scratch video

My brother and my two nephews came to visit this summer. We did a lot of walking and watching. It s amazing how much is going on in this city. From wedding pictures to singing Bowie, just a few feet away from each other. Thomas managed to fit right in.

It s so humid and hot that I keep staring at this with nothing to say.I ve been juicing a lot. Strawberries and carrot juice is particularly good.Then there s the carrot, celery, apple, lemon, beet juice. I try to make a fresh glass of something a few times a week.

The spring season welcomes altered states.

Sweet little ditty from my old friend Anne! A nice visit tonight.It s been a long long time since we ve seen one another...I don t like maple anymore. The rest is pretty much the same.Funny how time can give perspective on the little things.

Every AM, January 2008.

Bumper cars should be set up at all workplaces. Perhaps it would ease some of the stress when payroll companies choose to close the door without notice. ...(ahem Axium payroll anyone?) My family is riding in these cars on this particular day. It was great to see them! I live too far away and miss them all very much.

Reality is just a group hunch. I think I heard that from Lily Tomlin.

I ve been missing this. Posting stuff.Been working a lot and watching some movies in between sleep and general functioning.I watched a doc on Bukowski recently and his notion of dismissing some rule-sets was inspiring to me....not his vices, but his commitment to his own way of thinking. I admire people who take risks with their own voice. Those voices are what keeps my professional work interesting and my own unwork alive. I miss this. I miss you. I need to keep this little simple sketchpad going to keep my own little voice alive. Practice. That s what keeps it interesting.

I want to fly like this. I often wonder if I brought them a cup of coffee...if they d let me go up there...hang myself up onto a hanger and go...but then I watch the single dresses get caught like that last one and it doesn t seem so appealing. Still. I want to.

When us and them collide with ourselves...

And what I do.

I had the camera hidden during this morning commute.The ultimate recording came on.

It s good to get out of my contrived edit space and see the world once in awhile.

Gaining perspective from complete strangers is not something to underestimate. Again, I am using this surveillance camera on this commute and I am curious about how, when I put it on at first, I felt as though I was armed with a weapon of sorts, but as I started to use it, it became less like a tool and more like I was able to reach further than I could ve imagined.

I've never been so totally unclear/clear in my life. Just be. Yep.

My pasta led me to realize how relationships can be so very complicated.

...and push...breathe...and.

It's challenging to fight my tripod in my 90 degree, incredibly humid, apartment. Sometimes the warm up seems more interesting. And not the story I thought I was going to tell.

I hesitate sometimes when I think of posting a piece. It's always frightening to do this. ...Fear of judgment and whatnot. But sometimes something erupts and reminds me of how fragile our life can be. Every moment should be cherished. No matter how much we try to deny it, we're all going to fade. I found fireflies outside of my bedroom window last night. I've never seen them there. This is for Ferd. He died yesterday. PS. If you don't see them in the circles, then adjust your monitor and don't blink. They go by fast. Like life.

A moment of unexpected visitors. I don't have them very often at all. When in doubt. I grab the Fantastik.

Eat plenty of water. Drink plenty of fiber. Chew plenty of air. Breathe all the words. Exercise while you sleep. Rest a little. Repeat as necessary. Thank you Shannon for one of the loops in the sound mix.

Last night, the police looked for the gun that was thrown out of the car. I don't think they found it. It was a driveby shooting that, fortunately, was just that. No one was hurt. Strange though. I thought for a split second that it may be tough to record if something terrible had happened...or if something was about to. But only for a split second did it feel strange to hit the record button because so often the camera is like my pal sitting with me. While we watch the dancing on my street.

You name it, I've tried it. And now I can add Botox to the list. Amen. ...Whatever.

As soon as it's warm, Tommy is on his stoop almost every night. He chats with everyone when they walk by. I think he's lived on my block for about 40 years. He drove me to a big supermarket the other day. He likes to eat everything in the store while we shop. Funny guy and very sweet. Do you know your neighbors?

Coney Island today. It's a 24 mile bike ride to and from my house for me to get a fresh Nathan's hot dog. Many people will be shooting this place this summer. I'm going to miss the old graphics and the sound of the wood on the boardwalk. My grandma used to come here in it's hey day. She said it was really hopping on a Friday night. I made this for her even though she's not alive anymore. On that note: yes, I wore a helmet, Granny.

Penn Station on Tuesday afternoon.

Friday, August 25. 7 PM. Two Boots Pioneer Theater. It'll be fun! 155 East 3rd St. Advanced tix: http://www.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=62851 This is my second rough film like this and it's really an interesting way of making work for me. Basically, as I add to this videoblog, I am adding to the larger pot of clips to choose from. Each time I make a 60 minute film, they are different. I can change the context with titles and the choices I make with the clips I choose...and the order I put them in obviously. They are always different - even if the film includes some material that may have been used before. I'm excited and ridiculously silly about it. Why not? Thanks, Henry for filming me while I share my enthusiasm with the world. I'm currently applying for a grant that will, hopefully, help to make a solid finished piece like this that I can then get out into more theaters...fingers' crossed. Anyway. This is part of a larger program called Vloggers Unite. Please check out the entire event: http://www.twoboots.com/pioneer/

There's nothing like spending a little quality time with the latest top ten questions about your potential state of mind.

For July 4th I came upon this monument. It doesn't really have to do with the official reason for July 4th's celebration of independence (1776), it has to do with the Civil war. I find history very difficult to grasp in general. I never studied American History so I find it very obscure and interesting when I run into things like this. I am from a province in canada that seemed to quietly join the rest of the country in 1905. Nothing like the passion that stems from getting this country together at all.

There's a new visitor in the neighborhood.