Sunday, April 26, 2009

Does this mean this is where the abortionist is?..


Hanging Babies, DUMBO, Brooklyn 4/09

Queens vs. Bronx

So here are some hot pics from the Queens of Pain vs Bronx Gridlock Roller Derby game last night! It was exciting. I won't lie, I was cheering for  the Bronx, and the Gridlock pulled through overshooting Queens by about 30 points. Queens started out in the lead and then the Gridlock put the pressure on, ending the first half 30 points in the lead. In the second half, Queens started off again on a good start, scoring back about 15 points, but then lacking the endurance to keep up with Bronx's lightning fast moves. Unfortunately, Slay didn't play this time, but Ani Dispanko got some good time in to work on her defensive skills. On the Queen's of Pain, Suzy Hotrod gave Bonnie Thunders a run for her money and Hyper Lynx put the pressure on (when she wasn't in the penalty seats!). Overall, a great game! Here are some shots:











Thursday, April 16, 2009

Taking the fun out of recess?



So, I was watching the news today at my boss's house while his cable was being installed, and saw a program on how games such as dodgeball & tag are being banned at school for being "too dangerous." This has been happening for several years now. USA Today  says that: 
"The bans were passed in the name of safety, but some children's health advocates say limiting exercise and free play can inhibit a child's development."

On TV they had some bastardized version of tag called "shadow tag," whereupon if your shadow touches another person's shadow, they are it...um, excuse me, isn't there more of a chance of kids running into each other and other things when they are flailing about looking down at their shadows? I didn't hear any good excuse for or against the dodgeball and tag bans. The folks that are for the dodgeball ban say that it is too aggressive, leaves kids out, allows bullying and hurts children. I see validity in some of those statements, if taken to an extreme.

The show that I was watching (which I didn't catch the name of, some local news channel) interviewed Matt Labash who wrote The Weekly Standard article, "What's Wrong With Dodgeball?" Although Labash seems to make some good key points about how these sports in many ways teach kids about competition and how to be stronger, but he puts his points under the larger title of "The Wussification of America." In this broadcast I watched, the words "sissy" and "wuss" were used so many times that I personally wanted to smack the tv, or Labash with his jocky crew-cut haircut and Armani suit. With the persistent use of "sissy" and "wussy" it is no wonder that this pro-dodgeball guerilla warfare is enforced by jocky pro-war Republicans. 

The other, softer end of the argument, is definitely too soft for my taste too. They interviewed a lady who is the principal of a "no touch" school. That's right kids, a school where you can't have ANY physical contact with ANYBODY. Hello, attachment theory? Are you there? Kids need touch, and they need to learn the differences between good touching and bad touching. The larger issue at hand is bullying and the effects that that has. Enforcing a no-touch rule just saves the school from lawsuits and angry parents. 


So what does this all come down to? I think, good parenting and modeling. Kids learn from their parents and how their parents model behaviors. I mean, why is it that these problems didn't seem to exist 30 years ago? Was it because they were not reported or because corporal punishment was more accepted or because the media didn't play a role or because parents weren't forced to work so many hours in the day and had more time to spend with the kids? There are plenty of reasons, good and bad. You make the decision. 

-kfid

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Boycott!

Sicker than the ShamWow Guy beating the shit out of a prostitute in his South Beach hotel room is amazon.com's recent decision to pull all LGBT books. This is awful, first labeling the books as "adult" and then pulling their ranking so that they are almost impossible to search for? Are we living in the 50's?? This coming during the high time of gay marriage being legalized in Iowa and Vermont. Bad decision, Amazon...especially since everyone in marketing knows that LGBTs tend to have the highest expendable income (for those that like to look at people as walking $$). I say, boycott amazon! I'm using Barnes and Noble.

-kfid

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Buddy the Dog on Easter


Home for Easter this weekend. We broke the pet number rule by having three cats and a dog residing. They brought Buddy, their black lab/rottweiler mix. He's the sweetest thing on the planet. 

In other knews, I was looking through gizmodo today, and saw this: How to Use Marshmallow Peeps (R) to control your Wii . It seems to work pretty well, but I will have to try it for myself to believe it. Unfortunately, I can't find any Peeps at the store :(.


-kfid

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Blind Boxes....blind faith


So, today I took my chances with some blind boxes at KidRobot. I was craving some, and...in true blind box fashion, I look at something that looks absolutely adorably and end up with the one that looks like poo. Evidence:

Look how effing cute the one on the right is. And the left. I ended up with the giant poo stick in the center. I mean, I'll love it just as any other, but really..? Maybe it's mud and not poo. I also got a Ye Olde English Dunny. UK Tourist. Pretty cute.

Writing papers. blows.


k

Monday, April 6, 2009

New Card



So, as some sort of a marketing ploy, art stores are now putting out "art paper trading cards." I guess the idea is that you make a small piece of art and then trade it as a trading card with other artists? That's cute, for lazy people. So of course I bought a few. I drew one up yesterday. I plan to color it later. 

Also, DickChicken.
-Kfid


Sunday, April 5, 2009

Sweet



Nice. Williamsburg; Bedford Ave


Kfid

Artists & Fleas Market Find



Today, we found a new treasure at the Artists & Fleas market on N6th in Williamsburg - Moxy Metals. These cute retro-designed acrylic and metal pieces are dazzled with fuzzy flocking. The colors, material, and designs are great. Check them out. I got the lightening bolt. They are also decently priced $$. Holla. 

-Kfid


Artists & Fleas - every Sat and Sunday N6th between Bedford & Berry. Soon to be Sat at McCarren park. 

Findings on a beautiful day.




(above) High Density Ritualscape #2, 14"x11", Nicholas Kuszyk
(below)#63, painting on panel 10"x10", Nicholas Kuszyk

One of the first truly beautiful spring days so my roommate and I decided to go out exploring in Williamsburg. We popped into the McCaig-Welles Gallery and saw the R. Nicholas Kuszyk exhibit - amazing! His works are amazingly intricate and his mastery with color is evident in his ability to combine such harsh neons in a way that doesn't completely lose the mind's eye in the piece. The gallery website notes says...

"Hyper colorful with an overtly complex mode, R. Nicholas Kuszyk’s works combine multiple elements that relate and inform and react to each other creating a symbiosis that can range from harmonious to chaotic. While the smaller paintings work as snapshots of everyday thoughts and emotions, the larger paintings take on a much more intricate commentary."

That and a bunch of other artsy mumbo-jumbo which compares Kuszyk's work to society and human relationships. Whatever your take, the pieces are truly marvelous to behold. His robots are pretty rad too. I bet he was into them before the rest of the indie snobs :P.

Note: blogger seems to love distorting the colors on this thing. Go to the site to see the pictures in their true brilliance.

Michele and I also happened upon some cool graffiti and sick designers, more to come.

-Kfid

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Gotham Girls First game!




Some highlights of the Gotham Girl's Roller Derby first game at LIU, pulverizing the Boston Massacre! The game was great fun, and the bleachers were packed. Looking forward to a great season!!













Alas, my lost child.


I have not touched this in months and months. I intend to update with more interesting information. Today I made a blog for the sculptor I work for, Pavel Kraus. Today, I am offering the the treat of Wyoming with a bandana on (it's super cute). I've been doing some work lately, mainly pertaining to the art therapy studies though (not exactly the illustration and fine art stuff I want to do). 

Woe is life.

-k