Eardrums music - Souther Salazar art.

Have you heard of these bands? I hear it's all Nordic Metal. They started off right with Souther Salazar's art for the cover. You can download the music for free via their website. Go check it all out. Oh and a bit of trivia, in the right hand corner of the art, there's that tiny little face. That's melted Ninja Turtle Ice cream. Maybe, but that's what happens when you fall asleep with ice cream.

Eardrumsmusic.com

Deadlines and Imprint culture lab

Sorry about the lull, we're still in magazine mode, but I will be speaking at the Imprint conference coming up on Wednesday. What's that  you ask? I've mentioned it perhaps for the last two years more than once and you probably forgot. Or conversely, maybe you recently heard about it for the first time. It's looking good, and a craft panel featuring Jill Bliss, the marketing dude from craft giants, Etsy, and a person from Bizarre Bazaar will be a fun panel. 

Imprintlab

Your Yard Blows 09/27/08

Don't Fence Me In. A lot of fencing for this yard. It's low and really, is to keep dogs out, or just to keep their yard, their own. It looks pleasant in a way, right? Like in a retro 50s style. Back to the Future? The cross cross looks louder than a white picket fence which would have been classic. It's still a lot of fencing, and I'm not sure if this is the way to go. You can hurdle the fence if you have hops. Grade: B-

This part bothers me. It's a long tunnel of fencing that actually makes your walk up filled with bugs, spider webs, and nice shade. It doesn't quite look right. Does it? Grade: D

The Champion of the block. This yard, is from the most expensive house in the area. There's those drought resistant plants again. I just saw them at Home Depot, and they're not expensive and look like they'll grow quick. I forgot what they're called, but they look like something you can dig up along the freeway. The little bushes around it on the right side look like tiny muffs. The trees sculpted...

This yard is a champion yard, and they spent arms and legs to make it that way, it's so good, I won't even show it to you, but the tree thing is interesting. It's coming out of plant that looks like a succulent. It's way taller than the house. Do you think this was supposed to happen? Think it was planned? How tall is this thing going to get? It's really tall and really not too thick. Some ass can run up to this and break it, that would be sad. Grade: A-

My Belly! This yard reminds me that people are people. We're just regular being and this one is just that. It's plants haphazardly set up. What tree is that on the right side? It's half dying and really look like crap. I can live with the bushes that are laying down on the sidewalk looking like a belly fat hanging over the belt. The other trees don't do much. Something about this little yard is confusing. It's sort of this, and that, in a tiny space. Grade: C-

Hacked! This tree behind the fence in the middle. It had the hopes of being a great one. A contender. A champ. Dirk Diggler from Boogie Nights! Maybe the tallest tree on the block! But no, it's chopped off. Totally castrated. That tree might think about those Viagra and Cialis commercials. Maybe it'll get it's groove back and one day... rise again. But for now, grade: D for the hacked tree. At least give it stump status.

Every Rose has a thorn, even it's among trash cans. This isn't really a yard, it's a side of a yard. Between the trash cans is a rose bush. I'm not a big fan of rose bushes or plants, but this one is odd. It's planted in the ground in a spot that looks like it's 1 foot x 1 foot. Talk about foot binding, this is an odd place for a plant that so many people love. Yes, it does give it the college try to be something, but it just can't. Grade: C- for trying.

Pygmy time. Imagine, every plant is only 3 feet tall. It doesn't matter what kind, as long as it's three feet tall. So the good thing is that they can see out their window, they can see from their porch, nothing is obscured by plants. They even rock the plant on the right into a ball on a stick! The tree to the left of that looks stunted and old. What's going on there, buddy? The rest looks alive, but this yard is in need of some love, something look all wrong here. Grade: C

Don King. He's the boxing promoter with the crazy hair. Know who I'm talking about? Look at the plants that divide the two yards! They must hate each other. I'm digging the harsh division of the homes, I want privacy too. If they were orange, I'd think it's a flame. Grade: B. This grade has nothing to do with their front yards. It's just about the division of property and how much of a story it tells.

Siamese twins. This is odd. Two houses next to each other with one type of bush and so flat too! The houses are totally different, but the bushes are the same. Why? There must be some kind of unity that these neighbors want to achieve. They even circle the fronts together as if they were a mirror. I remember this type of bush, it's typical and can be shaped well creating a powerful barrier. But is this what you'd want? Unity? You better be related to that neighbor since this is a conversation topic for anyone who comes over. Grade: B-



No Commitment. I wonder if this is planning. The plants and flowers are in planters. There's one that's stuck in the middle of the driveway. What purpose is this really serving? It makes it just that much harder to park your car in the drive way, but at the same time, it does say, "hey I got two garages, you only got one". Maybe it's just a little extra somethin' somethin' for the driveway. I'm not sure. Grade: B-

Jessie. I don't know how to spell her name exactly, but she's the girl from Jabberjaw, the punk rock club I frequented in the 90s. I see her walking around and she busted me taking pics of people's yards.

Have Blog, Will Travel!

Variety Japan picks up on the Domokun Target entry. I can't read it all, but at the time, I see many of the things I wrote about in there. I'm realizing, that I'm not just being mean, but there's a lot of agreement as to the quality of the product. It is some of the ugliest versions of Domokun and licensed goods in general that I've ever seen. Perhaps the folks think something like, "people haven't seen Domokun, so they won't know what's wrong." It's still more authenticity issues and the grabbing of the quick buck.

Imagine another case study. Uglydolls. Yes, he blogs here, so I'll only say nice stuff, right?! But imagine, each product is scrutinized, there's no Target Uglydolls, no K-Mart, or other mega chain blow outs. Who's going to last longer?

Some things might work blown out, but I never thought Domokun would be that character.

Variety Japan link.

Target Sightings

Extreme sports and icons. The big red head who's the new young symbol of extreme is now at Target! Buy pants, shirts, and other stuff that has nothing to do with skateboarding or snow boarding since it's at Target. I wonder if he designed any of it. Jeans are 29.99 which is a great price. But what happened to Dickies and Wrangler!? I think it's great to have affordable gear, but the way it's being done isn't the way I would do it.

This is an Ed Templeton ripoff. Not just 1 eye like the Templeton character, how about adding a shitload of eyes. It's not that it looks exactly like an Ed work, but it's definitely made to look like it's part of the Ed cannon of works. I'm sure a Target designer is saying... "no way, this looks nothing like Templeton! I know Ed, and this is nothing like it." Sorry, it's just like it. What would I do? How about smoothing out the lines, not having thin legs which are very Ed, maybe a different angle or posture, and less alien more creature.

Isaac! you too? Go back to bartending on the Love Boat.

Graffiti and spray cans. Authenticity issues at Target. 

There goes that Target ad.

Domo @ Target - In Killed Fashion - It's Over

Domokun died at Target. Hit by a bus and left for dead. Imagine, licensee. I got the Domokun license... Chaching! We're going to blow it out as fast as possible because our license will expire. It's as if we're going to make the Roger Corman Fantastic Four film! So Domokun, the NHK character is now at Target, and exploited just for the Halloween section. Take a look at what came out of this.

This is looking terrible. It doesn't even look like Domo. I wonder if this candy tastes like Cola. If it does, then just maybe it'll get a pass on candy alone. Look at the mouth. It's as if Domokun is foaming. It's eyes look like toasted sesame seeds.

Candy Corn? Domo eats candy corn? Tattoo that one on your chest. It's not a good thing at all.

Domo pinata. Bad. Bad. Bad. What happened to 3d? This is two pieces of cardboard, and crappy tissue paper sides. My fart would rip open.

Domokun on a broom? It's way over.

Have your own Domo mouth. This is a poor excuse for a product. It looks like someone sat on it. 

Domokun candy. More candy that looks like Domokun stood outside during a nuclear melt down. A mummy and Frankenstein done Domokun. Who designed this stuff?

A misshapen Domokun hangs from the ceiling with an eyepatch, just so you'd think he's a pirate. 

This was the only item I thought was cute. Bracelets of candy with Domokun. 

Someone out there will buy this and that someone will think that Domokun is pretty lame. They'll think that Target invented this character. It's also interesting how it's just Domo. Maybe it's because it's almost like the brands, people, and label: Lomo (camera), Homo (the great label), Tomo (a hotel in SF - yea I worked on that), Nomo (Baseball pitcher), and Romo (the QB of the Cowboys).

Avocado Thief 2

I heard a rustle and I heard some scratching sounds. I'm in the middle of deadlines, you know? Just doing my thing. I can hear it go on, and I don't want to get up. I'm in a groove. It keeps going, so it's time to see. Is it a gigantic Possum? I'm seen em and they make a lot of noise, but no, it's a Chinese lady and she's in a very far corner in my neighbor's yard, using a rake to steal MY avocados. She's probably 50 or 60, I don't know her name, but she doesn't live next door, in fact, she came by the other day, and I thought she was my neighbor's friend, but it turns out, she's just some random person trespassing very deep in my neighbor's yard. See the space between the wall and the fence? It's not large, and she was jammed up in there. So, the result. Harsh Chinese words spewed out by my g/f who tells her that you can't just bust into a back yard, you can't steal, you can't be there... all in Mandarin. If she asked, she would have received, but she chose to steal instead. The woman speaks Cantonese and keeps speaking in Cantonese, but she knows Mandarin and says she won't be back. I know the appeal of avocados, and I also know thieving and trespassing. My neighbor's had her bike stolen from her backyard once, and it's amazing how people feel comfortable to just go back there and take shit. I guess I need to make a Do Not Steal Avocados in Chinese now to add to the English, Japanese, and Spanish.

CSS! Lovefoxx

Lovefoxx. Luisa Matsushita is a cool kid. Lead singer, crazy, and has the eyes and ears of many. Watch her take it to the top. Live she's amazing. She has energy that can last for days. Is this the same person? Yes she is.

Css soundcheckin

Opening Masakatsu Sashie Under Fluorescent Light

First off, had to show you this. Yes, the GR2 store, and Giant Robot 1 immortalized in a Masakatsu Sashie painting - a great sized one at that. What you aren't seeing are the robot toys from a photo that he took in my room. The rest of the images include his model kits that remain unmade. A famicom, and the GR2 gumball machine, that's mostly cut off in the photo, but you can still make it out. Yes, of course it's mine. You can see the image below as well, between Martin, Wendy, and Eloise, who's got the druid gear on. This show's taken quite a lot of effort in the last week. The work's been done, but there's so much more than that, which goes into some shows. This is one of them. 

Rolan Bolan, Yuu, and Mr. Sashie

I'll post the images from the opening up on flickr quite soon. 

It's Masakatsu Sashie time

Yes, that's quite a large painting behind Masakatsu Sashie. I haven't seen a painting that large by a person at GR2 in a long time and it's great to see this one. It's an orb! It's filled with his memories and nostalgia and it's a separate world from the what's surrounding it. The ball looks alive.

This is a painted model kit of one of his works. It comes blank, so beware. Can you put it together and paint it? Will it be bling gold? I've heard some say that's what they're going to do.

Masakatsu Sashie at gR2 Tomorrow.

Do not fuck with Sashie. He knows weapons. I hope this wasn't a secret, but it's out of the bag. 9mm, no problem. See the red in the target? I see perfect shots. Now that you know,  you should come see his art show at GR2. Don't mess with my man. Guns aren't legal in Japan, so of course, this was something new for him. That's a lot of shells at his feet. He's an animal.

Makoto Aida

This guy is a rad artist. That's all I got to say. It's dope when you meet an artist and he has paint on his hands. He was standing there with tons of crap. I said what's up Makoto? He was stunned like he saw a ghost. Maybe he was stoned not stunned. If you get a chance take a look at his video work as well. He's getting to be a big deal on the international art stage. We parted ways quickly, and I'll bet he forgot me already.

Just check out this link of images and tons of it just on google.

Here's a youtube video.

Geisai 11 post dinner Hishinuma

That's me and the main man, Takashi Murakami outside of Hishinuma. It has the infamous Michelin rating of two stars. Not bad since not too many get stars period. Two stars means you're pretty good, and this place is decent. Yet it could have been better. I got there early. Not too early, but early enough. The head waiter, perhaps manager could have been cooler. He even ran as if 1) he had a turd in his pants - yes, I saw him run to the toilet 2) he also for some reason ran with one hand up almost like a raised hand. Maybe he had a turd in his hand instead. 3) Maybe it was because I wasn't wearing a suit that he didn't seem to give two shits about me, but in my life, I realize, that clothing means nothing. Look how Takashi's dressed! Even though that's probably a couture t-shirt with a inside print, and the shorts are probably high end with silk lining, the sneaks could be Visvim, a casual observer might think he spend $10 on it (and I kid you not, maybe he did). Takashi's the main man. Always has been. When you really don't need to care about what others think, then you're in great shape. He's probably there in that category, even though I'm sure he cares. He's an artist.

A special celebration with pop star Ken Chu (Zhu Xiaotian) and Takashi Murakami. Who let McCain in?

Tofu with uni and a tiny drop of wasabi. The tofu was handmade, with a texture that you'll never see unless you try this.

That's the menu. It's long in explanation, but simple in execution. This looks like a mouthful, but really, it's just a guide.

Sorry the pic on this went mad. Under the leaves is fish, some edamame, yuku with ikura, and some vegetables. 

That's my sake cup.

Can you say Matsutake? Matsutake is not a pitcher on a baseball team, but if you had to buy it,  you'd think he is.

Anago in a simple sauce with seaweed.

Yes, hand me the bags. It's how I like to go out. The food was decent, and I'm not sure what's really worthy of two stars in the Michelin guide, but this wasn't the normal meal. Of course Takashi hooks you up with the best he can, and this is a good call. I'd still pit my mom against the food here.