The "I survived camping" Edition :: Issue #087

:: :: I was out of cell reception for 4 days and LIVED TO TELL THE TALE :: ::

Rusty’s Electric Dreams, an inbox zine by Rusty Blazenhoff
Issue #087 :: The “I survived camping” Edition :: 06:01:2016

I survived camping…

If you don’t know me in real life, you may not realize what a deep introvert I am. I tend to spend a lot of time alone and when I do socialize, I prefer to do so in small groups.

Also, the older I get, and the more I use computers of all kinds, the more I isolate myself to a small circle of friends.

But, this weekend, I got out of my comfort zone. I went camping.

Yes, I slept in a tent in the woods and, nope, there was no connection to the outside world.

Long story short: It was awesome! In no particular order… I saw all kinds of wildlife, drank Dragon’s Drool, slept in a tent, smoked weed, went skinny dipping [in this pool], allowed myself to be lazy and napped for a good portion of the day, and had lots of one-on-one time with dear friends.

I didn’t miss my devices, at all.

— Rusty Blazenhoff

p.s. RED is giving away a $50 gift certificate to FluffNStuff Artisan Marshmallows. It’s free to enter!

This space intentionally left offline

“Yesterday morning I awoke and listened to KPFA run down its litany of destruction, corruption, and civil rights abuses. I went around with a sense of heaviness and foreboding for the rest of the morning. The world felt oppressive and hopeless.

Today I awoke and read about the 16th Street steps in Atlas Obscura thanks to your link (and following their subsequent thread). I went around with a sense of excitement and wonder for the rest of the morning. The world feels bright and hopeful.

Thanks for that. I hate the fucking news. Eat art for breakfast.”

— Kimberley Cross, Cakewalk

As seen on the Internets

POP ART Collection by Jump From Paper

:: POP ART Collection by Jump from Paper
:: https://www.jumpfrompaper.cn/jumpfrompaper-x-the-rodnik-band

:: Heckadeck, hand-illustrated cards by Travis Nichols
:: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/travisnichols/heckadeck

:: Abandoned Arcade Machines Thanks, Doc Pop!
:: https://arcadeblogger.com/2016/04/22/abandoned-arcades/

:: The Last Stop: Vanishing Rest Stops of the American Roadside
:: http://amzn.to/1XctwSQ Thanks, Allison!

:: The Purple-Red Scale of Attraction
:: http://imgur.com/hPuGKes

:: Cheeky Tiki Bang Gang: the Case of the Creepy Christian Camp by Cherry Zonkowski
:: https://www.gofundme.com/cherryterror

:: Mirrored book store in China
:: http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/bookstore-optical-illusion-china

:: Episode 1: TransAtlantic Senior Citizen Cruise by Spy Emerson
:: https://youtu.be/NIj6amDnh_U

:: All-Night French Fries with T-Rex: Seattle’s Trippiest Rock-Poster Artist Tells All
:: http://www.collectorsweekly.com/seattles-trippiest-rock-poster-artist-tells-all/

Artist-in-Residence: Russell Sparkman

The emerging drone camera technology is effectively providing photographers with a tripod in the sky, and one of the most compelling views from this flying tripod is called the â€œEye of God.â€ These views are particularly compelling because they are from vantage points that are higher than the highest tripod, but lower than typical aerial photography from helicopters or airplanes (often no more than 100 feet off the ground).

In this first image of a series of “Eye of God” photographs, you’re looking at driftwood piled up on a beach on Whidbey Island, in Washington State’s Puget Sound (just north of Seattle).

What looks like a jumble of kid’s pick up sticks are actually trees, very big trees. For scale, the riprap boulders on the right side of the frame are between the size of a washing machine and refrigerator!

About the Photographer:
Russell Sparkman, CEO of digital marketing agency FusionSpark Media, Inc., was an early adopter of digital photography in the 90s, and authored a book called “Essentials of Digital Photography” in 1996. It was a natural evolution of Sparkman’s experience to start using drones, in this case a DJI Phantom 4. Sparkman is also co-founder of DroneVideoServices.com, a DBA of FusionSpark Media.

Events of note

Christo's Floating Piers

Lake Iseo, Italy
[6/18 to 7/3] Christo’s Floating Piers

United States
[Now until 8/19] Tiny Book Show, a touring bookmobile of little books handcrafted by artists and writers

[Various dates] 420 Games

Alameda, California
[6/5] Forbidden Island’s Annual Plant Swap, 3 PM to 5 PM

[Until 6/29] Island City Waterways: Waves of Inspiration, new landscapes with borax and shoe polish by Ginny Parsons at Rhythmix, 6 PM to 9 PM

Barcelona
[3/2017] Spannabis

Chicago
[6/4-6/5] Chicago Redhead Days, 11 AM to 5 PM, City Hall Park

East Park Reservoir in Colusa County, California
[6/20-6/26] Camp Tipsy, an “annual rotten boat building contest and camp-out”

Fremont, California
[6/3-6/6] The Compassion Experience, “experience life in a developing country” Free [Register] (I hear it’s a religious thing, but that it’s still cool)

Lake Iseo, Italy
[6/18 to 7/3] Christo’s Floating Piers

Las Vegas
[Ongoing] Akhob, an immersive “Ganzfeld effect” experience by artist James Turrell at Louis Vuitton [by appt only: 702-730-3150] HIGHLY recommended!

Laytonville, California
[7/8-7/10] The Cannabis County Fair 2016, 21+ [Tickets]

Lisbon, Portugal
[11/7-11/10] Web Summit 2016

London
[July] EVA London 2016

Los Angeles

“Cool Places to Buy Weird Shit in Los Angeles”

[Dates in Summer and Fall] Krampus mask-masking workshop

[6/4] The Legend of Krampus – Group Art Show and Exhibition at Hive Gallery, 8 PM to 11 PM

[6/11-10/2] Cindy Sherman: Imitation of Life at The Broad [pdf]

[8/14] BrunchCon LA at The Reef, 9 AM to 3 PM Thanks, Josh!

[Begins 9/13] 8-week long Neon workshop at Lili Lakich Studio, 6 pm to 9 PM

[10/1] Dolly Parton at Hollywood Bowl [Tickets]

[12/5-12/8] Henry Rollins at Largo

Marble Falls, Texas
[10/7-10/10] Camp Grounded, summer camp for adults

Melbourne, Australia
beinArt Gallery opens in early 2016

[6/12] Dr Sketchy Anti-Art School Melbourne: THE REBIRTH, 4:45 PM [Tickets]

Mountain View
[9/24] Dolly Parton at Shoreline, 8 PM [Tickets]

New York City
Quirky NYC by Oriana Leckert:
“From Bumper Cars to Torah Taxidermy: A Guide to 25 of Brooklyn’s Most Unusual Museums”
“From Elevators to Outsider Art: A Guide to 16 Under-the-Radar Museums in Queens”

[Ongoing] Sleep No More at The McKittrick Hotel
[Ongoing] Jungle-Ized by Sound Collective, Free
[Ongoing] The Ferry Play on the Staten Island Ferry, $1.99
[Ongoing] More NYC events

Oakland

[Until 9/25] Altered State: Marijuana in California at OMCA

[6/2] Beauties & Beasts Gala Costume Party at Children’s Fairyland, 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM

[6/5] Sweet Leaf Yoga, yoga enhanced with high-grade medicine at 3215 Lakeshore Drive, medical cannabis patients with ID only, $25 [Read about my experience trying it!]

[6/10-9/9] Kaiser Center Rooftop Garden Concerts, Fridays, 12 PM to 1 PM, Free Thanks, Jewelz!

[6/14] Rusty’s IRL Picnic at the Kaiser Center Rooftop Garden, 300 Lakeside Drive, 11:30 AM, [BYOL: Bring your own lunch]

[6/15] Yarn, a new storytelling event by Heather Gold at the Octopus Literary Salon, 7:30 PM to 9 PM [Tickets]

[6/18] Burning Man PRECOMPRESSION at American Steel, 7 PM to 1 AM

[6/21] Garden of Memory at Chapel of the Chimes, 5 PM to 9 PM [Tickets]

[6/25-6/26] Burger Boogaloo, Mosswood Park [Tickets]

[7/9] Louis C.K. at Oakland Arena, 7 PM [Tickets]

Pacifica, California
[6/4] Aloha Screwdriver at Winters Tavern, 9 PM

Palm Springs, California
[7/8-7/11] Yes and Yes Yes (YxYY) at the Ace Hotel, a “summer retreat for anyone who considers themselves a thinker, maker, creator, nerd, or weirdo.” [Tickets]

Paris, France
Editor’s note: I had the good fortune to spend the night in an artist’s yurt. My photos from that visit are included in this show…in PARIS!
[Until 8/29] Habiter le Campement, CitÃ© de l’architecture & du patrimoine au Palais de Chaillot

Portland, Oregon
[8/11-8/15] World Domination Summit [Tickets]

San Diego
[8/18-8/21] Tiki Oasis: “Monster Island”

San Francisco
“Best storytelling events in the Bay Area”
Upscale vs. Frugal SF
[Ongoing] Elsewhere Philatelic Society
[Ongoing] More SF events

[6/3 and 6/8] Joey Skaggs’ Art of the Prank at Roxie Theatre

[6/4] Retro Rendezvous, An all night interactive art experience and fundraiser for Flaming Lotus Girls [Tickets]

[Until 6/5] Catch Our Style: California Regional Airlines 1950sâ€“1980s at SFO Museum: Departuresâ€“Level 3 – Pre-Security

[6/5] DIY Taxidermy Squirrel Class at Paxton Gate, 11 AM to 3 PM [Tickets]

[6/5] Space Age slide show with Charles Phoenix at Grand Star Theater, 3 PM [Tickets]

[6/11] Wild Kingdom, an art car and fire art festival, 2 PM to 4 AM [Tickets]

[6/12] Cannaisseur Series: The High Tea, 12 PM to 3 PM, Venue TBA, $69 [Tickets]

[6/12] Bikes to Books Annual Springtime Ride, a literary bicycle tour, 1 PM to 4 PM, bring your bike!

[6/12-6/13] Season finale of Calling All Choir at Mission Dolores Basilica

[6/12] Mac Sabbath at Slim’s, 8 PM, all ages [Tickets]

[6/22] Art and Virtual Reality, 7 PM to 10 PM [Tickets]

[6/24 thru Sept] Midwayville, a mixed reality popup carnival at SoMa StrEat Food, 7 PM to 12 AM

[Until 6/24] Retrograde: Art by Winston Smith at Mule Gallery, reception 6 PM to 9 PM

[6/24-6/26] New Games with John Law

[7/10] Cocktail Robotics Grand Challenge at DNA Lounge [Tickets]

[7/17] Dark Garden Annual Corset Rummage Sale, 11 AM to 6 PM

[7/22-7/24] J-POP Summit at Fort Mason Center [Tickets]

[7/23] The Murray Invitational. A Bill Murray Art Exhibition and Golf Party at Public Works

[8/5-8/7] Outside Lands, Golden Gate Park

[9/21-9/22] Dent: Space at Innovation Hangar

[10/1] Release party for Chicken John’s The Book of the Un at 111 Minna

[10/13] Brian Wilson presents Pet Sounds – Celebrating the 50th Anniversary, 8 PM [Tickets]

[10/2017] 50th Anniversary of the Summer of Love

San Jose, California
[7/23] Blacklight Slide

SF Bay Area
[Ongoing] Best swimming holes in the SF Bay Area

Santa Fe, New Mexico
[Ongoing] Meow Wolf [Read this] [Tickets]

Seattle
“The Obscure, the Charming and the Odd: Mark Pahlow’s Guide to Seattle”

Spain
[7/4-7/10] Nowhere

Sun Valley, Idaho
[4/19/2017-4/22/2017] Dent 2017, a creative retreat for people who want to “put a dent in the universe,” as Steve Jobs once said. (Highly recommended!)

HEY YOU, YES YOU

If YOU would like to co-curate an issue of Rusty’s Electric Dreams, I’d love to hear your idea! Please email me: rusty@blazenhoff.com.

Know about a cool event? I can’t be everywhere and know about everything, so s hare it with me! I’ll do my best to include it in the next issue.

“Camping is nature’s way of promoting the motel business.”

— Dave Barry

Rusty’s Electric Dreams is a weekly inbox zine by Rusty Blazenhoff. These personally-curated missives are beacons to signal and celebrate the global tribe of weird, wonderful, and unconventional people (“the Others“).

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