The “504” Edition :: Rusty’s Electric Dreams, Issue #154

 


Rusty's Electric Dreams

Rusty’s Electric Dreams, an inbox zine from the curious mind of Rusty Blazenhoff
Issue #154 :: The “504” Edition :: 10:18:2017

504…

I’m sad to report that my artist friends in Kenwood, Erick Dunn and Claudia Meglin, lost everything in one of the NorCal fires.

The first time I visited them at their charming rural home was over Memorial Day weekend in 2015. 

At the end of that weekend, a few friends and I got a tour of their trippy art piece, the BioTronEsis (the “BioTron” for short). I was immediately hooked.

I thought it was absolutely incredible and, as you can see in the photo below, I was mesmerized by it.

The second time I visited was two years ago SJ and I drove up and stayed with Erick and Claudia on Christmas night. The property they were renting was a small house in the big woods. Their backyard was literally a state park. It was a cold night but the company was warm. After a lovely German Christmas dinner by candle light and a walk around the muddy pasture under a bright moon, SJ and I cozied up for the night inside the BioTron. It was magical.

Here’s SJ emerging from its faux fur-lined belly the next morning:

I know them, and I know they will bounce back. They just need the funds to do it. They were left with nothing. If you have the means, please consider throwing a few bucks their way. No one can bring back what the sentimental items they’ve lost but we can all try to get them back on their feet with what they need to move forward.

I want to end this on a positive note. There is some good news. They have landed softly in a friend’s cottage in Sebastopol and it seems they will be able to stay there indefinitely.

Also, this is a fun issue! 

–Rusty Blazenhoff
P.S. Next week, I’m going to the Esalen Institute down near Big Sur. It’s totally off the grid, which means I won’t be able to publish the zine. So, see ya in Novemba! Happy Halloween (even though it’s on a stupid Tuesday this year)!

P.S.S. Happy third anniversary to Rusty’s Electric Dreams! Yup, three years this month.

This space intentionally left boo

As seen on the Internets

 

5:04 PM

Tales of the SF Cacophony: Twenty-eight years ago, an art car was born in an earthquake — the Loma Prieta earthquake in the SF Bay Area to be exact. The rumblings started at 5:04 PM and destroyed this Oldsmobile. Burning Man founder Danger Ranger saw the car in his neighborhood. He also saw an opportunity. So he bought the back-damaged, though operational, vehicle and made it into an art car. In 1991, his “5:04” became the first art car on the playa. photo by Kevin Evans

:: What fancy North Korean apartments look like
:: https://mic.com/a-new-exhibit-reveals-what-apartment-life-is-like-for-elite-north-koreans

:: One of us! Inside the “Museum of Bad Taste” (one gentleman’s kitsch-filled home in NOLA)
:: https://boingboing.net/2017/10/15/a-walk-through-the-french-quar.html

:: The “Rock Test” Thanks, Atlasphere!
:: https://medium.com/the-rock-test-a-hack-for-men-who-dont-want-to-be-accused-of-sexual-harassment

:: Nineties boy band Hanson play an NPR Tiny Desk Concert
:: http://www.npr.org/event/music/557358769/hanson-tiny-desk-concert

:: These quirky L.A. Metro PSAs mimicking Japanese commercials are pretty funny
:: http://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/crazy-metro-psa

:: Crime-scene dollhouses Thanks, PR!
:: http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/frances-glessner-lee-crime-scence-forensics-investigation-dioramas

Real movie you can actually watch: yay!

 

30 Years of Garbage: The Garbage Pail Kids Story

Attention pop culture nerds: This documentary is great! 30 Years of Garbage: The Garbage Pail Kids Story goes deep into how these cards became a global phenomenon in the eighties.
Did you know that the Japanese version of these were called “Bukimi Kun” and are the rarest of all the GPK cards? I learned this bit of trivia from watching this film. You will learn interesting things too, I promise!

Real things you can actually buy: ¡Olé!

 

Fuchila Fresheners

No more boring “little green tree”: Perfume-y things give me a headache. But I can help but love, love, LOVE these Chicano/Latino pop culture air fresheners by Fuchila. You can get them locally at either Oaklandish store in Oakland, California or online at the Fuchila store.

Real things you can actually buy: No way

 

Grow Your Own Marijuana

Oh wait, here’s a boring “little green tree”: This is a kit to “Grow Your Own Marijuana,” except that it isn’t really marijuana, it’s a Cleome plant. Apparently Cleome plants look and smell like pot. Who knew?
Not sure why anyone would buy this but if you were thinking about it, sorry, it’s only available in the UK for now. 

Featured events

The Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour

North America

[2018] “Weird Al” Yankovic is embarking on his “Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour” starting in February 2018.

He writes, “THIS WILL NOT BE OUR NORMAL KIND OF TOUR. I decided we should try something different, just for a change of pace. So next year we’re scaling way, way back. No costumes, no props, no video screens, no computer servers. We’re just going to walk out on stage, sit down on stools, and play a bunch of old songs. Oh, and we’re going to be performing almost exclusively originals (i.e. not parodies). The deep cuts and obscure tracks. The songs that were never hits. The ones you barely remember.”

Tickets will be available on Friday, October 20 at Noon (local venue time).

Los Angeles, California

[10/28-29] Paul Reubens will be at Stan Lee’s L.A. Comic-Con for photos and signings

San Francisco, California

[10/21] Bikes to Books 4-year Anniversary Ride, 1 PM to 4 PM, Free: “Bring bikes with gears, snacks, and enthusiasm.”

[11/4] A workshop on “Designing Immersive Environments” at the Rathskeller Club, $100

Brooklyn, New York
[Soon] Threesome Tollbooth, a “bar the size of a tollbooth that holds three people – one bartender and two guests,” secret location, $100-$200 gets you an “intimate cocktail tasting menu for 2”

Current mood: 7 or 8 ONLY


Rusty’s Electric Dreams is a weekly inbox zine from the curious mind of Rusty Blazenhoff.

Described as, “One of the most inspiring, weird and off-kilter collections of curated kitschy ephemera for the big-brained.”

People like it.

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