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spartan_chang
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| As Plausible as it Apparently Appears... |
[Jun. 30th, 2009|05:48 am] |
| [ | Tags | | | art, bizarre, blog, chang, crazy, freaky, fun, funky, paragraphs, photographs, pictures, sentences, strange, unusual, weird, words | ] |
I think it's of the very most utmost importance at the very least that anyone and everyone dare to ask themselves, even if only once in their life, this one very plausible question.. If you suddenly appeared on a pier and apparently needed to pick a pair of pears, and there was a pair of pear trees on the pier, how many pairs of pears from that pair of pear trees on the pier would you pick?
Answer:
a pair of pairs
=
four pears. |
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| Whimsical Poetry to Tie the Tounge |
[Jun. 19th, 2009|08:26 pm] |
"Divine Bovine Princess"
Moo I tell you, let me out of this zoo.
I need no more fences, defenseless in lieu.
You're making me lazy, it's crazy but true.
Divine bovine princess is senseless and blue.
This grass tastes like ass, I'm a lawnmower to you?
There's nothing to do but to chew and to chew.
So I chew and I chew, just waiting for you.
^^
That gate that I hate I must wait for a clue,
the fate I await on a plate you construe,
this divine bovine princess plots patiently too.
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"A Break Adrift Sunrise"
Pat pattering the rough wake, birds call with a caw.
I'm happy my arms ache, blood rush with a smile.
Nothing but wind here, flat line far behind,
direction's no matter, I've found and I'll find.
Give moments to meaning, the feel of the skin.
Look back on, look over, look out and look in.
Luke warm's hardly vivid, can't capture forever,
extremes are the easy ones, bastards of flavor.
Savor the distant, be your own harbinger,
disconnect, step back, reconnect bigger.
Inspect what is closest, magnified eye,
fell onto, free fall in, dive out of the sky.
Know nothing, no someone, no time for the time,
it's really no matter, if poems don't ...
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"Counting on Bird Brained Accountants"
I peck at these numbers, perfect in transcription,
digital digits deal death with mixed minor convention.
Foregone and forfeited, where I once was alive,
adjusting positions when transitions arrive.
Bottom line is, proles toll to survive.
Top of the line, boggles minds eye.
Juxtaposition, translation's awry,
it's gone and forgotten, dead deals die up dry.
Breath bleak speaks the beak, nixed bird brained discretion,
I pecked all the numbers, please forgive my complexion.
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-This next one is better with context provided. The story of a clown in love with a trapeze performer who marries someone else, and his ensuing depression, all while having to pretend to be happy while performing, as is the role of a clown.
"Carny Clown"
Rusted batteries and bruised bones rolling down the isle,
wrapped in virgin cloth, blood stained, beautifully vile.
Contraptions trapped in tripped up trapeze shackles,
filled up to the brim under hackles and cackles.
Bricked up alleyways damp with frustration,
moldy funk gutter cats in folded relations.
Shanked and starved and stuck and burnt,
forget what you got, forgot what you've learned.
Carousels covered in carnivorous beasts
counter clockwise, carnival of the feast.
Stampeding silhouettes in contrast with sure bets of harmonious pirouettes on perilous TV sets..
Bare wires touched tingle on tongues and in teeth,
language so simple, so supple and brief.
So sloppy such sanctity, so sure and so safe,
relaxing tranquility, superficial such faith.
Barbed boxes the vestige and labeled with "home"
so crowded and sticky, so sickly alone.
Some something, some someone, redundant the hope,
paint face, plaster smile, and privately mope.
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| ** A Slew of Art from the Heart ** |
[Jun. 14th, 2009|12:05 am] |
| [ | Tags | | | adam neate, art, banksy, blek le rat, carlee fernandez, dface, emily strange, gene davis, marion peck, mark ryden, naoto hattori, nick walker, ray ceasar | ] |
                                                                           
some of this art is by:
DFace
Banksy
Nick Walker
Adam Neate
Blek le Rat
Naoto Hattori
Emily Strange
Gene Davis
Susanna Hesselberg
Carlee Fernandez
Ray Ceasar
Marion Peck
Mark Ryden
and many many more *
^great names to
google image search
by the way
see more of this kinda thing on my facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/spartanchang |
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| Slow Ride: Spartanburg’s Competive Audio Car Shows |
[Apr. 19th, 2009|01:21 am] |
When a song you love starts playing, how loud do you turn up your car stereo? Ever wish you could get it a little louder? ..or a lot louder? When your luck finding a volume knob that turns up to eleven runs out, you may find yourself at one of the fine car audio shops around Spartanburg. That's where I found myself last weekend, experiencing my first car audio show at Elite Audio on Ashville highway, learning what it's all about.
Joe Zelano, owner of Elite Audio near Heron Circle, hosts one show a month through the summer at his shop for the MECA organization, one of the larger international organizations that hosts car audio competitions, based out of Tennessee. In August, Elite Audio hosts the "Elite Summer Nationals" event at the Spartanburg Expo center which has seen a few thousand attendees in recent years.
Trey West, a long time friend of Joe, was helping things run smoothly at the show last Saturday, and he offered me some insight.
"MECA grew a lot last year, retailers have been stepping up, and there's even been shows as far away as the Virgin Islands they've put together recently." He went on to explain there are lots of different organizations that host these type events. Standards and rules may vary for each slightly, and the organizations themselves range from state wide, regional, to international.
More local organizers are hosting competitions as well, with divisions of events ranging from who has the loudest bass, to sound quality, and equipment installation, while also judging classic, vintage, and show cars on their appearance.
Along with owning and operating the local "Smokin Stylz" custom car shop on Bryant road, Shorty and Beth Pierce, along with friend James Gallion from Forest City, North Carolina, started the NSCSPL, or the "National Show Car and Sound Pressure League".
[A sound pressure contestant booms his bass for the judges]
Sound Pressure League competitions (SPL's) are judged by measuring the sheer volume in decibels of the sound system with a special microphone feeding into a computer. These competitions are typically broken down in several classes, depending on speaker size, and sometimes other technical factors. Separately, competing for sound quality (SQ) consists of three experienced judges critiquing subjectively the clarity of the system.
High end cars often enter yet another category, judging the quality of the cars audio equipment installation. With some it seems money is no object, but if your pockets don't run so deep you can still go for the big win. It's a fair playing field by having multiple classes, whatever budget one may be working with, from factory stock to the most extreme modifications.
[Brian Mays and his Blue Knight 2002 Chrysler 300m -Sound Quality and Installation competitor]
Introducing me to the world of car audio shows, my friend Brian Jeter has won his share of Sound Pressure League competitions over the 15 years he's been participating in the events, many of which in the past have been held out of state.
[Brian Jeter and his son Brian after winning a sound pressure league contest. background- "Shorty" Pierce, owner of the Smokin Stylz shop]
"I like to go and hang out with my friends, always meeting new people, and my kids love it." Jeter says of his three children, "They come to almost every show, meet other kids and stuff, it's a good atmosphere for that. Winning's always nice too though."
There's no shortage of events happening this coming summer, and making it all come together takes the commitment and dedication of those who truly love cars and bringing people together.
"With it being early in the season, and the calender filling with upcoming events, it's a pretty busy time right now." Beth Pierce, organizer and co-founder of NSCSPL says, "This coming weekend (4/25/09) we're hosting an event called 'Slamming Saturday' (3-10pm) at our Smokin Stylz shop. It's also going to be our first ever glow off and night show." It's sure to be an exciting evening for vintage and modified car lovers, and audio enthusiasts alike.
Beth went on to tell me about the Highlander Series aspect of their competitions. Two finalists go head to head in what's a crowd cheering spectacle, both in the standard and modified classes. The winner at the finals in November receives a high end custom engraved samurai sword, just as in the Highlander Series films. Runner-up prizes are custom daggers as well. "It's just something unique we do," she says, "something more then a trophy, just for fun."
[Zach Floyd of Spartanburg brought his 67' Mustang out as eye candy]
Hosting car shows where people can compete based on the appearance of their rides, aside from the audio aspects of competitions, is a big part of the NSCSPL events as well. Being as inclusive as possible, any car lover would feel right at home with the way they put things together. Making the rules slightly less complicated then some other organizations, it's very encouraging for people that are just starting out to get in on the fun.
James Gallion of NSCSPL explains, "We wanna make it fair, and fun for everyone, not just the big competitors, because it's your everyday folks that really make the show. They're the ones working everyday, trying to make a living, and doing this for the fun. They're the ones that really keep it all going."
[Beth Pierce from Smokin Stylz, and a NSCSPL organizer waves from her ride]
Automobiles have become an extension of individuality in the lives of many. Positive folks with a common love for their cars bring people together for a good time, and the healthy competition makes for all the more excitement. If you know of a charity or a good cause that could benefit from organizing just such an event, you would be hard pressed to find better folks then those at the NSCSPL to arrange a show for you.
So come out and experience a fun day in the sun with strikingly beautiful cars and refreshingly friendly people, all while weighing in on some competitive bass blasting, car gazing, and family friendly entertainment.
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This Saturday we hope to see you at the Smokin Stylz shop, located at 104 Lindsey Park Drive, Chesnee, SC. The 'Slammin Saturday' event will be hosted by NSCSPL from 3-10pm, 4/25/09.
Attendance is free for spectators, and registering to compete is very affordable. For specifics on registration, or general questions, feel free to contact Beth Pierce. (864)838-7104 sinjun2@hotmail.com |
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| "Food of the Gods" |
[Apr. 3rd, 2009|06:17 am] |
| [ | Tags | | | 1984, addiction, book review, canibus, cliff notes, food of the gods, george orwell, government, language, marijuana, mushrooms, phychedelic, shamanism, slavery, spirituality, sugar, summary, terence mckenna | ] |
90% choice exerts from McKenna’s book,
and minimal paraphrasing (not in quotes)
of
"Food of the Gods"
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~..."The twentieth-century linguistic revolution,"says Boston University anthropologist Misia Landau,"is the recognition that language is not merely a device for communicating ideas about the world,but rather a tool for bringing the world into existence in the first place.Reality is not simply ’experienced’ or ’reflected’ in language,but instead is actually produced by language."
~...The power of language.It makes me think of the book by George Orwell "1984",and their language of "newspeak",basically getting to the core of the language,using as few words as possible,to where when all other language was forgotten,ones own thought and imagination would be extremely limited in ways of expression.If there were not a word for freedom,how would one have any concept of the idea?
~..That book was published in the late 1940’s roundabout,and was a depiction of the authors expectation for the future 1984,which has came and went by now.It hits close to home on things like government controlled media,never-ending war,and the use of fear propaganda,totalitarianism in general.And in this repressed,fear embedded society,there were no mention of drugs except gin and tobacco.
>(a shared view from Terrance McKenna: )
.."The ’drug problem’ runs against the tendency toward global expansion of consciousness through spread of democratic values.There is no question that a society that sets out to control its citizens’ use of drugs sets out on a slippery path to totalitarianism.No amount of police power,surveillance,and intrusion into people’s lives can be expected to affect ’the drug problem.’Hence there is no limit to the amount of repression that frightened institutions and their brainwashed populations may call for."
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~...I’ve been reading a book by Terence McKenna about the evolving relationships between humans and plants through the ages.It’s focus is on psychoactive hallucinogens and their effects on the evolution of pre-historic man.Did the experience of psychedelic mushrooms give humans the "self awareness" to develop language?
..."The Tassili-n-Ajjer of 12,ooo B.C. may well have been the partnership paradise whose loss has created one of the most persistent and poignant of our mythological motifs,the nostalgia for paradise,the idea of a lost golden age of plenty,partnership,and a social balance.The contention here is that the rise of language,partnership society,and complex religious ideas may have occurred not far from the area where humans emerged,the game-filled,mushroom-dotted grasslands and savannas of tropical and subtropical Africa.The partnership society arose and flourished;there hunter-gatherer culture slowly gave way to domestication of animals and plants.In this milieu the psilocybin-containing mushrooms were encountered,consumed,and deified.Language,poetry,ritual,and thought emerged from the darkness of the hominid mind.Eden was not a myth for the prehistoric peoples of the high plateau of the Tassili-n-Ajjer,Eden was home."
...In the Book of Genesis,is the story of Adam and Eve eating from the tree of knowledge and realizing their own nudity an account of a revelation of consciousness,as one has through the psychedelic experience,the sense of seeing things as they truly are,and of a true connection with nature.
.." 3.6. When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good to eat,and that it was pleasing to the eye and pleasing to contemplate,she took some and ate it.She also gave her husband some and he ate it.Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they discovered that they were naked;so they stitched fig leaves together and made themselves loin-cloths."
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~...The world is ruled by humans with dominator values.’Greed equals success’ and ’oppression equals power’ are hallmarks of life as we know it.
We live on this planet,not in a symbiotic relationship with nature,but as a parasite,but that is only because we live in a dominator ruled world.
.."Our culture,self-toxified by the poisonous by-products of technology and egocentric ideology,is the unhappy inheritor of the dominator attitude that alteration of consciousness by the use of plants or substances is somehow wrong,onanistic,and perversely antisocial,while we kill the planet in order to keep intact the wrongheaded assumptions of the ego-dominator cultural style."
..."Before we commit ourselves irrevocably to the chimera of a drug-free culture purchased at the price of a complete jettisoning of the ideals of a free and democratic planetary society,we must ask hard questions:Why,as a species,are we so fascinated by altered states of consciousness?What has been their impact on our aesthetic and spiritual aspirations?What have we lost by denying the legitimacy of each individual’s drive to use substances to experience personally the transcendental and the sacred?My hope is that answering these questions will force us to confront the consequences of denying nature’s spiritual dimension,of seeing nature as nothing more than a ’resource’ to be fought over and plundered.Even so,informed discussion of these issues will give no comfort to the control-obsessed."
.."The question of how we,as a society and as individuals,relate to psychoactive plants in the late twentieth century,raises a larger question:how,over time,have we been shaped by the shifting alliances that we have formed and broken with various members of the vegetable world as we have made our way through the maze of history?"
..It started with agriculture,and with abundance came trade.With trade came the introduction of new foods,tastes,and products to new cultures.
...""The distortion and dehumanizing of human institutions and human lives caused by crack cocaine today is nothing compared with what the European desire for sugar did in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.One may argue that something approaching slave labor is typical of the early stages with cocaine production,but the difference is that it is not slavery sanctioned by mendacious popes and openly pursued by corrupt but legitimate governments.A further difference must be noted:brutal as it is,the modern drug trade is not involved in anything resembling the wholesale kidnapping,transporting,and mass murder of huge populations as was done to further the process of sugar production."
..."Sugar abuse is the world’s least discussed and most widespread addiction,and it is one of the hardest of all habits to kick.After alcohol and tobacco,sugar is the most damaging addictive substance consumed by human beings."The reason why sugar,coffee,and tea are accepted in our society is because through the eyes of an industrial based economy,these mild stimulants provide workers with energy,and ease the monotony of their tasks.
..."Not unlike drugs or alcohol,the television experience allows the participant to blot out the real world and enter into a pleasurable and passive mental state.The worries and anxieties of reality are as effectively deferred by becoming absorbed in a television program as by going on a ’trip’ induced by drugs or alcohol.And just as alcoholics are only vaguely aware of their addiction,feeling that they control their drinking more than they really do...people similarly overestimate their control over television watching.....Finally it is the adverse effect of television viewing on the lives of so many people that defines it as a serious addiction.The television habit distorts the sense of time.It renders other experiences vague and curiously unreal while taking on a greater reality for itself.It weakens relationships by reducing and sometimes eliminating normal opportunities for talking,for communicating."Television is by nature the dominator drug par excellence.Control of content,uniformity of content,repeatability of content make it inevitably a tool of coercion,brainwashing,and manipulation.
..."We are discovering that human beings are creatures of chemical habit with the same horrid disbelief as when Victorians discovered that humans are creatures of sexual fantasy and obsession.This process of facing ourselves as a species is a necessary precondition to the creation of a more humane social and natural order."
..."The public has no history and no future,the public lives in a golden moment created by a credit system which binds them ineluctably to a web of illusions that is never critiqued.This is the ultimate consequence of having broken off the symbiotic relationship with the Gaian matrix of the planet.This is the consequence of lack of partnership;this is the legacy of imbalance between the sexes;this is the terminal phase of a long descent into meaninglessness and toxic existential confusion."
...In order to fix the mess we’ve made of things we should acknowledge the need for a new dimension of self-experience that individually and collectively authenticates democratic social forms.
...We need to reject the image of ourselves inherited from dominator culture (that of a creature guilty of sin and hence deserving of exclusion from paradise)paradise is our birthright and can be claimed by any of us.Nature is not the enemy,to be raped and conquered.Nature is ourselves,to be cherished and explored.
...A drug policy respectful of democratic values would aim to educate people to make informed choices based on their own needs and ideals.Such a simple prescription is necessary and sadly overdue.
...A master plan for seriously seeking to come to terms with America’s drug problems might explore a number of options,including the following:
1. A 200 percent federal tax should be imposed on tobacco and alcohol.All government subsidies for tobacco production should be ended.Warnings on packaging should be strengthened.A 20 percent federal sales tax should be levied on sugar and sugar substitutes,and all supports for sugar production should be ended.Sugar packages should also carry warnings,and sugar be a mandatory topic in school nutrition curricula.
2. All forms of cannabis should be legalized and a 200 percent federal sales tax imposed on cannabis products.Information as to the THC content of the product and current conclusions regarding its impact on health should be printed on the packaging.
3. International Monetary Fund and World Bank lending should be withdrawn from countries that produce hard drugs.Only international inspection and certification that a country is in compliance would restore loan eligibility.
4. Strict gun control must apply to both manufacture and possession.It is the unrestricted availability of firearms that has made violent crime and the drug abuse problem so intertwined.
5. The legality of nature must be recognized,so that all plants are legal to grow and possess.
6. Psychedelic therapy should be made legal and insurance coverage extended to include it.
7. Currency and banking regulations need to be strengthened.Presently bank collusion with criminal cartels allows large-scale money laundering to take place.
8. There is an immediate need for massive support for scientific research into all aspects of substance use and abuse and an equally massive commitment to public education.
9. One year after implementation of the above,all drugs still illegal in the United States should be decriminalized.The middleman is eliminated,the government can sell drugs at cost plus 200 percent,and those monies can be placed in a special fund to pay the social,medical,and educational costs of the legalization program.Money from taxes on alcohol,tobacco,sugar,and cannabis can also be placed in this fund.
10. Also following this one year period,pardons should be given to all offenders in drug cases that did not involve firearms or felonious assault."
..."If these proposals seem radical,it is only because we have drifted so far from the ideals that were originally most American.At the foundation of the American theory of social polity is the notion that our inalienable rights include ’life,liberty,and the pursuit of happiness’ does not include the right to experiment with psychoactive plants and substances is to make an argument that is at best narrow and at worst ignorant and primitive.The only religions that are anything more than traditionally sanctioned moral codes are religions of trance,dance ecstasy,and intoxication by hallucinogens.The living fact of the mystery of being is there,and it is an inalienable religious right to be able to approach it on one’s own terms.A civilized society would enshrine that principle in law."" |
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| Cigarette Taxes!!! Yarg!!!! |
[Mar. 25th, 2009|04:18 am] |
Cigarette prices soared, putting me in rare form when the "ching-ching" (or beep rather) went off, and I noticed the numbers on the machine. My first instinct was to halt the transaction then and there at that point, but a realization of necessity came over me, and I just had to grin and bare it, take one in the gullet, for the team, those bastards.
I inquisitively inquired, what the hell? ..and with a smirk and a shrug I was shown the option of the "discount rack" they had set up with.. well, not my brand, needless to say.
Back home I read about the state's decision, and how much good it's supposed to do, and I know smoking is bad for me, probably will be the death of me, but something still doesn't seem right about all of this.
Is it justified to tax cigarettes because they are bad for us? How about all the other stuff that's bad for us? Will we see fast food and soda, beer and sugar, all be taxed to death next?
If all this money is going toward peoples health insurance, and say, lots of people stop smoking because of the tax, what irony would ensue? (I'm considering growing tobacco myself, seriously)
One could say, if people stop smoking then they won't need insurance, but that's really sidestepping the issue of providing state funded health care isn't it? ..or forcing us to pay for it, however you wanna slice it.
I don't have health insurance, and I smoke, I'm losing big time on this one.
We're paying taxes we don't even know about. Not only the amount they extort from your paycheck, those bastards, but sales tax, taxes on utilities, gas, vehicle, property, and on a whole slew of other specialized products and services, plus the hidden ones like inflation, and corporations pass the buck along to the consumer through pricing as well, don't ya know. It's insane!
This would be the last straw if I wasn't such a peace loving hippie-type. Maybe a whole new younger generation, that doesn't even know who Joe Camel is/was, will all write letters to their congressman? ..like that shit works. I'm just bitchin' I guess, but it looks like a sign of things to come. Those bastards.
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| Photoshopaholicism |
[Jan. 18th, 2009|04:25 am] |
About 5 or 6 months ago I discovered photoshop and now I'm addicted to making crazy pictures. It all started with photoshoping Slobot and then the webcomics, to where now I'm just looking for pictures to layer, paste, and just screw around with. I'm a dang photoshopaholic, so here it is:
I also look to put friends faces in pictures:
and then there's me:
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| Via chAng |
[Jan. 14th, 2009|06:52 am] |
Always with the seemingly contradictory notion, torn between too much and not enough time, I convince myself procrastination is justified. I'm only fooling myself of course, and only sometimes at that. Being slightly compulsive and random fuels the fire, as I bore so easily, yet I'm never bored. Trying to understand ones own nature seems to be impossible when ones own nature is in constant flux and motion.
The point? I have all this stuff I want to do, and I just should stop screwing around and get to it, saying it out loud like this will help, hence these words here. With music, shameful to admit, I have to make myself practice, but yet I love to play, I just need an audience I say, but then when that time comes I'm rusty and it shows. All this is going to change. My writing and blogging are being brought out from the dusty corner, and I'm realizing this is the first blog where I've written, like, something not in a journalistic format.
I've been basically a self-made outcast since a DUI I had on 06/06/06. I say self-made because it was my own dumb fault for being drunk and driving, not to mention rolling side over side in my 1964 VW bug-truck down an embankment at the Glendale mill, crushing the body of a beautiful vehicle, shamefully.
Yes, yes, it's sad. That made me move out here to Jonesville, a little back-road town where you can buy fishing worms the same place you get your pants and oil changed. I'm not even "technically" in Spartanburg anymore. It's almost devastating.
Luckily these internets keep me at least feeling like I'm connected to town, albeit via 0's and 1's. If I were to believe in fate, which I don't necessarily rule it out, I'd say it's given me a unique opportunity to learn a lot online. Anything I want to learn really, it's just a google search away. Asking oneself what you want to learn can sometimes be difficult to answer, but it has a snowballing effect of interesting proportions.
I started getting into the typical 9/11 and government conspiracy stuff and realized I had a lot to learn if I was going to make any kind of well informed decision about anything. The subjective nature of "truth" quickly became apparent, and the realization that one must be a skeptic on all fronts about everything. I really like learning about history, but there's soo much of it, and there's always the trust factor involved in believing the story tellers version as well. I spent over a year on law, jurisdictional stuff, mainly concerning what may possibly be a way to opt out of social security, and not be forced to pay federal taxes by removing oneself from the whole federal jurisdiction altogether, but the "reality factor" of it all is highly debatable. I did gain a big understanding about how law and jurisdiction effect us though, and all that stuff is really fascinating to me oddly enough.
Learning about general stuff, I quickly saw how much I didn't know I didn't know, and how much we presume about the world is way off base. I was really into Ron Paul and how he explained economics in simplistic terms. I considered myself an old school republican because of the financial conservatism where government spending is concerned. When I had to choose who to vote for finally I voted libertarian for the same "small government" reasons, but then I realized after watching several videos about anarchy and philosophy that my actual small government leanings were more like anti-government leanings. No I'm not a loony, and no it's not impractical to view anarchy as an alternative to our current system..
When one looks at it in a rational sense, the government only has violence, or the threat of, as a way to do anything. If we don't pay taxes we'll face the very real consequence of jail. I have wonder how we can justify any use of force morally. By voting we show our approval, no matter who we vote for, do we not?
Working for a corporation for the past full year, I'm getting a taste of the nitty gritty realities of life as a "human resource." It's discomforting to blatantly be a commodity, but through analyzing law I realize I've been one all along. It's metaphorically Orwellian, and it seems to be getting less and less a metaphor every day. The years pass and I wonder where the world is going in such a hurry. Existentialism battles purpose, as fate riddles freewill in the debacle of time as it flows by. I'm ranting like a rabid red rabbit on the moon, and I wonder if my musings fall on deaf ears, or weary eyes, rather.
..but all is well in what reality I can glimpse in the array of the world, and the future keeps getting closer as the past keeps piling up, so right this very moment, as it always is, is now.
philosophy/anarchy video:
http://www.freedomain.com
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| Moody Black is Poetry in Motion |
[Jan. 5th, 2009|02:15 am] |
| [ | Tags | | | dirtymentalz, greenville, moody black, poetry, robert mullins, sc, slam, spartanburg, spoken word, t. k. gregg, wits end | ] |
Spartanburg has always been a wellspring for talent. From live music to the arts, you can usually find a venue or a gallery to suit your tastes in town. Shining the spotlight on live poetry competitions, also known as poetry slams, is Robert Mullins, Jr. His stage name is Moody Black, and as a Spartanburg resident and accomplished poet, he's working toward creating a more vibrant poetry scene here in Spartanburg.
Always with a positive disposition, he encourages and inspires through the spoken word. A leader in the community, he is dedicated to promoting creativity as a way to express individuality, and teaches that frustrations in life can be channeled in positive ways.
As the director of the T.K. Gregg Recreation Center in Spartanburg he is actively involved with the youth on a daily basis, encouraging them to express themselves through creative means. He hosts a monthly poetry slam event at the T.K. Gregg center and recently spoke to me of future plans as well; "I'm starting a weekly workshop with teens to help them become better poets and learn how to slam (compete) for regional and national competitions."
Mullins recognizes the vast potential Spartanburg has for an extraordinary poetry scene, but realizes it might take some time to grow and flourish.
"The poetry scene is growing slow. There's still a huge amount of people who think poetry readings are boring: so, they are hesitant to come out to any of the few venues in Spartanburg. I go to Greenville a lot, they seem to be more support. No disrespect to my Spartanburg people. It's just the truth."
Since 2004 Rob has been a member of the Upstate Slam Poetry Team, and also a board member of the Wits End Poetry team that hosts events at the Coffee Underground in Greenville. Opportunities from being a board member of the non-profit Wits End group led him to be featured in a southern poets "My South" spot on the Turner South television network. He has been competing in "poetry slam" competitions since 2003, and appointed a "Slam Master" in 2006, yet his history in performance and writing the spoken word goes back to his youth.
"I've been writing poetry since 12, but I have been performing since 14 (Theater Odyssey program from District 7 schools, poetry readings, etc). I've been involved in recreation all of my life. I grew up in a recreation center, and my first career job was in 1995 as an assistant director, and I am a director now."
Aside from his organizing poetry events and working with the community, he also is actively involved in creating music in a group called "Dirtymentalz", recording spoken word and music, and planning a tour for the year ahead.
"I am working on booking more shows for 2009, and I really do want to go out west. As far as my new cd, I'm planning to really go to another galaxy on some joints. At the same time, I plan to be really down-home and southern. The other projects are tracks I'm featuring on for other artists. Dirtymentalz is not only a collective of positive artists, but also a movement to enlighten and "edutain" the masses. It was started by Dirty, Ings, and myself. We just added other artists that we are real cool with that share the same vision of making quality art."
(picture: 3/4ths of the Dirty Mentalz Movement)
Rob is an inspiration and his motivation is contagious. His message is one of knowing that we can all achieve great things if we put our minds to it and work hard to see our goals manifest. Making the world a better place through the arts and creative expression, Moody Black is destined for big things, I just hope Spartanburg embraces his vision in realizing its own potential for the art of the spoken word.
The T.K. Gregg Recreation Center Poetry Night event is held every third Saturday of the month.
Moody Black's myspace page posts his performance dates and has recordings of his spoken word.
Please visit his youtube page to watch videos of him performing some spoken word. His album is due to be released February 7th, and you can check out his music on the Dirtymentalz Movement myspace page. Also, check out Moody Black at: http://emcees4peace.org/moodyblack.aspx To contact Moody Black: moodyblack7@hotmail.com
>>>>> |
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| cornhole draft |
[Nov. 15th, 2008|01:11 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | aco, americancornhole, americancornholeorganization, bryan teague, chang, cornhole, cornholin, frank geers, keith wilkins, matt guy, ohio, ryan labelle, south carolina, spartanburg, spartanburg spark | ] |
Very few sports have universal appeal to people of all walks of life, the exception to this rule is a fairly new game finding lots of enthusiasm right here in Spartanburg, and its gaining popularity all across America.
Cornhole is a fun and exciting game that anyone can pick up quickly and play. Also called Corn Toss, the sport is similar to horseshoes, yet played by throwing a small square bag of corn 27 feet through the air at a wooden platform in an attempt to make it into the hole. Landing on the board gets you one point, while making it into the hole gets you 3 points. There are both doubles and singles matches, and the first to score twenty-one points wins the match.
First becoming popular in Cincinnati, Ohio, the sport was a hit at football tailgate parties and backyard gatherings. Since the late 90's it has spread throughout the nation thanks to the efforts of people like Frank Geers. Founding the American Cornhole Organization in Milford, Ohio, he invested virtually everything to make this an established professional sport.
The game has gained so much popularity that there is even a film entitled, "Cornhole: The Movie" soon to be released. Currently in post-production, this comical film could be just the thing to give this sport the recognition it deserves.
To find out more about it here in Spartanburg, I caught up with a local official representative of the American Cornhole Organization (ACO), Ryan LaBelle. It all started for him after a trip to West Virginia, where he played the game for the first time three years ago. Ryan and his friend Keith Wilkins both realized that it would be a hit here in Spartanburg, so they contacted the organization and became representative agents. From there, they've widely promoted the sport, not only here in South Carolina, but all over the region.
They started hosting local competitions at PJ's Bar and Grill in May of 2007, located near Heron Circle in North Spartanburg. Within a few weeks more than forty people were already attending regularly. Currently they host the events indoors every Tuesday at the Alamo Canteena in the lake Bowen area, and PJ's on Wednesdays closer to town. Since they play outdoors at PJ's they're hoping to find a suitable indoor location closer to downtown Spartanburg due to the inevitable cold winter weather.
Aside from the weekly matches, there are five major tournaments they host here locally every year, and yes there is money to be made if you can manage to overcome the competition. "We have the Ice Hole tournament in February, and in May there's the Cornhole de Mayo." Ryan explains, "The month of July we host a tournament called Maze-Craze, and this past September we held the Cornhole Classic. Just around the corner on the 29th of November is our Turkey Hole Classic we're preparing for now. All the tournaments feature singles and doubles matches, and we have people from all walks of life, and all shapes and sizes come out to play. Seven states have representative agents organizing in their areas, like Keith and I do here in the Carolina's. Often we'll see dedicated players that have traveled from out of state to compete with us at our tournaments here in Spartanburg, including some of the top ranking players in the nation."
 <
(picture 'L to R' - Ryan LaBelle congratulating Brett Guy, son of Matt Guy 'national champion' after they won the doubles tournament in the 08' "Fall Brawl" at Hooters in Spartanburg. Matt 'on right' also won 1st in singles.)
LaBelle emphasizes that even those that are new to the sport have an easy time jumping in there and potentially finding themselves naturally talented at the game, but competing on a national level with the professionals is where the real excitement is for Ryan. "Simply playing is fun of course, but it's a little more serious when you get into the competitiveness of it. Keith and I will be going to Las Vegas January 29th to participate in the national King of Cornhole tournament where $15,000 was up for grabs last year. While in Vegas I'll be helping to further standardize the sports rules and regulations with the ACO national committee that I've recently been invited to join. I'll be one of the 13 agents from all over the states, where I'll representing North and South Carolina."
"The great thing about the game of Cornhole in general is that anybody can play." Ryan continued, "It's great for a social event and it brings people together, from children to seniors, and it's highly addictive. This is evolving into a professional sport, and anyone who plays now has a chance to be a champion, getting in on the ground floor. The national organization is currently in negotiations with some big name sponsors, and recently made 1,000 gaming boards for the Jim Beam company. Being financially backed by sponsors will definitely help the sport branch out to new places, introducing it to even more people, and undoubtedly bring new fans into the game."
LaBelle and Wilkins own the franchise rights to North and South Carolina and are actively seeking enthusiastic individuals from across the region to help promote the sport. They've had great success in hosting some big events, including one for the Creative Loafing weekly paper in Atlanta, held at the Masquerades venue with over 80 teams participating. More recently they hosted the 2008 Fall Brawl at the Hooters of Spartanburg. Over 200 participants joined in the fun, half of which were from out of town.
Ryan and Keith are eager to get involved in hosting events for charities in the future, as this sport is ideal for a fundraiser activity. Labelle commented, "It's a great way of giving back to the community and helping worthy local causes, all while having lots of fun."
Located beside PJ's, you can visit Ryan at his place of business, BullsEye Beverage at 1515 Asheville highway towards Heron Circle, north Spartanburg. There he sells All American Cornhole products, boards, bags, and accessories, and you can pick up some adult beverages while you're there as well.
Find out more about the local matches, tournaments, and how to become a member of the American Cornhole Organization (ACO) by contacting Ryan LaBelle at his e-mail address - scl@americancornhole.com or call him at (864)706-2126.
Learn more about the sport and the American Cornhole Organization at their official website - http://www.americancornhole.org/
See where tournaments are going on across America at - http://www.cornholeplayers.com
Check out the latest in official tournament equipment here - http://www.americancornhole.com/
..and get the latest info on what's happening with the sport in South Carolina at their local website - http://southcarolina.cornholeplayers.com/
For a growing sport with universal appeal, don't be surprised if you find yourself Cornholin' in the near future, and undoubtedly loving it. |
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| Sacred Geometry |
[Nov. 7th, 2008|03:51 pm] |
Geometric art has been a fascination of mine for quite some time now. Fortunately it doesn't take any mathematical skills to appreciate the beauty of these mind blowing images, and the concepts behind these images are more simplistic then one might think.
The above image is what's known as the flower of life. The oldest finding of this symbol is mysteriously burnt into stone in the ancient Egyptian temple of Osiris, with its age debated as some six or seven thousand years old. It's said to contain ancient religious value depicting the fundamental forms of space and time and can be found in all major religious symbolism of the world. This structure forms the basis for music, as the distances between the spheres is identical to the distances between the tones and the half tones in music. It is also identical to the cellular structure of the embryonic division (The first cell divides into two cells, then to four cells then to eight). Thus as this structure is developed, it represents the human body and all of the energy systems.
In nature everything follows a mathematical pattern called the golden ratio, basically a spiral pattern which is represented through a series of numbers called the Fibonacci sequence. This pattern takes the last two digits in its sequence and adds them together to get the next number, like so..
1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34, 55, 89, 144, 233...
The visual representation is displayed as a spiral..
Since the creation of computers and the silicon microchip, what once would have taken a lifetime of calculating simplistic mathematical equations millions of times over can now be done with the press of a button. This has led us to coming closer to understanding the concept of literal infinity through something called the Mandelbrot set.
The Mandelbrot set is a great way to display some of the concepts in chaos theory, which despite the name, it's actually deterministic and simply appears to be random in nature. As above, so below, is a phrase that summarizes how the Mandelbrot set is made up of self repeating images of itself, just as any fractal. You could magnify it infinitely and still see the recognizable shape of the bug-like image of the whole set itself. Each level of magnification reveals slight alterations in the pattern, creating infinite complexity, and if one were to tweak any aspect of the shape on any level it would effect the shape as a whole on all levels.
This could be seen as a literal metaphor towards our existence as individuals, as you are but one person in all of humanity, it implies that our individual actions effect the whole world immensely no matter how insignificant we might see ourselves in the grand scheme of things. Understanding this gives context to this humorous illustrations take on what is known as the butterfly effect:
This is a short documentary about the Mandelbrot set hosted by Arthur C. Clarke, author of 2001 Space Odyssey. It's filled with breath taking imagery, and the ultimate in psychedelic art. Very thought provoking stuff.
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| 3rd Party Politics |
[Nov. 1st, 2008|09:06 pm] |
Contrary to what some people may think, if this election day you feel like you're having to decide between the lesser of the two evils, then you may be surprised. There are plenty of candidates spanning the entire spectrum of political ideologies to choose from, and you may like what you see.
Political parties other then Republicans and Democrats don't receive much media coverage, aren't allowed in the big debates, and generally lack the funds to get their message to the public at large as a consequence. Our electoral plurality voting system may be at fault, or the restrictive ballot access rules and other requirements which hinder third parties financially and otherwise. Many of these alternate parties offer practical solutions for a more inclusive electoral system, and each offer their unique view and positions on issues facing our country today.
When you get to the polls you'll notice four names you might not be very familiar with on the ballot. There's the Constitution Party candidate Chuck Baldwin, the Green Party's nominee Cynthia McKinney, representing the Libertarian Party is Bob Barr, and Ralph Nader is running as an independent candidate. At a National Press Club conference held last September all of these candidates committed to quickly ending the Iraq war, protecting privacy and civil liberties, stopping increases in the national debt, and investigating the Federal Reserve. They also expressed their opposition to the Democratic and Republican parties for ignoring these issues.
Cynthia McKinney left the Democrats for the Green Party in September of 2007 after twelve progressive years representing Georgia in congress. She has stated her hopes are to gain at least “5 percent of the national vote” and by doing so that it “confers major party status” for the Greens.
The Green Party does not accept contributions from corporations, and see the corporate sponsorship of other parties as the largest threat to democracy today. A Single-Payer health insurance plan for Americans is high on their list of priorities, along with environmental protections, civil rights, and bringing the troops home from Iraq.
Cynthia McKinney and her running mate, Rosa Clemente, offer a political alternative for those with social views in favor of same-sex marriage, and a pro-choice stance on abortion. McKinney was a high school teacher and a college professor before her professional life led her to congress, where she worked towards improved primary and free higher education, while opposing reform programs like "No Child Left Behind". She promotes alternative energy sources other then ethanol, which she sees as jeopardizing our food supply, and wants us to move towards becoming nuclear power and carbon power free.
Her campaign platform calls for an end to free trade agreements, and an overhaul of the current electoral system to include voter-verified paper ballots, direct elections by instant runoff voting, same-day registration, and for all political candidates to have public funded campaigns with free and fair access to the public airwaves.
In April of this year the Constitution Party nominated Chuck Baldwin, a Baptist pastor, talk radio host, and a syndicated columnist in Pensacola, Florida. He was also the vice presidential nominee for the party in 2004 after leaving the Republicans four years earlier, becoming an outspoken critic of the Bush campaign during the 2000 election.
Baldwin and his running mate, Darrell Castle from Tennessee, share many of the same political views as the recent Republican primary hopeful Ron Paul, whom endorsed Baldwin in his candidacy. Calling for economic solutions such as a gold standard and eliminating the Federal Reserve, he also wants America out of the United Nations, out of Iraq, and a repeal of the Patriot Act. New investigations of the World Trade Center attacks and his unflinching stance against globalism, seeking to phase out the IRS, and putting an end to illegal immigration are just a few of the highlights in his political platform, along with replacing the income tax with a 10% across-the-board tariff on imported goods.
He believes that "America was deliberately and distinctively founded as a haven for Christians," and supports the public display of the Ten Commandments in government buildings. As a major proponent of the right to keep and bear arms he opposes the practice of mandatory registration of guns or ammunition for law abiding citizens, and supports the idea of citizen militia groups. He is quoted as saying his presidency would, "put an end to abortion" and is staunchly opposed to "Roe vs. Wade". He wishes to disband the FDA and the Department of Education and strongly advocates freedom for homeschooling and private schooling.
Chuck Baldwin's plan for electoral reform consists of abolishing the Federal Election Commission, deregulating the process to be more inclusive for third parties, an end to electronic voting machines, with more control at the state and local level for elections.
Ralph Nader is on the ballot as an independent candidate along with Matt Gonzalez, his choice for a running mate. His fourth appearance on the national ballot, Nader has ran as the Green Party candidate and an independent in the past, and currently is also affiliated with the Peace and Freedom Party and the Reform Party as well. Known for his accomplishments in automobile safety for many decades, he attended Princeton and Harvard Law before going in the Army briefly and then returning to his home state of Connecticut to practice law. He was then a professor of history and government for two years before moving to the District of Columbia in 1964 where he has played an active role in politics ever since.
In the 2000 election there was controversy in Florida which led some to criticize Nader as a "spoiler" hurting Gore in a close race against Bush. It was also reported that as an independent candidate in 2004 he was generally discouraged and essentially bribed by Democrats fearing Bush's re-election. On their efforts he stated, "Voting for a candidate of one's choice is a Constitutional right, and the Democrats who are asking me not to run are, without question, seeking to deny the Constitutional rights of voters who are, by law, otherwise free to choose to vote for me."
His stances on the issues are mostly in line with the Green Party he once represented. Single-Pay health care, public funding of campaigns, opposition to privatizing Social Security, along with environmental protections, are all goals he's worked towards in his political career spanning four decades. In that time he has founded a variety of non-profit organizations and has been recognized as one of the 100 most influential Americans of the 20th century.
Bob Barr is the Libertarian Party nominee for president this year with Wayne Allyn Root as his running mate. Barr was an employee of the CIA in the 1970's before being appointed by Ronald Reagan in 1986 to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. Later he was a Republican congressman for the state serving eight years until 2003. A long time advocate of the war on drugs in his time as a congressman, he now supports ending federal marijuana prohibition. His stance on limited government, the protection of civil liberties, and favoring a non-interventionist foreign policy and faith in the free market system align him with the views of Ron Paul, a former Libertarian candidate as well.
Wanting to reach someone from the Libertarian Party here in South Carolina, I spoke with Victor Kocher, vice chairman for SC's Libertarian party. A Republican until 1998, he ran for state senate in 2002, and state legislature both in 2004 and this year as well on a Libertarian ticket.
When asked how third parties in general, and the Libertarians in particular fare in South Carolina compared to other southern states he replied..
"In South Carolina, there aren't as many restrictions for parties that are certified, as say, in North Carolina or Georgia, where we'd have to jump through hoops and spend money collecting signatures and such."
I was curious to see if disenfranchised voters were joining the ranks of Libertarians in this election cycle, and if there has been an increase in support from voters not wanting to pick from what they consider to be the lesser of two evils.
"It does seem a lot of people are seeing that there isn't much difference between the Republicans and the Democrats. As Libertarians, I feel that we bring the best of both parties together with the fiscal conservative stances we promote while also being socially tolerant. So yes, we offer an excellent alternative to those that feel disenfranchised and we are seeing those new faces in support for the party."
On the matter of election reform, Kocher had this to say.
"On a national level, I believe it'll be a long time before we generally see 3rd parties getting equal coverage from the media and being included in the debates. On a local level things are getting much better, but we still have a little ways to go."
And on what he would see as a successful victory for Libertarians in this election,
"Well, in a way we've already succeeded. Bob Barr has done a wonderful job in getting the Libertarian message to the public. The further recognition of the Libertarian party in South Carolina will ultimately help our cause, and however this election turns out, that's a victory for us."
As the Libertarian presidential nominee, Bob Barr runs on a fiscal conservative platform that calls for abolishing the income tax and the Internal Revenue Service in favor of a consumption tax, an individualized system of private accounts for Social Security, along with increasing transparency and oversight in the operations of the Federal Reserve. He opposes any federal definition of marriage, a strong supporter of gun ownership, and the elimination of corporate welfare.
Third party politics doesn't receive the exposure it deserves, but that's not for lack of merit. I hope you consider a third party candidate as a viable option when you head out to the polls this Tuesday, voting on the issues that are important to you. With such diversity and vision for the potential direction of our society, these organizations offer change that isn't proposed by the big party candidates. It's something to consider when casting your ballot, Tuesday, and in the future. |
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| photoshopping hub-bub AIR's |
[Oct. 27th, 2008|05:34 am] |
The Hub-Bub started out as a few energetic people with a great idea, a lot of enthusiasm, and the goal of making Spartanburg an even better place through the arts.
A group of local authors dedicated to publishing books specifically about Spartanburg, "Hub City Writers Project" was the engine behind the creation of the Hub-Bub. They are a non-profit independent press and literary arts organization, and host events at the Hub-Bub's "Showroom" and elsewhere throughout the city.
The Hub-Bub started as a website, but in early 2005 they opened their doors to the public after renovating the brick, warehouse style tri-level building which was home to the Gilbert Shoe Company for over a quarter century, and a furniture store and a car dealership even before that.
The second floor is the Showroom which serves the multiple functions of an art gallery, music venue, and a space for many various events. The lower floor is an upscale restaurant, the Brasserie Ecosse, which specializes in Euro-American cuisine.
On the top floor are four spacious lofts housing the members of the Hub-Bub's "Artist in Residence" program where three artists and a writer live rent free and are given free reign to "live free and create" for a year. They receive a "bi-monthly stipend of $300 in exchange for 15-20 hours a week of work helping out with HUB-BUB duties and getting involved in community based art projects."
Recently, Jonas Criscoe, an artist in residence, made great use of a new projector and took some excellent photos, which I photoshopped below.
Jonas is originally from Austin, Texas where he went to visual art school, and New York as well, along with Rhode Island, where he went for design. He has been featured in galleries throughout America and printed in several art publications.
(below 4 pics source)
The artist in residence, Sarah Witt, is a visual artist and a performance artist that approaches her audience delving into the familiar and strange aspects of the psyche, encouraging interaction and participation, thereby removing the boundaries between art and life. She recently made several tipi's in a lovely downtown vacant, grassy lot, seen photoshopped below.
Another artist in residence, Ellie Pierson, works with insulation, video and writing. As she sees her studio work as a reflection of life and all its unpredictable aspects, I'd like to share this image I photoshopped of her in her work space, the original being posted on her blog.
Patrick Whitfill is the writer in residence of the group. Also from Texas, he's been a literary academic now for a decade, and he's excited about the change of pace the Hub-Bub program has presented him. Along with interacting in the community and collaborating with the other visual artists, he's spending time writing a book of poems, a verse drama (a one-act play in blank verse) and writing another series of poems based on 1970s horror movies.
Exciting things are afoot in Spartanburg. At Hub-Bub's Showroom you will experience local and regional art and music, film showings, literary events, and many, many more interesting and wonderful things. The residence of the year long program will be there till June, and then they'll continue on their creative paths elsewhere, but I'm sure they'll always have a little piece of Spartanburg in their hearts, wherever they may go. |
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| chAng's Historical Spartanburg Spectacular |
[Oct. 14th, 2008|11:35 pm] |
Sparing no expense in getting the scooter in tip top shape,
chAng's friend Robo-Tom puts his mechanical mastery to work.
Installing a new one point twenty-one gigawatt flux-capacitor under the seat,
he sets in motion another adventure,
this time, through time.
pic source
Jumping on board, flipping the switch, I find myself way back in time, decades before 1785, when Spartanburg county was founded. Back then this whole area was a fertile hunting ground for the Catawba and Cherokee Indian tribes. The upstate was as far west as non-Indian people were supposed to settle back then, and conflicts between settlers and the tribes escalated in these foothills all the way up to the Revolutionary war.
pic source
Zipping on over to the Walnut Grove plantation in the southern part of Spartanburg I catch glimpse of Kate Barry, one of the Moore family daughters that lived there. She's now famous for warning patriots of the invading British troops just prior to the battle of Cowpens in 1781. According to legend, she tied her newborn baby to the bedpost while she rode out to warn neighbors that the British were approaching.
The house was built by her parents, Charles and Mary Moore in 1765 after King George the third granted 550 acres of land to them two years earlier.
pic source
Scooting forward through the years we enter the industrial revolution. Spartanburg was very much a textile town with many of its residents working at the various mills in the area. The county boasted twice as much production as Columbia or Augusta, Georgia, and just as the town was reported in the year 1900 as producing 250,000 bales of cotton annually, Spartanburg's population increased five times fold because of the prosperity of the several mills in the county.
I was near the heart of town so I visited Spartan Mills. Innovative in it's time, the mill ran on steam rather than relying on water power to do its work, back in the future all that's left is a brick chimney towering high above a vacant lot. Even though it was the cause of a massive population boom around the turn of the century, the mill culture had virtually disintegrated by the 1950's post war era.
pic source
On forward to recent history, the world has seen many changes, and so has downtown Spartanburg. The trolley cars and their tracks have been uprooted, replaced by Sparta buses, they've bricked up Main street, then opened it back up for traffic, and built the BB&T building as the lonely giant of our skyline. Daniel Morgan square has seen the statue of the celebrated general moved several times to accommodate changes to the layout of the very heart of downtown. He is the Revolutionary war hero that won the battle of Cowpens, and set the stage for the reconquest of South Carolina from the British. I just hope they don't drop him on my scooter.
I learned a lot about the history of Spartanburg and had fun seeing the sights, but was glad to get back to the present day with its modern conveniences. Now that I've explored the past, I'm curious as to what the future may have in store for the wonderful city of Spartanburg. |
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| Where's chAng? |
[Oct. 11th, 2008|10:58 pm] |
~ I haven't been able to make it out to any of Spartanburg's great local open mic events in ages due to my lack of transportation, but hopefully all that will change now that I'm in the process of getting my little red scooter on the road.
~ Just this weekend alone I missed out on lots of fun things to do around town. I didn't even make it to the county fair to enjoy the festivities. I'm sure I had some friends there that asked the question..
"Where's chAng?"
~ I also missed the Hub City Jam this weekend, a monthly event that takes place in the heart of downtown Spartanburg in Daniel Morgan square the 2nd Saturday of every month. The impromptu meeting of local musicians runs from 4 to 7pm and is organized by the extremely musically active and enthusiastically fun-natured Lydia, a Spartanburg music lover and Converse graduate who sums it up like so..
"We're just some folks who like to get together in downtown Spartanburg and play music. Ranging from Irish folk to acoustic rock to bluegrass to 1950's blues, it all depends on who and what shows up. It's a good time for everybody!"
but this week they must've been asking..
"Where's chAng?"
pic source
~ Every Sunday starting at 7pm, Sonny's Brickoven Pizza holds their "Songwriters Showcase" which is now running well into its second year. Hosted by Jamison Smith, it's a unique set up where they welcome the open mic participants for the first part of the night, then showcase a featured musical guest for an hour or so, afterwords inviting open mic attendees up for a final segment.
.. As it is a songwriters event, Jamison light-heartedly states, "There is rarely a "FREEBIRD!" yelled from the back of the room and everyone is supportive of the artist playing their own songs. Covers are welcomed and are not frowned upon, of course, but originals are encouraged. Some of the featured artists have been Brandy Lindsey, Marc Higgins, Angela Easterling, Mark Dawson, the Antibodies (rarely we have bands for special occasions), Aaron Whisnant, and some Asheville acts such as Laura Blackley, Brian McGee, and Dave Desmelik and many, many more. Scheduled in the upcoming weeks are Jerry Leger (coming through from Canada), and members of Quarterfly doing an acoustic set."
as of many Sundays past,
they ask,
"Where's chAng?"
~ When I do get back on the road, I definitely want to regularly attend all of the above, and rock out at the weekly Ground Zero open mic jam..
They're probably the most diverse of all the open mic events around, and they're the upstate's premier venue for everything from big name rock to local upstarts. Welcoming any and all types of bands and solo performers on their Wednesday night open mics, Mic Minchow, the owner of the establishment, fills us in.
"We only ask that you call ahead or e-mail us before hand because sometimes we book shows for out of town acts on Wednesdays when necessary. Be there before 8pm with your gear for a sound check through our sound system, and you'll be good to go."
pic source
~ If you're into the type of acoustic open mic event where you're sure to hear music ranging from bluegrass to rocked up flat top pickin' then you'll wanna swing by the oldest bar in Spartanburg, the Nu-Way (circa 1938) for their jam nights every other week.
Randy from the Bushy Valley Boys is an enjoyable host for the late night events, held on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month, they have everything you need to just plug in and play.
~ The Soapbox Sessions will be coming back around to the Nu-Way also, as they do the last Wednesday of every month running from 9pm till midnight, and I hope to be road ready by then, for sure. These are truly unique open mic events with spoken word, comedy, improv, and lots of good local musicians.
I'm glad all these great jam nights are going on around town,
it's reason for me to get out of the house and have fun with friends and mingle with the city folk.
I hope you come out and find me and say,
"chAng!!"
"Where were you !!" |
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| chAng's Imaginary Adventures |
[Oct. 11th, 2008|12:33 am] |
~ One step closer to having freedom to travel,
chAng gets himself a good deal on a little red scooter
and hits the road towards Spartanburg.
(pic source)
He wanted to find out what the heck "souvlaki" was after reading that the Sugar and Spice restaurant had the best around.
(pic source)
Goes to show a local, privately run place beats a corporate chain
any day of the week.
(pic source)
It's just a fancy name for shish-ka-bob,
or it can be a pita wrap,
but really it's just a vague word for
bite size chunks of meat it seems.
Mystery solved,
off to Krispy Kreme for some coffee
mmmm....
coffee,
and doughnuts too I suppose.
I have the doughnut song from a few blog posts back embedded in my brain for all eternity, and what an appropriate place to play it at..
(pic source)
and then I realized being able to come to town on a whim is too good to be true, and yup, I was dreaming..
(pic source)
You have to have a class G license to drive a scooter legally in South Carolina, so I still need to get the blinker fixed and a dang rear view mirror and get it inspected, before I can enjoy the "best souvlaki on planet earth."
but soon...
soon.. |
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| A Reunion to Remember |
[Oct. 6th, 2008|01:31 pm] |
~ What was bound to be a fun filled weekend of good folks and great music quickly turned into the most eventful and memorial few days of my life.
~ I trekked on up to the northern part of Spartanburg county to attend the 16th annual Moonshiners Reunion, a place that once upon a time was truly my home away from home.
~ Barney Barnwell and the Plum Hollow band host and headline the two day musical showcase, and I was popping in after a two year hiatus from when I played bass and worked with the band and was thankfully received with open arms. Then I found out the news that earlier that very same day their current bass player had been in an awful traffic accident on his way down to the festival from North Carolina. He had broken some ribs and had to be air lifted to the hospital, while his friend and driver of the vehicle had passed away in the wreck.
~ This was only the latest tragedy to strike, as many close friends of the festival and ex-bandmates have recently passed on as well, on top of Barney recently being diagnosed with throat cancer which has threatened the future of the band and the future of the festivals themselves.
~ Over a five year span, starting in the fall of 2000, I worked my way up through the ranks of the Plum Hollow band, starting as a roadie, then a soundguy, then bass player, and finally adding road manager to my list of responsibilities within the group. In the summer of 2006 I left the band and now, over two years later, I was going to visit the festival as a spectator, camper, and just another face in the crowd.
~ After I heard about the car wreck, I gladly accepted the invitation to sit in with the band for their shows at the festival. Even though I hadn't played any of the songs in that two year span of time, I knew the show must go on. We didn't even know if Barney was going to be able to get out on stage in his condition, much less sing and perform, but much to the surprise of all he did a fantastic three shows over the weekend. I just held on tight and hoped it'd all come back to me once I got up there, and except for a few "jazz notes" as we call 'em, I pulled through alright.
~ I didn't expect much more then a few brief moments to be able to really talk to Barney with all the commotion and craziness, what with a few thousand people hopped up on cornliquor competing for his attention and all, but after the Friday night show he invited me up to his house for a few hours to catch up on things, and it was just like old times.
~ Back when I was on the road with the band, traveling the southeast, spreading rocked-up electrified bluegrass to college campuses and various venues with the guys, life seemed a lot simpler. Doing something you love for a living really isn't like "work" at all. Barney is a wealth of both music knowledge and history in general. As we'd run up and down those mountains, enjoying the scenery, he'd enlighten us with the most interesting stories of southern culture and insights on the spirit of the south.
~ It was always an adventure and you never quite knew what exciting circumstance or challenging situation might be waiting for you around the corner.
~ When I first met Barney, over seven years ago, it was the night before the Moonshiners Reunion, and after telling him I wanted to be in the music business, the first thing he asked me was.. "Do you got a strong back?" He said that I'd learn all kinds of stuff I probably wouldn't expect to learn working with a band. "Other then running sound equipment and your typical roadie stuff, you'll know how to drive a tractor, and catch a possum, and even how to be a pilot." I looked at him kinda funny when hearing that and asked.. "You mean ya'll have a plane?!?" and he said, "Not that kinda pilot, I'm gonna cut the wood and you're gonna pile it."
~ Barney is like the wild eyed hillbilly historian uncle I never had. I owe him for a lot more then just learning about the inner workings of having a band, or even how to throw a successful music festival, but also about being honorable and forthright in your actions.
~ I don't think we've seen the end of the festivals or the band, but that's my optimistic hopes talking there, the reality of the situation and where it'll lead is a guess to anyone at this point, but I know Barney has done something few others have had the guts to do, to follow their dreams to wherever they might lead. He's never backed down from a challenge, and even though his fight against cancer is the most challenging obstacle to date, he always has seemed to overcome the odds in the past, and it's my guess that he'll shine through with the same perseverance that has brought him this far in his truly unique path. He has the magic of a legend in his own time, and he's the last of a vanishing cultural breed. He showed me a life making music is achievable, and that anything is possible, all you have to do is make it happen.
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| Toothpaste for Dinner |
[Sep. 30th, 2008|03:58 pm] |
~ The internet has changed the rules of entertainment and information drastically. It's uncharted territory and the sky is truly the limit when it comes to the possibilities. People with creativity and brilliant ideas are finding new and profound ways to capitalize on this new paradigm of communication in ways previously unimaginable.
~ One such success story is a clever fellow by the name of Drew, and his wife Natalie Dee. They have found that they can use their unique humor and creative musings to make a living from drawing webcomics and selling merchandise online.
 
 
~ They each have their own individual webcomic sites, Drew with "toothpastefordinner" and Natalie with her "Natalie Dee" site, and they also share credit with the collaboration site "Married to the Sea."
"Toothpaste for Dinner"
"Natalie Dee"
"Married to the Sea"
~ "SuperPoop" is a new site by Drew that features real pictures with his own hilarious commentary.
"Super Poop"
~ They've taken youtube by storm with their unique humor and made super stars of their pet pugs named "Chester" and "Charles" featured on their own website called "Roller Chester."
~ All the interesting music in those videos is made by Drew, you can download some free here, or buy some online here.
~ Drew and Natalie Dee, Chester and Charles, they make the world a better place, and they make their own little corner of the internet a fun place to visit. Buy a shirt, CD, or whatever.
These folks got it going on. |
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| Photoshoping Slobot |
[Sep. 27th, 2008|02:19 pm] |
~ For the Spartanburg SC local, Slobot is a charmingly mysterious celebrity, an informative icon, and a seeker of hidden treasures when it comes to the nooks and crannies of the interesting places in town. I have recently taken up messing with photoshop and found Slobot makes the perfect specimen for such copy/paste/layering activities.
~ I plan on doing a full journalistic article about the story behind Slobot in the near future, the people, "behind the box" so to speak, and what other projects they have going on as well, but for now.. eye candy will have to do >
~ These are not authentic Slobot pictures, just stuff I've been playing with, check out the real Slobot at www.UterineFury.com
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...Slobot at Denny's on his day off.
A night of Yager bombs..
Slobot takes political action..
..On one of his many adventures on the high seas,
he rescues these ill fated seamen from the doomed S.S. Erotic Bagel.
..Slobot riding into Hub-City on the midnight train.
.. Every since tattoo's were made legal in Spartanburg,
Slobot has found a new source of creative expression.
.. With his ever increasing popularity, there are many people wanting to
come aboard Slobot's enterprise.
.. Slobot loves things that taste like chicken.
.. And he loves to play a good polka.
~ One of those photo shoots that didn't make the cut.
.. With gas prices the way they are, many alternate forms
of transportation are being sought after.
~ Slobot has great ideas.
~ He feels it is his duty to warn the people of Spartanburg about
the scoundrels afoot in the city..
~ Even before they land at the airport.
~ Another nemesis, as seen in this propaganda poster.
~ He has been known to infiltrate local musicians meet-ups.
~ But with his bravery we will prevail,
as Slobot has the biggest balls of them all,
just like that AC/DC song says..
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spartan_chang's journal
