Hillary or Barack, I don’t even care just don’t give another republican president. I am not about to deal with anything remotely resembling the nonsense of the past 8 years all over again. I want the warm, comfy feelings of my childhood Clinton years (Pre-Republican smear campaign) back!
Amidst all the election business, Micah Wright’s Remixed War Propaganda posters were brought to my attention yesterday. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen them around before. While this L.A. based (he lives right by USC) artist has also worked in film, comics and television, his controversial books of posters are his most well known work. Editing 40s and 50s era propaganda posters and presenting them with new text that provokes the view on modern day issues, Wright has developed an intriguing form with which to spark dialogue on both contemporary society and the evolution of American culture. His work needs to be slathered all over this country right now.
Checking out the links portion of Wright’s site led me to this little interesting spot on the web: Project Censor. Looking past the dramatic, bleeding statue of liberty (an icon which seems to be taking a lot of abuse lately) one will find the online home of a series of books that come out yearly and publish the top 25 news stories in independent journals and newsletters that were either ignored, under-reported or censored that year. The research effort was launched in 1976 by Dr. Carl Jensen a professor from Sonoma state University. The site features these types of articles as well, most of which make for an interesting read.
I’ve always wondered how tourists must feel when they come to LA. I wonder what they think about the cluster fuck of architecture, the tiny skyline, and the thick pinkish cloud of smog that encases us. Where do you even go if you’re a visiting Swedish family of 5? Hollywood and Highland? Gross. Do you take taxis? It sucks, but you can forget about public transportation. I’ve lived here all my life and I still haven’t ridden a bus (Well, once, but I don’t want to talk about it). It’s taken me 3 years of living on my own to feel at home in this city, 3 years just to be able to connect all the different patches that make up its senseless sprawl. Sometimes I try to put myself in the mindset of an outsider and attempt look at the city with new eyes, usually when I’m stuck in traffic and trying to keep myself from just ramming into the car in front of me. It’s a calming exercise.
This past week I was going east on the 60 (unfortunately), when my IPOD died. I had been listening to MGMT, which must have been partly to blame for the bout of melancholy I experienced upon passing a group of homes built into a hill. Random palm trees surrounded them, and the recent rains had made the grass look fresh and green. The walls that presumably were there to keep the houses from sliding down the hill were covered in graffiti and the homes themselves were very square, very white, very 80s. Now, I’m sure it really was the grossest thing, but with the afternoon sky was gold and pink I thought it was really beautiful.
LA is kind of like what you’d get if a big, 70’s drag queen got transfigured into to a county, and that’s why I love it. That being said, this is probably one of the most annoying cities to navigate in the world. I’ve just begun trying to get any real sense of what it has to offer, but I’ve already learned a lot. For instance, best green enchiladas in the city? El Compadre on Sunset. There are two of them, so go to the one on the East side. No, you won’t see as any random celebs, but the service is so much better. The last time I went to the one across from Toi an idiot hostess took my name down, told me to wait at the bar for 20 minutes, and then 25 minutes later looked me dead the eye and told me she had never seen me before in her life. It was kind of funny, but not because it resulted in me eating at Cheebo, a joint I hate for its intense mediocrity.
Just to clarify, I shop on the east side of Melrose. God willing one day this whole career thing I’m banking on will happen and I’ll be able to migrate over to west half (hopefully before the Alexander McQueen store opens this Spring, but the odds aren’t looking too good). See, I’m from the hood son, don’t my obsession with all things fashion related fool you.
I’ve spent the past 3 years stuck studying in South Central. It wasn’t exactly the lifestyle change I’d imagined, but soon (after getting my car/Mac book/wardrobe stolen) I found myself moving in with my BFF and some random guy from Craigslist into a cute little apartment in Los Feliz where I now reside. So stop reading this blog now if you think that shopping means Robertson, that making art is being the millionth person to take party photos of skinny, pretty people (I get the impulse, so I only sort of hate you) or if you think music shouldn’t be as catchy as it is dirty.Now, before I piece out I’ll leave you with a good and bad list.
