Going Solar - Sex Sells

I'm taking on a doosy of a new project.  I'm going solar!  I've been obsessed with getting "off the grid" for a while, Judita and I have Mercedes Benz diesels running on veggie oil, and the new thing is trying to figure out how to run my recording studio and dark room off of the sun.  I'm really excited about this, so I will commit to doing a couple of weekly postings once things get rolling for anyone who may be interested in building their own solar panels and sticking it to the man.

So in my search for solar cells, I came across this solar retailer on ebay. I am confused, I know sex can sell cars and motorcycles, and makeup, but solar panels?  Really? I guess that panel does look pretty enticing.

My Iphone and ATT

I just hit my wall.  I have dropped every call today on my iphone.  AT&T is the worst phone company in the world.  I just emailed them this note.  Anyone who has AT&T will marvel at the amount of polite restraint I have used.  I will get back to photography on the blog soon.

To Customer Service:

I had an old iphone, now I have the g4 iphone. I drop every other call and I live in Long Beach California, not exactly a small city. I had Sprint for 5 years and dropped 2 or so calls in those 5 years. I am dropping nearly every call I make and I think your company sucks. I cannot wait until I can move to Verizon but sadly my new iphone locks me into your useless frustrating company. You ruin my life every day. I hate you and will take great joy in seeing what will surely be a mass exit to Verizon iphones. I have never been more frustrated with any company than you losers. You call yourself a phone company? What a joke. I could do better with a string and 2 cans.

WINTER

Every year for most of my adult life, my mom gets the whole family together every Christmas, and we drive 20 minutes down Katella Blvd. to the "happiest place on earth".  My siblings and I are far too old to be anything but generally amused and lightly annoyed by the park, but it is nice to get together with the family.  In a way it is kind of nostalgic, after all, we are Americans, we live in lala land.  I tend to end up over thinking it all, I don't know what the tree means, why we put lights on it, why the government makes firemen take down their snowmen, how a societal convention around a random winter day can suddenly make Walmart attractive, and further more, cause 5am stampedes to buy mass produced, cheap ass, made in China crap.  People get trampled every year, people get offended every year, and I keep silently making photographs, that without trying to, somehow paint a picture of my feelings on the whole thing.  The innocence of an exited dog, the exhausted santa.  I don't know what it all means, but I've decided to lighten up and get a tree this year.  It's a live spruce in dirt with some little colored lights on it and it sits 2 feet tall.  I want to be more like the exited dog.  Here are some images taken this year and last.  Merry Christmas and/or other holiday that does or does not offend you.

FUTURE ROAD MAPS

Neil Harrison and I have started a 3 year project to document the sociology, topography, and recent history of the USA. We will hit every state as we travel in a diesel converted LandCruiser with a tent system built into the roof rack.  We have

started a website and twitter account in the event that anyone is interested in following the project.  The eventual goal is a coffee table book and accompanying exhibits that make up our contemporary survey of American life.  We are on the first week of trip 1.  The Southwest.

www.futureroadmaps.tumblr.com

Many kind people have already offered us land to camp on, and towns to visit, and people to share a meal with. We love that and we will likely take your photogarph.  So please follow, and meet up with us if we are going your way.

To check in on the project, and find out more info, you can check our road trip blog.  I will also continue to post various works and rants on this page.

www.futureroadmaps.tumblr.com

STOCKHOLM, AND MANDO DIAO

So Vern and I have packed it up again, and headed to Stockholm, Sweden to once and for all finish filming the documentary that was started 3 summers ago when I, the humble Mando Diao photographer/art director, was commissioned with the task of filming a "making of" album documentary.  The album documentary quickly turned into something much bigger as the album hit number 1 across Europe, and then finally, took the band all the way to MTV unplugged.  As it happens, MTV in Europe plays music videos, and has a thing called MTV unplugged.  Strangely it's not just girls without jobs, making out with each other in hot tubs, with douche bag white trash onlookers.  MTV, in Europe, as it was in America, is an honor to perform, and can quickly have a profound affect on an artists career.  We were brought here to document this unplugged concert, and the lead up to what will become the high point of our documentary, and perhaps the high point of Mando Diao's career.  Slated to appear are Ray Davies, of the Kinks, and Juliette Lewis, of... well, Juliette Lewis.   Here is a couple snap shots of the band from some of the documentary scenes.  This film has turned into something very special.  I will post some notes on this shortly, once the ideas are sorted out in my head.

PROJECT VEGAS TRADE SHOW

Here is a cool thing, at the Project Las Vegas fashion trade show, my photographs are displayed as the part of theme of the show, they are roughly 15 feet x 30 feet, 16 of them in total. The show was styled by Michael Conti.  

ABOUT OUR FOOD SUPPLY

OK, ok, I will be getting back to photography and road trips shortly here.  There is a lot on the horizon.  I'm currently in NYC at my sublet apartment preparing to depart for Stockholm and Berlin to finish a Mando Diao documentary I've been directing for almost 3 years now with my crew at Long Beach Film Company.  I am also leaving for an extensive American road trip in the fall with artist Neil Harrison, to document what I call, "THE INSTITUTES OF AMERICAN LIVING" in both photographs and moving pictures.  So it will be primarily photography coming soon. but...

I have been getting more and more into health over the last several years, a good diet is key to living in harmony with your own body, and with the Earth.  I would encourage you to watch this short 2 part mini documentary on what is in our food and water and how it got there.  Be aware, it will make you a better photographer, or musician, or whatever else when your health and brain function are on point.  Be warned, some of this is a little scary.

ANOTHER ALL TIME FAVORITE

Just buy Twin Peaks and watch it if you don't know. Television has never been better and likely will not be again.

BEST VIDEO EVER

This is one of my favorite music videos in the world. My friend Mike Aho made it with some found VHS footage from a thrift store. It's pretty much the best thing ever. It is for his band Sounder, I really dig this record.

The FLING

Here is something fun. The Fling are one of my favorite local bands. I mixed their new album, "When The Mad Houses Appear" a couple months ago. They gave me a call to do a cover photo recently and set up this crazy set in a local garage. Listen to their music. It is great. And here is the final album cover picture I was able to knock off.
http://www.myspace.com/thefling