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Using Social Media for Hate

Yesterday, the president of the University of Texas College Republicans, Lauren Pierce, tweeted in response to the shooting at the White House, “Y’all as tempting as it may be, don’t shoot Obama. We need him to go down in history as the WORST president we’ve EVER had!” #2012″.

source

Obviously that shit didn’t fly well with the majority of Americans- Democratic or Republican- and Pierce was not only attacked with a barrage of hate tweets on Twitter but the story was picked up by ABC, Huffingtonpost etc.

I was fascinated by this story. Here was this young lady who has a position of power at a reputable university saying such ignorant crap. Her Twitter photo showed that of a bleached blonde with her boobs shoved together and a big toothy smile. Her Twitter profile said she believes in American Exceptionalism. She is a young Ann Coulter. A hate machine, not even thinking about the consequences of running their mouth. I don’t particularly care for her. I don’t like what she said and (more…)

November 17, 2011 by
Austin, Fashion/Design

The Botanical Heavenliness of Big Red Sun

There exists in Austin a magical place called Big Red Sun. It is a “full service design/build studio specializing in commercial and residential landscape services.” I’d rather call it botanical heaven. For any design junkie, this store will make you drool.

Also located in Venice Beach, California, Big Red Sun carries innovative landscape and design products such as the French-made Bacsac– collapsible above-ground planters, and Woollypocket, wall planters that not only add a fun aesthetic to any inside or outside wall, but are great tools for helping kids learn about gardening.

Bacsac

Woollypocket

Big Red Sun is located in the heart of East Austin in an adapted rundown storefront. They were featured in the East Austin Studio Tour and I went to snap some pics. Take a look!

 

The first thing you notice in Big Red Sun is the knit, mutant-esque deer head plaques on the wall. Yarn tentacles from the deers’ head stretch across the ceiling.

Smack dead in the middle of the (more…)

November 16, 2011 by
Film, Pop Culture

The Muppets Create Nostalgia-Fueled Cry Fests

Last night I saw an advanced screening of The Muppets.

And as I predicted, I cried eleven times, including once within the first 60 seconds of the film.

When the entire Muppet gang sang “The Rainbow Connection”, I lost it.

I just wrote a whole review, but I’m not sure if I’m allowed to post it, so I’ll wait.

Instead I will share with you the write-up I added to the Muppets window which was featured in the East Austin Studio Tour this weekend and next.

 

It was our third date. You were screening your movie. I was nervous.

I really liked you.

When I left the theater I discovered that someone had broken into my car.

The next night you took me out to dinner. You felt bad about the broken window so you offered

to make me a new one. We stood on the dark street cutting out a cardboard window. You

asked me who I wanted driving alongside me. I told you the Muppets. You drew Kermit,

Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear by the light of my cell phone.

I drove around (more…)

November 15, 2011 by
Austin, Pop Culture

E.A.S.T. Opening at Super!Alright!

Dear God I love E.A.S.T. so much!

Our opening night at Super!Alright! was a huge success! So many wonderful people showed up, bought some art, drank some booze and got down to the sweet jams of BK & Mr. E. E.A.S.T. is my favorite time of year because it’s the only time I can pretend that I’m an artist and pretend that I live in East Village circa 1980.

Take a look at some of the great artists showing their work at Super!Alright! below. So happy to be a part of this talented gang.

I will be posting more pictures this week and next from E.A.S.T.

Our gallery space at Super!Alright!

BK & Mr. E crooning sweet jams.

Artist Luther Himes confused and disorientated.

Acclaimed artist Jason Archer’s exhibit

My recycled magazine mosaic

Some of Luther Himes’ commissioned drawings

Adreon Henry’s commissioned Dean Stockwell paintings presented to the actor at the Albuquerque Film Festival. His Blue Velvet paintings were particularly my favorite.

Jacob Villanueva’s (more…)

November 14, 2011 by
Austin, Writing

E.A.S.T. Is Here!

It’s East Austin Studio Tour time and once again I made stuff.  Stuff being the appropriate word here because I’m not really an artist. This is something I share in great detail today on my CultureMap post titled, “The Subjectiveness of Art: Why I Can’t Help Judging Mine (And Why You Should, Too)“. There I talk about my love for making serial killer-related art, Frank Zappa masks and how I blow hate-filled kisses towards Miranda July. I’m usually not one to ask this, but if you read the article and kind of like it, please hit ‘like’ on the Facebook icon. This way CultureMap won’t think I’m a loser.

I love E.A.S.T.  I love walking around the eastside and seeing interesting art and running into old friends. Every E.A.S.T. our group at Super!Alright! puts on an exhibit and tonight is the big opening party! Usually 500+ people show up and by 4AM we have rainbow-color Four Loko puke on the walls. We are featuring some pretty big name artists and have complimentary drinks from Treaty Oaks (more…)

November 11, 2011 by
20-Something, Hipstercrite Life, Writing

When Good is Never Enough: A Dilemma for the Twenty-Something Blogger

I switched my blog over to WordPress a little over a month ago and I love it. Well, actually my wonderful web designer did because I couldn’t figure out how to do it. I mean, I could have maybe figured it out but I resorted back to that illogical fear that I’ll somehow make my blog implode by pushing the wrong button.

I love the options, the freedom I feel in writing multiple posts and the ability to respond to individual comments that the new blog brings. I still need to add some design work, but all-in-all, I’m very happy with the change.

One thing that stinks is that my traffic took a plummet. I’m still trying to figure out why and trying to correct the problem- if that’s possible. It kind of stressed me out. More than I care to admit. A lot of aspects of my writing have stressed me out lately and I hate to say it, but they’re for fairly superficial reasons.

Writing online is both extremely rewarding and mind-f’ing. One post you get a bunch of feedback or shares or likes (more…)

November 10, 2011 by
Hipstercrite Life

I Am Simply Not There

Last night I woke up at 4:30AM and could not go back to sleep. I was wide awake, my brain working a mile a minute. When I used to do this earlier in the year, it was because I was afraid masked men were creeping outside my window, ready to break in. I no longer fear this though oddly enough this happened to my friend last week. Now, now I worry about if I made the right choice. If going freelance is something I can handle without going insane.

The money situation is fine. I have enough steady work to pay the bills. I’m a little concerned that I’m not able to set aside for self-employed taxes yet, but considering I paid taxes for most of the year, I don’t think I’ll have too high of an IRS bill. I’m still adjusting to not getting a paycheck every other Friday, but rather one check here, another check three weeks later, a small check a week later etc. The fear of running out of dough has definitely made me a lot stingier- which I don’t necessarily like to be.

I love everyone that I (more…)

November 9, 2011 by
Pop Culture

Mortified Comes to TV!

Have you ever been to Mortified? I have and I nearly pissed my pants and started crying. People recollecting stories of their rudimentary and pubescent years is both entertaining and nausea-inducing. It stirs up memories you’ve locked deeply away, memories that you want no one knowing except for your therapist and maybe your 16 cats to know. It brings you confidence in knowing that you’re not alone, that others were as fucking weird as you were as a child. It makes you feel compelled to share these deep dark secrets with the world. It drives you to drink to forget these memories.

If you’re not as lucky to experience Mortified live, now you can check out Mortified on TV. Starting Dec 5th at 8PM, Mortified will be airing ten episodes of cringe-worthy hilarity on the Sundance Channel. Guests include Will Forte, Ed Helms, Cheryl Hines, Paul Feig, and Alanis Morissette. I’m particularly intrigued in hearing Alanis considering most of Jagged Little Pill was like one giant episode of Mortified.

As (more…)

November 8, 2011 by
Fashion/Design, Hipstercrite Life

85 Year-Old Fashion

My grandmother is the most fashionable lady I know. To this day, through all the aches and pains, she still makes sure to be completely polished and presentable. She owned a woman’s clothing store for 35 years so she is no stranger to women’s fashion. Her closet and basement is filled with wonderful articles from the past the six decades. Her house is equally stylized, almost museum-like. While I was home I took the liberty to shoot some photos of her home and of her. She will be 85 years old at the end of November. She speaks about how she is disgusted with herself: how she could let her body get old? She feels ugly. I wish I could make her not feel this way. How can she not see how beautiful she is? If only we could all look this good at 85. As for her secret? This woman eats like a bird, worries so much she barely sleeps and smoked for many years. She uses cold cream to remove her foundation and Vaseline to remove her eye make-up. I’m guessing it’s just good Eastern European genes.

November 7, 2011 by
Pop Culture

The Newspaper Said That God Is Dead

The day L arrived home from the war he felt alive for the first time in two years. He was coming home to see his boy, jump back into the family business and do nothing but enjoy life from now on. He was far from the fighting and far from the hospital bed he laid in for nearly 2 months in Vietnam. The surgery to remove the shrapnel from his skull left an intriguing “X” pattern across the left of his forehead that resembled that of a laurel crown. It made L look noble.  He often stopped before a mirror and traced his finger along the jagged scar. The doctors did a good job, he thought. Even his son Jesus thought his scar looked daring. L was happy that he looked like a hero to his son. If only one person appreciated what he did for our country, he hoped it was his child.

Life became normal after the war. At 7AM he’d drop Jesus off to the private school he had saved up for, then head back home to get started on the day’s work. L was in the animal balloon business. The company had been handed (more…)

November 7, 2011 by