I Heart Rummage @ Chop Suey on Sunday

Indie craft show I Heart Rummage starts up again Sunday March 2nd at their new location, Chop Suey. Free + 35 vendor spots + a DJ = perfect!

There should be LOTS of inventory: the last monthly IHR show was 3 months ago and it was a thrown-together affair after the sudden close of The Crocodile. [more] I am uber-thrilled IHR found a new home at Chop Suey. And it is only...um...three blocks away. (Could mean trouble.)

At previous IHR sales I picked up delicious hand-knitted wrist warmers and unique leather bracelets. I am looking forward to picking up some fresh stuff for the new year, new season, new month. Maybe I'll branch out from wrist-related pretties. (Or not.)

What have our clever indie crafters been up to this damp, dark, northwest winter? Check it.

I Heart Rummage
Sunday, March 2nd
12pm - 4pm
Chop Suey
1325 E Madison

sarah - matt - jimmy - ben - elizabeth - seth

This is my community service post of the month: who is f*cking whom.

First, Sarah Silverman's message to boyfriend Jimmy Kimmel:
I'm f*cking Matt Damon



Next, Jimmy's response to Sarah:
I'm f*cking Ben Affleck

(jump ahead 2 minutes in this clip)



And the latest, Elizabeth Banks' message to the world:
I'm f*cking Seth Rogan (to get ahead in Hollywood)



Now you are all caught up.
Feel better?
Carry on.

scrabulous shakes

facebook. scrabulous. i need a hit. bad.
down to one active game.
help. me. please.
you start the game = you go first.
go. now. i beg you.
don't be skeerd.
i'll go easy on you.

Weird science: biopunk / cyberpunk

Never lose your cell phone again. But why stop there?
I can imagine all kinds of possibilities for this technology.
(Nevermind the toxic potential.)

Electronic tattoo display runs on blood

Jim Mielke's wireless blood-fueled display is a true merging of technology and body art. At the recent Greener Gadgets Design Competition, the engineer demonstrated a subcutaneously implanted touch-screen that operates as a cell phone display, with the potential for 3G video calls that are visible just underneath the skin. [read more...]

from PhysOrg.com

Block of spirits (minus one)

Interesting developments the last couple of months on eastern side of 11th Avenue on Capitol Hill, between Pike and Pine. (Do you still get those streets mixed up? here's my mnemonic: PiNe is the Northern street.) All but one business on the eastern side of the street serves alcohol. (Or will be soon.)



Working our way south (Pike) to north (Pine):

1506-ish Annex Theatre: Although their official address is on Pike, the entrance is on 11th so the theater gets an honorary 11th Ave address. I spied a notice for a liquor license application on the door when walking by last week. Add drinking to fringe theater and it still equals a potentially puzzling performance.

1508 Vermillion Gallery: The gallery is current closed in order to add a wine bar. Plans are to re-open in March 2008 with alcohol served, making it the second gallery/bar on the block. Art and alcohol go well together, yes?

1510 Barca: Classier than a neighborhood hangout (i.e. The Satellite) but manages to avoid the phony Belltown glitter-bar vibe. Serving drinks since 2000.

1512 Grey Gallery and Lounge: art gallery and a small cocktail bar. Lounge open 8 am - 2 am. Serves coffee in the morning. Serving drinks since January 2008.

1518 Purr Cocktail Lounge: see and be seen on the hill. Non-themed gay hangout, straights go there too. Purr's been there since 2006, but the space has served drinks for years.

So, there is one more business on the eastern side of the street. Can you name it, boys and girls? (Hum along with me now, old-school Sesame Street viewers: "One of these things is not like the others...") That's right. It is:

1516 The Crypt: Retail for club wear, fetish wear, intimate accessories, reading and viewing materials and so on. Just about everything (and anything) your sober heart desires to enhance intimate times. Everything, that is, except alcohol. Is it just a matter of time before The Crypt submits an liquor license application? Everyone else on their side of the street is doing it.

I'd like to see the trend jump across the street. Beer and wine in Value Village! Shop with a growler in hand! Wouldn't that just make the green fuzzy sweater (with a little teeny tiny hole on the inside elbow where you can hardly see it) so much more PERFECT?!

So there you go: our own little Capitol Hill pub crawl. Enter just about any door on the eastern side of the block and get your drink on. And some (in order) theater, art, eye candy, more art, toys, and more eye candy.

Cheers, salud, kampai, okole maluna, slainte, skal, and gan bai!

Animated short from street artist Sam3

The following short video was produced by Sam3 and features music by Aphex Twin. Titled Radiographia Urbana (Urban Radiography), it is a re-edit of a 2006 film projected onto the side a building near San Cristobal Church in Murcia, Spain.


[via Wooster Collective]

Sam3 is a Madrid-based street artist who specializes in silhouettes and shadows. Several of his works were included in Banksy's Santa's Ghetto project in Jerusalem in December 2007. (#) Sam3's web site Agency of the Urban Subconcious has examples of his street work including provocative, political, and polarizing street art. (Uh...alliteration gone mad.)

Paper Monster offers for purchase three fairly tame Sam3 prints (signed). (Paper Monster also has a couple of signed Kozyndan prints, too!)

Paying a visit to Bruce & Brandon Lee

Martial arts master Bruce Lee and his son Brandon Lee are buried at the Lake View Cemetery, which is a little over a mile from where I currently live. I've never been before, so today's warm-ish spring weather provided the perfect opportunity to test out my new (to me) bicycle and visit the Lee memorials.

It took me a few minutes to locate the plot since I didn't have a map and only vague directions ("it's on the circle drive in the middle"). So if you go, see my tips below for finding the plot, particularly if there isn't anyone else on the crest of the hill.

The markers for Bruce and Brandon are on the eastern slope with a nice view of the mountains. There's a cozy bench on the adjoining plot, which is very thoughtful of the family who owns it. It provides a quite place to sit while visiting this popular spot. The Lee memorials are side-by-side and are complimentary, not identical, in size, shape and color with a lovely and modern look. The grass surrounding the space is well worn and the caretakers have placed stepping stones to the front of the markers to help keep the grass growing. Earlier visitors to the Lee memorials left mementos and items useful for the afterlife; tributes included fresh flowers, coins, and a cigarette.



Locating the Lee gravesite:
Go all the way up the height of the grounds to the circle drive. The memorials are on the outer edge of the circle drive and they face the east. You can see the backs of the markers from the drive, but you won't see the names until you walk around the memorials. To find the markers, situate yourself on the eastern side of the circle, face the east (away from the center), then look for trampled grass and circle steps leading to the front side of the memorials. if the drive were a clock with noon facing east, they are located at approximately 2pm.
If you have GPS, the coordinates are 47.6333, -122.3158 (from find a grave).

Guitar master Jimi Hendrix is also buried in the Seattle area --Greenwood Memorial Park in Renton, about 30 minutes away by car. For folks on a famous-dead-people tour who don't want to venture that far, a memorial sculpture of Hendrix is within 2 miles of the Lake View Cemetery at the NE corner of Pine and Broadway in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Craigslist quirky gigs

So I'm idly cruising the CL Gigs section and run across these gems:

The game Rock Band needs a drummer. Duuude. It would be SO AWEsome if we played every song perfectly at the expert level and beat the game. We'd make so much money. Heh-heh. We're SO good, but we need a drummer. Rockband superstars, this month's Vice mag has an insert just for you: "Rockband Guide to Power Stances."



Tree Climber. Get paid $15 to climb a tree in a very busy city park and retrieve a remote control plane for a "big guy."

Need girls to sing "It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To." A call for singers to perform at a birthday party for a 70-year-old woman. Sounds like a fun party. A real upper. Right.

Old bikes wanted for vintage bike film. It's a love story: boy-bike meets girl-bike. Prefer black or brown (for boy bike) and pink (for girl bike). I wonder if they hook up and what rating the MPAA will give.

Looking for tickets

I didn't plan ahead and CL listings are sparse.
So now I'm trying to locate a few tickets for tonight for this:


watch video

Finally made it to the McLeod Residence

The McLeod Residence has been on "my list" for ages but I hadn't yet made it to any of the semi-public events. Last night was an open invitation for Girl Power Hour attendees to drop by after that event wrapped up. I had nothing important to do so afterward so...of course! A bright, shiny opportunity.

The Residence: interesting art space, varying exhibits, cool permanent installations, a bar, awesome people, and... haircuts!

On the third Thursday of the month Cutter McLeod offers haircuts at the residence and he usually has a line of folks waiting. (He has his own salon for regular work.) After chatting with folks who were hanging out and watching Cutter (aka Sean) do a few haircuts, my name was was on the list. It was a slow night, they said, so I didn't have a long wait. When my turn came, I relinquished to his snappy scissors. And I LOVE the results. Sassy!

Who knew I would find a new hairstylist at McLeod? Serendipity.

Oh, and now I'm one degree closer to meeting Buster (without an orchestrated introduction from one of our mutual friends).

Outstanding in the Field: outdoor gourmet dinner to come to Seattle

Santa Cruz-based Outstanding in the Field organizes a dining experience like no other. (And priced accordingly.) They have just announced their 2008 locations - which include a stop in Seattle in July.
Outstanding in the Field brings together local farmers, chefs, winemakers, and food artisans to prepare a 4-course gourmet dinner, served family style and outdoors on a linen-draped long table. Events are located as close as possible to the source of the ingredients (such as a farm or seaside) and include a short, low-key educational activity related to the location (such as learning how identify edible mushrooms during a walk through forest).
The last Seattle-area Outstanding in the Field event was held in LaConner in 2005 and featured chef John Sundstrom of Lark. 'Nuff said.
The exact date for the July 2008 Seattle-area event has not yet been announced; join their mailing list to get the deets. Word is that events sell out quickly, even at $150 - $200 per person.
I'm not sure I'm foodie-leaning enough (or free-spending enough) to actually go, but it does sound delicious and adventurous and I bet interesting people attend.

total eclipse (of the heart)

You can see the total lunar eclipse tonight if skies are clear. In the Pacific time zone the total phase starts at 7:01 and will last about 50 minutes. If communal viewing is your thing you've got two options in Seattle.

Sing-along:
Bring these lyrics to the Cal Anderson Park to karaoke with the masses. You know the tune. "Turn around, bright eyes. Every now and then I fall apart..." Clear skies not required. Deep emoting is. [via line out].

Ohh-and-ahh-along:
The Seattle Astronomical Society will hold a public party for observation of the total lunar eclipse on Wednesday, Feb. 20, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Club members will set up telescopes just north of the Green Lake Small Craft Center, at 5900 West Green Lake Way North. [via cl] I wonder: is the sharing of a telescope viewpiece like borrowing someone's lipstick? Should one bring a discreet packet antibacterial wipes?

Eavesdropping at Cal Anderson Park

Eight-year-old by the playground: "This is the most kids I've ever seen here before." Adult: "Everyone comes out when the sun does."

Walkers: "I'm not going to put up with his crap any more."

Cyclist on cell phone: "Where are you?"

Walker to dog: "NOOOOoo! Get out of the water! Out!"

On the lawn, swinging lasso-fashion something that looks like a 2 foot rope with hefty knots on each end: "So how do you play this game, exactly?"

Sunny. Presidents' Day. 50+ degrees. Seattle. Ahhh.

p.s. if you have rose bushes Presidents' Day is the recommended day to prune for optimal health and bloom.

Automated beer dispenser

I spotted this contraption in a teeny, tiny little restaurant in Tokyo. It pours the perfect glass of beer at the touch of a button.
The dispenser was situated right next to the only table in the place. You serve yourself and just shout over to the kitchen when you refill your glass, so they can keep track of what to charge you.
Another only-in-Japan thing. (One of many.)



p.s. this is my first video clip.

Seattle Ignites on Tuesday, 02.19.08

Fun and informative Ignite Seattle is back to light up the collective geek brain in town after a six month break. Brady Forrest announced the finalized Ignite Seattle 5 lineup today, which includes:

• Hacking the Technical Interview
• A Psuedoscience Guide to Geek Dating
• The Six Hour Startup
• Bad Powerpoint! Bad! Bad!
• ...and twelve more 5-minute talks

Missing from this event is the pre-activity: traditionally a Make contest. Probably has something to do with Bre Pettis now living in NYC and making videos for Etsy. (And restarting Photogamer in January.)

Ignite Seattle
Capitol Hill Arts Center
1621 12th Ave, Seattle
Doors open at 7 pm, talks start at 8 pm.

The Tokyo maid cafe experience

Maid cafe experience
Originally uploaded by JeanineAnderson

Maid cafes are located in the Akihabara neighborhood of Tokyo -- the mecca for electronic, computer, and gamer junkies. Tiny little maid cafes are sprinkled through the district. Clued in by Time Out Tokyo guidebook, we had to try this only-in-Tokyo experience.

We picked one at random located on the 4th floor. At the entry, we traded our shoes for house slippers and shuffled to the right where the parlor was located.

To the right were curtained off areas. For "massages." Yep, it was that kind of place. The three maids ("masseuses?") hardly knew what to do with a group of 5 gaijin of mixed gender sitting in their little parlor.

There was a creepy guy sitting in the corner when we first arrived. He left about 10 minutes later. Must have been transitioning back to the real world after his massage.

After we ordered beverages, a second maid prepared a snack: artfully arranged nacho cheese Doritos and chocolate-flavored hard candy on a saucer. Surreal.

I don't think the "maids" had ever mixed a drink or brewed a cup of coffee before. It took 15 minutes and much discussion between them to serve coffee, beer, and a bacardi with soda. I suspect the girls were hired due to other skills. (We didn't try any of their other potential skills.)

Lee was able to get a photo of a maid before we were told, in sign language, "no photos."

It was very odd, sleazy, and funny.

Here's to embracing all sorts of experiences and opportunities in life!

Seattle street art valentines in The Stranger

awwww.
little bird is so sweet.
and who is crushing on chicken kid?
(or rather, who isn't?)

Valentine's day card

valentine
Originally uploaded by JeanineAnderson

It's heart day here (I'm still in your future) and chocolate is flowing through the streets.

Happy Valentine's Day!

warm hugs, loves, and kisses.

Appropriating Photographer Yasumasa Morimura

Japanese artist/photographer Yasumasa Morimura challenges passivity in viewing art. His work is based on timeless classics from the likes Warhol, Rembrandt, and Duchamp and reinvents the images by placing photos of himself in place of the human figures. Two of his works are part of the UBS Art Collection, currently showing at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo.

Here's Morimura's take on Duchamp's Nude Descending a Staircase:


(Angels Descending a Staircase, The UBS Art Collection)

Each face, foot, figure is his own, and with individual expression. While the figures are mirror images left and right, it becomes off-kilter in the lower half of the work. This piece challenged me to think about similarities and contrasts: same/different, male/female, surface/substance, western/eastern.

The Angels work is definitely SFW (safe for work): the UBS collection works hang in the corp's meeting rooms, offices, and such. Not all of Morimura's pieces are SFW however. Many are downright provocative and can be off-putting for the uptight set.

Check his web gallery for the more challenging images: particularly this not SFW pinup and marilyn. And some amusing SFW images: still life with fruit, pop music. (I don't know the real titles. The site is in Japanese.)

The Mori Art Museum's current show is Art is for the Spirit with pieces from sixty contemporary artists, including Qin Ga, Gebhard Richter, Cindy Sherman, Jean-Michael Basquiat (!), Masumo Vitali Riccione, and Roy Lichtenstein. The show runs through April 8th, 2008. The museum is located on the 52nd floor of the Mori tower in the Roppongi Hills development. Admission includes access to the Tokyo City View.

when in Asia, ride a bike

I borrowed my host's bicycle yesterday and tooled around the Kichijoji neighborhood for a couple of hours. Everyone rides bikes here, of course, but they don't wear special clothes for it. Guys in their business clothes. Gals wearing dresses or skirts, with leggings and high heels (usually boots).
I didn't fit in.

When it's raining, riders hold an umbrella in one hand and steer with the other. One senior lady had an umbrella holder attached to her handlebars so both hands were free to steer. I bet that's the equivalent of a walker - - younger people wouldn't be caught dead with one on their bike.

The streets are very narrow and property walls go right up to the street. Most intersections have mirrors so you can see if someone is coming from the cross- direction. I don't know if there are rules about yielding to the left or to the right - I can't even keep that rule straight when I'm driving in the U.S. for pete's sake. So I yielded whenever there was a potential collision. Good thing it was mid-morning on a weekday and light traffic, otherwise I'd just have to go for it and hope for the best.

At one point, I was on a busy road and had to enter the roadway to go around a truck parked in the bikeway. I navigated around fine, but when I entered back onto the bikeway I caught the curb a little and over I went. I feel like an eight-year-old with my scraped knee and elbow! Good times.

Tokyo Photo: Connected

Seen at The Ghetto. More on that to come.

Unkle splits: hold my hand

Unkle's War Stories is in heavy play on my i-Pod right now, so I'm sad to hear James Lavelle and Richard File are going their separate ways. Amicably and mutually, they say. I first heard Unkle when Reign was remixed by another fav pair of mine, Evil Nine. Reign is a hot tune on it's own, and turns into a real banger in the Niners' hands.
Hold My Hand is a standout track from the Unkle War Stories cd. You can catch it on Unkle's myspace. (Also check Evil Nine's remix of that track on their myspace.) The formal statement about the split indicates that Richard File is focusing on a new band of his own.
Given the history of Unkle, I'm not sure it is quite yet time to say RIP. Who would you want to see Lavelle pair up with next?

Eggo Engrish in Japan

I appreciate the effort to use roman alphabet characters. Truly. The U.S. could learn something in accommodation, I think. Effort doesn't equal accuracy however. Which is all fine and all good because the end result can be amusing.

Jennifer, ho is the name of a clothing store for 50+ ladies.
Hair Make = on many hair salon signs. (Maybe they do make up too.)
Clark's Coffee slogan is "Boys, be ambitious!" Notice the correct use of the apostrophe. Props!
JOG 21st "for joyful human stage" This was a storefront in Sapporo. It looked like a real estate office or an apartment rental service.
Please refrain from getting out of your room in the night clothes and room shoes. The hotel we stayed at in Sapporo provided slippers and paper thin robe. They also supplied a toothbrush, toothpaste, disposable razor, and disposable brush. Just don't try to get out in the night clothes.
Milky Dental Clinic
Whose Foods is a grocery with a logo that is a LOT like Whole Foods.
Mr. Children Music Store sells CDs and DVDs.

More to come, to be sure.

Obasan on the Tokyo train

Seats on the late afternoon westbound train were full up. An obasan (elderly woman) shuffled on at the next stop and looked for an empty seat. Immediately the starter professional (a 20-something in a suit and carrying a briefcase) seated next to me rose with a smile and helped the obasan sit down. She nodded her thanks and they exchanged smiles as he grabbed the hand hold above.
The obasan, still holding his gaze, then patted her lap: the universal language for "Would you like to sit here?"
Of course he very politely declined. The obasan smiled at him, then she smiled and nodded at me, sharing her genuine affection for the young man.
(O, to sit in a sweet grandma's lap again...)

Get drunk with John Richards

The next John-in-the-Morning-at-Night show will be Friday, March 7th at Neumos. It is also John Richard's birthday so there may be unicorns at some point in the evening.
Line up so far:
The Duke Spirit
The Voom Blooms
Tulsa
....and likely one or two more will be added to the bill.
PLUS: my favorite DJ Michele Myers will be spinning her show live from Neumos 9:00 pm - 1:00 am.

John writes, "On top of THAT the first people to get Presale tickets will get a special invite to my private birthday party that night in the VIP room where we'll have djs and a full on bar."

Presale on now, here. Public sale starts Thursday, February 7th at noon.

Previous JITMAN shows have featured Silversun Pickups, Vampire Weekend, The Black Angels, Jamie T and others that later broke out into bigger venues and festivals. You can always count on fresh sound and whenever you hit a JITMAN show.

Will never get dehydrated in Tokyo

ubiquitous vending
Originally uploaded by JeanineAnderson

These vending machines are everywhere. They are bright, cheerful, and easy to use without having to be literate in Kanji. This particular one is one a corner intersection of two tiny back alleys in Kichijoji, where I'm staying.
I just wish these things could speak English and give directions! Tokyo addresses are not logical, at least to the western-trained brain.
Here's to happy wandering, regardless.

Tokyo snow

kichijoji park
Originally uploaded by JeanineAnderson

After the sleep of the dead, woke to find 3 inches of wet snow on the ground. It continued throughout the day. Despite the treacherous walking conditions, most young ladies still wore high-heeled shoes and boots. This made for interesting people watching! (Would she slip or would she make it?)
Staying the western neighborhood of Kichijoji, which has a nice park with walking paths, a small lake, and swan boats you can rent in the summer.
The snow put a damper on our plans to catch all the Sunday Harajuku action. We were there but the cos-play kids were not. Too cold, too snowy. Still plan to hit up the Otaku area and visit a maid cafe (only in Tokyo!)

Stalker Opportunities Feb 1 - 15: Updates!

I'll be eating my (and your) share of sushi over the next two weeks in the land of the rising sun.
Sayonara, peeps. Represent, and carry on without me!

new! Friday, Feb 1: DJ Steve Aoki at War Room for Sing Sing night. Premier LA party man and producer, Mr Dim Mak brings it fo' sho'.

new! Friday, Feb 1: Shameless' My Bloody Valentine party (not the band), Hengst Studio. Check Donte's write up in The Stranger.

update! Saturday, Feb 2nd: Closing night party for the Free Art Seattle Exhibition @ the Wayward Cafe, 6 - 9 pm. Art in the exhibition will be given away (limit of one per person). First come, first serve. Imagine Best Buy on Black Friday: street artists and fans queuing up on the sidewalk starting at 6 am. Ha! I've called dibs on one but won't be there to collect. Poor me. If you go, please be sure to wish Kinoko a very happy birthday.

update! Saturday, Feb 2nd: Inner Flight vs. Danger Inc. NW djs collab to bring you all-night dance. Location: Church of Bass, 920 Elliot Ave W

Thursday, Feb 7th: First Thursday art walk. Check 619 Western. I promise you'll see something interesting.

Friday, Feb 8th: New gallery show openings @ BLVD Gallery, Roq La Rue, Suite 100 Gallery.

Friday Feb 8th: Broken Disco @ Chop Suey. Friendly monthly dance party. Always a variety of styles and skilz. Check local chicas Kris Moon and Jenn Woolfe.

Friday Feb 8th: Uberzone and Bassbin Twins @ Last Supper Club. Check Bassbin Twins' remix of Evil Nine's Crooked for a taste of what Pete brings to the table. Plus, he's a street art guy so + + + to him.

new! Saturday, Feb 9th: BLVD Project Room at TRIPLE - opening reception, with performance by The Saturday Knights. BLVD Gallery owner Damion opens a new work/project space in Ballard, featuring artists in residence. First up is "Arterial Lines" by Nhon Nguyen, a Seattle-based artist who is using the opportunity to create a mural that reflects his experience living in Osaka Japan.

Sunday, Feb 10th: DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist in Hard Sell tour, plus Kid Koala @ Showbox Market. Powerhouse lineup. Get ready to get sweaty.

update! Tuesday Feb 12th: Holy Fuck @ Neumos with Super Furry Animals. Holy F*ck rocks my world with Super Inuit, The Pulse, and other tracks from their 2007 LP Young Turks. SFA is the headliner, so don't go too late. Pssssst: the "very special guest" expected at Chop Suey on 2/26 with A Place to Bury Strangers is very likely to be a band whose name rhymes with "rolly duck."

Wednesday Feb 13th: Los Amigos Invisibles @ Neumos. "A blend of disco, acid jazz, and funk mixed with Latin rhythms." [wikipedia]

new! Friday, February 15th: Artifakt show @ Neumos. Fresh spotlight on board culture. Includes custom skateboards and snowboards, photography, premiers of two videos, and DJ spinnin' action. Mingle with luminaries in nw boarding.