The “Thinking Thoughts” Edition :: Rusty’s Electric Dreams, Issue #158

 

I miss my pre-internet brain.” –Douglas Coupland


Rusty's Electric Dreams

Rusty’s Electric Dreams, an inbox zine from the curious mind of Rusty Blazenhoff
Issue #158 :: The “Thinking Thoughts” Edition :: 11:29:2017

Thinking thoughts…

For me, having big blocks of time to think off-computer is rare. If I’m not blogging for Boing Boing, then I’m sourcing items for this zine, checking email, or writing something up for other clients. What I do for work is time consuming and requires sitting in front of a computer for hours on end. I’m grateful for the work, of course, but I sure do miss having time to daydream.

As Douglas Coupland once said, “I miss my pre-internet brain.”

When I am forced to go offline for long periods of time, it feels like a curse at first. It’s uncomfortable because it feels like I’m not getting any “real” work done. Then, I lean into it and start letting my brain think about all the things it wants. I let it be completely selfish.

When you could first get wifi on planes, I would automatically buy it. Now I pretend it doesn’t exist. Instead I bring a pen and paper and let my brain download everything it’s been holding onto while I’ve been busy doing other things.

There’s another time when my brain is all mine: when I’m driving. Now, I just went on a long road trip to SoCal with SJ. She’s 13, so I did all the driving. The ride home was nearly 10 hours. Now the thing about this is that I can’t be jotting down notes while I’m behind the wheel. This puts me in a predicament. I have all these ideas and no way to capture them.

What do I do? I really go deep into my thoughts and imprint them in my mind. I think out all the scenarios on a certain subject and burn those ideas inside my head.

The good news is that from Alameda to Twentynine Palms and then from Palm Springs to Alameda, I came up with a cool business idea. It’s firmly in my head for good too. Stay tuned!

–Rusty Blazenhoff
P.S. Hope everyone’s holiday was a good one. Mine aren’t always great but this year’s was and I’m grateful for SJ and my friends who made it so. 

This space intentionally left thinking

As seen on the Internets

 

5:04 PM

Wanna support some badass artists? Meow Wolf’s online store is now open! 

:: Oldie but a goodie: The real story of the “boy in the bubble”
:: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/07/us/the-boy-in-the-bubble-moved-a-world-he-couldnt-touch.html

:: About those Prongles…
:: https://thetakeout.com/original-prongles-chips-an-elaborate-cards-against-huma-1820767785

:: Eighties kid loses it upon receiving a Nintendo (1988)
:: https://boingboing.net/2017/11/28/watch-this-kid-lose-it-over-hi.html

:: All about kilts
:: https://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/debunking-the-myths-about-kilts

:: “Family, Faith, and Faygo: A Journey Through the Dark Carnival of the Juggalos”
:: https://parabola.org/family-faith-and-faygo-a-journey-through-the-dark-carnival-of-the-juggalos-by-kitty-stryker

:: Love this: Science comedian Brian Malow shares how he helps scientists communicate with the public
:: https://youtu.be/ziv9BG61k-M

:: Turning 10K pounds of spoiled mayo (yuk!) into fuel
:: http://nowiknow.com/what-do-you-do-with-10000-pounds-of-spoiled-mayo

:: “How Seth Godin Would Launch a New Business With $1,000 And 90 Days to Spare”
:: https://medium.com/the-mission/seth-godin-new-business-5-step

The Art of the Sailor
Remember this? If you’ve ever wondered about the impact of my work, read on.

November 30, 2016: I first posted cartoonist Lucy Bellwood’s Art of the Sailor here in RED.

June 2017: I started blogging for Boing Boing.

October 21, 2017: I posted Lucy’s art, along with links to where you could get prints of it, on Boing Boing. It did well and was picked up by other blogs, with a hat tip to my post. In fact, it’s safe to say, it went viral.

November 22, 2017:  On her Patreon blog, Lucy details the “financial realities of going viral.” It’s awesome.

She writes, “I am delighted at all the press this piece has garnered, and of course very grateful to Boing Boing for conscientiously sourcing their material. It can, as this has hopefully demonstrated, have a very real impact on the livelihood of the people involved.”

Folks, I am but a cog in a wheel but it’s true that I do help people by blogging. I have seen it time and again. Stories like Lucy’s are why I keep doing what I do. Each time you share a blog post I’ve written that features an artist’s work, you too are part of helping them making a living off their art. It’s all rainbows, glitter, and caSh-money from there!

Take a look at Lucy’s full post.

Real things you can actually buy: no way!

 

Birkenstock foot boots

Booted: Birkenstock is bringing the medical walking boot into the forefront of fashion* with their knee-high suede and sheepskin Danbury boot.

*j/k! Neither boot is fashionable!

Real things you can actually buy: yay!

 

Sponge bed

Shut up and take my money: My kitchen has been under renovation since September. Mark my words, when it’s done, I’m totally getting this tiny sponge bed. I mean… c’mon.

It’s called Clean Dreams and it’s $13.95.

(Don’t you think a couple of faux dishwashing pods would have made great pillows?)

Real things you can actually buy: hay!

 

Hipster Nativity Set

Joseph and his man bun: Ok, ok, I’ll fess up. I posted this last year too. But, look… it’s the Hipster Nativity Set. Joseph has a man bun, Mary is making a duck face, and the Three Wise Men are delivering Amazon Prime packages on Segways.

Was $130, now $109.99.

P.S. Your Christmas nativity scene is a LIE.

Featured events

 

Mid-century Supper Club Holiday Potluck

Cartoonist Mimi Pond covered the Mid-century Supper Club HALLOWEEN Potluck in… wait for it… wait for it… The New Yorker! Crazy!

Alameda, California
[12/16] Tickets are available for the Mid-century Supper Club Holiday Potluck Extravaganza at the Eagles Hall, El Vez and the Devil-Ettes will be performing!

San Francisco, California
[1/11-1/28] SF Sketchfest

[Ongoing] Museum Hack, I went on their Badass Bitches tour at the deYoung recently and it was SO MUCH FUN!

Palm Springs, California
[Now until 1/8] Robolights, Kenny Irwin Jr.’s must-see trip-tastic winter wonderland is open 4 PM to 9:30 PM daily, Go to: 1077 E Granvia Valmonte

(SJ and I visited it for the first time over Thanksgiving break and we were blown away! Promise me you’ll put visiting Robolights on your bucket list. See gif below…)

Current mood: ROBOLIGHTS

 

Robolights, photo by Rusty Blazenhoff

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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