Monday, July 31, 2006

Thunderhead


John and Kendra, originally uploaded by Theorris.

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Solomon's Seal?


Solomon's Seal?, originally uploaded by Theorris.

I'm not sure if this really is solomon's seal or not. In any case the flower heads are great.

Sugarloaf and Pine Grove


Sugarloaf and Pine Grove, originally uploaded by Theorris.

You can see the meadow between the pines, looking up towards Sugarloaf mountain.

Uncertain


Uncertain, originally uploaded by Theorris.

I can't remember this plant's name. It is something like jackass flower (I'm not kidding.) My old girlfriend Mary told me what it was.

Lupins


Lupins, originally uploaded by Theorris.

The lupins were in full bloom.

Lupins and unknown


Lupins and unknown, originally uploaded by Theorris.

I was sitting on this cool outcropping of granite.

Indian Paintbrush


Indian Paintbrush, originally uploaded by Theorris.

I went up to Albion Basin and trekked around yesterday. The light was not the greatest, but the wildflowers were.

Thursday, July 27, 2006

This goes into the "never again" file Stop whining

And Jeff didn't get any of his art featured. That really sucks. The FHM calendar didn't even make it. What a waste.


Update: (7/29/06) I sound bitter. Actually it was a good experience and Kim did a great job with the article.

Salt Lake Tribune - Tour de France winner flunks drug test

Salt Lake Tribune - Tour de France winner flunks drug test:
"LONDON - Tour de France champion Floyd Landis tested positive for high levels of testosterone during the race, his Phonak team said Thursday on its Web site.
The statement came a day after the UCI, cycling's world governing body, said an unidentified rider had failed a drug test during the Tour.
And the statement came just four days after Landis stood on the victory podium on the Champs-Elysees, succeeding seven-time winner Lance Armstrong as an American winner in Paris. "

Oy. He just needs to go on tour with Barry Bonds and Hulk Hogan now. They can call themselves Champions of the Roid Rage. Something like that.

Where are the good old days when athlete's were just heavy drinking, hard gambling, prostitute chasing, good old all American sonsuhbitches?

Weekend at Bernie's


Ack
Originally uploaded by Theorris.
I think we might have been seeing things this way after the road trip/Pieneer [sic] Day weekend.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Considering glue


Considering glue
Originally uploaded by Theorris.

"High Brow Meets Low Brow in Sugarhouse Home"

In Utah This Week.

It doesn't look like all the pictures are showing up online. Oh well.

I suppose it is not all that embarassing. At least I got a clean bedroom out of it. Jeff's bedroom is always clean so I guess he got free publicity for his art.

I'm glad she mentioned Derek Mellus's cool box, even if it doesn't show up online (click on the link to see it, however)
.

By the way, does the combination of high brow and low brow mean that I'm middle brow? Middlebrow, what do you think?

Monday, July 24, 2006

Sunday, July 23, 2006

X-mas in July: a blank verse sonnet based on an off-hand comment

Hey, I didn't get the chance to reject
Santa as a fraud. When I was 9 my dad
Took me shopping to Big V at X-mas
He bought the sweetest air hockey table,
And I glared at it in its cardboard box.
When I asked him what that was for he said
"It is from Santa Claus to your brother."
I tell you I've had many moments in
My life of utter disappointment and
Disillusionment, but nothing matches
The feelings of emptiness, rejection
And fear that I felt on that ride home one
Snowy December afternoon in my
Dad's fifty three Ford Power King pickup.

"Leave me alone. It is too damn hot."

To keep up the blog-theme of heat started by me last week and spread to Lisa b earlier this week, I give you Boonis: one hot cat.

He has been letting me know all morning that it is too hot. How does he do that? Continual catterwauling interlaced with flopping around the table.

Hot cat


Hot cat
Originally uploaded by Theorris.
I don't know why he just doesn't go downstairs if he is hot.

Saturday, July 22, 2006

"YE GODS!*" as my mother would exclaim

I imagine all my Utah bloggity friends are hanging out in their respective basements on our last global warming proof 9 days of over 100 degree heat. I think the only one of us who doesn't have a basement is Lis. Sorry Lis.

Basements rule.

*By the way, I have no idea where my mother would come by such a pagan expression, being a Daughter of the Utah Pioneers that she was, but she would regularly express it when things were opressive.

Friday, July 21, 2006

Disc Golf Anyone?


Portable Disc Golf
Originally uploaded by Theorris.
LateJC aka Catinlap purchased a portable disc golf basket which we put to good use yesterday evening in the East end of Sugarhouse Park. Go to Discarama and see more adrenaline-filled pictures!

The park, as you can see, is terribly over-watered. I believe that the water they use, however, is pretty much only designated for Sugarhouse Park and when it runs out the park gets no more water. I am not 100% certain of this. If you wander through any part of Sugarhouse Park, however, you will note that the grass is pretty much soggy a lot of the time. This differs markedly from the park just down the way (Fairmont) which is not over-watered (or even moderately-watered). SLC Salt Lake County Parks Department has some weird fetish for Sugarhouse Park and its grass.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

From the only in Utah desk

I received this in the morning mail from Candace:
Run with the Goddesses

A sprinkle of goose feathers, a dash of creek, roll in a coat of dirt, kick a little trail running butt, and you have a divine race.

XTERRA Utah Scramble presents a trail run to benefit Avalon Isle, Women’s Theatre Group.

Who: From beginning runners to elite athletes, all ages
What: 10k and 5k races – Dress up like your favorite God or Goddess! Prizes will be awarded for best costume.Link
When: Saturday, July 29th, 9:00 a.m.
Where: Wheeler Historic Farm, 6351 South 900 East
Register: http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1304366

Don’t like to run but still want to donate; you may donate to Avalon Isle at the above website. Questions about Avalon Isle, contact Candace at avalonisleslc@yahoo.com
Link
For more information about the race see www.utahscramble.com or email clark@utahscramble.com

Avalon Isle is dedicated to creating feminist theatre. Our purpose is to offer feminists an opportunity to express their voice through performance art. Avalon Isle welcomes all men and women who support these goals.
Eventhough I suppose they are referring to Greek gods, I could paint myself blue and go as Rama, but that might be sacreligious. Then again Hindus do dress up as Hanuman. Hanuman would be far more fun. He's a monkey and can leap like the dickens.

Do you think anyone will have the chutzpa to show up as Jesus?

Yeah, they will. This is Utah, after all and people show up regularly in what some might term sacreligious garb. I expect some heavenly mothers, too.

From the you thought you've seen everything desk

The Marvelous Crooning Child by Eugene Mirman. Mirman is going to be at Burt's Tiki Lounge tonight.

Speaking of gooftatic flash animations, I had to take Miss Manners off yesterday as she is taking up too much of my meagre Comcast-endowed space. She had lost her appeal, however, as her second episode crashed and burned in the Nielsons.

Sunday, July 16, 2006

[The land of lost notes] Note 36: Rock Angelz

Found Fairmont Park, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Epidemic


Epidemic
Originally uploaded by Theorris.
My friends John and Kendra (see Kendrakoo and Chak over there <---) gave me this sign a few years ago for my birthday. It is about the best birthday gift I've ever received, I think. The only thing better to get would be a mummy or a robot. In any case, I mention this gift because J&K are visiting from their temporary home in Austin. They will hopefully make ample use of the Wilhelm's tikified guest room.

Side-yard parties to be expected. 75% chance of seeing cobalt hour.

I'll keep you posted.

Saturday, July 15, 2006

A brush with Death Metal Fame

A while ago, I related to you a brush with alt-rock fame when my buddy Jeff and I ran into the lead singer of The Eagles of Death Metal out in front of the Depot in SLC. Jeff caught this on his cell phone during the show and I put it together as a sort of memento. Dumb, I know, but I needed to put something on the Youtube thinger.

Friday, July 14, 2006

15 minutes of fame


15 minutes of fame
Originally uploaded by Theorris.
Well my reporter friend Kim came visited today for the article, and here are my reflexive, post-modern pictures of her taking pictures of the place. Her eye spotted Skeletor's year book picture above the stove. More post-modernism: skeleton lights framing skeleton painting.

Reporter in action


Reporter in action
Originally uploaded by Theorris.
Kim was great and took lots of pictures of the Wilhelm's oddities.

I'm too sexy for my fur, too sexy for my fur, I'll make you purr


Scoop & Boonis
Originally uploaded by Theorris.
Boonis likes lounging on my bed when the room is clean, quite a rare occurrence. As you can see, he quite enjoyed being the object of photographic attention.

Sweet Jebus it is hot!


Sweet Jebus it is hot!
Originally uploaded by Theorris.

Built to Spill


Melon Grab has some pictures and thoughts on last night Built to Spill show.

Once again BtS put on a great show.

Time for real change

Pete Ashdown's Campaign Journal:
With your help I have gone from last to third place in Barbara Boxer's PAC for a Change contest. On Tuesday I dropped to fourth place due to a feisty Claire McCaskill going to number one.

We can win this contest. It takes less than 30 seconds for you to register your vote. Please DO IT NOW!

You really should go vote for Pete. Go to his page and take a look at the funds he has on hand and then think about what that means. Note that he has taken no PAC money. Note that all his funds are raised on his own. Don't think for a minute that smug Hollywood Hatch is not beatable. Moss had very much the same smug attitude when Hatch beat him back in the 70s. Arn is beatble and he is definitely the wrong person for the job.

Pete is the guy that is going to put him out of a job. Now go make sure he gets more support to do that.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

PoMo Image Conscious Blues(Chair)

In Utah This Week | Welcome:
"We bought this house because we thought it had potential," Rousculp said.
So my journalist friend is coming by tomorrow early evening to conduct the house tour she completed last week with my friend Tif (of the article quoted above.) It was interesting seeing Tif and Chris's stuff splayed out in the tabloid. My old girlfriend had a hand in painting the mural they are standing in front of in one of the pictures. I've tripped over that Tijuana phallic sculputre. I remember exactly when Tif stripped those stairs. I'm glad she decided to leave them like they are. See that's the problem: Tif is cool. She has great taste. I, however, don't have much to show for myself other than a few pieces of art I've picked up over the years; odd hats, action figures, funky computer equipment going back to the 80's that would make Terry Gilliam jealous, and books--oh so many, many books.

I was telling Middlebrow today that I have no idea what I will show her as I consider myself one of the most boring persons on the planet. He laughed at that. I wasn't serious, of course, but I do wonder now what in the hell is going to be very interesting about the Wilhelm. Undoubtedly the action figures will play a big role in the piece that features my and housemate's furnishings. He's the one that has the cool stuff and his paintings are killer. His paintings, in fact, cover the place, except for those few pieces I've picked up on my own.

Art or action toys? Hats or books? Seriousness or humor. God I feel like I'm being analyzed on the proverbial Freudian couch.

Hmm.

I have fantasized about conducting the entire interview in the gimp room downstairs. The gimp room is the closet-like room in the basement under the stairs. It is a great space and contains a can openner. I have also fantasized about conducting the interview in the fashion of Ozzie Osbourne did in the 80's for MTV. Basically he was hammered or acting hammered and passed out on everything--smashing things or knocking things to the floor.

Damn I wish I were a rock star. Being in my humble profession, however, I don't think such behavior would be approved of. I also imagine my ancient aunts peering over their papers and screeching to their dozing husbands "DEAR GOD LOOK WHAT'S HAPPENED TO SHIRLEY'S BOY!" Not, of course, that my ancient aunts will ever see this hip and trendy tabloid even if it is put out by the stodgy old SLTrib.

I suppose there is something to be said about renting as opposed to buying--its benefits and its pitfalls. I will say that my current lanlord is the best I've ever had, so I wouldn't shit talk him at all in the press. Now my last one: I can shit talk him no end and I still wouldn't feel satisfied. I could also talk about my car-less lifestyle by choice, but that just sounds too preachy.

Ah I forgot about the PoMo blue chair. Yes the PoMo blue chair is always a big hit. I'll have to show you all the PoMo blue chair some time.

Okay, okay, you twisted my arm: here it is. The PoMo blue chair:
I think I will follow her around with my own camera, however, and take pictures of her taking pictures of me. Now that's postmodern, ain't it?

Shake! Shake! Shake!

Catinlap has a field day with his camera phone, his new Mac, remixes, iMovie, and YouTube: Disc-a-rama "Taking it to the 'Tude".

I wish I really could shake my booty like that.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Straight out of the UK


Straight out of the UK
Originally uploaded by Theorris.
The Book of Dave I ordered from amazon.uk arrived the other day. I'm already a good deal into it. Despite his misogyny, Dave is a fairly complex character beset with a variety of problems most of which seem to stem from his inability to accept who he is and that he has problems which he must rely on others to help him out with.

The book is divided between Dave's desperate life in modern-day London and a distant future where the natives of flooded-out London speak a taxi-driver/l337 dialect and live their lives (or so I've gathered) based on the rants of Dave. The men and the women, for example, live separately simply because Dave and his wife are acrimoniously divorced. Dave, as well, is said to be watching from his "rearview" or "mirra" where he sees everything that the "fares" do.

So far the novel is just as interesting and inventive as I expected. I'm puzzling out, however, what the relationship is going to be between Dave and the people he has inspired in the future. Are they working out some sort of misogynist society or will that be over thrown by the more rebellious people of "Ham" who seem to violate Dave's "rules" to their own peril. Will Dave himself ever reconcile his problems with women?

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Ticket to what you need

According to my last-fm account it seems I've listened to a lot of Badly Drawn Boy this week. 50 cuts. The player was on shuffle and it hit "I Was Wrong" from Have You Fed the Fish? and of course I had to hear "You Were Right" which follows on the heels of "I Was Wrong." The songs on that CD are integrated so well that you don't really want to hear one without the other. Then of course this lead to listening to one the other albums The Hour Of The Bewilderbeast and One Plus One Is One.


In all I like Gough's experimentation with structure, melody, and lyrics--although I think all three tend to diminish some of the songs occasionally. In any case lyrically the songs explore the same territory that his sound does; they seem to be mundane but build up to a complexity that is quite compelling:

And I
Was rushing round in circles
For a reason to belive
Wipe the slime from off your sleeve
You could follow me for weeks
And I'm not going anywhere

Sometimes it's hard to love someone
Until the day that they are gone


A seemingly appropriate self-centered bit of rock and roll, but then (following an appropriate shift out of the pining chorus of "Sometimes it's hard to love someone"):

And I
Just had a dream the other night
I was married to the queen
And Madonna lived next door
I think she took a shine to me
And the kids were all grown up
But I had to turn her down
'Cos I was still in love with you


Aside from the slight confusion of who the singer is in love with, the mashing of Madonna and the Queen moves this song out of a sort of solipsistic exploration of existential angst into a exploration of pop culture and a participation in it--not only as a listener, but as a singer.

But that doesn't really matter because this refrain and the ones that follow it where the singer "gets Madonna tickets to what she needs" and the next refrain following an interlude which recounts the deaths of various pop (and not so pop) stars such as Sinatra, Jeff Buckley, Cobain, and Lennon establish that the singer of the song is stuck on the notion of being a pop star at the expense of a "ticket to what he needs." Witness the refrain that follows:

And I
Was busy finding answers while
You just got on with real life
Always hoped you'd be my wife
But I never found the time
For questions to arrive
I just disguised it in a song

And songs
Are never quite the answer
Just a soundtrack to a life
That is over all too soon
Helps to turn the days to night
While I was wrong and you were right (
Badly Drawn Boy - "You Were Right")

There is movement in the song of growth, of course, but it is a negative sort of growth; one learns and that learning somehow doesn't cause one to move forward, but causes one to become more holed up: more wrong, as it were. The song, of course, is not without hope. Ultimately I think it is a song in which the singer realizes his situation in life what it is to be human. It is not degrading, but a sort of waking up out of idealistic or exuberant childhood where everything seems to be possible. Once life beats one down, it would seem, life appears to be less-full of potential, but you sort of muck on anyway.

Now is that necesarrily negative? Is becoming aware a negative thing? Well folks do point out that the smarter one is the more likely one is to become depressed or "unhappy." Ignorance is bliss, right? I think what makes artists Gough appealing to me is his insistence on a reality and not glossing over things and making them hap-dam-pappy for the prettiness of it all. (Think of the end of The Sun Also Rises when Jake tells Brett "Wouldn't it be pretty to think so.") Is that dark? Is that depressing? Is that limiting of life's possibilities? Sure, but we're all consigned to it. That does not make life not worth living, however, nor interesting. It makes it real and not fantastical or even melodramatic. I'd rather be in a world with problems and struggles than a world where everything is plasticoated and all-so-perfect. We might be trapped in this decrepit world, but like Dylan Thomas says "I sang in my chains like the sea." It is pretty much all we got going for us: so sing.

Monday, July 10, 2006

"Look on ye mighty and discpair!"

Behold the mightiness of disc golf.

No trunkless legs here...well at least not yet.

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Johnny crow would dig and sew


Jalapeno up close
Originally uploaded by Theorris.

I grabbed a four pack of jalapenos at the store a couple of months ago. All four seem to be doing ok in their pot and have set fruit. Rock it.

I'm a pretty bad gardener (now that's a bad pun, I'll admit), over all, but this year I seem to be paying more attention to little things like watering plants before the collapse into straw-colored dust.

I'm looking forward to putting these peppers in the most freakishly hot curry that you can imagine. Home grown peppers by far outrank the over-watered (and therefore mellowed out) supermarket variety.

The East forty


The East forty
Originally uploaded by Theorris.

This and another 2 pots are my garden. Funky for a kid who grew up on a farm.

Fruit on the vine


Fruit on the vine
Originally uploaded by Theorris.

My tomato is doing pretty good despite its small pot. It has twelve fruits.

Ms. Productive


Ms. Productive
Originally uploaded by Theorris.

Or should that be Mrs. productive? I shudder to think that my tomato is procreating without a license.

Friday, July 07, 2006

This sprig's for you

"A sprig of parsley can provide much more than a decoration on your plate. Parsley contains two types of unusual components that provide unique health benefits. The first type is volatile oil components - including myristicin, limonene, eugenol, and alpha-thujene. The second type is flavonoids - including apiin, apigenin, crisoeriol, and luteolin." (The World's Healthiest Foods: Parsley)

Sprig is a great word even when not connected to the estimable parsley.

Enough said


Juniors
Originally uploaded by Theorris.

Like a Democratic Christmas in July

To quote Steve over at Orbiter Dicta:
Life is tough when you have tens of thousands of dollars sitting around or when you're confronting a behemoth incumbent like Senator Orrin Hatch. Those are the predicaments that Senator Barbara Boxer (her PAC for a Change, that is) and Pete Ashdown find themselves respectively in.

Here's how you can help them: Go to candidate voting page of Senator Boxer's PAC and vote for Pete Ashdown. If he wins, Senator Boxer can unload her excess money on Ashdown's campaign. It's a win-win situation.

SLCSpin and Utah Democrats have already done their part to help these two politicians. (Orbiter Dicta, Pete Ashdown and Senator Barbara Boxer need you help)

I voted for Pete to get the money.

Update: Steve has an important correction on Orbiter Dicta (q.v.) The money from Boxer's campaign apparently doesn't go directly to the candidate who wins, but he or she will gain free publicity from it.

Losing Momentum

Fancypants Miss Manners returns with more lessons in propriety.

Michael Franti and Spearhead


Michael Ferante and Spearhead
Originally uploaded by Theorris.

At the Gallivan Twilight Concert Series.

Update: Dan Nailen has a review complete with links and shit.

Thursday, July 06, 2006

From the running around waving your hands in the air frantically desk

Why does this story just seem to be typical of Utah--the state that proclaims ultra-competence in everything but in the long run is completely incompetent in most things: Salt Lake Tribune - Confusion clouds Utah vote recount.

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

creative ape, indeed

Well looky here, someone I know actually has a film listed in IMDB: Way of the Puck (2006). I'm sure Sleepy E was there before, but it is good the film finally has its own entry. I occasionally search for all the creative folks I know in IMDB just for the hell of it--an odd hobby, I know, but no worse than facial hair experiments:


Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Happy 4th of July


Burn out
Originally uploaded by Theorris.

Enjoy your independence, folks.

I am quite pleased that I did not hear the term "4th of July Eve" yesterday.

JUST BECAUSE IT IS THE DAY BEFORE A HOLIDAY DOES NOT MAKE IT AN "EVE." Oy!

Rant off.

Go overthrow some tyrant today.

Monday, July 03, 2006

Wannabe

If I wasn't doing what I want to do as a career, I always thought I'd like to give photography a go. While I think I can catch a scene occasionally, I don't think I'm that particularly talented for it nor do I have the technical expertise (and I'm too impatient to take a class to learn it.) I do consider myself an avid hobbyist, however, and keep the Flickr site for that reason.

My hobby seems to be paying off in attention, however, as my stuff has been picked 3 times for various things over the last 6 months. Now one of them is kind of an inside job in that Lis over at Assertively Unhip used some of my photos for a writing contest/whatever at the SLCC Community Writing Center. I see that the contest deadline is 1 August 2006.

The second honor was completely out of the blue. A French publisher contacted me about using this spiral jetty/Great Salt Lake picture for some new atlas they are making. Supposedly it comes out in the fall.

The third honor is some online do-hickey called Schmap. They chose a picture that I took of the Delta Center sometime last winter.

I have a creative common license on all these and don't care if folks use them for non-commercial purposes, but I also granted the last two companies the right to use them for commercial purposes. Their products seem ok. I probably should have demanded compensation beyond just receiving copies of said publications, but being an academic that's the kind of compensation I'm used to, I guess. The question is--do I put it on my vitae?

File this whole thing under self-indulgence, I think.

Pine grove


Pine grove
Originally uploaded by Theorris.

Being in a pine forest in the mountains of Utah causes one to go hyperbolic: I was contemplating writing an extreme statement such as "there is nothing comparable to being in a pine forest in the mountains of Utah on a hot summer day." While the experience is quite nice, I bet there is something to compare to it.

In any case: eat your heart out flatlanders!

Saturday, July 01, 2006

"Who Killed the Electric Car?"

Hopefully this movie will catch as much attention as Gore's with less of the political ranting against it: Who Killed the Electric Car? The problem with Gore's movie is, of course, that by featuring himself so prominently in the narrative role the movie has necessarily become a target for political windbags to carp on. Gore should have stayed behind the scenes.

Sadly, I will be unable to see Who Killed the Electric Car in good old car-obsessed Utah. Oh well. I'll just drive down to the WalMart and get myself some cheap crap at low low prices.

Fuck that shit.

Update: I just wrote the following to Tori Baker of the Salt Lake Film Society (they run the Tower and the Broadway theaters in SLC.)
Hi,

I wonder if there is anyway of bringing Who Killed the Electric Car to SLC? (http://www.sonyclassics.com/whokilledtheelectriccar/) The movie was featured on NPR's Science Friday yesterday. Sadly I noted that it is not playing anywhere in Utah.

Keep up the great work. I really enjoy going to the Broadway and the Tower.

--[Theorris Boonasty]

I encourage you to write to the SL Film Society too if you are at all interested in seeing the movie play in Utah. Here is Tori's email address: tori_baker@saltlakefilmsociety.org

Update 2 (3 July 2006):

Good news, sort of....
[Theorris],
Keep an eye on our website and e-mails we're trying to get this film, but I'm not sure if Sony is going to sell it to us.
Best,
Tori

"Take on the grand themes in the grand manner"

The Penguin Podcast this week has been featuring a reading/question-and-answer-period by Britsh novelist Will Self. Self is reading from his new novel The Book of Dave. The book is a satire on religion and man's religious impulse. It tells the story of a group of London civilization 700 years in the future. Civilization has collapsed when (I assume) the polar icecaps melt and everything is flooded. The people living on the Island of Ham have created religion based on the rantings of a London cab dirver Dave Roth.

In the question and answer portion of the podcast (episode 4 on the web site), Self discusses how he believe religion develops and how religions are often used to make people do things they aren't inherently inclined to do. He also discusses his writing process and making it as a writer.

The books isn't available in bookstores outside of Britain yet (as far as I can see--I looked it up: it isn't going to be in US bookstores until November). I'm probably going to just by it straight from Penguin.

Update: Bah!
Unfortunately, as you are a customer from the USA we are not allowed to sell to you. However, if you click here http://us.penguingroup.com you will be redirected to the Penguin Group (US) who will be delighted to help you.
Asshats. I blame the gov'ment!

Update 2: BWAHAHAH! Thank you amazon.co.uk.
Thank you for your order.
We will send you an e-mail confirmation shortly.