The “Meaning of Life” Edition :: Issue #042

Posted on by Rusty Blazenhoff

 

Rusty’s Electric Dreams :: Issue #042 :: The “Meaning of Life” Edition :: 07:15:2015

Rusty’s Electric Dreams, an inbox zine by pop culture activist Rusty Blazenhoff
Issue #042 :: The “Meaning of Life” Edition :: 07:15:2015

The Meaning of Life…

 

Howdy all,

Exciting announcements: This week we have a brand new section called “Adventures in Online Dating” and it’s written by the one and only Cherry Terror. In addition, we have a new Suckcess story…this edition is by the “painter of peanuts,” Steve Casino. Thank you both!

A quick note that I’ll be on a REAL vacation starting today, and that means I’ll be mostly OFFline. I KNOW.

What does that mean for YOU? Well, don’t expect an issue of Rusty’s Electric Dreams in your mailbox next Wednesday, to start. Also, anticipate some photos and maybe a story about my #momcation after I return.

It ALSO means this issue is HUGE. Srsly. Consume a little, come back later for more.

— Rusty Blazenhoff

p.s. Thank you, Elliotte, for #momcation #partone!! Thank you, Carolyn, for #momcation #partdue!!
“One of the most inspiring, weird and off-kilter collections of curated kitschy ephemera for the big-brained.”

 

—Mighty on Product Hunt (upvote!)

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

Siri, what is the meaning of life?
This space
intentionally left questioning

As seen on the Internets
 

LUNG ASHTRAY

 

:: F*ck That: A Guided Meditation NSFW
:: https://youtu.be/92i5m3tV5XY

 

:: “Can SoundCloud be the Facebook of Music?”
:: http://www.bloomberg.com/can-soundcloud-be-the-facebook-of-music-

 

:: The “campy couture” of Barbie’s rivals
:: http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/campy-couture-of-barbies-rivals/

 

:: Chow Daddy is tired of hunger, and food that’s no fun Thx, Amanda G.!
:: https://youtu.be/GqfiRQEQth8

 

:: “Photographer Recovers $15K in Stolen Gear Thanks to EXIF Copyright Info”
:: http://petapixel.com/stolen-gear-thanks-to-exif-copyright-info/

 

:: “Life is what you make it”
:: https://www.reddit.com/r/the_meaning_of_life_the_universe_and_everything/

 

:: If you haven’t already, you need to try this sorcery
:: http://dreamdeeply.com/

 

:: THIS is how you sell a house in San Francisco, darling
:: https://bernalwood.wordpress.com/2015/07/13/bernal-home-listing-may-be-worlds-funniest-real-estate-video/

 

:: If you’re in the Bay Area, go find a Flower Piano at SF Botanical Garden! (until 7/20)
:: https://www.facebook.com/events/861768183930001/

 

:: #TreeBlood
:: http://obviousplant.tumblr.com/i-added-some-store-tips-to-a-nearby-grocery-store

Suckcess Story: Steve Casino
Steve Casino
“One day about five years ago I decided I was going to be a cartoonist.  Due to a sad divorce and a huge number of changes in my life, I was also deeply depressed.  A character named “Glumboy”  was the result of this mash-up.  I worked on that comic strip for a year, toiling away almost every night. Revisited the sadness and failures of my life repeatedly for new material. My mental state declined but the drawing skills improved greatly. After the year I had created a professional-looking bunch of strips.  The problem was that nobody thought my misery was the least bit funny. Plus there are about 20 billion comic strips on the web that nobody reads and mine was one of them. So I retired. And my depression grew.

 

Very soon after that I came up with the idea to make peanuts into caricatures of famous people.  It was such a simple concept that I resisted doing it at first.   But the artwork made people happy including my kids.  And working on it made ME happier than I’d been in years. I learned how to paint and sculpt in a very short time.  The depression went away almost overnight and has rarely poked its head into my life since. I’ve become an actual artist in gallery shows and have made many new friends all over the world. I even do some art now that isn’t made from peanuts.  Life is good!  But I don’t think I would have gotten to this point if I hadn’t suffered through the first part.  Drawing the comic strip really tightened up my drawing and eye for detail which transferred over to painting miniature people.”

—Steve Casino, painter of peanuts

Hey you! Ever failed before achieving success? If you’d like to share a “Suckcess” of your own, email me your story. They should be roughly 75-100 words long. Include an image (570 pixels wide) that best represents you and/or your story.

Adventures in Online Dating: Hey Ugly
“Low expectations are the road to happiness, and nothing proves it like online dating. I have no dating, especially OKCupid, my favorite, as an interactive comedy experience/cheap ego food. Also, much like yelling at other drivers from your car, being online liberates me from the burden of politeness.

 

This experience shaped my attitude: a dude sent me the message, “Hey beautiful.” So I look. Blurry picture. Absolutely empty profile. I snapped and wrote him back that he could at least try a little to connect with someone—write a real message, fill in his profile. I’m not desperate and I don’t know anyone desperate enough to be interested in this shit. Here is his glorious found poem masterpiece of a response:

 

“Oh dont worry im not desperate n I didnt write nothing n im not going to cuz most people dont take the time to readed it so if a woman wants to know something about me all they have to do is ask,,,,,and what compliment do people have to write ,,,,like hey ugly or whata up truck,,,,,,,shit im tying to be respectful but if u dont liked fucked thats on u”

 

“Whata up truck?” is now how I greet all my friends. So speak your mind, my strong sisters, you never know what door pure sweet absurdity might be behind.”

 

—Cherry Terror

Cherry “Terror” Zonkowski is a local writer and storyteller; she has performed all over the Bay Area at Bawdy Storytelling, the Marsh, Fireside and more. Check out her tweet stream @cherryterror and her blargh for a slightly longer version of this piece at cherryterror.com.

Have a question about online dating you’d like Cherry to answer? Send her an email: cherryterror@gmail.com

Real things you can actually buy: no way!


Nirvana!

Artist-in-residence: July 2015
 

by Victoria Heifner
“As you can see, my work varies from project-to-project: social stationery, books, prints and simply for-fun — I love it all.

My Grandpa used to say, “Pretty is as pretty does.” I like to take that approach to work and life in general!”

 

–Victoria of Milkfed Press
Ask your friends to subscribe.

 

Tell the Others.

It’s not a cult. YET.

Events of note
no consensus
Alameda
[7/19] Vintage Bicycle Hop
Berkeley

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

Black Rock City, Nevada
[8/30-9/7] Burning Man

Fairfield, California
[9/26-9/27] Candypalooza at Jelly Belly Factory

Germany
[8/16-12/16] The World of Tim Burton at Max Ernst Museum Brühl des LVR

Gilroy, California
[7/24-7/26] Gilroy Garlic Festival [Tickets]

Henderson, North Carolina
[8/27-8/30] Camp Grounded, “Where Grownups Go to Unplug, Get Away, and Be Kids Again.”

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

London
[Until 9/27] Secret Cinema Presents Star Wars [Tickets]

[July 2016] EVA London 2016

Los Angeles

[7/19] “Around the World in 80 Sips” Summer Soda Tasting 5 at Galco’s Soda Pop Stop, 5-8 PM [Tickets]

 

[7/20] The Groundlings improv night (70s night with Cassandra Peterson)  [Tickets]

[7/25] Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory showing at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 7:15 PM door [Tickets]

[TBD August] ALONE | Refraction

[8/3] Janeane Garofalo at Largo [Tickets]

[8/22] Pee-wee’s Big Adventure showing at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 7:15 PM door [Tickets]

[TBD September] ALONE | Reflection

[TBD October] ALONE | Absorbtion

Nevada City, California
[7/24 & 7/25] Bread and Bones at Polly’s Paladar [Tickets]

New York City
[Until 8/16] Penn & Teller on Broadway [Tickets]

Oakland

[7/25] 10,000 Maniacs at Yoshi’s, Oakland[8/4] Oakland A’s Jewish Heritage Night

[8/14] Fairyland For Grownups at Children’s Fairyland

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

Paris

[Until 8/8] Vik Muniz at Xippas Gallery, Paris

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

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

San Diego
[8/13-8/16] Tiki Oasis (SPACE-THEMED!)

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

[Until 8/8] After Life, an exhibition that “probes the possibility of life after death through the work of Fernando Orellana and Al Honig” :: Opening reception 7/10, 6 PM to 9 PM

[7/15] DorkbotSF #82 at Noisebridge Hackerspace
Danny O’Brien – Putting the Electronic in Electronic Frontier Foundation
Gordon Kirkwood – Art and Technology Projects
Jesse Silver – Blumenlumen

[7/16] Buzzed Bee, a spelling bee for tipsy adults, Stage Werx, 7 PM, Free to attend, $10 to compete

[7/17] Bawdy Storytelling: “Ch-ch-ch-Changes” at 7:30 PM [Tickets]
[7/17] Bawdy Storytelling: “The Beast with 2 Backs” at 10:30 PM [Tickets]

[7/18-7/19] Renegade Craft Fair at Fort Mason Center, 11 AM to 6 PM

[7/18] The Real Numbers at Amnesia

[7/18] Night Light: Multimedia Garden Party at SOMArts Cultural Center [Tickets]

[7/19] Dark Garden Annual Corset Rummage Sale, 11 AM to 6 PM

[7/24] Who’s Excited?!?!? Digital Detox Device-Free Summer Party!! at Omni Commons [Tickets]

[7/24] Steve Poltz at Doc’s Lab [Tickets]

[7/29] Fireside Storytelling: Confessions, 8 PM, Chez Poulet, $15

[8/2] Undercover Stratego, 3 – 6 PM

[8/4] Odd Salon: Myth(os) at DNA Lounge, 21+

[8/14-8/16]  ForteFemme

[8/22] The Real Numbers at International Pop Overthrow Festival, Hotel Utah

[8/22] Charles Phoenix “Retro Disneyland slideshow” at the Walt Disney Family Museum

[8/26] The Dancehall of Beautiful Radiant Things at Verdi Club, 8 PM
Use the code word “dreams” for 20% off your ticket purchase

[9/9] Fireside Storytelling: Storyteller’s Choice, 8 PM, Chez Poulet, $15

[9/16] Bawdy Storytelling: “Sapiosexual” [Save the date]

[9/27] Folsom Street Fair

[10/7] Fireside Storytelling: Saved the Day, 8 PM, Chez Poulet, $15

[10/29] TEDxSanFrancisco at Pier 70

[11/4] Fireside Storytelling: Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time, 8 PM, Chez Poulet, $15

[12/3] Fireside Storytelling: Mind. Blown., 8 PM, Chez Poulet, $15

[12/31] PATTI SMITH & HER BAND perform Horses in its entirety this New Year’s Eve at The Fillmore! [Tickets]

Santa Fe, New Mexico
[9/4] Zozobra

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

Vancouver, BC
[7/25] Pinata Making Workshop with Meaghan Kennedy, 10 AM to 2 PM

Heads up!
~~ [10/9-10/11] Kinky Salon. DEEP HEDONISM. Secret location

 

 

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? Share it. I’ll do my best to include it in the next issue.

Apply to the DENT conference scholarship program.
“The answer to this is very simple. It was a joke. It had to be a number, an ordinary, smallish number, and I chose that one. Binary representations, base thirteen, Tibetan monks are all complete nonsense. I sat at my desk, stared into the garden and thought ’42 will do.’ I typed it out. End of story.” —Douglas Adams
 

ILYIRL
*Did you get a blue ribbon from me that reads, “I Like You, In Real Life”?

  1. Yes, I did thank you.
  2. No, but I would like to. I believe you like me IRL. Email me and let me know.
  3. No, and I’m not sure you like me IRL. I want one for $2.75 each. Paypal: blazenhoff@yahoo.com. Send: your name (that you would like on the ribbon) and mailing address
  4. Yes, and now I’d like to gift one (or more) at $2.75 each. Paypal: blazenhoff@yahoo.com. Send: your name and mailing address. Ribbons will be blank.

Deep Dark Fears, a book based on the art of Fran Krause

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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I told you this was a long one.