Video: Portal -- No Escape by Dan Trachtenberg

Probably the most apt thing I could watch prior to getting on a plane. Ever get that feeling that the environment around you isn't where you need to be? If only we had some handy Apeture science handy to get us out of this place. 

Did you watch all the way to the end? Did the directors name seem familiar? If it doesn't then I implore you to check out Dan Trachtenberg's work on the Totally Rad Show. He's usually the guy I'm vehemently disagreeing with [from the comfort of my own home] whenever they do a movie review. I knew he did commercials on occassion, but this, this, is something that wholly in a league of it's own.

So big props. And with this posting...

I'll see you aligators, much later.

Things That Are Cool: Comix, Free Games, Jane McGonigal, Internet Findings...

One of the many interesting panels I found over at Comix Cube

These past couple weeks and [I'm guessing] future weeks will be dedicated to me figuring out some things in my little life. One of which is [hopefully] getting my TV serviced so I can get back to reviewing this ever-growing hill of vidja games. 

I'm also finding time to work on other artistic endeavors that you may [or may not] see on the internet. 

Since my facebook sabbatical, my Twitter and e-mail inbox have been getting stuffed. Some of it is actually not totally disgusting. I'd even go as far in saying that it may have brightened my week.

Below is a dump of all the tabs I currently have open in my browser

Click to read more ...

Art You Might Hate: Charlie Crane Visits Pyongyang, North Korea

Charilie Crane’s photo-documentary of North Korea’s capital is currently blowing up the internet [figuratively, grammar czars]. It’s listed in this segments Art You Might Hate because I don’t think there isn’t an artist on planet Earth [and segments of Mars] that isn’t envious of the ‘guided experience’ Crane captured.

Below are more photos and a link to more info about how Crane was able to pull this off.

Click to read more ...

Commercial Break: Cathy's House Is Japanese For Nightmares

As you can tell, I've been debating about what next to put up on the brog. For some reason I started caring about what you guys read on this site, well, only a little.

Which is why you're watching Cathy's House and wondering where four minutes of your life went. I'll tell you, it went towards terrifying ideas for the future. Maybe you'll make a moving art piece based on how the color scheme of Cathy's House breaking into your most secret of dreams? I'm banking on you just going to work the next day and e-mailing your co-worker a link titled "We Should Totally Do This This Weekend!" with this link supplied.

Either way, if it makes you happy, it makes me happy.

More to come...

Art You May Hate: Jenny Burrows The Art Director

More Like Historically Gangsta...[yeah...that was bad]

By the time you read this, Jenny Burrows has already 'blown up' on the internet. I was sitting on this link for about at week then seen Reddit and Twitter trending her work. So consider this post a small drop in a bucket of people who love her work.

It seems quite hip that Smithsonian would be cool with such contemporary blends, but...here we are.

Below is more gangsterocity from Burrows' Historically Hardcore

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Musical Notes: Behind The Scenes @ Ubiquity Records

Now I can be the creepy guy at parties that says, "I'm friends with a Japanese model." Yeah, I'm that guy now.

I've been [unknowingly] listening to Ubiquity artists for years now. A label I once knew for re-releases is now synonymous with current funk and hiphop artists. Even as I began typing this, I didn't know the band Nomo hd released work on this label.

Good job, Ubiquity Records. Can't wait to see what comes out in the future. 

Also, good job Emiko.

Commercial Break: James Brown...That's All

Some of my dancing friends read this blog, so this one is aimed at them. Last night was a tough night of dancing for me. Muscles are tight. Shoes don't feel quite right. I came home sweaty, tired and a little down. Then I searched previous posts on this very site. 

It wasn't until I remembered a clip nestled deep under the plethora of booty shaking vids and monkeys peeing-in-mouth clips, on Youtube. No matter my thoughts on James Brown -- the person -- I've always thought of him as a creative and [more importantly] diligent artist. His band, The JB's, clearly have so much musical training to follow Brown's ad-libs ... never missing a beat.

This clip...it's kinda what it's all about. Do your best. The rest will work out in the end.

Art You Might Hate: Paul Kuczynski

Satirical paintings that work, for the most part.

Taking a break from posting my weekly games-related essays and I found myself -- err -- finding Paul Kucynski's work on a polish site [link after the jump]. Here's the deal, I'm not a big fan of it. As a matter of fact, I'd go as far to say that around the fifth or six image -- I had the feeling that I got it. 

Some art isn't going to hit me in the gut like it use to. A lot of it comes from being jaded and admittedly misanthropic towards art trying to comment on humanity. "I know humans are responsible for their own demise, I don't need you to tell me Paul!"

But I kept clicking. I started noticing the tones and moods of his backgrounds. I noticed the cold and sterile use of his diagonals and triangles...daring my eye to not be guided to certain aspects of his work. I'm posting this. I think I'm wrong about Paul's work. I think he's right for commenting on humanity. Whether I want to hear it or not. Maybe you have an opinion too?

Click to read more ...

Reading Material: From Lil Jon's Downward Spiral To 'Boning'

Even Lil John's career wasn't safe from nimble, web-active fingers.

One of the main reasons it's hard for me to write [besides the 37 other hobbies I'm currently involved in] is because I'm trying to make a conscious effort to catch up on articles I should have read eons ago. Let's expand this limited vocubulary, right?

Seriously, every time I open up Google Chrome, I have a minimum of 13 tabs staring back at me. Maybe I do need to find that 25th hour in the day? Or, maybe there is this subconscious old-guy laying deep within the recesses of my cortex, begging me to read these amazing articles on a printed piece of paper. Maybe I'm just lazy?

Be that as it may, let this serve to the people who know me via the net as well as in real life [yes, I typed the whole thing, not that dumb ass 'IRL' abbreviation], that whenever I hear people say, "You post so much on Facebook or on Twitter!"

I'm always thinking, "You should see the stuff I don't post."

After the jump is a pool of articles that I've collected probably since last year. You'll probably notice that, though I visit 1up a great deal, I have yet to catch up on an 8th of their awesome, in-depth, cover stories. You'll also notice that I read a lot about human sexuality, because...well...people are f**king weird. But so am I.

Click to read more ...

Enslaved Review -- Journey To Being Under Appreciated

A tale of a man, a woman and pig -- where no one gets romantically involved. Enslaved is a game that is focussed on how us humans do what we need to do for the greater good. With all this positivity and philsophical undertones, I wonder why this didn't catch on with the first-person shooter crowd.

Click to read more ...