Ethicurean: Chew the Right Thing.

Here's a blog recommended by my friend, artist, activist in the effort to protect cetaceans (dolphins and whales) and to bring commercial whaling to a halt, as well as the only original Z-Girl, Peggy Oki.

eth.i.cu.re.an n. (also adj.) Someone who seeks out tasty things that are also sustainable, organic, local, and/or ethical - SOLE food, for short. The Ethicurean

Watching copyright infringement is a bitch!

I was only last month considering publishing my MY RULES photozine (that i self published in 1982) electronically as a PDF since its been out of print for many years, and to have it for sale on Amazon.com for like a dollar or two. Then today I get this blog link forwarded to me and someone has just posted it on this electronic publishing storage website. As long as no one is profiting i don't really mind, but it's just kind of crazy. Lets see how long it stays up... The pages will turn on their own every 6 seconds, or click on the right or left edge to make it turn the pages. (note they are a bit out of order).

UPDATE: The on-line down load of the entire .pdf was removed within hours of this posting and the ability to view the pdf without download was removed by monday morning, but for some reason our linked version here above is still working (and I ain't mad at that).

"Obama’s Budget Plan Sweeps Away Reagan Ideas"

I just love the look of this headline in tomorrows New York Times.
Here's an excerpt from the article By DAVID LEONHARDT:

The budget that President Obama proposed on Thursday is nothing less than an attempt to end a three-decade era of economic policy dominated by the ideas of Ronald Reagan and his supporters.

The Obama budget — a bold, even radical departure from recent history, wrapped in bureaucratic formality and statistical tables — would sharply raise taxes on the rich, beyond where Bill Clinton had raised them. It would reduce taxes for everyone else, to a lower point than they were under either Mr. Clinton or George W. Bush. And it would lay the groundwork for sweeping changes in health care and education, among other areas.

More than anything else, the proposals seek to reverse the rapid increase in economic inequality over the last 30 years. They do so first by rewriting the tax code and, over the longer term, by trying to solve some big causes of the middle-class income slowdown, like high medical costs and slowing educational gains.

Continue reading the piece here.

I only hope it's true. Reminds me of when everyone was "accusing" Obama of being close with former member of The Weather Underground, Bill Ayers, or being a socialist, or of agreeing with Jeremiah Wright's sermons. I wish they were all true!

Lance Mountain in his backyard, 1983.

Here's another previously unpublished photo from my archive.
No flash, No reflector, No fill, No frills, just skills and Kodachrome 64 on a nice day.

FREE RANGE STUDIOS make fantastic videos

The Story of Stuff was one of my favorite forwards a few years ago, you might have seen it already, if not then go watch it now!
Free Range Studios first came to my attention with their anti-corporate, factory farming animated video The Meatrix, as well as The Meatrix II ½. Then Grocery Store Wars, and today they released a great one where they have teamed up with social values business leader Mark Albion to create the parable of The Good Life, a story that asks what "enough" really means.
Go to the Free Range Studios YouTube channel to check out all the clips that'll wake your ass up.

Shepard Fairey on the CBS Morning News

Once again proving he's got it together more than most.Shepard and I just finished an interview this afternoon that's going in the special 100th issue of Juxtapoz magazine of art and culture.

Skip Engblom wins Best Supporting Actor Oscar

Of course I meant Heath Ledger as the Joker. (Who also played our old friend Skip Engblom in the fictional Lords of Dogtown movie.)

This beautiful shot is from an incredible, absolutely insane, fraction of time out of his life that was brilliant. The still might not look like much, but this psychotic character at this moment was feeling himself for real, and i fully appreciated that.

Zeitgeist The Movie

I can't say i support or believe everything in this film, but it's pretty heavy duty to say the least.

James Brown (1969) with Sammy Davis Jr.

I was sent this INCREDIBLE clip tonight from my old friend Basheer Muhammad. It's JB doing a medley of some hits on some kind of TV variety show. Sammy Davis Jr. introduces him, then towards the end he gets into it with him. Real tight.

WATCHMEN preview from Xeni at Boing Boing

This looks pretty amazing... (coming from someone who thought IRON MAN was the most entertaining film of last year)

The Psychic Soviet and Other Works by Ian F. Svenonius

Ian Svenonius has written probably my favorite book made in the last ten years. All-time top ten for sure. Unfortunately i've just noticed it's no longer available at the usual places online, so not only could i not link to it here, but i don't know where to tell you to get it. If you happen to see a copy on the shelf at your local book store, DO NOT HESITATE, buy it! I think i saw a few copies at St. Marks bookshop here in the city not long ago. - The humor, insight, and politics are spot on. Not only that, it's all terrain cover and size make it perfect for trips, walks, or coffee shop hang. I love reading it on the plane (when I'm not looking out the window due to darkness), and laughing out loud waking up everyone around me. I have bought at least ten copies for friends already. Oh, did i mention, in case you did not know, Ian has also written several pieces for some of my books, including a short story for The Idealist, the afterword for RECOGNIZE, and the lengthy introduction to my Fugazi book Keep Your Eyes Open. Not only is he one of my favorite people in the world, Ian was also founding member and singer for the Nation of Ulysses, The Make-Up, Weird War, and currently Chain and The Gang. He is also the host of the internet television program Soft Focus, well worth watching. If you see this book, GET IT!

BLACK FLAG while recording DAMAGED c.1981

Here's another rarely if ever seen shot. It was taken down the block from Unicorn studios in West Hollywood in 1981 or so. At this time Black Flag were recording what would be their first full album release, and in my opinion one of the greatest albums of all time, (sorry I can't say that for any of the non-compilation LP's to follow). The band was living at the studio and coincidentally i happen to be living in my first apartment just a few blocks away. I'm sure if you've found this post you've got this album, if not, go get it now fool.

Ezio J Friedman on guitar...

My son Ezio (now 19 months old) was first given a guitar by the wonderful family of Ian Rogers last month while we were still out in Los Angeles. Since then he has barely ever been able to go a few hours without it, or asking for it if we are not home. I sent out this snap shot of him to some good friends last night, and received lots of encouraging great replies. But one of my favorites came from Joe Carducci: "if you're smart you'll grab that out of his hands and smash it into a million pieces."

(This is my first real family post, not sure if i'll continue.)

Lincoln and Darwin: Birthdays and Evolution

In the last year I've discovered the usually too corporate friendly NewYorkTimes.com web site has really kicked it into high gear with the continuos updating and multi-media content from more sources than just their own. Last month I saw this awesome story and video report about Skateboarding in Afghanistan, there before i heard of it anywhere else. Today i found this mildly entertaining and interesting clip on the shared birthday of Lincoln and Darwin.

Creationists are down right creepy!

Curb Your Enthusiasm - Will Leon be back?

The ending of last season on "Curb" was amazing. Thanks to Larry's new family. Here's a great clip, and here's hoping that "The Blacks" (with J.B. Smoove and Vivica Fox) are back next season.

Pictures from the Idealist Propaganda opening

L>R Shepard Fairey, Russell Simmons, Tony Alva, Zack De La Rocha, GEF, Brett Ratner (in front)

L>R "King James" Cassimus, GEF, Steve Olson, Craig Stecyk, Jim "Red Dog" Muir (I've known these guys since the mid 70's!)

with my family.

Sean Bonner texting and Russell with the Shepard hook-ups, amongst the crowd in the entry.

Boing Boing TV - four part mini-series filmed just before my opening at Shepard Fairey's Subliminal Projects.

I was dog tired, out of it, just off the plane from NYC + 2 hours of traffic in Los Angeles, night before the "Idealist Propaganda" retrospective opening in Echo Park. - btw. The show was great.

Boing Boing TV mini-series

PART 1: Shepard Fairey and the Obama Poster
PART 2: GEF in Conversation (and Collaboration) with Shepard Fairey
PART 3: GEF - Skate+Punk segment
PART 4: GEF - Early Hip Hop, and The Liberty Street Protest

The President is B-Boy

I wish him all the best. I gotta admit I can only Hope for him and this country. Not expecting miracles, but certainly hoping for some. That said, in my opinion, without HIp-Hop this wouldn't have happened... At least not for a long time.

Another reason I wanted to start this thing...

Sly & The Family Stone wins a $10,000 talent contest back in 1968... 
Sharing stuff like this just makes me happy.

Here comes the rarely if ever seen photos to keep you coming back... at least once a week

An un-published photo i took the same day, in fact probably a few frames before, as the classic shot of Tony Alva flipping me off while he's doing a one-wheeler trespassing in Beverly Hills.

WELCOME ME TO THE FUCKING BLOGOSPHERE FRIENDS & HATERS...

What the hell am i doing here? Well i'm not 100% sure yet. i think i'll kind of rant, review, and post stuff here that i usually send out to my friends in e-mails every few days or several times a day depending on what i see going on out there. It'll be political, stupid, or interesting in one way or another, at least to me. We'll see what you think. Probably shamelessly promote those cultures in which i have been and continue to be involved with, to inspire others, new and old. 

THANKS FOR THE WARM WELCOME.