MH In Space

More to the point...

2010-07-11T15:46:00.002-04:00

I complained about music reviewers today on Facebook. Why stop with a status update?

On Cafe Oto's website, this...

Chris is an avid lampshade collector. He enjoys treats and loves small and large animals as well as wind, trees, and fancy gems. He is an experienced and high scoring skee-ball player. He is happy-go-lucky and enjoys spending time at the town fairs.

He has released Music for Tourists LP (2006), C-Sides EP (2007) and El Radio LP (2009) with Absolutely Kosher Records (North America), Fargo Records (Europe), Pocket Records (China), Lirico Records (Japan), and Leaplay Music (Korea).

...is infinitely better than this:

"Prévost's free drumming flows superbly making use of his formidable technique. It’s as though there has never been an Elvin Jones or Max Roach." - Melody Maker

Stories are better than fairytales. Andrew Dubber spoke recently at a festival I produced (beinghuman weekend) in which he gave 5 chronological steps of promotion/income generation in the online music world (paraphrased):

1. Be good at what you do.
2. Have a story to tell.
3. Let people hear your music.
4. Let people share your music.
5. Give them an opportunity to pay you for your work.

A story like "I'm so good it's like my predecessors didn't exist" reminds me of Oasis-ian arrogance, although the Pope likes them, so who am I to judge? I support the idea of (good) artists who care about/do things other than art. Of course that quote wasn't written by the artist, it's another example of critics in love with similes/metaphors/hypothetical situations... like it's their job, lemmings obsessed with heading toward the cliff, who sprout wings mid air suggesting that perhaps R Kelly tapped in to some greater consciousness back in 1996 when the song went to number 2 on the charts and Space Jam grossed $230m worldwide.

That is all.

Curve balls required: Talking about theatre + internationalism at ICA

2010-07-11T07:26:00.007-04:00

I went along yesterday to ICA's Open Space discussion on how theatre can be more international, facilitated by Improbable as part of London International Festival of Theatre.

In this discussion what was most needed is for these practitioners to start by stepping outside of themselves, and their practice, to first avoid the issue in an attempt to find an answer. Diving straight in to questions of touring, scale, efficiency, identity and nationality both in branding and as artists, relationship building across borders... takes the same questions and the same expertise that created the current situation, economically and socially. New directions and new ideas come from unknown/unpredictable/uncontrolled inputs that aren't found in a blackbox space at ICA filled with theatre practitioners. At the end, a participant from Toronto expressed a desire for everyone to put down their careers and do "something else" as a way forward for international perspective, which I entirely agreed with.

Perhaps LIFT was hoping for larger and more diverse participation at the event - the conversation would have been much different... the mood was inward looking and a bit too comfortable.

In the spirit of Open Space, where all ideas are included, whether half-baked, full manifestos, or unanswered questions, my areas of concern in question format below... Will hopefully be able to return eventually with less questions and more statements, or new questions and different statements:

1. If theatre wants to be more international, particularly from a UK perspective, what is their role in relation to Western secularism vs. international fundamentalist movements? What is the response to art replacing the church? How do theatre practitioners with a secular or atheist bent build relationships to an audience guided by religion or spirituality? If they don't, are we not simply creating isolated houses of western art and thought throughout the world? If theatre practitioners travel simply to perform, their perception of the world around them is guided and goal-oriented. How does that shape the way a community affects an artist?

2. Is virtual exchange enough to prepare an artist for an international audience? If international communications via the web are one-to-many, then information is always filtered through a point of view taken out of context. How much success is there from "jumping in" to an issue internationally? Is this actually a wonderful opportunity and the only practical way to join a global community, or is it only a small part of a much larger recipe necessary for authenticity?

Unfortunately I realised during the afternoon I'm not very good turning discussion towards my topic, and not always such a good listener... leading to fears I may be a "plant" in Belbin's team roles terminology! (The linked description is a bit too complementary... Plants can be troublesome for group progress.)

Work in progress...

ikhhh drewkeh deer dee dow-men!

2010-02-08T17:14:00.008-05:00

= Ich drücke dir die Daumen = best of luck! If you're in a country where you don't speak the language that well... I've started reflecting, of course, about how I am learning the language, or how I should be doing it. I thought I would record some pointers here mainly for myself, but perhaps also others who have decided, for some strange reason, to immerse themselves in a land where they don't speak the language, and maybe perhaps also need that language to get a job and not get kicked off the island. I'm just sayin.

1. Do something specific in your target language. For me, that's yoga at the moment. A few times a week I hear almost the exact same words, with slight variations between teachers, especially in pronunciation. So now I know how to say "send your hips to the front" in German. Oh so useful.

Seriously, we learn languages the best in full phrases. The more you can hear and practice any given phrase verbatim, the easier speaking will be. For example, saying "I thought that he said that..." is a bit more complicated in German, but something that I now say often. In german it's "Ich habe gedacht, er hat gesagt, dass..." - and that now takes about 2 seconds to say. (note- that's more correct in this form spoken than written.) It becomes like one word that functions as a preamble to the rest of the thought. So go learn a random set of phrases really really well, feel better about that small area of speaking, and build on that.

2. Don't be afraid to ask strangers to clarify. Yes, it's a bit annoying, but not as annoying as still not being able to understand anyone who doesn't slow down for you after months of living in the language. And this is something I have to constantly remind myself here in Vienna, where the waiters are, um, less than polite.

3. Take your time speaking. Don't get nervous. It's much easier to speed up your language that is already correct than correct phrases that are incorrectly ingrained in your memory.

4. If you can't understand them, they probably also can't understand you. I'm not sure why I added this one, but I somehow find it comforting. Like I'm not alone in confusion.

I don't know if this is true of everyone, but I always loved listening to and helping my friends who were trying to improve their English. I try to remind myself about that often. (PS, I've been concentrating so much on German, I have no idea if I'm supposed to use "about" with "remind"! Don't laugh.) And even though I know my German is just good enough for slow conversation over coffee at the moment, most people are excited and impressed that I want to learn. And quite a few have said it's rare to find an American that speaks German here. So there... That's all the news for now, if I think of more pointers I'll add them!

Hello there. Servus.

2010-01-24T13:17:00.006-05:00

I thought I might, just might start blogging again. I've been living in Vienna now for 16 days. Hard to believe. Here are a few things that have happened in that time:

1. I was surprised at how much German I remembered.

2. I was simultaneously disappointed with how much I had to learn...

3. I have been in 9 coffeeshops/cafes for hot chocolate (almost a daily ritual).

4. I have inquired after work in 12 bars/restaurants, sometimes with disastrous use of the German language (I would say it's my fault, but you haven't heard the dialect here).

5. I learned... finally, 16 years later... the German articles and adjective endings in the 4 cases.

6. I started feeling a lot better about my German, especially with more than a few compliments from Austrians (it takes a lot to convince me).

7. But I still have no idea what the hell they're saying in Wienerish.

8. I have inhaled a lot of second hand smoke, usually during meals.

9. I cook every day. It's hard to make myself go out in 25 degree weather (Fahrenheit) after 6pm.

10. I have had my first jazz piano lesson.

11. I attended my third flamenco workshop.

12. I have come to terms with schwarzfahren.

13. I went hiking in the snow.

So that's Vienna in a nutshell. The people here are a bit zurueckgezogen (literally "pulled back" - withdrawn). Or perhaps that's just at first.

The more I learn, the more it strikes me how logical German is. English is such a conglomeration of the various cultures that passed through England - Romans, French - but here the language has an inner logic, where words make obvious sense. For example: Flugzeug, literally flight kit/stuff - airplane. In English, what is a plane, outside of simply knowing its meaning? It's not obvious... similarly, Fahrzeug - literally drive kit/stuff - vehicle. What's a "hicle"? Where did the "ve" come from? And eifersuechtig - literally seeking ardency - jealousy.

More musings to come. (Nachdenken - after thoughts)

Mary Helen

Games People Play

2009-04-09T15:16:00.005-04:00

I learned 2 games tonight at the Victoria Miro Gallery. Both of these games are for 2 people to play. Courtesy of Siobhan Davies Dance.

NSEW

1. Stand facing your partner

2. Establish (agree on) the 4 cardinal directions: North, South, East, West

2. Join hands, with one person (only) crossing hands, so that your right hand is holding their right hand.

3. Choose a "leading arm" for each person (they must be different).

4. At random, pull with your leading arm and walk in one direction. Your partner must correctly identify that direction (verbally) as quickly as possible by saying "North", "South", "East" or "West".

5. Either partner can change direction at any time.

6. Continue until extreme dizziness makes playing impossible.

YESNO

1. Face your partner

2. Begin nodding or shaking your head

3. Your partner must say out loud "Yes" or "No" according to your motion, without changing their nodding or shaking

4. Either partner can change at any time, and the other must identify it as quickly as possible

They were hilarious, but no one was laughing? That's because it was Art.

More pics on Flickr.

School of Everything

2009-04-09T08:25:00.006-04:00

There's a new school that teaches Tai-chi, Motorcycle maintenance, and jazz improvisation, anywhere in the world, for free or paid, whichever happens to be your circumstance. So go out and learn or teach something, or both!

Luckily for my dissertation, it seems people would like to be more musical:

PS - in all of the subjects that I "teach", there are far more teachers than learners. Isn't that curious? Do we all just want to share knowledge, but not absorb anything? Hmmm....

PPS - see comments for a note from one of the founders of SoE!

um.

2009-04-05T06:59:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I Dream I Can Step

2009-04-01T16:16:00.001-04:00

Fear, trust and alcohol

2009-03-31T06:37:00.003-04:00

Fear, trust and alcohol

Reposted from www.intelligentnaivety.com

For cultural entrepreneurs, social interactions are not necessarily just a means to an end but represent a source of power and a greater potential for success in their own right. Entrepreneurs in the ‘new’ industries, Rifkin argues, are motivated by being “universally connected so as to affect and shape human consciousness itself.” Baron and Markman argue that this social capital and social skills can enhance an entrepreneur’s success. A high level of social capital, built on a favourable reputation, relevant previous experience, and direct personal contacts, can assist entrepreneurs in gaining access to key potential stakeholders. Once that access is gained, four social skills – social perception, impression management, persuasion and social influence, and social adaptability – can influence the quality of these interactions, and help them reap important benefits.

The power of interaction derives from its ability to facilitate compassionate support, plus strategies for managing risk and making decisions. This adds a personal or social dimension to innovation, reflecting the importance of emotions in the cultural and creative industries. By being able to share experiences and strategies, cultural entrepreneurs create an ‘imagined community’, which Banks notes is united by a mutual narrative and emotional disclosure around their choices to move away from traditional careers.

SHARING THE FEAR

Such networks help individuals in the creative industries to manage, for example, the huge fear of failure which Storey and Sykes highlight. The lifestyles of cultural entrepreneurs’ further give them resources to manage or offset the economic and cultural risks found in the sector. For example, blurring work and leisure can be a strategy for getting to know the market, and pick up new opportunities for work.

Some entrepreneurs, for example, speak of a camaraderie aspect to sharing a financial risk, even if it goes wrong: “You’ve got two people, you’ve got two incomes, you can throw money at a wall…but it doesn’t matter: ‘I’ve just wasted three grand!’ ‘So have I!’ ‘Okay – let’s stay in for three years!’ – you’ve got that as well.” Collaborators are useful for making decisions and experiencing the turbulence of implementing an idea: “It’s quite difficult to make decisions all on your own sometimes…It’s just nice to have someone to share it and experience it with.”

TRUST

The strategies outlined above can only work if there is a shared trust between agents. According to Banks, trust plays a large role in negotiations and interactions, often offsetting more formal forms and structures of protection. For Leadbeater, “the more you can depend on people you can trust, the less risk you take. So it’s easier to take risks when you have relationships with a range of people you can depend upon…” Trust is a vital ‘lubricant’ for knowledge creation: “people share and act on ideas when they trust one another.”
Yet, whilst demand for trust has risen, traditional sources of supply (class, community, family, religion) have declined. Many cultural entrepreneurs have therefore developed their own strategies for establishing this necessary trust: they all emphasised the importance of genuine, personalised relationships. One referred to the importance of being able to “speak to clients as a human being rather than having a client/customer relationship.” Another echoed this: “they’re all people at the end of the day.”

A familiar, but often underrated, factor in achieving this familiarity is the considerable role of alcohol in facilitating these networks. Every interviewee referred to having professional discussions over a drink, in part reflecting the perceived benefits of disinhibition for idea generation. This personalisation of professional business relations reflects the blurred line for cultural entrepreneurs between work and leisure, and allows the necessary development of trust. From such trust relationships, the cultural entrepreneur can develop support mechanisms, an increased understanding of alternative views and situations, and the flexible opportunity to collaborate on areas of mutual interest.

Posted using ShareThis

And the award goes to...

2008-12-30T13:09:00.004-05:00

Many of you got an email from me last fall about your favorite creative spaces/places. You might be interested to know the results...

The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis had the most enthusiastic responses. So keep your eye on what they're up to. Plus their website is pretty, take a look:

Walker Art Center

A coincidence that one of my favorite jazz trios originated in Minneapolis? I think not.

Some other favorite places were:

Burning Man

The Getty Museum

Art Institute of Chicago

Rubalad, Williamsburg

World Beats Center, San Diego

Tiberino Sculpture Museum, Philly

Double Edge Theater, MA

La Pena, San Francisco

Gallery 110, Provo

Sego Art Center, Provo

Architectural Association, London

Institute of Contemporary Arts, London

Tohono Chul Park, Tucson

Epic cafe, Tucson

Eastern Shore Art Center, Fairhope, AL

Nothing about this survey was scientific or accurate. But I really enjoyed reading the responses! And I'm going to try to work them in to my studies this year...

Any others? Discuss.

London shows update

2008-12-28T04:25:00.002-05:00

I'm borrowing a tradition from my most rabid concert-going DC friend. Putting together a well-researched list of the greatest London shows for the next 2-3 months. I wonder if I'll keep this up once classes start again...

12.1 Animal Collective @ Koko, £16 (may be sold out??)

25.1 The Wilders (alt-country) @ Luminaire, £10

26.1 Lonely Dear (Swedish folky-pop) @ St-Giles-in-the-Fields, £12

29.1 The Streets @ Brixton Academy, £19.50

12.2 Simian Mobile Disco @ Koko, £14.30

20.2 The Walkmen @ Scala, £15

22-24.2 Fleet Foxes @ Roundhouse, £16.50 - will sell out!

24.2 Metronomy @ Koko, £12.34 - WSO!

I'm (obviously) being selective, but even so I'm sure I'm missing hundreds more, tell me what they are! Hit me up if you want a concert buddy.

Fritz Haeg

2008-12-21T07:45:00.000-05:00

Written, but not finished, shortly after the Frieze Art Fair in October:

Over the last 3 days, I have actually been paid by the Frieze Art Fair to hand out flyers with Sharon Hayes' writings on them for half an hour, taking part in an art that is new to me and people watching simultaneously, which at one of the world's best-known art fairs is payment in itself. In addition, I have 4 days free admission to the fair to spend as I see fit. There is the dizzying international kaleidoscope of art to take in of course, but also artist talks, which I went to tonight given by Fritz Haeg.

The description of the talk advertised topics of "populist projects, insular bohemia, activist art, passive entertainment, networked communication, broadcast media, social strategies, systems of isolation and potential roles for today's artist in a fractured society." The authors of this description hit about 98% of my personal buzzwords, so I made time for it at 5pm on a Saturday (despite still recovering from revelries of the previous night...) Having sat through weeks of English lecturers who like enunciating, Fritz was a gay male of the refreshingly West-coast plain-spoken variety.

I found myself concentrating on some of the thoughts I've been having about America, counter-culture, political behavior around art while Fritz reviewed the ideological associations in his own projects and art-making. He opened his lecture with an electoral map of America after the 2004 election (see great swath of red spilled in between blue coasts). Twice he made the remark that it is important for artists to have a forum that is contained within and informed by a certain culture and standards of the discipline, but that acculturation means nothing if the artist doesn't step outside (and in to the "red"...) and work in a larger context.

A little background :
"Like a system of crop rotation, Fritz Haeg works between his architecture and design practice Fritz Haeg Studio (though the currently preferred clients are animals), the happenings and gatherings of Sundown Salon (now schoolhouse), the ecology initiatives of Gardenlab (including Edible Estates), and other various combinations of building, designing, gardening, exhibiting, dancing, organizing and talking." Yeah, of course he can do all of those things successfully. Build a home for beavers in a art gallery on Monday, found a commune in rural Mexico on Tuesday. (http://www.fritzhaeg.com/studio/projects/planb.html)

At the end of the talk I introduced myself and asked him to what degree he wanted his works to bring about change. He said it was actually more about "telling stories", ie the artistic content than its functional use in society. I enjoyed the stories, but my question came out of wondering if this cross-pollination of disciplines and subject matter was actually intelligible. But it's about how the stories are interwoven, not so much the moral.

After the talk I thought it more significant that I didn't quite know what to make of the advertised description, other than I was intrigued. How can these topics come together coherently? So it's not reality, maybe you can't always answer the question "What's the point?" But that is the great accomplishment of art, connecting ideas & bits of information that could only be linked in an imaginary space.

The Trouble with Speaking English

2008-12-21T06:39:00.002-05:00

[2:30am, standing at bus stop with bike & flat tire]

Me: Do you think I should call a cab?

Charley: No, just take it on the bus.

Finn: No, they'd never let you.

[beat]

Where do you live?

Me: Farringdon.

Finn: [face lights up] I know, just ride it there then.

Me: I've got a flat.

Finn: I know, so ride your bike there.

Me: No, [pointing] I've got a flat.

Finn: It's not that far.

Me: Uh... I've got a flat tyre?

Finn: [beat] ahhhh. I see.

Worst. Design. Ever.

2008-12-14T08:09:00.004-05:00

Now thanks to modern English technology, one can have the best of scalding hot and freezing cold water in the comfort of their dormitory bathroom.

3:51pm

2008-12-13T10:58:00.004-05:00

...fade to black. It's nighttime again already, which strikes me as especially strange today as I went to bed at 7am and woke up at 1:30pm. Yes, the winters are dark here. I hear people talk about it, but no one mentions the fact that they must get an amazing amount of sun in the summer. That's what I'm looking forward to...

Classes have ended and I'm trying to keep chipping away at papers due after Christmas. But I really just want to be holed up in a pub drinking Baileys and hot chocolate.

On Hiatus.

2008-11-10T12:03:00.001-05:00

Sorry kids, the only words I'll be writing will involve "culturally-led regeneration" or "excellence vs. accessibility in the arts". See you at Christmas.

When it rains YouTube, it pours.

2008-10-22T13:02:00.001-04:00

I Miss The State

2008-10-21T19:38:00.001-04:00

Skit comedy show on MTV in the early 90s.

my grass is greener

2008-10-16T18:53:00.003-04:00

I recently noticed that my room is bigger and has one more window than any of my flatmate's rooms. My satisfaction with my living situation just about doubled. Is that wrong?

Still here...

2008-10-08T18:24:00.004-04:00

in London... a month later... it's starting to feel like the place that I live and not some extended vacation, partly because assignments are starting to be due, but also the layer of newness is peeling away. The bumpy brick lane near my flat was quaint at first, but now it's the thing that I either ride my bike over every day or have to go around the block to avoid - it actually caused the nut on my front wheel to fall off! (Which reminds me, it's still only finger-tight on my bike a week later, oops...)

I must say I am pleasantly surprised by my life here in general. Of course London is a great city, full of culture, but I somehow based my expectations on an ill-fated 6 months I spent studying in Leeds, which was an eye-opening cultural experience in some ways, but not positive overall. I think my experience here is telling of the massive international presence and the hub of creativity that has been created in London (as opposed to other parts of England - so I am told, mostly by Londoners). Some people say - and I expected - Londoners to be "unavailable" and not very sociable. But I have not yet found this to be the case, far from it! I have spent the last 3 weeks with the most interesting assortment of artists (mostly because I sought them out) and my very international and very curious, intellectually-awake classmates. (What lasting relationships will come of that are still to be seen, but I'm sure I could go on this way for years before exhausting the cultural pockets of this city.)

So I started bartending, as I mentioned. Funny stuff, bartending in the UK. For the most part, cocktails & martinis are not done, except in swanky lounges where martini-ordering formerly-financial-district-employed people go. So someone actually ordered a B-52 last Friday and I forgot the 3rd ingredient. We decided vodka was ok. Bartenders here mostly use little cups to measure the shots - I really miss the easy-pours (spouts that control the flow of liquor) so much easier! (hence the name) The system here makes you look like some awkward high school chemistry student, and it's always a mess. Also, it was explained to me that there are 2 lanes of traffic behind the bar, and you have to stay to either side. I've always worked that you shove each other out of the way - there's not enough space to constantly suction yourself to the counter. (Perhaps Danny or Erik will disagree with me on that...) But there seems to be some kind of personal space issue going on. This will take further investigation. I doubt I will be very good at this polite keeping of space when you're taking drink orders for a crowded bar of thirsty people.

That's all for now. Here are some pictures. (Also on Flickr)

Drinking alone, on a weekday afternoon

2008-09-22T09:33:00.004-04:00

I think I've earned it. In the past 13 days my main goal was to get a job before classes got going here in London - important not only for my budget but for grounding myself socially in an entirely new environment.

I've spent more hours than I want to admit looking at TimeOut online for places to work, then putting on my best hipster things and keeping a positive attitude while they tell me they've just hired 2 people the previous week, the standard response synonymous with "We don't know you, go back to the States please". Things were looking dire when I got a call yesterday from celebrity chef Roxy Beaujolais, who I gave my resume to in her well-reviewed pub, Seven Stars. When I asked her if she was hiring, she looked at me sideways and said "Wha, yoou?" but followed with conversation about how her other restaurant, The Bountiful Cow, was going to be opening on Sundays and needed someone. I thought she was just making conversation, but as I said, she called me yesterday. She told me to go see Cveta, her manager at the Bountiful Cow, today.

As I rode towards the address on Eagle St, all character seemed to drain away from the buildings. The only neon sign in view happened to be the place I was headed for. I walked in practicing my back-up speech that "I'm just waiting on one other place to call me back, but I should be able to start this week" - suitably non-committal in case it turned out this is where I was actually going to work. I found Cveta, who is actually a really sweet woman from Macedonia - I can tell that I would enjoy working with her. But the wood-laminate tables suggested that I might not enjoy it there. Despite the lunch hour, there were 3 customers in the place, one of which was an elderly regular getting drunk at the bar. Cveta offered me £6/hour.

I tried to convince myself that it could work. I rode to Hyde Park for the first time and tried to go in the Serpentine Gallery, which was closed to the public for the opening of a Richter exhibition. I opened my A to Z ("zed") - detailed London map that is a must-have for newbies and long term residents alike - and realized I had circled the location of a bar that my friend Tom sent me an email about. Tom went to school here last year, kind of in the same way I am doing - and the email listed the locations of the "In the Pines" music events. I thought I would try again at The Harrison.

I found my way there and asked a nice (shocker! he looked me in the eye even after he heard my accent) bartender Daniel if there was a manager around and whether they were hiring. To my surprise, he said "probably" and went to get Paul, the owner. Paul was very cut and dry, which I didn't mind at all because he was actually interviewing me for a position! He asked me what music I liked and I said "all kinds" which I now regret - such a wishy washy answer, but it's true! Anyway, he seemed to like me well enough, and said they would try me out. I'm expecting a call from his assistant tomorrow for scheduling.

It looks like the London sky is about to open in to the non-committal rain that it's famous for... I'm inside and enjoying not scouring the internets or the streets for one more bar that I could possibly apply to. Fingers crossed, as they say.

We're not having hot mush today...

2008-09-16T04:54:00.006-04:00

Sorry to make my first official post about London negative, but it has to be done...

I decided to be adventurous and try a "British" cereal, since they didn't have my usual American choices... And went for "Oatibix", the oat version of the more prevalent "Wheatibix". I thought, it's high in fiber, which is a good thing for breakfast, and how bad could it be?

It's basically little biscuits of oat shreds. Fine - biscuits can be tasty - but these unfortunately immediately disolve into a cold oat shred paste when eaten with milk (as shown on the front of the box). And there's absolutely no flavoring! I tried to tough it out but only got about 5 spoonfuls before picking my bananas out and putting the rest on the kitchen table of my flat with a sign that says "Free!"

It's what I imagine the orphans ate in Annie - but the cold version.

Sarah Palin is a VPCILK

2008-09-14T15:00:00.001-04:00

Things are lookin' up...

2008-09-03T22:50:00.002-04:00

I sold my finest wares at Mustard Seed for $153 smackers today, I sold my old bike (finally!) and the pound now buys 1.77 U.S. dollars.

I swear I'm not obsessed with money.

10 days, 10 good-byes to DC

2008-08-30T10:24:00.004-04:00

My last 10 days in DC starts tonight when I return from the southern front... My goals as a goodbye to my home of the last 7 years (and 7 days, to be exact!):

1. Yoga every day - I started my practice in DC shortly after I moved, and I can't think of a better way to center myself before uprooting my life.

2. Visit Charm City, my favorite DC neighbor, in hopes that it will rub off on me. :)

3. Enjoy the sunset one more time from my kitchen window, before I become homeless for a week, which brings us to...

4. Getting drunk on friends' couches. Instant place to sleep!

5. Go running in the arboretum. The friendliest place in DC, where runners say hello without fear of assault... oh, and there's pretty trees and fish.

6. Dance Dance Dance. I may have to re-live the time we were asked to stop dancing at Wonderland "because other people need to dance too". One of the highlights of my existence.

7. DC cuisine: Leopold's, Tabard Inn, Sette Osteria... don't you want to take me to lunch and/or dinner??

8. Black Cat, Saint Ex - not on a weekend. Pharmacy Bar - always.

9. Bike the perimeter of DC. Right team?

10. This space defined by all of the wonderful friends I have to spend time with this week. To be continued when you come visit in London!

Black Cat Black Cat School of Dancing

2008-08-29T08:02:00.005-04:00

...to the sounds of our pop founders: MJ, Prince & Madonna. If you haven't heard DJ Dredd spin, this course is a pre-requisite for all 200-level dancing and higher and mandatory THIS SUNDAY!

$12, doors at 9pm.

Rollin' with Obama

2008-08-28T17:27:00.003-04:00

Courtesy of mr. neal becton.

The week after work

2008-08-19T22:42:00.002-04:00

...spent packing and saying goodbye to material possessions. Alternately, manic-ly reclusive and needing people. It seems to be baby-making time in the world of my friends, so I'm also seeing beginnings of lives and big life changes all around me, as I'm about to leave the country, solo, for as long as possible.

Getting rid of the extras: TV, VCR, dining table - keeping the essentials: bike, clothing, unearthing arts articles from when I used to be an academic to take for inspiration...

My student visa is in the mail - it's official. I feel weightless and I don't know if I like it. Looking forward to being grounded again.

I'm such a sucker for animals.

2008-08-16T00:11:00.001-04:00

We are the Internet

2008-08-16T00:01:00.003-04:00

Who chose these people to deliver this message?? And why were casting calls held in Baltimore?

Now that's more like it!!

2008-08-14T08:11:00.002-04:00

USD vs. the Pound, last 120 days.

Maybe I can even buy you all a beer when you come visit.

Episode 5

2008-08-12T09:26:00.000-04:00

Bike repair #2 - Kellan's turn

2008-08-11T10:38:00.003-04:00

What do you do when, at mile 45 out of 132 of your bike trip to Harper's Ferry, your rear derailleur explodes with a force that bends one of your spokes on the side of a narrow busy highway in BFE Virginia?

Apparently, you do not call someone to pick you up. You save the little exploded bike bits for posterity, shorten the chain so that it fits snugly in the middle of your back gear set, and ride it single speed - all the way there, and 65 miles back the next day. Up huge hills, along more highways with semis passing 2 inches from your face (not recommended)... you also ride with the wheel slightly bent, oscillating and dragging on the left break pad. And you stay very close behind your pack-mule girlfriend (called "drafting" - cuts down on wind and makes biking easier) and let her know often how little you are pedalling.

As Erik put it eloquently, "We solved the shit out of that one! Give me another problem so I can solve the shit out of that one too."

Buy my stuff, yo.

2008-08-05T09:41:00.002-04:00

Check out my e-garage sale.

petworthgaragesale.wetpaint.com

Couch, tables, shelves, nightstand, mirrors, wall prints, lamps, you name it.

More to be added soon. I'm selling this stuff now, so email me!

"A Drinking Club with a Running Problem"

2008-07-27T19:17:00.006-04:00

...is what Hashing can be described as. Basically, you run around the city, following ambiguous sidewalk directions that can take you a mile off course before realizing your mistake, while being fed beer out of the back of a van in a deserted alley. I think it sounds a little awesome.

Hash House Harriers

A great way to get in shape while not being healthy at all.

Episode 4

2008-07-27T09:37:00.004-04:00

Because it deserves another round...

2008-07-23T12:16:00.002-04:00

The Youngs do Quiz Night

2008-07-22T09:18:00.001-04:00

Parents
Originally uploaded by MHinspace

See where the magic all began this week at Quiz Night...

Thursday @ Looking Glass Lounge, 3634 Georgia Ave NW

Solo dance party soundtrack

2008-07-22T08:11:00.002-04:00

i.e. The Black Ghosts. Lends itself very well to chair and or apartment dancing. Probably also a little cubicle top rock.

Just another reason to come visit me in London, as if you needed more!

Summer Climate Change Homework

2008-07-21T22:27:00.003-04:00

Read through the executive summary of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States report. I know we all know about climate change, but do we all know that:

Global emissions of heat trapping gases are increasingly rapidly.

Arctic sea ice is melting faster than expected.

There has already been an observed 1.5 F rise in temperatures, and another 1 degree is unavoidable.

Extreme weather will continue to become more frequent.

Water supply in the West is threatened.

"...the financial and technical challenges of defending coasts against sea-level rise under high emissions scenarios would probably result in the inundation and abandonment of many areas."

Not to mention what we are doing to other countries or vice versa.

This just in from Civilian Art Projects

2008-07-21T19:25:00.005-04:00

MUSIC NIGHT AT CIVILIAN: Friday, July 25, 2008

9:00pm - 1:00am

406 7th St NW, 3rd Floor

Presented by Civilian Art Projects and Planaria Recordings

Featuring:
- ILYA MONOSOV (Planaria / Holy Mountain / Drag City / Language of Stone)
- DUANE PITRE (Important Records)
- PREE (May from Le Loup)
- SCOTT ALLISON (of Kohoutek)
and DJ sets from ED PORTER and SCOTT BAUER

+++++++++++++++++
ILYA MONOSOV
+++++++++++++++++
Ilya Monosov has spent the last decade working with sound and objects and creating his unique form of ritualistic music performance. His output has been highly varied and has encompassed everything from gypsy folk music, to minimalist improvisation, to heavy rock in the wild California group, The Shining Path.

+++++++++++++++++
DUANE PITRE
+++++++++++++++++
Duane Pitre (originally from New Orleans) is a Brooklyn-based composer, improviser, and sound-artist. His primary instrument is electric guitar(s), which he plays in a nontraditional fashion, utilizing various objects such as mallets and rotary tools to coax unusual sounds from the instrument. His current works explore both chaos and discipline-and the territory that exists between the two.

+++++++++++++++++
SCOTT ALLISON
+++++++++++++++++
Scott Allison is a member of DC noise unit Kohoutek, and an independent sound artist in his own right works with field recordings, tapes, junk electronics, toy electronics, your mother's keyboard, and all of it with great taste

psst... Kick-ass summer trunk show on Saturday at The Shop at Civilian from 3-6. Wallets, beware.

Anatomy of a broken rib

2008-07-21T02:23:00.004-04:00

This post is not, in fact, as the title suggests, as I am not a DOCTOR. My friend, let's call him "Kellan", had a bike accident in a crazy crack addict run-in on Sherman Ave. Unfortunately, this was on the way to see my concert, so I haven't quite worked out my feelings of guilt about that... The point is, his chest has been hurting for weeks. He finally sat down at work the other day, perhaps too vigorously, and heard (and felt) a snap coming from his ribs. Since then, he's been in intermittent severe pain.

This same said friend does not believe he needs to go to a doctor, because he's scoured the internet and it tells him that there's nothing a doctor can do for him. I believe we should let actual doctors decide and not chat rooms, hmm? Folks, PLEASE COMMENT so We can show him the extreme error of his ways.

And we can all get back to biking without fear of collapsed ribs, lungs, or friends.

Fringe Fest Friday

2008-07-16T15:13:00.003-04:00

I like the idea of taking something I did exclusively before the age of 10 and making it "edgy" in an adult theater setting. It could suck, but it could be very very good.

Live Action Cartoonists presents:

Revenge of the Poisoned Ladies
Friday, July 18, 8pm
(more showtimes & info)

A woman is poisoned by her lover. A child starves to death. Their ghosts come back for revenge. This play, based on tales from feudal Japan and Victorian England, features five performers, puppets, and interactive video - and takes place entirely on a dining table!

Corduroy
1122 9th Street NW
Washington, DC 20001

I call it rOxford House

2008-07-16T12:26:00.007-04:00

It looks like someone already opened my dream community arts space in London: Oxford House in Bethnal Green.

I guess there's room in the world for two of us!

Who Needs a Movie?

2008-07-14T15:11:00.001-04:00

We're going to yoga on Sunday.

2008-07-11T12:08:00.003-04:00

2pm, Yoga District at 1910 14th Street, Bernie-style for Misfits.

Only $10! Come join us...

I got $60 at Mustard Seed yesterday...

2008-07-09T11:46:00.002-04:00

from selling my old stuff. And I feel pretty pleased with myself.

Oh, FYI - they take appointments only now. So make one before you sell.

POP Closing Sale!

2008-07-09T11:41:00.003-04:00

Here's an injection for your summer wardrobe - Pop's closing sale!

Starts This Friday!
Everything is 20% Off and every week after, take an additional 10% Off!
July 11-July 17th: 20% OFF!
July 18-July 24th:30% Off!
July 25-July 31st: 40% Off!
August 1 -2nd: 50% Off!
CLOSING DAY: August 3rd:
Everything 50-75% OFF!!

Now go stock up on mod, bright colored clothing.

Episode 3

2008-07-08T10:52:00.001-04:00

The Story of the July 4th "80-mile" Bike Trip

2008-07-07T13:54:00.006-04:00

Some background: I've been biking with friends from Looking Glass, and this makes my 5th long-distance trip. We had planned to bike from Greenbelt to the Chesapeake, about an 80-mile round trip, on the 4th of July. Here's what actually happened...

Erik, Stephanie, Kellan, Mike, Brian and I met at 9am on the morning of the 4th of July. A few of us had bike modifications to make, and we talked through the route, delaying our start for an hour. We set out for the metro at 10 to start our 80 mile trip from Greenbelt, but it turns out bikes aren't allowed on metro on July 4th, despite pleadings with the station manager. So we plotted a new course that was a "century" in bike speak, i.e. 100 miles. We started again at 10:45/11 and took what felt like endless turns on DC roads, a poorly planned route unfortunately. Mid-way through, Kellan managed to collide with Erik while we were all going 5 mph. An ominous sign. A cop on a Segway even showed up to make sure we were ok. We finally got to Greenbelt, where we meant to start our trip, at noon.

From Greenbelt, we took some lush stretches of road with fields and forests, through USDA agricultural research, and a few intermediate hills which I took pretty easily. We got spread out a bit in this section, which continued for the rest of the trip, so we made a lot of stops to regroup. We made it to route 450/Defense Highway at 2:30, I believe. 450 is not a significant road by DC standards, but it turned out to be significant to us. The short, 1.5 mile stretch was blocked off and the bridge was washed out (Brian, our recon crew, bravely rode past the blockade for us to make sure we couldn’t go through). We took a detour, and as soon as we made the first turn, we saw the steepest, most unrelenting hills any of us had ever seen on a bike. I walked my bike twice, which is totally against the "rules". More than a few expletives were spouted and various deities names’ taken in vain as we struggled up the hills. We added 40 minutes, 2 miles, and probably doubled our elevation change on that small stretch of the trip.

Once we got on flat ground again, we stopped at a gas station and downed 2 gallons of water. After that, it was not far to Annapolis. Once in Annapolis, we continued right across the bridge over Severn River that passes by the waterfront of the Naval Academy grounds (with a significant incline but also a fantastic view - it was sunny at that point, one of the few sunny points during the day. As it was the 4th, everyone was out with their sailboats getting ready for fireworks.) We continued 8 miles on more hills leading up to the western shore of the Chesapeake. Though this section was not significantly easier, I tapped in to some reserve blast of energy knowing that the end was near, and made really good time all the way to Sandy Point Park.

We all met up at the entrance to Sandy Point Park (at 4:30?) and rode the short distance to the beach. We immediately went to the concession stand and inhaled chicken fingers, burgers and fries. Then we changed in to swimsuits and made our way on to the sand (which looked more like clay, but I wasn’t complaining…). The water was so comforting after a (perhaps insane) ride like that. We stayed on the beach for about 90 minutes, resting. During this time, we lost Brian and Mike, new to our biking group, who each called people they had on standby to come pick them up. We were impressed with how far they came without training with us for the past few weeks. After resting, we changed, waited for some rain to pass, made jokes about chammy butter, and Erik, Steph, Kellan and I started back to Annapolis over the hills.

About 2 miles from Annapolis, the wind started to blow harder (at the top of the Severn bridge, no less!), then it started sprinkling, then it poured. We made it to the brew pub that we had visited the week before. That weekend, we went through 2 pitchers of stout, ordered potato skins, crab dip, onion rings, and a heavy entree each. We learned our lesson on the brutal ride back home. This time, it was light entrees for everyone, and water for me, water and coffee for them.

The rain stopped and at 9:30 we started on the same route that we took back from Annapolis the previous weekend - none of us could face the detour hills of 450 again. We guessed at the route back, as we still couldn’t take bikes on metro, and decided thatafter Route 214, Route 193 would take us to New Hampshire Ave, which most of us live off of in DC, and that stretch would only be 12 miles. Surprisingly, we all felt good about leaving at 9:30pm… this was going to be a breeze. We turned on our fancy bike headlights and looked like a long red & white shining snake in the dark. We glided along the roads, and everything felt ridiculously easy. We even caught glimpses of a few fireworks. On that stretch we clocked 17 mph. We stopped after making a turn on to a road that we'd be on for 20 miles. Everyone had water and adjusted their bikes. As we were starting to leave, I discovered my first flat tire. We were all in disbelief, as none of us had had a flat on these long-distance trips thus far. We fixed it pretty quickly (group effort) and got back on the road. However, Erik accidentally released one of the CO2 canisters in trying to fix my bike, and we only had 2, so now we have none left.

Route 214 is my nemesis. There are a lot of easy parts, with hills that make you feel like a strong biker because you can take them so easily, but there are 3 hills in particular that drain everything out of me to get up them. They don't seem to affect Erik, Kellan, and Steph as much - I have a hybrid bike, with "relaxed angles" as Kellan puts it, and my tires are wider so they create more friction on the road. We finally got on to flatter ground, though it was still hard because I was pretty tired... We turned on to Route 193 to start the approx. 12 mile trip back to DC.

A mile up the road, the sidewalk ended and I rode across some gravel. Apparently there was yet more glass in my path and as we stood around drinking water, Kellan heard air escaping from my tire (more expletives). You can imagine how disheartening this was. Now that it’s 1am, things don’t feel quite as easy. After a lot of talk about fixing the tire, we decided the best thing to do was try and find me a way out - there's no guarantee this wouldn't happen again, in some totally inaccessible area, and it’s already later than we ever imagined being on the road. Erik called his girlfriend Anjuli, who so amazingly immediately left a party and got in to a cab, went home, got directions and came to get me. About an hour after I hit mile 87, my second flat and some emotional moments, I was in a car heading back to DC with our good samaritan. Erik, Kellan and Steph continued on.

I typed most of this after I got home and washed the day off of me, around 4am. I saw my first official fireworks, and enjoyed sitting on a couch and not a bike saddle. I found out the next day (I ran in to Erik and Anjuli at brunch, 10 hours later) that that “12 mile” stretch was 21 miles, and they got home at 4:30am. It was an epic journey, and we learned yet more lessons about how to bike. My #1 rule is still to bike with people who help you fix flats, pick you up at 2am, give you a shoulder to lean on when things are overwhelming, and basically reinforce their friendship at every turn. I didn’t make my “century”, but I wouldn’t have been anywhere else last Friday.

Episode 2

2008-07-01T23:06:00.004-04:00

Apples to Oranges

2008-07-01T17:37:00.003-04:00

Here's something I never have around when I need it - a list of which foods are higher in pesticides and other undesirables, i.e. which to buy organic. The top 10 worst (from Environmental Working Group here in DC) - a higher score means more pesticides:

1. Peaches (100)

2. Apples (96)

3. Sweet Bell Peppers (86)

4. Celery (85)

5. Nectarines (84)

6. Strawberries (83)

7. Cherries (75)

8. Lettuce (69)

9. Grapes - imported (68)

10. Pears (65)

The full listing is on EWG's FoodNews.

Food Court Musical

2008-07-01T00:15:00.001-04:00

A Good Reason to Clean the Apartment

2008-06-30T23:27:00.001-04:00

Some of you have heard my excitement about my latest find... couchsurfing.com. I had heard about it before but never took it seriously. But it sounds like just plain good cultural and economic sense.

If you're already on it, let's be friends.

http://www.couchsurfing.com/people/mhinspace

This is encouraging.

2008-06-30T22:13:00.000-04:00

July 6--Guitar Overload

These are *early* shows from 8:00-10:30pm

Cost only $5--All money goes to the artists!

LOCATION:

Phillips Hall,

801 22nd St, NW,

Rm B120 (in the basement)

(22nd and H Streets/GW Metro)

George Washington University

NEW TECHNOLOGY, NEW SPIRIT, NEW ENERGY, NEW MUSIC

http://www.panicresearch.com/electric_poss.html

Episode 1

2008-06-30T21:31:00.000-04:00

Space Travel is exhausting.

Luckily I had friends to help me through it.