partner blog

Lately, I have been spending lots of time with my indirect neighbors, the Vks, who I've been mentioned on this blog before.  They have a little farm, right here in the middle of the city.  They are very busy, all the time, and always appreciate help.  I do what I can, whether it's animal care, compost bin construction, taking the kids to the store etc. 

I suggested some kind of social media use to promote their efforts.  "Oh, yeah, cause I have LOTS of time for that!" said Mr Vk sarcastically.  No, I'm serious, I said.  I'll get it going, and maybe 11-year-old Dylan, (who does not have a fulltime job) can then make some updates?  Actually, yeah, good idea.  And Dylan would love it! 

So, that's started.  Check it out here.

Fixel

I accidentally talked my way into the Figment art festival.  I met one of the organizers at a workshop last spring.  The festival principles really appealed to me.

I decided it would be fun to make a pixel system in real space.  And so I ended up creating a platform for spontaneous creation.  A grid of blocks suspended on wire in a frame, and bearing different colors for image-ing.

Allowing the object to be unattended, I taped some of these concept-demo-inspire pictures to the side.

I also wrote an "instructions" panel and attached it to the top.  It said:

PHYSICAL PIXEL ENGINE.  TRUE PLATFORMIC INTERACTION.
CREATE IMAGE/MESSAGE BY COLORCUBE ROTATIONAL MEDITATION.
TAKE A PHOTOGRAPH.  EMAIL YOUR PICTURE TO: HMACHN@GMAIL.COM
XOXO ♥ [signature] 2013

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I've hesitated to post this.  But I'm doing so.  It has been a month.

I got shot in the neck.

Dramatic, but not life-threatening.

knock it down

Birdman has been having a little trouble in his alley.  There's an empty house next to his house.  The garage behind the empty house is attracting junkies.  They are sleeping and shooting up and shitting and causing rats to come around.  The garage door is gone, and it's been boarded up with particle board and scraps.  Birdman has been asking the city to tear it down for a while.  A "city garage demolition program" sign has been on the wall for two years.

Come to Dr. J's Place

Bride has been working at Dr J's Place, and she's got some shifts for Frankenstein there too.  It's a beautiful place with cool fixtures and fringe and a long, winding bar.  There are American flags and pictures of Barack Obama all over the place.  The staff is very nice.  It's a classic place with classic music ("Rock - Dusties - Blues" as the sign says, but a lot of soul, too.)

Last night, we were sitting at home, minding our own business, when I got a phone call from Frankenstein.   Game 7 is on TV.  Nobody is out.  Mrs J's is tired and she is ready to close the bar, at 9PM.  Frankenstein doesn't like the facebook, doesn't "get" social media, etc.  He has 600 friends to my 100, but OK.  That's what happens when you tend bar all over town and are in two bands.  I know it's true that he only logs on once a month or so.

The bar is going to close for the night!  Not good business.  Even if nobody is there, don't close, because somebody might show up.  And if it's closed, maybe next time they won't bother trying, and there's another customer lost.  The clientele is already aging, declining.  Bride of Frankenstein is trying very hard to help revitalize this long-term, local, very small business.

Bread (5/24 weekend)

The weather cooled off this week, so Mrs HM's baking moratorium was temporarily rescinded.  Last chance to make bread (maybe) until fall.

#1.  Here's my initial dough mix from Friday night:

After rising for two hours:

I greased a loaf pan with shortening.  Mrs HM collects all manner of containers.  Shortening goes in the "grease" canister.

I poured the dough into the loaf pan.

yard panoramas

Here's a nice 360° picture of the NLKR yard: