Mess

By Friday COB I have to clean out my spot in the studio. Somehow, between Jan and Feb, I managed to take over another neighboring desk that was empty. So now I have two full desks to clean out. You wouldn't believe the shit I've been finding under all these papers! I just found a $10 bill and some expensive jewelry I thought I lost on a field trip.



One thing to take home from the first year in design school: This work is wasteful (in terms of materials) and not easy to store. It's not like with books, where you can neatly throw them on a shelf. I have a stack of large format posters, 10 pounds of clay, a Mayline, two 36' metal rulers, two grocery bags scrap modeling wood (this shit is expensive, so you save the scraps), a 3'x3' piece of 1/4" plywood and a 42" Borco mat to take back to my apartment. Plus about 5 books. We use those, too, sometimes.

Worthy cause...

Recently, the roller derby ladies of the Bay Area got the boot from Dry Ice. All matches since late March have been cancelled. I hate to say this, but I kind of agree with the Fire Marshall. The facility is nice that it is small, but the way they pile the people in there (and allow then to sit IN the rink guzzling beer where there are only 2 teeny access exits) is just asking for a lawsuit. Not that I'd have it any other way....but I understand.



The Derby Girls are having a fundraiser in their quest to locate a new practice and performance space. Good luck.

Chocolate, textures, glue, Hotmail guy

Here are some things I recently decided I like:


Alter Eco dark chocolate with a dabble of milk chocolate.

Mayang's Texture Library
This site basically makes my life as a computer monkey much easier.

Weldbond Glue
This glue puts Elmer's to shame.

Us over at 3110 Grove Street in Berkeley hosted a rather successful end-of-the-year blow out celebration last Friday. Countless beers were consumed as was a 2.5 liter jug of Maker's Mark. As a Maker's honorary ambassador, I am obligated to serve copious amounts of this special bourbon at any social function I host or help host.

Aside from the good times had from the consumption of Kentucky moonshine, we had an notable guest at our party. The founder of Hotmail, Sabeer Bhatia, showed up at my crummy apartment.


This is Sabeer.

At one point in the evening, someone told me that a rich dude was at my party. Later, I saw some chap I didn't recognize in my kitchen doing yoga poses with some Brazilian ladies who my roommate Pedro invited. I assumed it was the Hotmail guy. Turns out I was right. I later found out my friend Stefan invited Sabeer to our party, so it wasn't like he just showed up unannounced. I wonder if he noticed our dirty carpet...

Haleh Esfandiari

You know the world is a messed up place when someone you used to work with gets sent to an Iranian prison...

Haleh, I hope to all that is holy that Lee Hamilton can get you out of there. If anyone can do it, it is Lee. You are a strong woman but you need help to get out of this one I fear.

My prayers are with you and Shaul.

******************
Tehran Jails Iranian American Scholar After Long House Arrest

By Robin Wright
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 9, 2007; Page A12

Iran yesterday detained prominent American academic Haleh Esfandiari, director of the Middle East Program at the Smithsonian Institution's Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, according to center president and director Lee H. Hamilton and Esfandiari's husband.

Esfandiari, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen who has lived in the United States for more than a quarter-century, has been under virtual house arrest since December, when the government refused to allow her to leave Iran after visiting her 93-year-old mother. Since then, she has been summoned repeatedly for interrogations by intelligence officials about U.S. programs on Iran. In particular, she was questioned about Iran programs at the Wilson Center, one of Washington's most prominent foreign policy think tanks.

Esfandiari was summoned by the intelligence ministry again yesterday but was then taken to Tehran's notorious Evin Prison, the sources said.
Esfandiari is one of three "soft hostages," all dual U.S.-Iranian nationals, whose passports have been confiscated by the Iranian government, rendering them unable to leave the country.

The United States has not faced such tension over Americans held in Iran since the 1979-1981 hostage crisis, when 52 Americans were held for 444 days. Until Esfandiari' s detention yesterday, the Wilson Center and her family had sought to avoid publicity in hopes that she would be granted a new passport.

Esfandiari and the other soft hostages appear caught up in an Iranian reaction to the Bush administration's $75 million program to promote democracy in Iran, which was unveiled last year. Tehran has since cracked down on human rights advocates, labor groups and women's rights campaigners, according to human rights activists.
"The government's justification for these actions is usually couched as a response to the State Department's announcement to provide financial support to Iranian civil society and nongovernment organizations," said Hadi Ghaemi of Human Rights Watch. "This has fueled a perception among the Iranian politicians that the U.S. is committed to instigating a 'velvet revolution' in Iran. Ironically, the Iranian Americans who travel to Iran mostly stay away from politics and are not by any means part of the 'regime change' advocates. But they have become pawns in the hands of Iranian government as it charts its strategy in engaging with the U.S."

During her interrogations, Esfandiari was pressured to make false confessions or to falsely implicate the Wilson Center in activities in which it had no role, Hamilton said. Esfandiari was contacted again a few days ago and asked to "cooperate" with intelligence ministry officials, which she refused. On Monday she was told to report to the Ministry of Intelligence again. When she arrived yesterday, she was taken to Evin Prison. It is unclear whether she has been formally charged with any offense.
Hamilton, a former congressman and Iraq Study Group co-chairman, wrote Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Feb. 20 appealing for Esfandiari to be allowed to leave. "I said the Wilson Center did not receive any money from the U.S. government for the purpose of trying to influence or to determine specific policies or direction of the Iranian government," Hamilton said in an interview yesterday. "We've been very transparent about our dealings. . . . We have offered a wide array of viewpoints. That's our role."

In a subsequent conference call with reporters, he added, "The interrogators could have gotten all the information with a few clicks on the Wilson Center Web site."
Hamilton's Iraq Study Group report in December urged the Bush administration to deal with Tehran on the issue of Iraq. "It is our view that in diplomacy, a nation can and should engage its adversaries and enemies to try to resolve conflicts and differences," the report said. "Diplomatic talks should be extensive and substantive." The Wilson Center did not receive a response from the Iranian president's office.

Esfandiari has brought in many scholars and analysts from Tehran to speak at the Wilson Center, one of the few places in Washington to offer a robust range of opinions on Iran. "The irony is, in Washington she faced criticism for bringing in people who were sympathetic to the Iranian government," said Karim Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "By detaining her the Iranian government only eliminates an advocate for diplomacy and strengthens the voices of those in Washington who say the regime is cruel and should not be engaged."

The ordeal for Esfandiari, a Potomac resident married to George Mason University professor Shaul Bakhash, began Dec. 30 when she was on her way to the airport to return to Washington and her taxi was stopped by three men with knives who threatened to kill her. They took her belongings, including her Iranian and U.S. passports. When she tried to get a replacement passport, she was "invited" to an interview with a man from Iran's Ministry of Intelligence. Interrogations continued almost daily for six weeks, up to eight hours a day. She was allowed to return to her mother's home at night.

Iran confiscated the passport of Radio Farda correspondent Parnaz Azima when she arrived in Tehran in January, also to see an ailing mother. She, too, has undergone interrogations and was asked to collaborate with intelligence, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty President Jeffrey Gedmin. Azima's attorney was told last month that she would have to stay in Iran "two or three years." The third, who does not want to be identified, was refused her passport and right to leave the country for six months.

A fourth American, former FBI agent Robert A. Levinson, disappeared after he flew to Iran's Kish Island in March. Tehran has denied any knowledge of Levinson's location.

Imaginary places...

Today's earthquake

A mere 3.0, but Wurster Hall shook up a little bit over here in Berkeley. That's 10 stories of Cold-War era concrete moving around.



Side note: I find it a little troubling that this is the type of map the USGS web site still uses to notify people of where an earthquake took place. It looks like something from 1973. I don't even thing the bridge interchange is like that anymore and I don't know what the radio tower is.

I'm under 100

For the first time in five years, my LDL cholesterol is under 100. Usually, I run about 120, which causes my doctor a little disdain.

I have nothing to really attribute this point loss to other than the fact that I regularly take a lot of fish and flax oil. I began taking the oil every morning at the request of my eye doctor in January 2006. Taking a mixture of fish, flax and borage oils can help relieve dry eye symptoms, especially in the post-opt period after lasik eye surgery.

Apparently, it can also be correlated to improved circulatory health as well.

Reiteration

Albums to pick up...

Sondre Lerche, Two Way Monologue
Kings of Leon, Because of the Times (unfavorably reviewed by Pitchfork)
Bjork, Volta
Panda Bear, Person Pitch

Photoshop collage

Here is one of the multitude of Photoshop collages I will do over the next two years. God help me.

Kites, jobs (or lack thereof), relocation

Quick updates on the fly:

Tomorrow, Thursday, April 26, 3-6pm at Cesar Chavez Park in Berkeley there will be an amazing feat of kite flying. Students in our department have organized a great afternoon to make and launch kites. Prizes for person most able to maneuver. It shall be grand and amazing. We're closing the waterfront side of the park for OUR purposes ONLY, which is to drink free beer (hopefully), let loose on the kites, and maybe even play some frisbee when our kites fall apart in the wind. Throw in some cartwheels and photo opts while you're at it. Kind of wish I had a real kite...

No job leads for me yet. I am concerned, yet optimistic. The game plan is to relocate to Portland for the summer unless something comes up down here. I figure I can live for free in Stumptown and I'm ripe for a change of venues, anyway. I will look for some kind of menial service work if all else fails (and it probably will!).

I just at a box of Good & Plenty. Now I will close up shop here at school, and wander down to catch the Door-to-Door shuttle.

Long day, but a good one.

Guilty

I've done this.

Some new clothes, a fundraiser, and Spats

Nothing has been happening on this blog lately, save for a rollerskating ipod-listening Ray Smuckles. My life has been kind of boring lately, just working a lot, and feeling depressed about not having a job. The big job I wanted in Portland I ended up not getting. Not really a huge surprise, but I was actually hopeful about it. So now I have to figure out a backup plan. I wish I had more time to devote to this.

Last weekend I went to crappy Bay Street and bought some clothes. They weren't fun clothes, but just some things that I needed - jeans, sweater, tank top, and pants. I was quite economical in procuring the items. I spent about $250 in 2 hours. I felt good that I got something out of it. Spending time shopping and coming home empty handed is more than frustrating.

Saturday night I am going to a fundraiser in the Haight in the honor of Kaye Bock. She was our graduate advisor who suddenly died in January. People have raised several thousands of dollars since then to create a memorial scholarship in her name to help graduate students entering the city planning program at Berkeley. There are several fundraisers happening over the next few weeks. I have a ton of work to do, but I am going to cut studio and go to this fundraiser. It should be a nice party.

Thursday night some of my classmates took one of the undergrads in our department out to celebrate his 21st birthday. It's kind of strange, but all of us old folks have a great friendship with him, and we were all really happy to take him out to the bars. I think he had a good time, despite the fact we ended up at one of the creepier bars ever, Spats on Shattuck. They have a very precise bartender and a list of some of the weirdest drinks ever. I give them points for detail and presentation. The "Fog-cutter" is such a drink that draws wows. It's a small snifter glass serves on top of a large mug with dry ice in it. It comes to the table billowing fog. What I didn't know about dry ice until last night is that it is actually a heat-expelling reaction. The dry ice gives off heat as it interacts with air. I had no idea about that one.

Inspire

Here is a picture of the lifestyle I lead:



This is what the studio appears like after we've had pretty much three all nighters. Before I took the picture, I removed about 8 beer bottles and pizza crusts from the table in the center.

Two new albums

I've been in studio since Thursday pulling all nighters in anticipation for this Wednesday's final pin up. We are designing some artist's studio spaces that are built out of containers. Yes, freight containers.

During all this worktime, we listen to music together as a group a lot. Today, for I swear no less than an hour, someone was playing possibly every Van Morrison song ever recorded. It was AWFUL. I cannot stand Van Morrison. Listening to him is the worst torture. Anyway, it was during this torture session that I stormed off to Rasputin Music. I needed some new music that I could concentrate on and hopefully turn up over the drone of Brown Eyed Girl. Ugh.

Here is what I settled on, both albums are really quite good:

Willy Mason, If the Ocean Gets Rough
I saw Willy Mason live almost two years ago. I predict he is taking off. Soar-ing.

Stars of Track & Field, Centuries Before Love and War (not sure I understand why it's called this....)

Gee, thanks.

Today I received a check in the mail from the IRS. Strange, seeing that this year I owed money and actually wrote the government a check about a month or so ago for upwards of $3000.

The check just came in a simple window envelope with no note attached (perhaps saying something like "Hey, idiot, you overpaid your taxes. We are graciously cutting a check, but watch it next time....."). But I really do not think I overpaid my taxes. The only thing I think it might be is the Earned Income Tax Credit option. Last year, I filed my taxes, got a small return back, and later received another check in the mail with a note that said they figured out I paid too much. But this check had no such note attached. Just a check for $495. I wondered if it was some check cutting scheme (like the one Bush did in 2001), but I asked around my apartment and none of my roommates had heard that was happening again.

Has anyone else received such checks from the IRS?

Portfolio redux

The title page is still hideous, but here are some of the rest of the pages from aforementioned portfolio.

Glam crack habit

Do any of you out there have a web site addiction that you are even a little shy about telling people about? Sure you do. The usual suspects are suicidegirls, CL, online betting, or online porn. My addiction is the stuff of grocery store checkout lines.

Yes, it's the online version of US magazine. I simply can't get enough. I check this stuff 2-3 times a day. I yearn for new entries. I love all the vicious camera angles and the dirty looks celebrities give me day in, day out.

First I started here.

Now I go here, too.

There is a whole smattering of celebrity blogs out there but these two tend to have the best stories and angle. My professor caught me looking at one of these a while back and I really had nothing to say for myself. These are the kinds of web sites that make celebrity life really the last thing you'd ever want to dabble in.