freedom of the press belongs to those who own one

i just applied for graduation

2009-10-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

news: i will be graduating in april of 2010. that's 6.5 months. this feels soooo good.

Women's Services Part Deux

2009-08-11T19:25:00.000-07:00

http://squarepeggy.blogspot.com/2009/01/excuse-me.html

This post made alot of readers angry/insulted. I wrote about two Women's Services posters that I found offensive and asserted my concern as to why there isn't a parallel "Men's Services" to for Men to help their wives with issues that are socially rampant. The already existing version is for "Loved Ones With Pornography Problems". I proposed a "Loved Ones with Eating Disorders", held in a Men's Services. I feel differently, today, about my harsh statements about it being a "men's" problem and not a "woman"'s. Partly, because I think that this whole thing is extremely gendered anyway. Men have eating disorders and woman look at porn too. So, that I retract. And also because it read as an attack on the bond of marriage. But, I still stand by my feelings about these issues being systemic to a culture of perfection. I know nothing about the treatments/therapy that goes on in Women's Services. I am talking about core issues-why are these so prevalent? That's what interests me. If we can talk about the cultural issues and the problems stemming from them, then we can start to turn this thing around.

npr

2009-07-31T09:56:00.000-07:00

heard on the radio: "...now, we've been hearing alot of talk about V, W, and U recessions. can you explain a little about each one?"

"yes. thanks for having me on the show..now a V shaped recession is more of a sharp drop, with a sharp climb up with no sight of a drop off..."

"and a W?"

"well, a W, is a sharp drop, followed by a steep incline followed by another sharp drop, followed of course by another steep incline. many people are predicting this recession will follow this "W" plan, although of course, there is much debate and discourse over this..."

"and a U shape. talk about the U.."

"well the U shape, first off I would like to add that I personally think that this is what we should expect from this recession, but in any case, a U shape is a long, steady drop, followed by sort of a slow, gradual rise, with no apparent signs of a downfall..."

now, i personally believe in the "L" recession where we drop and glide until 2012. and then we die.

the only work i liked from my pennyroyal show

2009-06-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

holey matrimony

2009-06-23T09:47:00.000-07:00

much to the chagrin of my employers, i love voodoo doughnuts. there's something about combining santeria with baked goods that just absolutely tickles me. what i didn't realize was that shop doubles as a wedding chapel. you can tie the knot under the "holey donut" and it's legit. at a price of $300 you get: a wedding, a voodoo priest to perform it, and donuts/coffee for 6 apres nuptuals. i've changed my mind on marriage-if i can get married under a big donut, AND it's legit-then marriage is for me.

if you are old enough to buy it...

2009-06-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

amazing. truly amazing and true story.

yesterday, i waited on a fine pair of hipsters. greasy hair, carefully placed. plastic sunglasses, ironic tattoos and high-waist shorts to boot. except for the dude. he had cutoffs.

so they walked in the restaurant with a brown bag, and me being the intuitive and slightly seasoned server that I am, I knew exactly what to do. i grabbed my cork opener, 2 buffed wine glasses and a serving napkin. prepared as i was for the wine service, I wasn't prepared for what was to happen.

i set down the wine glasses and ask "may i see your i.d.?" and what i got in return were glares, a sigh, and then a flash of a 1985 and a 1984. the latter was all i needed. they should have saved their breath.

but, i plunged forward with the service. the two decided to put their wine on ice for a while, before opening, and when i came back with an ice bucket i noticed that there was no sticker on the bottle. (legally, we cannot open wine without that sticker) i asked why there wasn't a sticker and they responded that "the law changed and stickers aren't being used anymore." wierd, i thought. all of our wine bottles still have stickers. but, i still wanted to serve it to them (but knew i couldn't legally without that sticker), so i asked them if they could tell me where they bought it so i could verify. i was met with a blank stare and a "can i just order while YOU figure this out?!"

we're almost there. as i walked back into the restaurant to talk to my boss, i could see the fumes coming out of her grease-laden ears. after weighing the issue, my boss decided to let me serve it to them. i return to the table to tell them the good news and i see only the guy. as i tell him that we will serve it to them and that " i am sorry for the trouble", i see it....the girl...sitting on the curb, pouting with her head in her hands.

maybe i read the i.d. wrong. was is 1994? 2004? because i sure as hell don't serve alcohol to children.

waiting tables

2009-06-17T08:21:00.000-07:00

a while back, i wrote a blog rant about proper manners in a restaurant. i will be posting the "best of's" periodically and some new encounters as well.

this was from a few years back when i worked at abbey road pub:

"i went up to my table of four ladies (i use that term loosely) and asked them if they wanted to go ahead and cash out right then. one of the ladies, clad in an oversized tie-dye tank top reminding me of why i hate tourists and "deadheads", proceeded to tell me "not yet", because she hadn't finished picking her teeth. needless to say i was rather dodgy when i later took the receipt and cash from her hands."

break it

2009-06-15T14:02:00.000-07:00

i was just informed by a blonde crew-cut clerk, upon asking for a veggie burger at the "scoreboard grill" on campus, that my vegetarianism (never mind the couple years that dairy/eggs were a no go for me) is against the word of wisdom. while verbally i expressed that the clerk should "get a dictionary and look up the word 'sparingly'" and that he was "full of crap" as well-i couldn't help but wonder what the kid would say about my coffee habit and sailor mouth.

p.s. said clerk continued to inform me about how much beef he ate in brazil, on his mission, and how tasty it was. i think i just stared at him-wondering why his mouth was still moving and how quickly i could pay for my grilled cheese.

garfunkel and oates!

2009-05-28T18:11:00.000-07:00

funny song about pregnant women

this song addresses pat robertson's claim that legalizing gay marriage would lead to legalizing sex with ducks. this song is called "sex with ducks."

chimpanzee riding on a segway

2009-05-28T17:52:00.000-07:00

veins

2009-05-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

Recently, I've been working with various materials-or perhaps better put-I've been in search of materials to transform. I'm getting the straight pin and muslin thing down, and have also incorporated elmer's glue as a drawing device.

Maple Canyon

2009-05-18T07:59:00.001-07:00

Going here today to climb today.

dinoclasm

2009-04-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

so i got this wallet about a year ago, and wandering around the internet one day, found it on a website. felt i should share. i love how the profanities intensify according to the proximity of the meteor. and the aftermath, inside the wallet.

trans///form

2009-03-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

algae

grass

neko case

there you have it

2009-03-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

found this on a craft website dedicated solely to bacon and eggs

is barack obama "muslin"?

2009-03-25T16:09:00.001-07:00

http://isbarackobamamuslin.com/

if i told you i needed these, would you buy them for me? (part one)

2009-03-25T15:28:00.000-07:00

diet coke: a medley

2009-03-23T19:04:00.000-07:00

this one was titled, "where does diet coke come from?"

hair::sea

2009-03-16T19:05:00.000-07:00

my hair.

vacuum project

2009-03-08T13:48:00.000-07:00

by morganne blair wakefield and marc bradley johnson

this piece was brought by the idea of what it means to be a "white" person. oft times i feel like i have no culture of my own as a white-american. most of "white" history (american and european, specifically) is plagued with plundering and usurping power-and inherently a celebrated connoisseurship of food, art, music, and such from many lands-lands that they have conquered. the highest achievement for a white person, in my experience, is to be well traveled, well read, to eat well, to be able to speak more than one language, to have a pet culture (by way of mission, study abroad, graduate research, business travel, etc.), to dress well, and the list goes on. but those aren't enough. all those factors must collide with the sense that you have an international vein running though your experiences, choices and matter of taste. to clear things up, i fully realize i am talking about yuppie culture-but what is yuppie culture but a white ideal? i am interested in what is the highest achievement in a culture-specifically mine. so this film addresses whiteness as a vacuum of other cultures and the artifacts thereof. it's not a great film, but i think the point gets across.

and notice the dyson vacuum.

*the quality is kinda rough-sorry.

[re]context

2009-03-07T11:52:00.000-08:00

this is the finished print that is currently up in our new media/digital student show, [re]context. for anyone who lives in utah, we will be having our closing reception thursday, march 12 at 7pm. the work will be up until the 13th. for those of you not in utah, i will be posting the video and sound piece i did online soon.

i like this

2009-03-04T11:15:00.000-08:00

she reminds me of carly simon. i like her hat and her hair.

hair

2009-02-22T19:03:00.000-08:00

so i want this haircut. i need a little more mileage out of my "almost to my butt and trying to be crystal gayle" hair though.

new artwork

2009-02-22T18:45:00.000-08:00

part of a series of straight pin/muslin drawings i am working on.

oil paintings using one kind of utensil and one repetitive motion.

digital painting-taken from ink prints of various parts of my body.

god has a facebook

2009-02-18T12:40:00.000-08:00

http://apcmag.com/gods_wicked_sense_of_humour_on_facebook.htm

my hand/land

2009-02-02T17:51:00.000-08:00

working on some figure/landscapes for my computer art class. these will be transformed and abstracted.

Excuse me?

2009-01-27T16:14:00.000-08:00

So, my disgust with the BYU Women's Services has been long running. It began with horribly executed and addressed "eating disorder awareness" posters and is maintained not only by those still existing posters but also but the mere fact that they list "pornography" as a women's issue-presupposing that if a husband has a "problem" with it, it is the wife's duty to take action and seek out options.

Today, my disgust increased. We are back in the fifties ladies and this upcoming Feb. 19th, it will be made manifest:

January 22nd: "Nutrition for the New Year"-cooking for one...or TWO!

February 19th: "Flirting 101"--for singles AND married!*****this is the one!

March 26th: "Lifelong Learning"-extend education beyond your degree!

Now, I do realize that the mission of the BYU WC is to address topics relative to the campus, but why are these topics culturally relevant in the first place? Why are eating disorders and pornography problems so prevalent here? You could say its a matter of noticing or being more aware or knowing that pornography is a sin and therefore being hypersensitive to it. I would say that it is the attention to control and perfectionism that is rampant in Mormon culture. It breeds this interior hysteria over the notion of "Perfect". Eating disorders are about control-women and men who have them are not "Fed Up With Food", as the poster slogan says. Pornography, culturally, lies in the level of mystery and wrongdoing which is so appealing-when something becomes "bad" or "sinful", it becomes enticing and interesting. Sex is interesting and alluring. I don't reject addiction to control or sex or what have you-I just don't think BYU is addressing the core issues or -in case of women and pornography-the right audience. That's not to say that if it is a real issue in the household, that wives shouldn't be involved. Pick your addiction, couples do need to work together and help each other to overcome and work through them. I'm saying, why should only women be addressed publicly for seeking help, on campus? Why are the posters aimed at them? I see dramatic inequality in responsibility and a huge discomfort in talking about sex. Why not a Men's Services then? Why can't men be addressed to help a loved one with an eating disorder?

**Note: Another problem I have with the porn poster is the idea that only men look at porn or have problems with it!

use condoms

2009-01-24T12:57:00.001-08:00

l'enfant vert ou le bebe qui n'existe pas

2009-01-21T09:54:00.000-08:00

my french is terrible. but my sense of humor isn't. and turns out i am really, REALLY intelligent and extremely attractive too. so it makes up for my french. did i mention that i am really, REALLY attractive?

anyways marc et moi, are working on our "green baby" installation where we will make babies out of recycled materials and showcase them in a local dumpster. we don't have anything against babies-just the idea that consuming could possibly be "green". the baby stands as the consumer in all its potential. now reusing or buying less-that would be "green". buying products under the assumption that it will help the earth or is "friendly" to it is absolutely absurd. products and products and products will not solve the problem of too many. so the dumpster comes into play with a current distress-the economy. magazines, blog headlines, newspapers-once filled with concern on how to "shop green" are now vomiting up ways to be "credit crunch chic"* (as Harper's Bazaar would put it). nobody cares about being green when the economy sucks- even though truly "green" practices fall into the category of saving money and resources. we propose a dumpster because a recycling bin has so much hope, and a budding reduction of guilt, whereas a trash can reduces whatever it holds to added destruction-at least mentally. "green" baby and home books are on sale by the dozens at our local Borders, where a few months ago it would have seemed like "green" was here to stay. so, babies, made out of recycled materials-kind of like straw dolls but made out of newspaper/plastic bags-left in a pile-hope abandoned. i don't know if something else will take the movements place- but if its consumer based-it will face a similar fate.

*Bazaar had an article about swap-meet parties that I thought was interesting. trading clothes, wearing used clothes-that would fall under the category of green as well as "credit crunch chic". :)

This is a great article called "Buying Into the Green Movement".

creepy green baby <----not part of the show but equally entertaining

killing me slowly

2009-01-13T13:04:00.000-08:00

Carbonated water
Caramel color
Aspartame
Phosphoric acid
Potassium benzoate (to protect taste)
Natural flavors
Citric acid
Caffeine
.......................................
The chemical composition of my blood these days

words

2008-12-15T10:09:00.000-08:00

can you deny a label or a word placed on you, not based on its actual definition, but because of its cultural associations and connotations? for instance, if i didn't feel like a woman, could i deny that i am a woman, based on what culturally i think a woman is? so in denying something, do you actually deny what it is or what you think it is? or are they even separate?

WPA/FAP

2008-12-14T12:53:00.000-08:00

so i've been checking to both borders and barnes and noble almost daily to see if they have the new ReadyMADE issue in stock. it's obsessive, i know, but i've been trying to figure out what kind of bed/apt ware that i want-i am moving this week! (p.s. i will have a room!) so that said, i finally picked up a copy today and while i found no inspiration for my bed (my elusive ideal bed.... maybe i should just hang a definition of a bed where my bed should be and just go back to the couch), i did find some interesting posters. 5 graphic designers were commissioned , by the magazine, to look at some WPA/New Deal posters and create one referential to our time/current financial/environmental meltdown. i'm sure most of you are aware of this, but i was not: part of the New Deal included the FAP (Federal Art Projects)- which commissioned artists to create poster/murals to instill optimism in the public and offer slogans of change. all i could think of were obama posters and how he's become this jesus christ/fdr figure to us.

and all cynicism aside, change is needed. however much a buzzword that may be (runner-up to "progress").

i wrote my contemporary art research paper, a while back, on a specific muralist, but spent quite a bit of time researching populist murals. both murals and posters (and relevant to our time-graphic design) are for the people, regardless of class-they aren't meant to be covered in glassine, tucked away in a box and archived until it is sold someday at an auction at Christie's. Nor are they hung inside a towering office building representative of not missing a step when it comes to accumulating wealth. if anything, they would be painted on the outside of the building. the streets become the gallery of the people. i like prints (in the traditional sense) though. and i like painting. but that's not the point. the point is, who is it for? the FAP did support painters ,though, such as Jacob Lawrence, Philip Guston, Pollock, and Lee Krasner. surely, the work of those artists have at one point or another been sold for multi-millions at an auction house. i'm mostly interested, though, in the notion that FDR found it necessary to keep the artists as an important part of the New Deal, and what they found important to display to and for the public.

below, i have posted some WPA/FAP posters- the goal was to focus on nationalism ( my feelings on nationalism are another discussion ) and what each region/state had to offer, also encouraging travel, work safety, venereal disease awareness, basic health, art and education:

i'm not too excited by the idea of creating propaganda pieces, but sounds like a great idea for helping artists in the financial crisis that was the Great Depression.

some recent work

2008-12-03T21:31:00.000-08:00

exciting things

2008-12-02T23:59:00.000-08:00

so, it looks like these kids, whispertown 2000, are gonna play at my house (or someone else's house that would be better suited) for my birthday. or sometime in march. not sure. but so far things are looking sunny for us.

28 days until these people reenter my realm. so to speak.

my new apt which i will move into in 13 days. it's across from the provo cemetary, a nice place to jog. just don't go too late b/c i'm pretty sure i've narrowly escaped the closing gates a few times. not sure, but pretty sure.

subtraction

2008-11-30T19:18:00.000-08:00

i've been playing with cutting into my paintings instead of really adding to them. here, an example. i kinda like it.

oh, and yeah, i'm done with my bfa application. what a relief.

man eating chair and ponies

2008-11-29T18:00:00.000-08:00

my roomate vanessa drew this for me about a year ago. i have a habit of collecting chairs with no seat and this one was particularly devilish in intentions, as depicted in the drawing above. vanessa loves ponies. i just got this drawing today. i don't know how i didn't notice ths on my facebook page before.

the first thing i hate about...

2008-11-29T00:42:00.000-08:00

let me guess. the title track is "wassail for my horses"? or perhaps "beer for my reindeer"?

Holidays

2008-11-28T12:36:00.000-08:00

I really don't like holidays. Which is odd because growing up I sure loved them. I was the first the claim rights to decorating our house (which was a treat with its truly southern nature of having both a sitting room and a piano room; hospitality always in mind) and was a strong advocate of only playing Christmas music during the season(I was dubbed the Christmas Nazi by my sister, Heidi). Christmas, nowadays is a chore, really. It has always been a surface holiday and will continue to be a surface holiday for me. I think as a child I really loved it because I felt that beautiful objects and settings transformed people, if only for a day. And, you know, it kind of does. But, it seems very surface or at best, transient. I prefer something real. Something that can happen without the sparkling provocation of house lights and Christmas trees. I like to give gifts, but not on Christmas. And its heartbreaking to see people get stressed and depressed over it all.

That said, I do like a few holidays: Thanksgiving, New Years and Anniversaries of your own choice-relationships, accomplishments, etc. I like special days that involve food, family and friends.

2nd runner up to Christmas? Valentines Day. That god-awful tacky red ruins January/Feb for me.

I found this photo today randomly-which is awesome because I was thinking about this movie all morning and how much I used to LOVE it. It spoke to me as an angsty middle schooler, quite aware that I was different from "those stupid airhead girls"-what with my freckles and wiry hair that I tried so desperately to tame . It was a tragic sight, I am sure, for those who watched me grow up. :) So tragic. Kat, my protagonist, at least, was a vintage chevy driving, letters to cleo listening, simone de beauvoir reading, sarah lawrence hopeful- who I had a heart attack crush on. I still get giddy when I think about this film. She was angry-I was angry! She read Shakespeare-I read Shakespeare! She liked Letters to Cleo-I loved them! It was a friendship meant to be.

So this morning, a series of essays I was reading led me to feminism, to french feminism, to simone de beauvoir and naturally to Kat Stratford from "10 Things I Hate About You."

And to find this photo while searching for an "I Hate Christmas" photo. Fate.

i need a new bed

2008-11-26T09:22:00.000-08:00

so, come december 15th or so, I will be moving from various friends/family member's couches (4 mo w/o a bedroom or a bed! I'm going absolutely insane) to an apt of my own. and in light of this upcoming golden era (obama will save the world :), new bed, marc flies back to utah, BFA, installation class, less time until spring happens...), i want to kick it off with an awesome bed. i have ideas. mostly involving cardboard. my thoughts are to make a bed frame out of cardboard, but can't help but think that would either be a really tall bed or a very-not-ergonomic one. i found this bed online. a student at RISD (ny times did a photo essay of art students from yale, risd and nyu; you know the ones with bedrooms and flats that i want to make love to), made a frame out of honeycomb cardboard. looks cool. not that comfortable. i don't want to just set the mattress on the frame. i want it to sit in the frame, so it's not too tall but i can still have a box spring/mattress. if you have ideas...post. photos? post. or if you can think of better materials, i'm game.

the possibilities are endless, but not all welcome

2008-11-23T09:56:00.000-08:00

oh and yeah. why the fishing pole? or better yet, why not the fishing pole?

unless you are a masochist, please never purchase one of these:

an epiphany

2008-11-14T13:54:00.001-08:00

so, i was replacing my tail and low beam head lights this morning and ran into a slight problem. the screws holding in my light casing were corroded. i recalled some information i received a while back that coca-cola is great for cleaning battery acid. so, i tried it on the screws. and it worked. so, i'm never drinking coke. ever again. i want to keep my teeth.

also, it occurred to me today that all the money i spend on my car could be better used to make me look hot. :) and by hot, i mean make me look like i'm wearing this dress. as in, i should have this dress.

the menace to society

2008-11-12T21:25:00.000-08:00

this is the print of the sketch i posted about 2 weeks ago.

warning signs

2008-11-11T15:06:00.000-08:00

but even then, can you ever be sure? talk to your kids about tagging. they'll understand.

hobby and the most ridiculous cat

2008-11-03T21:36:00.000-08:00

i need a hobby. as if i really had all the time right now to take up, yet, another passion to consume my sleeping hours. but, none the less, i'm finding my projects to be so mentally draining (i do like the work i am doing) that it would be nice to take up something where i can keep my hands busy but go into auto-pilot. like knitting. except even knitting is a little too much thinking sometimes...

this cat is a charm.

the sartorialist and the femme fatale

2008-11-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

the sartorialist in new delhi: here, a product of his findings. for those of you not in the know (and frankly it's easy not to be with this one), "the sartorialist" scouts the streets of almost every major city taking photographs of great style.

now that the introductions have passed, i will now say this: she has to be one of the most beautiful women i have ever laid eyes on.

i've been working on a drawing for my lithography print. i'm working with ideas of female/nature, nudity and animals as menaces to society. we have built in systems to regulate these things that are really out of our control: birth control, feminine hygiene products, clothing (and dress codes to boot), domestication and the manufacturing of meat. Animals can exist either as our pets, amusement at the zoo or on the way to our dinner table. There's no place for them otherwise. The cycles of the earth and the unpredictable nature of woman as a link between earth/life (fertility, cycles,etc.) are factors we live in fear of: accidentally getting pregnant, hurricanes, snowstorms, earthquakes, etc. as far as nudity goes, it has no place in society: "NO Shirt, NO shoes, NO SERVICE." that's pretty extreme, don't you think? it's really no different than "NO PETS ALLOWED." you, in all your "not fully clothed" glory-are an animal. i mean, it's just barefeet and bare chest/back. this ties into a big question with the piece i'm working on: what defines a human being? do true humans have a place in society? is nudity human? is nudity animalistic? what's so wrong with being an animal? where's the distinction? there are primates that have many of the physical characteristics of a human. are advanced societal humans just clothed _____? (pick an animal to your liking)

that said, I find clothing absolutely fascinating and absurd. theatre is just life magnified, collaged, or shaped in a way to re-represent it. clothing is costume. clothing shows what part of society, or what level, if we are talking about hiearchy, you want to participate in. even a clothing counter-culture, in all its rebellion, is a socially acceptable way of defining who you are, via how you dress. the true counter to culture is nudity. but that's not even in the scope of society; not even part of the discussion.

lola

2008-11-01T23:32:00.000-07:00

so back to early this summer: me and marc were sitting on my bed discussing the benefits and pitfalls of having no arms or no legs. at work, i made a drawing of lola, the no arm prostitute. in a way, she resembles the remnants of a grecian sculpture, devoid of limbs ,much too delicate to withstand the test of time. but lola isn't made of marble. so how did she lose her arms? and she's still at it, on the streets, working the oldest profession. has she gone vigilante now? working the corners until she finds the man/woman that cut off her arms? shot them off? and what will she do when she finds him/her?

tbc....

walls, beds, teas and the fugees

2008-10-24T22:23:00.000-07:00

spinach (washed and free of nasties) + e.v.o.o. + salt (kosher? iodized? it's your choice really) = delicious

better if it's arugula though.

i've been thinking a lot about walls and spaces. spent a lot of time on walls and why we put things on our walls. i've concluded (though not exclusively) that we place things on our walls to validate our existence and interests. family photos, diplomas, paintings, etc. i mean really, we wouldn't put our divorce papers on our living room wall. or a photo of the first time we got jumped in the park as a kid. it made me think of graffiti and how it's the antithesis of controlling ones space/environment, or organizing it to validate oneself. and it's been a hard thing to grapple with while currently working on a body of paintings. what place does my work have in a greater discussion? knowing that they will reside on a wall space, what does my work need to do to jump off the wall and attack the viewer with questions? i don't want my work to validate. i don't profess to have answers and i never want to. i want my work to be filled with questions that provoke further questions. i'm not really interested in answers to the questions i really value. i feel, they are unanswerable.

space. so yes, space is what i'm currently sifting through right now. literally and mentally. (well i guess with every "-ally", i am mixing through space.) going off of my works immediate location (wall space), i move to the bigger space: the gallery (hopefully? not sure if this would make me happy or depressed). what defines a gallery space. i mean, for all i know its as much a "white square" as mental hospital as prison cell. so what happens in a gallery? we put things on the walls, in the middle of the room to circumnavigate, and occasionally a performance will be had. sounds like a bedroom to me. photos of family, paintings, a bed to walk around and trip onto, which also doubles as the performance space of sleep, sex and waking up. i do realize that i am oversimplifying; i'm sure there's more you can do on a bed.

i was talking to my mom on the phone tonight and in the middle of the conversation, my tea kettle started screaming at me, so i set the phone down next to my computer. when i came back to pick up the phone my mom goes...

" is that RAP i hear? do you listen to that?"

"rap? yes i actually listen to all kinds of music mom.."

"that's not music. it's noise." (NOTE: this is an improvement; when i was in middle school, it was "filth", now it's just "noise"...)

"mom, it's just as much music as country as folk as rock as...it's lyric driven music..."

"no. no. no...it's noise" then an awkward conversation change onto the topic of her visit to see MoTab rehearse. fun times mom. fun times....it reminded me of the time she wouldn't let me buy TLC's "crazy.sexy.cool" because of the word "sexy" in the title. i was devastated. i wasn't allowed to go chase waterfalls in my room. i had to wait until sleepovers.

i need a massage.

meow.

i'm glad i have only a tea kettle to scream at me. it's the perfect alternative to a child. a puppy and a tea kettle.

bride of chucky

2008-10-20T09:50:00.001-07:00

ehhhhhh. i can't look at her too long. what a creepy child.

what a ham

2008-10-12T00:30:00.000-07:00

gosh. i'm so cute.

really?

2008-10-12T00:16:00.001-07:00

the only thing funnier than seeing mccain embrace a child...

is seeing barack obama as one: a son of promise. they should have cut the crap and titled it "the newest testament".

broken circuit

2008-10-10T00:41:00.000-07:00

i just keep pushing and pushing it, and, pffft. nothing.

calling all pussycats

2008-10-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

So, about a year ago I found this on craigs list and posted it on my facebook blog. Well, I found it today and in honor of that occasion I have decided to repost it.

Girl Group
Reply to: crazy_lil_party_punk@yahoo.com
Date: 2007-05-05, 12:25PM MDT

I am starting a female pop/r&b girl group. The ages will be 16-19. I am 16 myself. I only want and will accept serious applicants. I want this to be the next big thing like the Pussycat Dolls. There will be a maximum of four girls. If you are interested please email me with :

1) Name:

2) Where do you live?:

3) Age:

4) Can you sing/dance?:

5) Can you write poetry or songs ( if not that is ok!):

6) Any other special talents ( rap or play an instrument):

7) Are you a teamplayer:

8) Why should I choose you?:

9) Looks:

10) Are you willing to work hard and achieve your dreams:

free chicken

2008-10-02T21:23:00.000-07:00

really?

i went to go see sigur ros at the great saltair, and was quite taken not only with the music, and the expanse of the salt lake, but also with these window archways.

salt/air/lake

vanessa

some interesting shadow shapes

this makes me homesick. although, taken in utah, intense sunsets remind me of virginia.

a different kind of sunset.

sigur ros.

busy shoppers.

the new visual arts dept. t-shirt. i'm not proud of the shirt or the fact that we have "swimsuit" models and not nudes. this is a shame.

big sexy hair

2008-09-26T00:02:00.000-07:00

you know what i really appreciate? honestly and straight forward advertising. so many hair products appeal to our ethos by making their advertising either scientific or french, or both scientific AND french (i.e. "biologe" and nexxus' "therappe"). but i recently discovered something new. something shamelessly honest. a brand called, "BIG SEXY HAIR." that's it. no pretense. pageant hair is the goal.

ah! look what i found!

2008-09-25T10:33:00.000-07:00

me and my sister hollis, when we were little chimps. these dresses had white straw hats and gloves as well as a matching polka dot change purse. easter is such a strange holiday.

sunday, monday picture post

2008-09-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

my three brothers.

my three brothers [the hardass remix].

my sister, hollis and her husband, jeremy.

me and mom.

my sister, rachel, and her husband, paul and the kids.

a painting i am working on.

a face that made my day. [john kovalenko]

show and tell

2008-09-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

so, this was done for a class, but it is pretty much an extension of how i approach all my work: with an obsessive leaning toward color relationships.

among several clever and charming illustrations gracing the main floor of the hfac, was william carman's "perisniffer". apparently they help the wee pups acquire a higher taste, if you will, in the aromas of anus.

and the video that occupies most of my waking hours these days.

yes, another post referring the "the jenny" but i just love this song so much.

my sisters,(from left to right) hollis, hilarie, and heidi. sans me and rachel. but that's probably all for the best b/c i don't think we actually fit into their club. what with our names starting with a letter other than "h".

this photo is for marc and thoughts on margaret kilgallen

2008-09-17T20:07:00.001-07:00

I caught this image in Boulder.

I've been working on my research proposal for my Contemporary Art class. My subject you ask? Margaret Kilgallen. Her aesthetic was one of hand-crafted/painted imagery drawing upon old typography, signmaking techniques, indian folk art and hobo art. Much of her work is painted on cardboard, brick walls, or gallery walls for installation pieces, usually with house paint. Cardboard and house paint are the antithesis of archival. I've recently been interested in the question of whether art should be "built to last" or whether ephemera represents the true state of art. I feel like the latter is where I'm heading as far as intentions lie. And my question is: If all art, in the past, were physically ephemeral, lasting only a day to 50 years at most, how would that affect future generations from that point and how they created or understood art? Would it even be art? Or would it be more so? I don't know if there is an objective way to look at this question. But, I ask it because a lot of dogmatism comes from the idea that art should be made to last. Usually these claims are referenced with works from the Renaissance that are still intact and then followed by facts and numbers about the high budget that the MOMA has for maintaining or restoring the works inhabiting the space. But that falls under the assumption that archival is best. I think there is something to say about pieces that will only last for a moment or perhaps a bit longer, carrying this bittersweet and honest sense that all things are mortal.

But, then there are so many things that I enjoy and I am able to enjoy them because people in the past have bothered to make it that way for me. Many books, or storytelling for that matter, have survived several generations and printmaking processes to make their way to the bookshelf at Borders or the local library for me to consume. And while the quality of those books won't lend them to last for hundreds of years, the constant reproduction and adaptation to new technologies will allow the content to last indefinitely. So I guess this is a two-fold question/challenge then: Do we need the physical to be archival for the content to last? Or does the content always last, but constantly being revisited with new vehicles?

I can't decide.

update//photo essay

2008-09-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a quick trip to Boulder, Co. this morning. Me, Vanessa and Alyson went to go see Jenny Lewis at the Fox Theatre. I was a little unsure about this new album, what with her experimenting with her top register and all (the recordings back up my hesitation about this). But, live, she was incredible. The uncomfortable reaching for notes that you hear on the album disappeared into a sultry falsetto on stage. Also, check out the jumpsuit!

My birdbladder forced Alyson to pull off the highway to find a bathroom, which led me to this little gem. Since childhood, I have been gently obsessed with ramshackle houses, decrepit buildings, spaces that seemed forgotten. My parents had a thing for going on drives to simply look at houses. Not even for buying. Just to look.

I especially love the handpainted sign.

I drove all the way to Orem at 6 am and all I got was this lousy sunflower....
We got up for the Grand Opening of the Sunflower Market in Orem. We even got to hear the mayor speak. Whoo-wee!

My studio space.

And the friends that keep me company there.

triscuits for the wee ones

2008-09-10T14:24:00.000-07:00

i'm reading Satre's "Intimacy" . The character Lulu imagines her sleeping husband, rolled on his side, as being tied up by little people ( i.e. Gullivers Travels.) I like that. I think it would be funny to wake up in the middle of the night and see a little old man munching on some crackers, reading the newspaper in my open palm. I would not, however, want to be tied up. At least by him.

at least 84 minutes

2008-09-05T22:25:00.000-07:00

I saw Vicky Christina Barcelona for the 3rd time tonight. It wasn't planned. It never is. But, I love it each and every time.

a couple things

2008-08-25T04:29:00.001-07:00

i've decided to create landmark events each month to help to ease the stress of school and to pass the time. life is so much more enjoyable when you can anticipate exciting events. christmas ceases to thrill me anymore so i have to make do. so heres what i have so far:

Aug 28: I'm rich $$$$

Sept 9: Jenny Lew's new album, Acid Tongue. woot woot.

Sept 25: Austin City Limits....maybe???

November some random thursday: Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday.

December 1: Apply to BFA, blow the minds of the art faculty

December after the 25th: Everyone comes home! New apt!

I need something for October. Help me fill my happiness schedule.

I'm in a cabaret mood. I've been listening to the Chicago soundtrack along with the Dresden Dolls today while packing, silenty imagining myself on a green lit stage complete with bob/fishnets/sequins/taps.

i need to pack.

i can fix my own damn car...or at least change the oil

2008-08-21T19:18:00.000-07:00

i have arrived. i am now a woman. i don't know if this event was supposed to coincide with the first day of my cycle but no objections here. i like nicely tied up pairings. anyway, i learned something today. something i should have learned approximately 3 years ago when i bought my car but still. i learned it nonetheless, with the help of my friend and teacher nathaniel ray pickett ( a gentleman and a scholar for those of you not in the know). and that thing, ya know THAT THING that i learned...yeah i changed my oil for the first time

now this photo...this photo was captioned "why women can't fix cars" prefaced by detailed instructions for "men" for changing their oil, followed by instructions for women that read "pull up to a juffy lube, wait 15 min, write a check for 21.00".really? really? screw you bastards.

plast skog

2008-08-11T13:43:00.000-07:00

So I was on my way home from SLC, with a rain cloud face that not even pancakes could assuage, when I stopped at Ikea. Maybe it was the bright yellow sign. In my right mind, it would have reminded me of the Wal-Mart smiley face and propelled seven shades of nausea to do their little dance around my entrails. Not today, I guess. I usually get overwhelmed in large warehouse stores (and boutiques in their own right) but this little gem kept me occupied with glee throughout the hike in the plastic forest: Elk shaped pasta.

it's not marriage, it's the whole name game

2008-06-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

Taking someone’s last name after marriage reminds me of the kids that like to put labels on everything they own. Like the kid at summer camp that had to write his name on every shirt, water bottle and toiletry he brought with him. Why do I need to take a man’s name? It’s not like some neighbor kid is going to steal me other wise. And if we are going to continue this slave/master practice of stepping under the Patriarchal umbrella, then let’s call it what it is, skip the diamond “consolation prize for submitting a part of my soul” and just write “Mrs. Tom Jones” in sharpie, and all caps, on the back of my neck. That way, if I ever run off or lose my way, they know to return me to my rightful owner.

fleet foxes fiesta

2008-05-13T21:02:00.000-07:00

Someone is going in my pocket and that is the band Fleet Foxes. "White Winter Hymnal" is transcendant.
http://www.subpop.com/assets/audio/4264.mp3

black licorice scotties

2008-04-22T03:08:00.000-07:00

my heart is full. i don't think my addiction to black licorice is even close to a secret, but presented in the shape of an adorable scottish terrier just sets things over the edge. good earth was good to me today.

it's tragic i know

2008-04-09T18:25:00.000-07:00

VCU v.s. BYU. Maybe I should have them arm wrestle. Or rock paper scissors for me.
I also just looked at my complete profile for a second and saw the number 22. Hmm whats that all about, I say: Thats your age dear! I'm suddenly starting to feel old even though I know it's ridiculous. I just do right now. I think it has to do with the idea of starting my art program at another school. Anxieties!

rubber shoes

2008-03-09T14:27:00.000-07:00

Rubber shoes
You got the blues
Running around all day

The friction torn
between sloth and scorn
You can judge your smile away

And movin’ still
Is one cheap thrill
To justify your direction

If the details escape
In a blur, in a haze
No one will question your intention

When your eyes, they burn
From the sand and dirt
And your head calls to God
For election

Just remember you're doomed
As the one you behooved
To move and escape
Their reflection

eau claire

2008-02-20T22:40:00.000-08:00

yes, that means clear water. i prefer smart water because i hear it has an iq above 80, unlike our dasani counterparts that don't rise much above the tap water kind.

so, yes, smart water it is.

this post is for claire.

kaffe haus

2008-01-24T17:06:00.000-08:00

I found a cure for my reading disability. Instead of taking a class to help me learn the tricks of the trade, there is a cheaper (hmmmm....really?) alternative. The catch is I have to ingest this miracle, perhaps not everyday, but anytime I want to concentrate. "Great! When do I start?" Actually, the better question is, "When do I quit?"

the acl email that was never sent

2007-08-27T11:17:00.000-07:00

hello rock stars, here are the minutes from our last meeting:

Smirk Section

Costs:
Travel:$110-120/p
*Any other expenses are your own!

Van Details:
+Capps Van Rental (801)-287-9116
+Pick up Thursday, September 13th @ 7:30 am

***We are leaving @ 9:00am on Thursday morning!***

Lodging in Austin:
+Amy's drunk friends
+Talia's hotel by airport
....................................................................................

Deadpan Section

Committees:

I DARE YOU: Ryan

D.A.R.E.: and Buddy System: Allyson

BIRTHDAY: Morganne

LODGING/PUBLIC TRANSIT: Amy

ENTERTAINMENT COMMITTEE: Biddison

AFTERSHOW(S): Heather...hehe

FLORENCE NIGHTENGALE: ?

HOUSEWIVES: Morganne, Allyson, Amy, Heather, Ryan

SKINNY DIPPING: Amy, Ryan

ANTI-VAMPIRE:?

ANTI-SKINWALKER:?

KUMBAYA:?
............................................................................

Driving Rules:
+NO CELL PHONES
+PASSENGER ALWAYS STAYS AWAKE

............................................................................

Next meeting:

We need people to design magnets for our van!

Family tree-shirt design!

Organize bake sale

Pick out bands/shows

it has come to pass

2007-08-21T13:32:00.000-07:00

rk's new album out today. acl in less than one month. goodbye summer. hello dylan.

2007-08-16T00:27:00.000-07:00

they even made a special club for us. but, i simply refuse to play on the same team as hello kitty. there is nothing humanitarian or eccentric about a white cat who is to paranoid to turn her back or even turn to the side a little bit. aquarians love profiles. she is a fraud.

vegan hot dogs

2007-08-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

i bet it's made out of organic cotton too.

the tea grotto

2007-08-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

Connected to a tao/feng shui store, the Tea Grotto is now my zen away from home. Hands down. I counted about 95 different teas listed on the wall ranging from your traditional blacks, greens and whites to "coffee cake" flavored tea and further specific to a "clear mind" tea. If the potpurri of teas aren't enough, there is free wireless, vegan/vegetarian cuisine and a "zen room"; this room is a small square space that is floored with cushy velvet pillows, accompanied by a rock/water garden and a billowy fabric cieling. In other words, I want to die here. But seeing as how it is more of a space supporting rebirth than death, I want to turn into a falcon here. Or maybe a kitten. Hmm. Are kittens vegan? :)
For all you gems that want to frequent this little nook with me, it's in Sugarhouse on 900 E 2100 S and I will be here alot.

Namaste.

neko case

2007-08-08T15:44:00.001-07:00

so i love neko case. she has this ability to contain the earthy, warm tones of patsy cline while allowing the birdy quality of her voice to take flight at times. and each time it is successful and haunting.

listen to "at last" from fox confessor. it will haunt your dreams.