
2. There are leaves on the ground.
3. I smelled wood smoke the other day while biking around.
4. It’s getting dark earlier.
5. My neighbor down the street put up his Christmas lights last week.

Things that are not indicative of fall: this new Beartato comic which is still cracking me up. I may need to seek help.

… though it may not feel like it yet. Fall has always been my favorite season. Fall is full of wonderful things like air that feels crisp and brittle and dry and clean and smells a little bit like someone has a fire going just down the street. Fall is Halloween parties and Halloween itself and shouting children jumping into piles of leaves. Fall is red wine and port. Fall is hayrides and first kisses. Fall is seeing your breath in the morning when you don’t expect it. Fall is hot chocolate. Fall is dragging out that coat you’ve been wanting to wear. Fall is long scenic drives with the windows down and the dark happening faster than you expected. Fall is wearing boots. Fall is full of the best colors. Fall is when everyone starts to come inside.

I haven’t properly enjoyed fall in six years. This one is going to be great.

I tell you what. International Talk Like A Pirate Day is rapidly becoming my least-favorite day of the year. If you involve yourself in this please don’t tell me about it. I don’t want to hate you.