Uniquely unUnique

Invasion and prediction

Up until the troop surge (this weekend-when milla went berserk), we've been under a 3-prong attack that successfully slaughtered most of our indoor and outdoor plants.

Black one eats everything

Orange one eats the tree and climbs to the ends of everything to see about eating it.

bastards.

The Green caters are the most beautiful and we found them late in the attack. They liked
one little tree.  Milla put her leather gloves on and took them to the back alley.

We ended up going organic with Neem oil, aka some hippy pesticide. But its working.  That and the fact that the killa personally reclaimed each plant. Glad she's on my side.  And Karma is on our side too, but s/he won't let us shake on it yet.

My prediction:
The VP debate will most likely be a slaughter.  If she tanks especially bad, the elephants will pressure the old guy to change the ticket.  If this happens, the candidate will lose the election handily.  Which would be nice, so even America's collective intelligence won't be insulted anymore.

chugging

Although coastal Georgia is pretty autumn-like in temperature now, the typical heat we feared and felt creates a double edged sword.  Hot outside and freezing inside.  My studio is so cold that while in class everyone wears a fleece.  I've actually gone outside to warm up.  I can't imagine the monthly energy bill for SCAD.  Keeping your buildings at 62 ain't cheap.

From the desk of A-shiz, probably the most funny vid in a while. work-safe too. I guess thats what SFW means.

Two words: Trans Rockies '09

Have you seen the '09 Cannondale cross bike? Bling!

notice

If you're an elite 'crosser and you are being lapped by Trebon-GO TO THE SIDE OF THE COURSE AND DO NOT CRASH INTO HIM.  Poor fella.

Opening weekend of MAC 'crossing, (aka my old haunts) means i build up my cross bike and ride it! I have to say, it was a huge breath of fresh air-the bike was awesome, riding in parks is awesome, blah blah.
I spent most of saturday helping to build the big fly-over for the savannah 'cross race (oct 19th-be there).  Its a big old thing about 12' high with 29' ramps on each end.  One dude used the nail gun to bind two fingers together.

I totally wish Challah and i were bread-bowling this year. I woulda whooped him this weekend.

Fleshing this out

Don't even talk to me about 'cross.  Ohh wait-nobody really talks to me anyway...

I'll have to just stop reading about so and so's training/prep/schedule/race report-as I can already tell it'll make me crazy.  Hell, even this apparent nationals registration thing has already happened. Guess I'll be on the back row.  Speaking of, I should find some time to build a cross bike. But in the meantime, I literally have to draw a stapler 25 times in perspective.  The same prof asked if it upset me that 50 cent was a millionaire based on being a drug dealing, shot-to-hell thug retard (my word), when I'm spending so much time and money on an education?

What the fuck do I care about how successful 50 cent or any other retarded artist is? That has no bearing on my life.  He could be a billionaire and it won't play a part in how much money or success I'll have.  But the undercurrent of that question, which I failed to realized in my initial response was about the values of the audience- the consumers of the product.  People value 50 cent-they'll pay for his tracks and shows and movies.  So I think really what he was asking is this: In the strange world, do I find it annoying that I'm trying hard to learn about what people want-to essentially create tools that will enhance your life (at a minimum-of course there is so much more to it), when at the same time someone who touts thuggery, drug dealing, banging bitches and survives a rattatattat is an icon? When someone who makes a name by not enhancing anything legitimate (except a club song!) and becomes looked up to for it. 

Still doesn't seem to change my answer. Lots of things aren't fair, and I sure as hell don't feel entitled to more because I spent time and money on Universities. Hell, that dude got shot and lived.  I can't say I think he's a good artist, but artists can spend entire lives trying to please people.  In that sense he's won the game.  Thats a game I may never win. I've been drunk and danced to his tracks (at Player's probably!) and I'll bet when I have my stamp on some gadget he probably won't ever be rocking it.

Food for thought anyway. What do you think?  I would guess that most anyone could see that the values that make him famous (and lots of other musicians-Notorious BIG, amy whinehouse, etc) are really fucked. "Hey-you know that guy who shot my brother and deals crack to my mom and gave my sister ass herpes-he's such a great rapper!")

In better news, Wouter seems to like Savannah (notice his nametag, bottom right).  All of his 45lbs roll nicely down flat streets, underneath scary looking old trees.
 

Shoulda slapped

Today, at the orientation pep rally thingy in the big arena, I happen to plop down next to an over excited mom letting go of her freshman daughter. 

I sit, she looks and says "are you a parent of a student?"

End of summer, officially.

I hope all of the troops over there got to reflect yesterday on why they are over there, you know because of the anniversary of yesterday.  Late last night, after we got home from watching the documentary movie 'Standard Operating Procedure' I flipped on msnbc's 7 year-old Sept 11, 2001 news coverage.  Although intriguing and much less painful to watch, I couldn't help but wonder why exactly they were reshowing it.  I tend to think of TV as purely entertainment, and in that light its a bit sick. But in the light of a news station, re-airing that day seems nostalgic in a sadistic way.  Maybe there's not a difference either way.

The documentary was pretty good and fair, completely told through interviews of the MP soldiers stationed and working in the Abu Ghraib prison.  They mostly came across as really young, stupid kids going along with the norm.  They just happened to be taking pictures too.  Oops.  Its a funny thing that only the bottom rung on the chain of command got jail sentences.  Guess thats the code.

School starts on Monday, and on Saturday I'll go to the orientation and pep rallies, and maybe the school will have a mixer with some sweet tea and chips.  I totally need a back to school hair cut and a pencil sharpener.

We have a color-changing lizard (chameleon?) living in the garden.  Her name is Karma.

Sort of disappointing

First-that Hurricane Hanna will miss Savannah.  I love that the place i now live was going to be a direct hit.  2-that we came back to Brooklyn for the weekend instead of hurling ourselves into a hurricane.  Maybe because i've not lived through one that i feel little fear for a hurricane, but actually want to be there to experience it.  Maybe Ike will come through.

Sannavah is pretty cool so far, well the central A/C is pretty much da bomb (not the bill, i'm sure).  The house is so awesome and not a roach has scampered over the floor yet.  The riding pretty much blows so far, although i've only ridden twice.  Holy dang I'm falling out of shape quickly, moving fast into panic mode that even the few GA 'cross races I want to do will without fail point out a month off of riding.  If I could only remember that I'm here for school and its essential to mitigate my overwhelming behavioral pattern of freaking out when a season looms and I'm jelly-legged.  Luckily, they have motorpacing on saturdays and a crit on tuesday.  Hopefully I can maintain on 2-3 days a week.