Update

Some notes from Alan Moore's The Watchmen are up on the Hipster Book Forum.

Farenheit 9/11

I just got back from seeing Michael Moore's new movie, "Farenheit 9/11." This was a very compelling film. I consider it every American's patriotic duty to see this movie and try will all the will they can muster to fully grasp the ramifications of what our "elected" commander-in-chief has contributed in doing. The "War on Terror" seemed like such rhetoric even as it was shoved down our throats by the media, but this film really made it all the more transparent. If there's anyone here who wants to see this movie, but doesn't have anyone to go with, I volunteer to see it again. PLEASE GO SEE THIS MOVIE. And, perhaps more importantly, get someone who is unsure of how they feel about this country's current administration to go see it.

Updates and We started a new book

I've changed quite a bit of the design around for DREAMS, FOUND, and Reading is Fundamental. I'm going in the direction of uniformity, with some sense of uniqueness for each one. People, tell me how you like to colors (except I know Rick doesn't like them).

Also, we've started a new book on the hipster book forum. Me and Jason have commented so far on Alan Moore's The Watchmen. Check it out.

The Music of bhofmeister13

Last night I uploaded two songs that I composed using Apple's Garageband program to Mperia. Mperia is a pretty cool service that allows unsigned musical artists to sell their music at no charge using a micro payment service called Bit Pass. Mperia is also pretty cool because its search option allows you to browse (and often preview) artists and buy their songs pretty cheaply. Getting these songs up is yet another step in my "sell stuff online" master plan. Some of you may remember a while back when I sent out an email calling for people to support artists online. That's what this is all about. My songs are available to preview in their entirety, or you can download them for just twenty five cents. Wow, that's 75% off the iTunes Store prices! My band, Farewell Society, also has songs available through Mperia here. They are available at the low low price of fifty cents a piece, but keep in mind that we produced those songs at significantly greater expense to ourselves. You will have to set up a Bit Pass account in order to make these purchases, but Bit Pass will open a whole new unexplored world of cool contenst such as online comics and cool music. If I sound like a commercial, it's because I'm trying to sell this to you. Very blatantly. Not just for me, but for artists everywhere.

Update

New words on Theoretical Physics on the reading blog.

Update

There's a new, bizarre, convoluted dream involving secret agents, geology, songs of rain and thunder, sexuality, drugs and rock and roll. Check it out.

Last of NY?

There's a new dream that's pretty cool and I write about quantum physics and the nature of being on my reading blog, too.

More New York pictures.

I ran through New York, and all the time, this painted man followed me.



Then, he turned into a butterfly, and I took a picture of him on the asphalt. I just know he was destined to be smooshed because he was so small and people walked dangerously close, their heels ominous jaws of death for the former painted running man. It was only a matter of time...



If only he could have taken the form of this supermodel, and just runwayed away.



I think this is the fist picture I took when I got to New York. It reminded me of the Muppet, Gonzo.



I saw several pieces of public art in New York, including some stencilling, which will be of especial interest to telltalemichael.

Jackie-O


Panties


The Squid


Multiple Infinities (a paradox or no?)


And then there were some photos I took that I thought would be arty.

The Oranges


Composition with Sprinkler


Abstract on Sidewalk


Or one pic I had Joe take of me:


The last night I was in the city, we went out on the town. I saw a drag queen peeing in a urinal. She let me take a picture. Hot stuff.



It was light out on our way back to the hotel that morning. I took this picture from inside our cab.



My flight back to Chicago was delayed. The airport was interminably boring, so I'm giving you this equally boring sound clip of ambient noise in the airport.

Fortunately I had my iPod, which practically saved my insanity --er, my sanity. Yes, that's it.

This picture was taken out the window on the plane on the way back to Chicago. You can just make out the lights of a small city if you try.

Homage to Sfire

Before I get back into my images from New York from last weekend. I'd like to announce that four of the six tracks on the new Farewell Society E.P. Reaction are available for sale as MP3 downloads from mperia.com. To purchase, you'll have to open a Bit Pass account. Do it.

There's a Chicago-based photographer named Jeffrey Sfire. If you go to his site, and go to the "work in progress" area, you'll see he's very intersted in lines. Here are a bunch of photos I took as sort of an homage to Mr. Sfire. Hopefully he likes them. And hopefully I'm not way off base in my re-interpretation of his work. His more documentary work is also up on some on-line art magazine called subsystence. Check it out.













This last one is a little different, but I thought it was still in the spirit of the others.



Jeffrey, if you visit, please I would love if you comment (and sign the guestbook).

New York Photos part 1

Over the next few days I'll be presenting photos of highlights of my trip to New York. Lots of stuff going on there. Nice city. A little dirty and stinky at times, but I suppose you probably get used to it.

During our stay, we saw three musicals. All Tony Award Winners: Wicked, Tony Kushner's newest play, Caroline, or Change and Assasins. All three were excellent, but I've listed them in order (in my opinion) of best to least best. Take it for what it's worth.

Now, onto the first batch of images.



It's a cliche, but Times Square is just so damn photogenic. It seems like it's grown in the past five years, getting closer and closer to images I've seen of Tokyo. It feels like Bladerunner's future is almost upon us every time I look upon it.



I think this is the Queensboro Bridge, but I'm probably wrong. I do know for a fact that the picture was taken outside the Conran shop.



I also know that I took this picture right after the previous, and that this thing holds aloft that mass transit thingy that the Green Goblin in Spider Man tried to knock down when he was trying to get Spidey to choose between being a hero and saving Mary Jane Watson. Go Spidey Go!



Here's a pic of me and former Illinoisan, Joe Martine. We're standing outside the Apple Store. In New York, they call it the Mac store. Which is silly because the Mac (the cosmetic) store is right down the street and it just seems confusing to me, but whatever. Joe rules and he swears he's moving to Canada to escape the dictator-like regime of the president were stuck with. You know, the one who cheated to get to be president. That one.



Darcy (I hope I'm spelling it right) was a lovely and nice bartender who served us drinks at APT very early Monday morning as we partied the night away. I thanked her for being so nice and I loved her dress. I also gave her my card, a Farewell Society CD and told her to google "Darcy New York" in about a week and she'd see her picture. Hopefully she really will. And then she'll sign the guestbook. Hi, Darcy!

(By the way, Farewell Society is now up on MySpace and Mperia.com, you should go check out what's going on!)



Finally, here's me standing near the Cellular Skull. I'm assuming it's a commentary on the dangers of cellular phone use. I just think it's cool.

More public art coming tomorrow.

Peace.

New York

Im in New York right now, and Im composing this blog post from my
handheld/cellular phone. I feel so technologically advanced, like
Warren Ellis !

Last night my friend Frank and I walked up Park Avenue arguing about
the spelling of the word deixis. The way Ive spelled it here is the way
he proposed and I naively believed it not to be so. Here is what
dictionary.com had to say about it:

deix·is ( P ) Pronunciation Key (dkss)
n.

The function of a deictic word in specifying its referent in a given
context.



[Greek, display, demonstrative reference, from deiknunai, to show. See
deik- in Indo-European Roots.]

[Download or Buy Now]


Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language,
Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.


deixis


n : the function of pointing or specifying from the perspective of a
participant in an act of speech or writing; aspects of a communication
whose interpretation depends on knowledge of the context in which the
communication occurs


Deixis was one of the first linguistic terms Frank had taught me when
we first met several years ago. I was wondering if a piece of a label
Id found on the street the other day was an instance of deixis, and
after looking it up, I believe the answer is indubitably no. This may
be of especial interest to the folks over at wrybrarian or perhaps the
book kitten (links to follow later when I have a real internet
connection).

I would have posted dreams from the past two days right now, but I
neglected to set up email accounts for posting to the dream blog...how unfortunate.

Update

New Found Object today.

New Dream

There's a new dream. It is strange.

Updates

New DREAM and some commentary on the new Y the Last Man comic on my reading site. Not much else to report.

Oh yeah, and Scott DeathBoy has made Bad Sounds. You will listen to them. NOW.

Starting new boxes and two new paintings

I toiled in the studio for a couple hours last night. Cleaned up. Swept. I started prepping two boxes for work and I painted two more watercolor studies for the Self-Portrait assemblage. Here they are.

Updates and New Readers?

New dream, new found object, which very interestingly intersects with stuff that I read. Speaking of "stuff that I read," you may or may not know that I maintain a blog with my friends about featured books. We each take turns choosing the books. The next book we're reading is actually a graphic novel. It's Alan Moore's The Watchmen. I'm very excited about reading it, as it's considered one of the most pivotal and influential stories in comics history. Anyway, we're discussing it over in the hipster book forum. Go check it out and see if it'd be something you'd be interested in participating in. If so, email me and I'll set you up as a member. C'mon, it'll be fun. Get some culture. That is all.

Update to Site

I have added a bunch of paintings to the My Art section. Go check 'em out. Not much else to report.