Wednesday, December 31, 2008

The Well at the Orphanage


Here's the water truck. They've got to truck in all their water, get it up the hill, and then fill up the well. If you take a look at the deep ruts under the front tire, you can see why it's not as easy at it seems.


Once we actually got the truck up to the right spot, attempting to fill the well.


Unfortunately, the water isn't all that clean, but they do have a couple filters on it.


They spent about an hour trying to get the truck up the muddy hill. There was a young 13 or 14 year old kid grinding the gears, and dumping water out of the top of the truck making matters worse and worse.


We filled up Many Many Many wheelbarrows full of fill and rocks, fallen branches, and pretty much any other sheetrock, wood, or garbage that was available to build up enough dry material over the mud to get the truck up the hill. But then the connector to the hose kept failing. Half the water we finally got up the hill flooded back down before we could get it into the well. Just kind of how it goes in Mexico I guess.
Jesse, who'd been back and forth many times to oversee the work on the Soccer field, and has been working with Casa Hogar and other orphanages for a while now, had a pretty good angle on it. He said, you do the best you can, and try to leave your work in a place where it's at least finished in it's stage, so whoever comes next, can build off from what you've done. It's a great way to be, because some of the biggest bummers of volunteer work are the feelings of hopelessness, when you can't get something done, or it seems like your project will just fall back into disuse. Not to beat a metaphor to death, but it's easy to get stuck feeling like the work can't get done, and it'll all just keep sliding back down the hill. It's important to find something positive to hold onto, and build off of, to get even just one thing done.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Casa Hogar






We went down to Mexico to visit an orphanage affiliated with Brandy's Montessori School up here in California. Through Brandy's school, a bunch of money had been donated to build a soccer field, and we went down to document, help out, and hand out winter coats. I helped edit a few short films we put together.


And to think, I had to go all the way down to Mexico just to be the tallest guy on a line.

The Farwell Holiday Party


Some beautiful white Burgs popped over at the Farwell Holiday Party: 00 Vinny G Batard Montrachet, My personal Fave, the 01 Ramonet Batard Montrachet, and an 02 Deleger Chassagne Montrachet. All beauties.


When setting up for Mike's Party, he sent me over to his storage unit and set me up with picking out the wines for the party.... Soooo, Amongst the Loring and other favorites, I picked out a horizontal of Roessler. Awesome.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Christmas lights in LA?



Of course what really made it so magical wasn't the two hour wait in the rain to drive through the display put on by LA Water and Power (Paige's take on them later) but rather the cherubic like voices of the ladies in the car.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

New Cop Cars


A buddy sent me this shot from down in the old neighborhood of DUMBO. Something about the irony of new faster cop cars and the perfectly framed grafitti on the wall between them...

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

The Brewery


Up there, on the top floor, by the red light is where we went to the last show


This is from the balcony. I had a particular idea in mind, but, the timing was off. Somewhat similar to the Violin in the metro vid.

Gallery at the top floor of the Brewery


Yeah, so I don't know if this grouping could be defined as a collection or not, and then again, I don't really care so much anyway, but here they are..


A little difficult to make out in the picture, but this is a set of three riot gear shields.


This one I liked the best. If I had any money, I would've bought this. Maybe I'll just buy an American flag one of these days and do it myself. Unstitch the block of stars, and move it to the middle. I should've checked to see who the artist was, or even what the title was, but that just wasn't really on my radar at the moment. Trying to dissect and discuss this piece is a great example of overthinking and the general bullshit involved with modern art in general, but hey, that's what we love it for anyway so here goes..
It drew me in right away. I'm into fabrication, the way things are made, and this one was so simple and beautiful, it was perfect.
But onto the interpretations, I kept thinking: No man is an island. To me, this really brought out the increasing isolationism of the US under Bush the Younger.
Important Note: While cleaning out my car yesterday, I found the original price list for the show. The title of the Flag piece was, " No man is an Island" perhaps that's why I kept thinking it. Huh.

People with guns



Barbara's at the Brewery



While on said visit to the brewery for the Art Walk, we stopped in to visit Barbara, who brought me up to her wine room and we perused the list and she even popped a bottle of 01 Graff Mourvedre for us! Thanks Barbara!
P.S. Take extra special notice of my crappy mustache.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Art walk at the Brewery


Yeah, that's right, this is a jacuzzi. Kind of a neat spot, out in the industrial expanse by the train yards.




An amazing spot, here in LA. Reminds me of my days in DUMBO. A big old industrial complex, now filled with artists lofts, open to the public for a weekend of open lofts. We kicked around all day checking out studios.

Monday, November 3, 2008

How much does my mustache suck?



Answer: So much I've devoted an entirely new blog to it. And things of that ilk.
How much does my mustache suck? or,
http://howmuchdoesmymustachesuck.blogspot.com/

Halloween



This one was good, a cutie in a skirt. The little hangy things said Freud, so she was a- wait for it, wait for it, Freudian Slip. And yes, she was a cutie, even if she's making a weird face in the flick.



But this one, was absolute and sheer, genius. She was the leg lamp from A Christmas Story. Hmmm, Frageelay, must be Italian.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

How the Giants beat the Steelers



It was touch and go for a little while there, but then Justin put on the Pabst Blue Ribbon hat, and Ta-Da, the Giants took the lead. We now house the aforementioned hat in a reliquary.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Something really weird


So, Brandy dragged me to this performance of the Discount Cruise to Hell, and all I can really say is, wtf? They are playing Halloween night at the Hammer Museum if you're interested...

DJ Stretch Armstrong




So Adrian spun at two different venues, which was pretty cool, but here he is photographing some enormous fly that landed in his Korean BBQ at around 3 in the morning.

L.H.O.O.Q.



Elle a chaud au cul.

Octoberfest!


In LA, they have penguins at Octoberfest. I don't know why, that's just how it is. At least I thought I saw a penguin.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

The Problem with LA

Everybody's so goddamn restrained and camera shy...


This was an interesting instance- We were at an after-hours spot (Thai food joint selling beer in coffee mugs, and lousy karaoke) off Hollywood. Out front, the guy in the background had been tossed out for ALLEGEDLY (my favorite new LA word) getting rough with a lady inside. He kept hanging around, all sunglasses on the back of his head, trying to get back in, but the bouncers weren't having it. Anyhow, we struck up a conversation with this lady...


Ooh la la, tres bien ensemble, Michelle. Where to begin? She's got a kind of "tongue in cheek Russian military cum super hero who hasn't quite gotten down color coordination because the 80's Madonna and Flashdance reruns she caught back home were on an old black and white tv" look, but she was just able to squint out that the bra needs to go ON TOP of the leotard. Best part, leaving her house, with one last look in the mirror, she grabbed the leopard print scarf off a nearby lamp, and said, "Voila, there's the dose of sassy I was looking for.."


Things started to get a little risque out here in the middle of the street, between the roving hands and her particular brand of gymnastics on the awning poles that the bouncers didn't see the humor in her use of, so, what left to do but...


Boo-yah! Lay yourself out on the clean clean sidewalks of Hollywood Blvd and show off those Moccassins!


And of course, for some dessert, some video... Once the ladies figure out it's video, and not still photography, our new friend takes matters into her own hands, shoves Brandy and Paige out of the way and gets down to it.

Summer has left for Italy



I found these people in the back of my van and they refused to leave. Ok fine.

Nick Naddeo and his celebrity crush Lance Armstrong having a moment in LA

Some feedback please



Anybody got any particular thoughts on what's running through Biden's head at these moments? Please do share.