The "Half-pint" Edition :: Issue #240, Rusty's Electric Dreams

“Serendipity is looking in a haystack for a needle and discovering a farmer’s daughter.”

An inbox zine for positive deviants and the people who love them
Issue #240 :: The “Half-pint” Edition :: 10:23:2019

Half-pint…

A couple of months ago, when I sent RED reader Heather S. the Fluff wig she ordered, I didn’t know anything about her. I chose the wig for her Fluff jar randomly. The wig’s braids reminded me of TV’s Laura Ingalls Wilder, so I called it the “Half-pint” —the nickname “Pa” gave her.

Can you see the resemblance?

Shortly after receiving the braided wig, Heather snail-mailed me a fun note. Then weeks later, she sent photos of the “Half-pint” in her new home, Paramount Studios in Hollywood! Yup, Heather works there.

That’s fun but not the really fun part. The really fun part came weeks later when something occurred to her as she was folding laundry, “LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE WAS SHOT ON THIS VERY STUDIO LOT.”

How funny is that? In the most serendipitous way ever, “Half-pint” has gone home.

— Rusty Blazenhoff

P.S. I’ve been sewing my heart out and can’t wait to show you my Halloween costume — soon!

As seen on the Internets

I’d like to know the story behind that one: You’ll find some real gems by digging into this online depository of vintage crate labels from Florida. via
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:: RED pal Lydia Laurenson is launching The New Modality, a “new publication and community about experiments in culture” (which is super exciting!)
:: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lydialaurenson/the-new-modality

:: Mimi Pond says this is the best cake she’s ever made.
:: https://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/07/magazine/food-the-neverfail-cake.html

:: Behold, the “thicc ass starfish” via
:: https://twitter.com/Babyshoujo/status/1145429588220108800

:: Relationship “green flags”
:: https://www.instagram.com/p/B3dBVS_hIg-

:: It’s a lot of work to turn a bowling ball into a ring!
:: https://theawesomer.com/making-rings-from-bowling-balls/544382

Real thing that actually exists: yay!

Always the Fool: I’m so charmed by Akiva Leffert’s (completely unofficial) IKEA tarot deck ($25) via

Ikea is a place of transition, a journey, a source of light and comfort, but also strife. Ikea contains the universe. Harness that power to understand your own life with these cleanly designed Ikea themed tarot cards. They’ll go great sitting on your BILLY bookcase or on the table next to your MALM bedframe. The deck contains the four suits of the minor arcana: sofas, lamps, dowels, and allen keys as well as a full set of major arcana.

Featured Events

[Oakland] Folks, don’t miss Driveway Follies, the annual free Halloween marionette event that takes place, yup, in a driveway. You have three evenings to catch this absolutely magical show: 10/29 and 10/30 are preview nights, and Halloween night is the real deal. Shown continuously from 7 PM to 10 PM each night. Head to 3854 Greenwood Avenue (Trestle Glen) in Oakland. It’s for all ages!

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Alameda, CA
[11/3] Alameda Point Antiques Faire, a flea market like no other

[11/8] Inkblot Gallery’s first Holiday Pop-up, 6 to 9 PM

[12/14] SOLD OUT Mid-Century Supper Club Holiday Jubilee, with special guest Charles Phoenix

Berkeley, CA
[Until 1/5/2020] “Strange features diverse works from BAMPFA’s collection that invoke strangeness and resonate with the spirit of Surrealism”
[11/26] Exquisite Corpse Workshop at BAMPFA, 1 PM

Houston, TX
[10/29] Super Happy Fun Land (indie venue) is putting on a big Cardboard Art Parade, 7 PM to 10 PM

Las Vegas, NV
[Until 2/15] Tim Burton’s Lost Vegas art exhibit at the Neon Museum

New York City

See what RED pal Oriana Leckert has picked as the must-go-to events in the Big Apple!

[Until 2/9] The Art of Rube Goldberg at Queens Museum

[5/2 to 11/1/2020] Yayoi Kusama will exhibit a “multisensory presentation” at the New York Botanical Garden in the new year!

Oakland, CA
[Until 11/10] Nemo Gould solo show: Retro-Speculative (“deep dive into the remnants of the machine age”) at 494 9th Street, Opening night 10/19 from 6 PM to 9 PM. Plus, check out his four Threadless designs.

[10/27] East Bay Mini Maker Faire at Park Day School, 10 AM to 5 PM, Tickets

[Now until 2/16] No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man at OMCA, Tickets
**Full listings of all the exhibit’s events here.
[11/8] Friday Nights at OMCA: Burning Man Block Party, 5 PM to 10 PM

[11/2] Big Garage Sale of antiques, collectibles, fine art, fine junk, bad art, bad junk, industrial art supplies, nautical, naughty, and more at 5th Avenue Marina (artist occupied), 10 AM until done

[11/9] Artist Talk: The Art of Burning Man, a panel with Karen Cusolito, Christopher Schardt, and Crimson Rose at The Crucible, 7 PM to 9 PM, $20 general admission

Portland, OR
[5/16-5/17] The creators of the popular Exploding Kittens card game series are hosting Burning Cat, a new two-day game convention that ends in the burning of a giant effigy. Huh… that last part seems oddly familiar! Tickets are $80 for a two-day pass, or $45 for a daily one.

San Francisco, CA
[10/25] Cult of Amduscias Halloween parade at Precita Park, 7:30 to 10:30 PM Thanks, Mark!

[Until 10/31] Christian Cagigal’s legendary San Francisco Ghost Hunt is back. I went on this walking tour last year and learned all kinds of weird and spooky San Francisco history. Do recommend!

[11/1 & 11/2] IncivilitySF returns for its third election cycle, with an all-star lineup of activist artists working with themes of social justice, community-empowerment, and political awakening in Join the Resistance! This year they’re riffing on the theme of resistance, with Fenner, Praba Pilar, L.M. Bogad, and Andréa Spearman of A. Spearman & Co., plus Sabrina Wenske of Naked Empire Bouffon Company as MC. Two nights only at EXIT Stage Left, 8 to 10 p.m.

[12/31] We knew it was coming but no one could really be prepared for Beach Blanket Babylon closing. New Year’s Eve is the last night you’ll be able to see this San Francisco institution, the world’s longest running musical revue.

Various U.S. cities, and sometimes Canada
Atlas Obscura has an ongoing calendar of unique experiences.

[various dates] Immersive listings

Check out this calendar of design events from around the world.

Know about a cool, quirky, and/or indie event? Email me and I’ll share it with the class!