A different kind of water-"fall"

Now this is what I call bringing out your artistic element.

Impossible instructions

Driving piece:
Drive over every pothole you come across.






Resting piece:
Anytime you feel tired, do something you couldn't imagine doing unless you were bursting with energy.

Flirting piece:
Wink at every attractive person you see.

Sounds of the Subaudible

Here are some sounds to listen out for if you find you're the only one awake at 3AM in the morning. Although they seem utterly unspectacular (it's difficult to imagine being stimulated by the sound of a computer fan), their omnipresence and deceptively "silent" nature are what give these sounds their cultural immortality, and commit them to the paradoxical realm of the Subaudible.
(Refer to the first entry of this blog.)

Click here to listen.

When Andy met Edie

If anyone's interested in expanding his/her cinematic horizons, there's a 2006 film called "Factory Girl" that effectively chronicles the relationship of classroom-discussed, iconic artist Andy Warhol and the woman who became his muse, Edie Sedgwick. Although the film's main focus is on Edie herself, it lends substantial illustration of Warhol's magnetic influence on the people who crossed paths with him. A couple great quotes to listen out for:
"I always thought Andy threw America back in its face."
-Edie Sedgwick
"He turned the assembly line into a punch line."
-Edie Sedgwick
As a self-proclaimed film buff, I highly suggest you watch this film.

A matter of time

If there's one thing I've noticed about time, it's that there never seems to be enough of it. Actually, to be more exact, there is enough time - indeed, more than enough time - but only when I don't want it. For example, when I'm engaged in an activity I don't like - say, for example, working my wonderful and emotionally stimulating job in vitamin retail - time has a magical way of slowing down. I gaze at the clock, watching the minute hand make its leisurely trip around the dial, and gradually begin my descent into temporal oblivion. It is in this state that a single hour - trivial and unassuming - can become a deceptively vast ocean of time. On the other hand, when I'm engaged in an activity I very much enjoy, such as kicking back and watching a movie, time always goes by in a heartbeat. I sit down, get comfy, get lost in the art of the movie, and before I know it, the light fades and several hours have elapsed, leaving me to ask myself, "Where did all the time go?" It seems an ironic shame that my life is so often defined by long durations of meaningless activity, whereas the truer moments of my life - the ones that border on the magical and unforgettable - are also nothing more than moments, fleeting and abstract. Perhaps this helps explain the adage, "live today like there's no tomorrow", although given the subjective realities of duration and time, "today" may be nothing more than a traitor of "tomorrow".

Parallel driving

I took a drive with my parents recently. At some point during the ride, it dawned on me that there were a couple parallels between my current experience of mundane car travel and the vehicular experience presented in the film "The Last Clean Shirt". For one, I noticed that my father didn't seem too interested in what my mother had to say. Although he didn't turn on the radio as a way to shut her prattling out, he did revert to his automatic, semi-nonverbal response system of head-nodding and the occasional affirmative grunt. That's not to say, however, that my father didn't value my mother's company. He just wasn't captivated the way she so often is by certain scenic items, such as falling leaves, cloud shapes, and color schemes. The second parallel between mine and the film's car ride was the number of quick stops that were made during the drive. I've always found my mother's insistence at being driven - indeed chauffered - from store to store, and often when the locations are within brief walking distance of one another, somewhat nonsensical. Yet it's become an unspoken rule of automotive errand-running in my family. Sometimes I wonder if all that petty mobility is an effort, on her part, to rev up - if you'll excuse the pun - the fleeting immediacy of life outside the home. My mother is, after all, a product of the homemaker era. I don't think she even learned how to drive until after she became a mother herself.

Dance version of Around the World in 80 Days

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo

This guy Matt gives new meaning to dancing across cultural boundaries.

Writing like Fénéon

What an intriguing and unexpected form of poetry! I don’t think my own personal writing could get more concise than this:

To establish mating rights, scientists discovered that Kenyan antelope bulls click their knees to demonstrate their sexual prowess. Subsequent studies showed that male humans do not possess that ability.
(Source: BBC News Online, 11/03/08)

A study was conducted, which found that children who suffered head injuries before age 2 were more likely to develop ADHD by age 10. Those same children became risk-takers later in life.
(Source: BBC News Online, 11/07/08)

Due to recent economic hard times, plastic surgeons from Long Beach, CA to Manhattan, NY offered massive discounts on various cosmetic procedures. Some doctors worry about an increase in botched surgeries.
(Source: The New York Times, 11/06/08)

A woman was almost hit by a vehicle while jogging near her home. The motorist then proceeded to get out of the car and harass the woman when she yelled at him for being a careless driver.
(Source: The New York Times, 11/06/08)

In Tennessee, a pair of white supremacists was convicted of conspiracy to assassinate Barack Obama. Court records indicate their plan fell apart after the presidential election.
(Source: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 11/06/08)

Citing immigrant arrests as the cause of its financial straits, an Iowa slaughterhouse filed for bankruptcy. Foreclosure hearings in federal court were canceled shortly after.
(Source: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 11/06/08)

In the same vein: Kenny G–esque observations

Once again, the Goldsmith approach prevails.
Here are my notes for "The Last Clean Shirt":

Black and White Film - Thunder - Car Horns - Jibbering Woman - Man w/ Glasses - Dashboard Clock (Man Attaches) - Long, Drawn-out Car Horns - No Rain - Moving Bus - "La, La, La" (Woman Singing) - Paper Note - Skyscapers - Cigarette and Lighter (Woman Smoking) - Booming Thunder - Sounds of Rain (But Car Top Down) - Radio-Fidgeting - Man Smoking and Silent - Emergency Sirens - Clanking Sounds of City - More Thunder - Woman Laughing - Fervent Voiceover w/ Ringing Bells - Folksy Scene Music (Lyrics Bear Film Title) - Man Parks on Side Street (Exits Before Woman) - Woman Gets Out - Split Scene ("FIN" w/ Subtitles) - Man and Woman Return - Scenes Now Accompanied w/ Subtitles - "I THINK." (Woman Talking) - "It's just that things get too much." (Repeat Statement) - "...India..." - "...Great Wall of China..." - "...Betty Grable..." - Woman Still Jibbering Away (Man Still Silent) - Engine Revving - More Radio-Fidgeting (Only When Woman is Singing) - Woman Speaking Closely to Man's Face - More Emergency Sirens - "You don't say?" (Woman Asking) - Clacking Sounds - Same Fervent Voiceover w/ Ringing Bells (and Folksy Scene Music) - Frontal Shot of Car - Man Parks on Side Street Again (Removes Dashboard Clock) - Woman Exits Car - Split Scene Repeat ("FIN" w/ Subtitles) - "HE IS THINKING! HE IS THINKING!" - Man Reattaches Dashboard Clock - Woman Sighs - Outburst of Car Horns - (He is still thinking. He is still thinking.) - "INDIA! INDIA! INDIA!" - Woman Lights Another Cigarette - "...sexy zoo..." - Cascade of Thunder - No Rain (Car Top Down) - Sirens - Banging/Clanging Sounds - "I LIKE YOU." (Woman Still Talking) - Fervent Voiceover, Etc. - Woman Laughing - Close-up Shot of WALK Street Sign - Frontal Shot of Moving Car - Man Parks on Side Street Once More (Removes Dashboard Clock Again) - Woman Exits - Film Credits

Writing like Goldsmith

I actually found this exercise quite enjoyable, and given my inherent inclination to all things methodical (I love to make lists), it was easy to appreciate the mechanical beauty of Goldsmith's writing style.

(Looking at the Amazon shopping homepage:)

Sophisticated Style for Men: Omega Men’s Speedmaster Professional; Sterling Silver Black Accent Rectangular Cufflinks; 8mm Black Titanium Band. Shop more men’s jewelry. Keep It Fun and Flirty for Halloween: Pirates; Maids; Witches. Shop costumes. Take a Trip Back in Time: ‘50s Gift Basket. ‘70s Gift Basket. ‘90s Gift Basket. Remember What You Were Doing During These Decades?: ‘40s Gift Basket. ‘50s Gift Basket. ‘60s Gift Basket. ‘70s Gift Basket. ‘80s Gift Basket. All Nostalgic Gift Baskets. Find the Computers and PC Hardware You Want: Laptop Computers (3% off); Memory Cards (56% off); Drives & Storage (22% off); Printers; Mice & Keyboards (22% off); LCD Monitors (17% off). All computers and PC hardware. Find Screamin’ Deals in Sports & Outdoors: Exercise & Fitness (SCREAMIN’ DEALS); Camping & Hiking (SCREAMIN’ DEALS); Fan Gear (SCREAMIN’ DEALS); Hunting (SCREAMIN’ DEALS); Golf (SCREAMIN’ DEALS); Game Room (SCREAMIN’ DEALS). Sports & Outdoors products 50% off or more. Save 50% and More in Camping & Hiking: Camp Knives & Tools (50% OFF). Lights & Lanterns (50% OFF). Backpacks (50% OFF).

Writing like Breton

This was a challenging exercise because I am so accustomed to writing formally. Nonetheless, here is what went through my mind - more or less coherently - as I looked over the images.



Two prehistoric beasts walking through a forest for the first time. Glancing at their surroundings, curious of the primal earth which lays under their feet, they look into the forest, expecting to see danger, but decide to venture forth. The male is particularly aware of the inhabitants of the forest, being he is the protector of his female companion. She, on the other hand, is virtually oblivious to the unseen dangers of the wood, happy to be out in her natural environment. They walk slowly into the shelter of the forest, waiting to see what surprises await them as they travel along the path. Noises are the next thing that becomes alarmingly clear – sounds of earth crumbling beneath their heavy feet, and a stream flowing nearby – and the duo begin to ponder, once again, the fate of their trek.



Life before life – as it becomes in the womb. The child within who is none other than you and that special someone. The cord of life separated – cut away – at the instant of birth. The child enters its new life outside the womb in a compromising position. Now the doctor holds the baby by its feet and briskly slaps out the beating of its heart. A strange and eerie sound, the child takes its first gulp of air and cries out like a fledgling animal. But inside the womb, its movements are neither heard nor registered, save for tiny kicks. Being in the womb is like being in an ocean of time. There is no practical will or self-awareness, and one can hardly imagine a more consuming state of living.



Birds of a feather flock together in an artistic attempt to capture the essence of avian life as a symbol of freedom. Freedom to fly across great plains of earth, to ascend over strange and distant landscapes, to land in trees as an ever-reliable substitute to earthen platform, and to group together as a flock of brothers. A painting of avian freedoms drenched in oriental hues, it sheds light on the nature of birds, as well as authenticates their presence as sky-bound creatures. The realm of birds is that invisible realm of which humans also occupy: that endless sea of air that infiltrates our lungs and sustains our physiologies, but never fully takes purpose as a place to call home.