The “Elvis had a twin” Edition :: Issue #050

 

Rusty’s Electric Dreams :: Issue #050 :: The “Elvis had a twin” Edition :: 09:16:2015

Rusty’s Electric Dreams, an inbox zine by pop culture activist Rusty Blazenhoff
Issue #050 :: The “Elvis had a twin” Edition :: 09:16:2015

Elvis had a twin…

And, suddenly the weather has changed. Hello, Fall. Is that you? No pumpkin-spice-anything-stick-it-in-your-ear for me, please.

Announcement: I’m looking for new clients/work. Opportunities, great and small, considered. Ping me and I’ll send you my C.V. and deck.* You know what I do, right?

Rusty Blazenhoff

p.s. Gosh you guys, this little inbox zine is almost a year old! October 1st. How shall this milestone be celebrated?

*What the cool kids call powerpoint slideshows.

“…Pure Inbox Sunshine.” —Josh Cagan, actor and writer (The Duff, Bandslam)

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

Elvis Ironing by Happy Toast http://www.happytoast.co.uk/
This space intentionally left mama

These emails sometimes run long. Be sure to hit “View entire message” if it gets cuts off.

As seen on the Internets

 

The man who got no whammies on Press Your Luck

:: “The Man Who Got No Whammies” on the Press Your Luck game show
:: http://priceonomics.com/the-man-who-got-no-whammies/

:: ‘Fire-and-brimstone’ flavored candy canes
:: http://mcphee.com/shop/krampus-candy-canes.html

:: Nickelblock, an app that will play Nickelback when you try to contact your ex
:: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/app-plays-nickelback-ex

:: The United Church of Bacon, not that kind of bacon
:: http://mashable.com/2015/09/14/church-of-bacon/

:: Albion Castle in SF is back, rentable
:: http://sf.curbed.com/archives/albion_castle_is_back_more_beautiful_than_ever.php

:: Grampa Bardeen’s (badass) Family Pumpkin Carving Set
:: http://amzn.to/1KdWWVy

:: Arm knitting
:: http://peewee.com/2015/09/15/giant-balls-of-yarn-for-arm-knitting/

:: “Every Single Movie That Jimmy Carter Watched at the White House”
:: http://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/every-single-movie-that-jimmy-carter-watched

:: Musicless music video: “Blue Suede Shoes” by Elvis Presley
:: https://youtu.be/5Jd9AmepgdM

Real things you can actually buy: yes way!


Black velvet DINO ELVIS by Mike Kendrick

Elvis Presley on a one dollar bill

I spent a night with Elvis at the Hartford Civic Center t-shirt 1977

Elvis' favorite sandwich lip butter

"Elvis/Mickey Mouse" Print by David Scheinmann, England, 2014

Artist-in-residence: September 2015

 

Raphaelvis: St. Elvis and the Dragon by Mark Blackwell

RaphaElvis: St. Elvis and the Dragon by Mark Blackwell 
 

The Mindful Geek by Michael W. Taft

RED reader Michael Taft has written a book, The Mindful Geek: Secular Meditation for Smart Skeptics. A few months ago, he answered questions in a reddit AMA. One of his answers gave me food for thought, so I thought I’d share it with the class:

Q. “What’s the most profound thing you’ve realised from meditation?”

A. “Probably the most profound thing I’ve realized from meditation is that the person/thing who I always believed myself to be is nothing other than a mental construction– sort of “user interface” or avatar that helps me (and presumably other people) deal with the world.

Traditionally this construction is called an “ego,” but I don’t like to use that word. Everyone thinks that (in meditation practice) we’re supposed to get rid of or somehow destroy the big, bad ego. To me, this is nonsense. The ego is a very effective mental construction for getting things done. It’s supremely useful. Without one, you’d be instantly psychotic.

So the ego is an important and highly useful mental construct.

But, and this is a big but, it’s important to never believe that you ARE the ego…”

And now, a special reminder

 

Happy Birthday to me!

Last week I put out a special request,

To recap…
SHARE
the name and artist of your all-time favorite vintage single from the 1960s, 1970s, or 1980s.
TELL me about it: like…why you love it, what it means to you, etc.
SEND a photo or video too.
EMAIL me at rusty@blazenhoff.com before 9/21/2015 with all the info.TUNE IN: I’ll share selected picks and stories (including mine) in the 9/23 issue.

Ask your friends to subscribe.

Tell the Others.

It’s not a cult. YET.

Events of note

 

Forbidden Island Parking Lot Sale

Alameda, California

[9/27] The Alameda Legacy Home Tour, a self-guided tour featuring five period homes and a church. $30

[9/27] Forbidden Island 10th Annual Parking Lot Sale

[11/7] Phyllis Diller Day art show and vintage clothing sale at Alameda Museum, hosted by Dames aux Gateaux

Austin, Texas
[3/11-3/15/2016] SXSW Interactive

Berkeley, California
[10/11] 1st Annual 924 Gilman Reunion and Block Party, 12-4 PM

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

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

Lake Iseo, Italy
[6/18 to 7/3/2016] Christo’s Floating Piers

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

[9/18-9/20] ALONE | Reflection

[9/19] Opening party for Angelyne’s art show at the Museum of Digital Art in Hollywood (with complimentary pink champagne and cake),  win a ride in her PINK Corvette, 7-11 PM [Facebook event page]

[9/20] The Broad contemporary art museums opens! Don’t miss Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room. [Tickets]

[9/21] Clifton’s Cafeteria Official Re-opening, $125 [Tickets]

[9/23] Mortified

[9/26] Back to the Future 1 and 2 at Hollywood Forever Cemetery [Tickets]

[TBD October] ALONE | Absorbtion

Lowell, Massachusetts
[Until 10/16] E is for Elephants – The Etchings of Edward Gorey Thanks, junkculture!

Lucca, Italy
[10/29-11/1] Lucca Comics & Games 2015

Marble Falls, Texas
[10/9-10/12] Camp Grounded

Middletown, California
[10/9-10/11] Kinky Salon. DEEP HEDONISM

New Orleans
[10/2-10/3] Ponderosa Stomp [Tickets]

New York City
[9/26-9/27] World Maker Faire New York [Tickets]

[11/4] Screening of Art of the Prank, a film based on ‘media trickster’ Joey Skaggs’ work, 7 PM, SVA Theatre, 333 w.23rd Street [trailer], FREE

Nacogdoches, Texas
[10/3] Freethought Convention 2015 [TicketsThx, Allison!

Oakdale, California
[9/17-20] Symbiosis Gathering

Oakland

[9/20] Appetite Obscure: Tea in a Tree (Tea Party) at The Eggtooth 3-6 PM [“HOT WATER AND MULTI-LEVEL TREEHOUSE PROVIDED”]

[9/25] Drawn Together at Children’s Fairyland, 6 to 9 PM, 21+ [Tickets]

[9/26] Grace Jones at Fox Theater [Tickets]

[10/14] Drag Me to Bingo, a bingo night with Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence [Tickets]

[10/15] Beetlejuice at the New Parkway, 9:30 PM [Tickets]

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

[10/29] George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic at New Parish [Tickets]

[10/30 -10/31] Kinky Salon: THE NEW HAUNT at Mission Control Oakland [Tickets]

[11/12] Drag Me to Bingo, a bingo night with Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence [Tickets]

[11/14] ODDVILLE! A Festival of the Awesomely Strange at American Steel Studios, 7 PM, $20 cash only at the door, 21+

[12/10] Drag Me to Bingo, a bingo night with Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence [Tickets]

Paris

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

Pasadena, California
[10/10-10/11] NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Annual Open House

[11/21-11/22] Designercon

Petaluma, California
[9/19] Electronic Ranch & Dental Liquidation Sale, 10 AM to 1 PM
Note: You might remember recently that my friend Justin passed away unexpectedly. His widow is hosting this sale of the eclectic stuff from his business. Please take a look…really cool items.


Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
[9/19] El Vez in the city of Brotherly Love

Provincetown, Massachusetts
[8/13-8/19/2016] Carnival 2016: Back to the 80’s

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

[5/20-5/22/2016] Beyond Brookledge at Mission Inn

Sacramento, California
[9/25-9/27] Broken Strings Music Festival, folk-punk fest and campout

San Francisco
[9/16] Bawdy Storytelling: SapioSexual, An Evening of Smart Sex at Verdi Club [Tickets]

[9/16] Nerd Nite SF #64: Virtual Reality, Invented Languages, and Bra Sizing!

[9/18] Library Fridays at Prelinger Library, hosted by Elsewhere Philatelic Society, 1 to 8 PM

[9/18] Live Sex: Feel the Burn, at PianoFIght [Tickets] promocode: AGoodBurn

[9/19] San Francisco Comedy Competition

[9/19] Kinky Salon: Pussyfest 10 PM – 2:30 AM (last one in SF!)

[9/20] 35th Annual Comedy Day in Golden Gate Park, FREE

[9/23] Tonga Room’s 70th Anniversary “Tiki Chic” Party

[9/27] Folsom Street Fair

[10/2-10/4] Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival 2015

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

[10/9] RARE West Coast appearance! Bread and Puppet Theater: Fire, at Internet Archive [Tickets]

[10/11-10/12] 16th Annual Burning Man San Francisco DECOMPRESSION, 12 PM to 12 AM

[10/15] Robert Henke’s Lumière II, Two shows at Gray Area Art & Technology Theater [Tickets at the door, $15-$35]

[10/17] Litquake’s Chaos, Cacophony, “Bob” and Sublime Stupidity, 7:15 PM at The Chapel, 777 Valencia

[10/29] TEDxSanFrancisco at Pier 70

[until 10/31] Camille Seaman: The Big Cloud at SFO Museum, Terminal 3

[11/2015] Flying Robot international Film Festival (submissions taken until 9/15)

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

[11/21] Burning Man Arts Presents The Ninth Annual Artumnal Gathering at Bently Reserve [Tickets]

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

[12/15 -12/16] X at The Independent

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

[2/11/16] Monica Lewinsky at JCCSF

San Jose, California
[Oct/Nov] Winchester Mystery House Flashlight Tours

San Leandro, California
[9/27] The debut of Abi Fantastic’s mural at the Unicorn Estate

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

[9/25] Bawdy Storytelling: “Sapiosexual” at Verdi Club [Tickets]

South Bay (California)
[10/16] Day 1: South SF Bay Area Home Tiki Bar Crawl 2015
[10/17] Day 2: South SF Bay Area Home Tiki Bar Crawl 2015
[10/18] Day 3: South SF Bay Area Home Tiki Bar Crawl 2015

Sun Valley, Idaho
[3/20-3/23/2016] DENT

Spain
[7/4-7/10/16] Nowhere

 

United Kingdom

[Until 9/27] Dismaland: Bemusement Park: a festival of art, amusements
and entry-level anarchism by Banksy (Somerset)

[8/11-8/16/2016] BoomTown Fair, a “choose your own adventure” festival

HEY YOU
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.


Mark Pahlow of Archie McPhee on IRL awards
“Thank you, thank you very much.” —Elvis Presley

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“).

:: Read the Archives ::
:: Send a Tip ::
:: SUBSCRIBE ::

Webzine

Email

Facebook

Twitter

Etsy