The "Happy Having" Edition :: Issue #033

Rusty’s Electric Dreams :: Issue #033 :: The “Happy Having” Edition :: 05:13:2015

Rusty’s Electric Dreams, an inbox zine by pop culture activist Rusty Blazenhoff
Issue #033 :: The “Happy Having” Edition :: 05:13:2015

Happy having…Hello dear readers,

I would like to stop and take a moment to thank you for being here, for reading this every week. There’s a lot of exciting energy swirling around here, stemming from the zine, and I’m enjoying it. So, thank you.

So, SJ wrote on her Mother’s Day hand-drawn portrait, “Your’e my world.” (Yes, with the apostrophe delightfully in the wrong spot.) In this crazy world of automated/digital everything, it warmed my heart to get this handmade, “flawed” drawing crafted by my little human. Amazon or Facebook will never be able to replace that level of human experience.

Sometimes I think, “I have a child! She’s 10! She grew inside of me! She makes art for me!” I do have a child who is 10, who grew inside of me, and makes art for me, and, omg, what an amazing journey we’re having together IRL. 🙂

Universe: more amazing IRL experiences for us, please.

This week’s missive is long. Unapologetically, I found a lot of things to include this week and, believe it or not, this is the edited-down version.

Reminder: Innovation Hangar (in the former Exploratorium space, next to the Palace of Fine Arts) is looking for art to exhibit in June.

— Rusty Blazenhoff

“Rusty knows what’s cool. Not only that, but she’s an amazing writer who can communicate complicated and obscure topics to a mainstream audience. She knows who to talk to and what questions to ask. Her knowledge of pop culture is unmatched. When I want to know if something is going to be popular, I ask Rusty…–David Wahl, Director of Awesome of Archie McPhee and co-editor of Geyser of Awesome

[Have something nice to say? Say it and I’ll include it on my Press page.]

Don’t forget, these emails run long. Be sure to hit “View entire message” when it cuts off.

This space
intentionally left happy

As seen on the Internets

:: VICE writes about the Nonchalance game (Jejune Institute)

:: http://vice.com/game-or-cult-the-alternate-reality-of-the-jejune-institute

:: My brother pointed out the Griswold family is going to Burning Man!
:: https://www.facebook.com/blazenhoff/posts/1583131591956814

:: Oriana Leckert has authored, “Brooklyn Spaces: 50 Hubs of Culture & Creativity’
:: http://www.blazenfluff.com/brooklyn-spaces-50-hubs-of-culture-creativity

:: Tim Hwang & Craig Cannon have authored “The Container Guide”
:: http://amzn.to/1cnH0G2

:: Don’t miss this one: Urban Camo Seed Bombs by Kasey Smith
:: http://www.perceptionfilter.com/tag/urban-camo-seed-bomb/

:: Sturtevant, appropriation artist Thx, Kimberley!
:: http://www.latimes.com/museums/la-et-cm-ca-preview-art-sturtevant

:: Lily, a throw-and-shoot camera, yes, THROW Thx, Amit!
:: https://www.lily.camera/

Real things you can actually buy: yay!

Advertising often tries to capture the zeitgeist. It’s not always easy to see in the moment, but look back and unmistakable patterns are revealed. For instance, this Campbell’s Soup ad from 1968 mimics psychedelic pop art of the day, a la Peter Max.

This is a page from Mr. Product: The Graphic Art of Advertising’s Magnificent Mascots 1960–1985, the latest book by Warren Dotz and Masud Husain.

More images from the book (which is GORGEOUS) at my site: http://www.blazenfluff.com/mr-product-the-graphic-art-of-advertisings-magnificent-mascots-1960-1985/10350ï»¿

Artist-in-residence: May 2015

“Drunk Tweets”

“For the past couple of years, I’ve occasionally been working on a series of small drawings and paintings of drinking birds. Some of them have dialog bubbles but mainly their inebriation has been expressed in facial features or actions. I call the series “Drunk Tweets” and I post them mostly to Twitter and Instagram. Many of them can be seen at my website here:

http://ellingson.cc/drunktweets

With my artist residency, I’d like to continue my Drunk Tweets and expand on them to include reader-submitted dialog. If you’ve got a favorite overheard bit of drunken conversation, drunken late-night tweet, or other bit of alcohol-induced dialog, send it to ellingson@gmail.com and maybe it will make it into my series. Cheers!”–Josh Ellingson

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”
—George Bernard Shaw

Hey, I’m still here, doing this thing! If you value what I do, who I am, and how I am helping our community, please support me with a monthly recurring donation.

If you are unable to offer financial support, would you ask your friends to subscribe? Tell the Others.

My dear friend Dixie de la Tour, the founder of Bawdy Storytelling, has been accepted into THREAD at Yale, the university’s first-ever storytelling program! She needs a little bit of financial help to get there.

She says, “It’s been about 10 years since I attended my first event & since that night, storytelling’s been the center of my world. After years of performing, volunteering & then starting my own award-winning show, I feel that it’s definitely time to invigorate my practice. For Bawdy to continue to improve in quality & to expand our amazing community, I need access to other successful producers & storytellers.

Recently, I discovered Yale’s Thread program. And last Friday, I got accepted!

I’ve never done a Kickstarter, and asking for support is tough for me. So my friend Lil P has created a Tilt to help me cover the costs of travel and tuition.”

Dixie’s rad and has beaten all kinds of odds to get here, please kick some bread down for her:
https://www.tilt.com/campaigns/send-dixie-to-yale/

“This is the real secret of life — to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.”
— Alan W. Watts

Events of note

Arlington
[5/14] CAFE GAGA: (Re)Printing Your World, a salon by Gareth Branwyn at Artisphere
[6/4] CAFE GAGA: Chronos Vs. Kairos, a salon by Gareth Branwyn at Artisphere

Astoria, Oregon
[6/4-6/7] 30th Anniversary celebration of the cult film The Goonies

Berkeley
[7/23] Willie Nelson & Family plays the Greek Theatre with Alison Krauss [Tickets]

Huntington Beach, California
[6/27] Charles Phoenix: ALOHALAND at Don the Beachcomber [Tickets]

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

Long Island City, New York
[5/29] EVERYHERE LOGISTICS Fundraiser at FLUX FACTORY, featuring SMASH TRUCK!

Los Angeles

[Dates in June] Uncle Impossible’s Funtime Variety & Ice Cream Social, 18+

[5/29] Bawdy Storytelling with Host Sex Nerd Sandra!

[6/16] 826LA‘s 10th Anniversary Celebration

[6/28] Charles Phoenix “Disneyland” Tour of Downtown L.A., a 6-hour field trip! [Tickets]

New York City
[5/15-5/17] Comedy Hack Day 8 at New School [Tickets]

[5/30] ‘Brooklyn Spaces’ Launch Party, 7 PM at Gowanus Ballroom [Tickets]

[7/7-8/16] Penn & Teller on Broadway [Tickets]

Nevada City, Nevada
[5/27] Everything Is Terrible! Legends!

Oakland

[5/17] Three O’Clock Rock Grand Opening T-Shirt Screening Party & Fundraiser!!!

[5/18] John Waters will read from “Carsick,” his account of hitchhiking across America
(at DIESEL), 6:30 PM

[5/26] Everything Is Terrible! Legends! at the New Parkway [Tickets]

[6/4] Fairyland’s 20th Annual Gala “A Cinderella Story” [Tickets]

[6/13] DISTRIKT REVEL Station [Tickets]

[6/13-6/15] HellaCon 2015 [Tickets]

[7/4-7/5] The 6th annual Burger Boogaloo, hosted by John Waters [Tickets]

[10/24] FIGMENT Oakland, a free, inclusive, participatory art event

Paris

[10/10] Danny Elfman’s Music from the Films of Tim Burton

Port Costa, California

[5/30] Port Costa town wide yard sale, 9 to 4 PM

Riverside, California
[9/18-9/20] Boing Boing’s Weekend of Wonder at Mission Inn

San Francisco
SF’s POPOS (privately-owned public open spaces) :: guide

[5/13] Bawdy Storytelling: Surprise! at the Verdi Club [Tickets]

[5/14] Extra Action Marching Band & Black Sabbitch at the EAGLE

[5/15] The Smiths Music Video Sing A Long Show, Roxie Theater, 21+ [Tickets]

[5/20] John Waters will read from “Carsick,” his account of hitchhiking across America
(at Green Apple books), 7:30 PM

[5/21-5/24] The 7 Deadly Pleasures: a rock cabaret opera at Fort Mason

[5/22] The Holy Sh*t Show at Chez Poulet, hosted by great grandson of L. Ron Hubbard, 8 PM

[5/28] Risk! & Bawdy Storytelling at the Verdi Club, 8 PM [Tickets]

[5/29] The Outta Sites, The Unclaimed, The Ogres with the Devil-ettes at The Elbo Room

[6/9] Neil Gaiman, “How Stories Last” at Castro Theatre [Tickets]

[6/11] Peter Murphy Live at DNA Lounge [Tickets] Thx, Dawn!

[6/12] Hubba Hubba Revue’s BURLESQUE NATION! at DNA Lounge, 9:30 PM [Tickets]

[6/20] City of Women, Sunrunners, and The Greening at Bottom of the Hill [Tickets]

[7/9] Chuck Palahniuk and Lidia Yuknavitch: A Night of Mayhem at INFORUM,
6:30 PM [Tickets]

[9/27] Folsom Street Fair

San Mateo, California
[5/16-5/17] 10th Annual Maker Faire Bay Area 2015 [Tickets]

Seattle
[5/30] Everything Is Terrible! Legends! in Seattle! [Tickets]
ALSO: “The Obscure, the Charming and the Odd: Mark Pahlow’s Guide to Seattle”

Heads up!~~ Tickets ($140) are now available for Camp Tipsy 2015
~~ Burning Man tickets might still be available.
~~ Yes and Yes Yes happens June 12-15, 2015 in Palm Springs
~~ Tiki Oasis (SPACE-THEMED!) happens August 13-16, 2015 in San Diego
~~ Secret Cinema: Star Wars, London [Tickets]The Mirror, Black Mirror Book Tour:
+ [5/22] Morbid Anatomy Museum, 8 – 10pm 424 Third Ave, BrooklynKnow about a cool event? Share it.

“In Switzerland I was educated in line with the basic premise: work work work. You are only a valuable human being if you work. This is utterly wrong. Half working, half dancing – that is the right mixture. I myself have danced and played too little.” —Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Thanks, Dan S.!!!!

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 “different” people (“the Others“).

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