Tuesday

Dear Rickey Powell re: El Vado

Rickey Powell
Powder Monkey Music/West
A division of Powder Monkey Music/BFP
Berkeley, CA
94705
rkypwl@gmail.com
Dear Mr. Powell,

Everyone here at Powder Monkey Music/BFP is excited about the release of your newest audio recording, El Vado. The entire Powder Monkey family of consumer goods is behind your follow-up effort to 2004's exciting The Floods of Lexington Pacheco. As you know, we have dedicated significant resources to your release and are in the business of releasing our products in a manner that is consistent with our marketing efforts.

However, per agreement, the release is scheduled for "March 2009." Today is March 31, 2009 and as of midnight we will have no recourse than to consider your forthcoming release to be in contractual breach. It is unfortunate and disappointing that we have not received a status report on your recording project.

Please contact me (directly or through representation) at corporate headquarters as soon as you can, preferably today, so we can discuss the status of El Vado.

If we do not hear from you by business open tomorrow (April 1, 2009), we will begin the process of recovering our losses on this project.
Sincerely best,

Ty Hardaway
President
Powder Monkey Music/BFP
Bethesda, MD
20817
ty@middlespace.net

What's On the Internets Today #3/10

Mucro_Daily
All part of the car is original accessories...
who is interesting with my offer...
call me now!!!
price can be discount if you want to buy...
QUICK!!!!!

Well things for us are going fairly well. The New Orleans conference was very inspirational and very motivating. And the flying alone things wasnt as bad as I thought. Bryce and I really havent seen each other much these last few weeks. I was at a conference in Louisiana then he had a job in California, now he is working away from home Mon. thru Thurs. and I go to Las Vegas for another conference all next week. But Bryce is driving down that weekend and we are spending Valentines Day in Vegas! We want to go see a show then go out for a seafood buffet! So im excited. Im hoping things will slow down for us soon so we can actually spend more time together. Its not so fun being married when you never get to see your spouse. Other than that things are going great!
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What's On The Internets Today [archive]

Monday

Ty > Red


How We Roll



Father & daughter.

Naked Conversations With Rickey Powell

from: rkypwl@gmail.com
to: ty@middlespace.net
date: Mon, Mar 30, 2009 at 12:09 AM
subject: Things that occur to me in the tub...
America's most precious resource is our consumption.

The Chinese don't covet our oil, our coal, our farms, our water. They covet out consumption. So much that they're willing to fund it. Our only collateral is the promise of more consumption.

Of course, this can't continue forever. And once our consumption ends, so ends the Republic.

from: ty@middlespace.net
to:
rkypwl@gmail.com
date: Mon, Mar 30, 2009 at 7:21 AM

subject: re: Things that occur to me in the tub...
That's right! Good point. They want our "freedom." Not political freedom, not freedom of speech or religion. Not freedom of race and gender equality. But...freedom to consume like Americans, Japanese, or Americans.

That's why Preck so viciously hates us, the Japanese, and S. Koreans. We can buy all the useless shit we could ever store in our basements. We are free to drown in debt!

Friday

The Dark Side of American Exceptionalism

Keeping up appearances
When no Joneses ever existed
Untended consequences for all
Six point seven billion of us

Putting away the childish things
From elaborate mental exercises
About what if?
Living the dream of American night terrors

After one hundred percent the rest is pure
Waste
A new world order built from
Fewer cardboard boxes from Chinese factory towns

Less garbage of unnecessary fake ass luxury
Less keeping up with fake ass peers
Less time to kill yourself working
In your own psychosis of misunderstandings

Bigger and faster
Better and much more expensive
We built it up and we tear it down
Riding donkeys and pummeling clowns

What's On the Internets Today #2/10


Mix do Mundo
Finally,after long hours...my blog is completed!!! Yoohoo, great thks to all hu helped me create dis blog,u haf my deepest gratitude! Suddenly started bloggin cos i suddenly gt de feel to. Once again, grats myself on finishing dis blog =) !!!

This post is a long time in coming. (Relatively) Lately, I've taken portrait pictures for family members, and have been delighted at the result. I don't own Photoshop, or any camera equipment beyond my Nikon D50, but the pictures turned out well thanks to a few portrait tips I read up on beforehand. Good technique trumps technology any day. I prefer a well-constructed photo to a heavily-edited one!

Thanks for visiting my blog. I'm happy if you would get interest in ONSEN (hot springs in Japan) through this blog. Come and soak! Writing in English isn't easy for me, but trying to add new entries several times a month. Admission fee, opening hours, and other information in this blog are subject to change.
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What's On The Internets Today [archive]

Webby


Foggy


Wednesday

People in Context

People in Context [clicky]

So, yeah, I just assembled a bunch of old pics and called it People in Context. So what? What are you going to do, sue me? I don't think so. I have my reasons. I know what I'm doing.

I'm refining. Narrowing. Honing. Practice for the new. So shut the hell up, will ya'?

Good news is: when I'm dead this'll all make some sense. The bad news? You'll probably be dead too.

Solly!

A Maryland Sunrise

In dirty sandy March, a visual feast
Two of my most favorite things happening at the very same time
Either double the thrill, or, sadly, canceling each other out into a void of despair
No. Definitely not. That'd be the greatest, actually
Treats for sweets

The Hazards of Love by the Decemberists - Record Review Corner #1

Adding to my lengthy list of things I am not, I'm not record reviewer. I don't know all the haughty record reviewer terms or have insightful criticisms about nuance. I do not possess any particular hatred toward any particular record labels. Nor do I have a particular affinity for any of the cool "independent" labels either. I just like music. I like what I like. It either sucks or it rules. I barely even pay attention to lyrics or song titles. I've been in like half-a-dozen bands and still don't know lyrics to songs I wrote or song titles from my solo albums. I hear the big themes of the music, the peaks and the valleys, the rhythms, the essence; I hear in middlespaces. And like all us white guys, I just bite my lower lip, close my eyes, and bob my head up and down to the quarter notes as I do my best Phish-kid twirly dance. My young college-aged nephew, who I'll call Mike (because his name is Mike, from the whiter side of the family), is my connection to what you kids are listening to nowadays. Musically we both span generations, I got Blueberry Boat and Iron Flag from Mike. He got Nevermind and In Utero from me back when he was 13. I turned him on to Panda Bear and Neutral Milk Hotel. Symbiosis across the generations. Mike's at one of the prestigious California liberal arts colleges. He's 21 now, so I if I'm not txting him I generally do not hear from him except at Thanksgiving and the 4th of July. But…I got an email from Mike last month directing me to a track from what was to appear on the then forthcoming The Hazards of Love release by the Decemberists. Mike knows me pretty well now so he knew I'd love it. And I did, he was so right. Prep school served him well. I appreciate that he cares too. And I appreciate his taste (except for his "Philly thing" for G. Love – poor misguided youth). So I passed Mike's link along to Rickey Powell to hear because like with "Animal in Every Corner" from Trying Hartz and "I'm slowly Turning Into You" from Icky Thump, I was excited and knew RP was one person who would know where I was coming from with these types of tracks. Just yesterday I get an emailing from Apple. Apparently Rickey Powell had gifted me The Hazards of Love for iTunes. How fucking sweet. Friends are good a thing (12 year-old in-joke, haters). So, just for you, I'm gonna turn on to The Hazards of Love right now on the headphones. I will type what comes to mind over the next 58:37. Give me one moment first.... OK, here goes:
The DecemberistsThe Hazards of Love [Capital; 2009] [begin – play along at home by starting your recording now] Side One: Prelude: What's that, a low G? Deep, foreboding. Second tone oscillating somewhere. Nice. Sets a good mood. A good place to start your donkey ride if one were into that sort of thing. Old heads will hear definite shades of early prog-rockin' Yes here. Builds until a pipe organ comes to forefront, then…choral, vocals. Religious. Dissonance. Nice! The Hazards of Love 1: A guitar takes baton adds vox. A story begins. A white and wounded fawn singing about the hazards of love. Bass. Shakers in stereo. Textures so satisfying to the brain stem. Plans vexed? Several layers deep. Great use of stereo (two ears & corpus callosum). A tale. Singing, "Ohhh – ohhhh…the hazards of love." Ah. Some drums. That's right, rock bands need some drums. No cymbals yet. Just drums. Rough, dark, earthy drums. Like the white kid drum circle at Berkeley. Clean not mean. Textures. Textures and robust orchestration. So far this is a record that demonstrates that there was some planning. Sweet textures of acoustic picking. A Bower Scene: This is "the change." Like menopause or a film edit. Maybe the same scene, actually, but a new camera angle. I could do w/o the Olde English, but I get it. Quentin Tarantino angles. Oh shit! 1:00 into this track – a statement! Something serious just happened here. And…back. Young Margaret's waistline. And again, for emphasis, The Statement to end this track. Serious business from the nerds. Bill Gates with a pistol grip pump shotgun in his lap. Won't Want for Love: OH SHIT! A WOMAN'S VOICE. Who's this?! Completes the picture though. It's a play. The balance is nearly perfect. Front to back, left to right, textures and energies. I'm in love with a voice. The male voice is back, professing love and devotion. But we already know this is a tragedy-in-progress, dude. We can feel it in the music. But one cannot fault a guy from trying to get some love, right? No question, she's gonna burn you up, son. We can already see it. Ahhh…the hazard of love. Oh shit! I just GOT something! It was right there, yo! Gotta respect the stacked chimes to transition…to: The Hazards of Love 2: Nice new voicing position on lead mic. Way out in front now. In my face. Here you are. Hear you are! Hi! Working it. Your friends will laugh at you. The guys. But mack, son, mack! That's your woman! Love only comes every here and again. Profess it. Swear it. Beg it! Guitar to organ transition is great. Tambourine…and out. Just like that. Vicious acoustic guitaring. The kind of texture I gave Jason L. on Ark-Ark-Ark. Take my hand and cradle it in your hand…feel the pull of quicksand. Conventional yet compelling use of open orchestral ascending chord progressions. Effective emotionally, the world's oldest trick. The Queen's Approach: A banjo has arrived among dissonance and confusion of witches and wizards. The banjo knows the deal. The banjo always knows the deal. The fool. The joker. The jester. The banjo. Isn't It a Lovely Night?: Now this is familiar. Terrific unisons. Accordion and guitar? Yes it is a lovely night, my dear. Well-timed modulations. I fucking love her voice. It's now all Rodgers & Hammerstein like Carousel. What is this guitar pattern reminding me of? What is this riff? Should I go back? Should I figure it out? It's on the tip of my brain. No, the waltz section is lovely. 3/4 spins. The Wanting Comes in Waves / Repaid: Harpsichord. Mother I can hear your footfall. Now. Again, the well-planned, nicely-timed unisons. What's this chord doing? Dissonance and ominous-ness. Ominous-icity. Clouds and animals in the bushes. Now we're definitely into a familiar territory of modern indie concept rock. But more full and better chord progressions than most. Oh damn! Big moment @ 1:47. Decemberists just whipped out a case of penises. C'mon, sell it! Sell it! Vocals don't match guitars…Push it. But so what? I don't care. It's loud in here! It's great in here! There's a great thing happening with the hi-hat. The eighth-note accent travels along the pattern (from 1 to 1& to 2 to 2&, etc.). I wonder if this was played like this (if so, brills!), if created in edit, still great. Back to unisons with harpsichord. Now big recapitulation of recapitulations. Granting favors. Arcade Fire meets Neutral Milk Hotel at Deerhoof. But with bigger internal sex glands. Arcade and Neutral could never emote to this level; Deerhoof is to sparse. An Interlude: The well-timed interlude serves as the opportunity to get back up on your donkeys, kids. Conveniently and graciously they gave you said opportunity at the beginning and now you can re-up your donkey. Free of charge. You don't even have to break pace. At all. See? There's even time for some ferocious French kissing and a quickie bathroom break. Build it up, tear it down...ride your donkey into town. Now, we're back. Ladies and gentlemen, the rest of the album: Side Two: The Rake's Song: So this is the song I think Mike sent me the link to. I believe it to be so. I think I can. Thick with amp fuzz and big, booming thunder of drums (over compressed). All on top of the buzz/texture of acoustic strumming. All right! Like I said, thunder! Crash! Boom! What? Dave Wave just sent me an email:
"Watching Shine a Light at work here. The line's "life's just a cocktail party". I always thought it was "Knives to the cocktail party" - much better."
I've never seen Shine a Light. I'm working, nigga! Of course it's "...life's just a cocktail party...on the street. Big apple!" Damn, nigga. Damn! Open roll on the hi-hat (pretty clear 32nds). Nice after exit of toms. Big vocals and orchestrations. Settling. The Abduction of Margaret: And, back to work. 16ths on the hi-hat. The organ work is subtle here, but great, quite clear. Just slightly trailing the attacks on the guitar changes (delay echo), a good effect (must copy). Ahhh! Again big with the A Bower Scene builds/statements (I'll have to check that reference). The Queen's Rebuke / The Crossing: Statement re-launched! Oh shit. This is moving now. Bones of the branches of the brow-beating lies or some shit. Heavy metal vamp. Cymbal ride cuts really nice. Very Alice in Chains vamping. Except the haunting female vocal OOOOOOOs make it more riveting. Very riveting. Not threatening. I saw Alice in Chains in small pre-big-time venue. '92. Guitar as penis time. But that's what a guitar's purpose is. Again, reminiscent of Alice in Chains. Now back to prog-rock 101 on KMET (little bit of heaven, ninety-four point seven). Are these guys music school nerds? They have a good feel for style. Better than Lenny Kravitz in terms of historical moment extraction. ORGAN!!! The ascension. Ascension. Ascension! ASCENSION! Anna Water: Shake me awake. How'd I get here? It's like waking up. In water. OR on the sea...in a ship. With no context for how you got there or why you're there. The obligatory train song song. Cold water to face like Furious Floyd. Do it here. I'm cheering you on, people. C'mon. C'mon. I'm waiting. I'm willing. Do it. Do it to me! The horses shiver and bite against the bridle. So wide and so textural. Nice again. Again, some beautiful unison voicings. And back to the pony ride. But I only see retarded hippie kids noodle-dancing here. Stop it! Stop it now! I hate the hippie kids' dancing. They so suck. Sit down! You can't dance! Your parents didn't send you to NYU for you to dance like that! Stop the hippie kid images! Sit down hippie kids! I get what's happening here with the ds al coda. But. BUT, it just blew even my attention span. Good coda though. Just. Too. Long. Margaret In Captivity: Another familiar riff/sound. Intentional. It works. History of prog/alt since 1969. Love the dissonant overlays. We're back to good places. Safe place. Nice. Bringing her back to me like that. Even if she's crazy and would kill me if she were my "life partner." She's beautiful, she's intelligent, but she's crazy. You can hear it in the rats. Rats in the walls. Rats on the wall. So dark in the tower. So dire and so serious. She's a suicide in waiting; for your or for me. Perhaps both. So very heartbreaking. Tender and tragic. The Hazards of Love 3: Variation number three. The Sound of Music hilltop. Flower children dancing. That vendor from Tommy. Welcoming you to Tommy's Holiday Camp. The camp with the difference, never mind the weather. It all happens up here. Shit. I was right. Kid voices. Chil-runs. A brilliant effect for here with that back filter suck-sound thing going on. Dreamy. Loosely dream-like from LOST. Oh, it is a dream. I've been in this dream before. I know you. I know you. Hi! When do I wake? Down there? OK. Yes, I'll have another unicorn, thank you. It's all about now. May I wake? Oh, OK. Yes. Ice cream. The robots are happy. I love when the robots are happy. Especially when the factory is making more! Robots making (love) robots for robots. We witness. This carousel is going much too fast. Too fast! TOO FAST! I want to wake up now. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up! Thank you very much to wake up! Narm! The Wanting Comes In Waves: But there's no waking. Just mountain climbing. In warm sunshine. More of a beautiful hike than a mountain climb. Up. Up. Up! Warm.... She loves me. I love her. Life is love. Up! Up! Flying. Flying. But I can't fly.
Blog: whas up whas up? me: writing this thing now there's a story here. Blog: including this IM msg, or no? me: of course the IM thing of course, brother, how did you know? Blog: have fun! produce, man. keeeep produuuucing, pops!
The Hazards of Love 4: Now that the coma is over. Family and friends are all here. How long have I been…away? What? She's dead? How? When? Asleep. But. But. I don’t want to live without her. She was life. IS my life. My life. My wife. I cannot live without her. Her. Her. Her. Her. Her. Level two - Now that the coma-coma is over-over. I had such a weird dream that I was in a coma and that I came out of it and now here I am. Barefoot. On this mountain. The wreckage of civilization at my feet. Bleeding from hands and ankles. Stigmata. Blood of sins. Sins and souls. A pedal steel player. A drummer. A bass player. They're all here. We're a band, Marcus. We're a band! You can't be late for rehearsal. Because we're a band. And we don’t suck. We're the best band. Listen to us! Listen to me! Listen. Violins. Daisies. Colors. Licking quietly at our ankles. Watching a movie. Dark, smoky theater. Just us. You and me. Alone. A film almost over. I lean over and kiss your neck. Grateful that I love you and you love me. Grateful for love. Such a weird, sad, happy, beautiful movie. So much about life and love. Powerful. Thank you for letting me down so easy. I love you too. [End]

Monday

Ask Ty...March 23 [The Suicide Question]

It must be Tuesday Monday, Middlespace Cadets, because I'm answering your questions

Q: Dear Ty,
I really didn't want to die. It was an accident. I just wanted to know how to ski. But what can I do now? Life is/was precious. But, I am/was a worldly person and understand that some people kill themselves. I didn't want to die but some people do. Just a fact.

But I was reading the interweb news this morning and now I wonder why people who do decide to kill themselves decide to commit suicide by hanging themselves? Latest case in point is Sylvia Plath's son. WTF? It seems like an awful way to go. I don't understand why you wouldn't pick some other method that's less brutal or ugly? That is, if you really want to die and stuff.

I mean, really, between sitting in your car and falling asleep vs. jumping off a table to break your neck, asphixiate (sp?) yourself, it just seems like a no-brainer (too soon for bad pun?) to me.

- 'Tasha Jane, Heaven

Ty: Good question and an even better observation, Spooky. And good pun even though it really is way too soon for that kind of joking (but that shit was funny and I didn't even get it at first).

Hey but on a serious tip, I'm really sorry you died and shit. That sucks, really. And rough way to go, sister. Seriously. You bump your noggin and think you've just bumped your noggin and...dang...*poof*! Intelligent design my ass. God shoulda put the brain a little lower in the center of gravity department. Physics are no good for the brain.

But, anyhow. Suicide is our topic today. Ahem...

Suicide is a chump game, people. You gotta be pretty low to off yourself by yourself (though I reserve the right to do it as an elderly with no hope but the tray washing job at the mall). And like you said, 'Tasha Jane, I get it too. We've all been low at a time. But you have to reach a particular threshold to kill yourself. Or you have to be Japanese. Shit, the Japanese kill themselves like crazy (see: detergent suicide). If there's even a forecast for a giant robot or lizard monster to destroy your Japanese city you'll get like 80...85 suicides just from a forecast. WTF, Japanese people? See what the tide brings first. That's my advice.

Yeah, shooting yourself in the head, although more difficult than most people realize ("the head is a sphere" says the Grayman), is particularly lethal and quick. Jumping from the World Trade Center is definitely lethal, but the ride down must be something crazy. Let's see...those are the quickies I can think of. Oh, jumping in front of trains. Just selfish making people late for work.

Then there's carbon monoxide. Lethal and peaceful, I guess. Pills? Not as effective or easy as some realize. Cutting? Bleh! And, yeah, there's hanging?

To hang yourself, you're putting your Personal Suicide Convenience behind the Important Statement you're leaving behind. To hang yourself you're saying, "Hey look at me! I just killed myself and it's probably because of you!" You're just being a dick when you hang yourself (unless you're in prison and have no other real means to do it). You're being a suicide dick. Think about the people who love you all finding you hanging with a blue face and eyes bulging and bleeding. You're just being a suicide asshole! Even Debbie Palfrey wanted to be all, "See what you Federal Prosecuters made me do!"

People. Trust me (and trust the ghosts of famous actresses from all time), don't hang yourself. It's ugly, it's brutal, and it's just plain mean. If you want to make a statement that somebody has somehow wronged you somewhere, get a nasty tattoo on your face or breast implants or drive a Chevy. Fuck date a black if you really hate your daddy. But don't hang yourself.

Seriously.

Just a guess,

-ty


P.S. What they got up there, a T-1 line? And it's spelled, "a-s-p-h-y-x-i-a-t-e."

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Ask Ty... Archive: [clicky]

With Sincere Nod to Daniel Paige

Spelled "Triptych" Correctly On the First Try




Saturday

Angel On My Shoulder (Saturday Workshop)

Jess & Meg (Saturday Workshop)

Say what you want, haters. My girls rule harder than you ever will.

Thursday

404 Not Found

Not Found

The requested URL /news.html was not found on this server.


Apache/2.0.52 (CentOS) Server at www.tyhardaway.blogspot.com Port 80

"I am a bitter person. I bring bitterness to all things related to me, and generally speaking, truly believe that I bring down with me all people that I am attracted to for their natural energy, good-naturedness and affection. I feel in some ways that I am a leech/evil-incarnate, and should be smitten to spare the rest of the world access to my bitterness. And at the same Paradoxyical time, I am a wonderful, caring and inspiring person, who is madly in love with my new wife, eagerly anticipating a new lease on life...and have recently returned to my roots to be near my family, and begin a family of my own.

Welcome to my fucked up 'blog. Don't bother reading. I'm really only going to write this one post. Ever. But, shit, if I have the need to vent, banter, spew out social diatribe and generally rail on the ridiculousness of this world we've tacked together of gum and popsicle sticks, who knows."

- G.N., Piss & Moan, Tuesday July 9, 2002


FYI, this very post led to this very post: [clicky]

Mu-Mu: Like the Phoenix

...protoge of ella [clicky]

Wednesday

AKD Update

Flickr Set Updates:
Viney

Earth Day

Mushroom Festival in Hell

Plus, and just for you, this rad bonus set of mine from September 2006: [clicky]

Quiet Lonely World V/V

7.26.2002

From New Orleans:

Artificial overly-grinning floating torso
Curious about how it relates back
to them

Local flavor yawning over wonders
Acted anew by visitors with notions
about here

Gaping staggeringly blind
About self and about life
and love

Observations include lessons
Learned through the details
closely captured

So much the same behaviors
Personalities distilled into one
black mass

"The poetry exhibited, particularly, in the Middlespace Live and The Rhinosnort Highway Web logs (and sprinkled throughout the Internet) demonstrate a prophetic angst balanced (or juxtaposed) against his self-described 'future-gifting' abilities. The plethora of pieces may be where Mr. Hardaway's specific bleeding of personal emotions is most raw, opaque, and curiously "voice of a generation." Even more than in his stories or even in his music or podcasts, where we are either witness to or along for a joy ride, the poems are the bullets in the gun."

- Famous New York Magazine, blah-blah-blah

Quiet Lonely World IV/V


"The design work shows a timeless simplicity of style reminiscent of 'outsider artists' like Elisa Vegliante or flippant geniuses like Andy Warhol. Hardaway's world is overflowing with insider references, self-mythology, and personal statements to and for those closest to his creative world. Often he is the main character or subject. Often he is the butt of the humor."

- Famous New York Magazine, blah-blah-blah

Quiet Lonely World III/V






"...and with his fine portraiture, it is difficult to discern whether Hardaway is capturing a mood, constructing a deliberate tone, or if said mood and tone is the put-on; where we're the victim of personal in-jokes."

- Famous New York Magazine, blah-blah-blah

Quiet Lonely World II/V


"The body of historic work seems to place the viewer--through Hardaway's eyes--either alone in a post-apocalyptic-like context or, when people are present in the images, the viewer becomes invisible and privy to strangers' at their must unguarded."

- Famous New York Magazine, blah-blah-blah

Tuesday

Quiet Lonely World I/V


"...in general Hardaway portrays a world that is hauntingly quiet and lonely. In a word: abandoned."

- Famous New York Magazine, blah-blah-blah

Ask Ty...March 17 [The Jew Question]

It must be Tuesday, Middlespace Cadets, because I'm answering your questions

Q: Dear Ty,
Technically speaking, aren't you half-black and ALL-Jew? You know, because of the mother thing?

-D'Shawn Rosenberg

Ty: Good question and an even better observation, D'Shawn.

Yes, it is all about matrilineal descent. Thus, I am Der Jood. It is indeed true that according to the traditional Rabbinic view (which is maintained by all branches of Orthodox Judaism and Conservative Judaism and generally recognized by the Modern Orthodox) that I'm as Jewish as Speilberg and Bernstein (Attys at Law). I could be Alexander Portnoy's cousin. I could get Israeli citizenship. I got a million of 'em (try the veal, matinee on Sunday).

According to Halakha (the "Jewish law"), the immediate descendants of all female Jews are considered to be Jews. And, traditionally, only Halakha can define who is or is not a Jew when the question of Jewish identity, lineage, or parentage arises about any person seeking to define themselves or claim that they are Jewish.

And get this: The mere belief in the principles of Judaism does not make one a Jew. Similarly, non-adherence by a Jew to the Jewish principles of faith, or even formal conversion to another faith, does not make one lose one's Jewish status.

So, yes, I am, as you say, ALL-Jew. That would make me a half-black Jew. Hi, how are you? Dang and blah-blah-blah....

But, by brand--which in America is way more important than race, religion, sex, or orientation--I've been using "Half-black/Half-Jew" because it's kind of funny and works well to provoke the hater-commentators on the blogs. But, as you point out, it's just plain wrong.

So, what would a goy do? I will change my brand/logo/tagline moving forward. How's this, D'Shawn?

Half-Black/Half-Superhero
100% Jew!

Shhhh, don't tell Hitler!

Just a guess,

-ty

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Ask Ty... Archive: [clicky]

Tail of the Chameleon

"Recent research indicates that they do not typically change their colour for reasons of camouflage, but instead use colour changes as a method of communication, including to make themselves more attractive to potential mates."

- Wiki
Observe with fascination the geometrics of our nature
The symmetries and the disorderly alike
Still amazing and miraculous even
After the forty-third consecutive cycle of ebb vs. flow

Dichotomies pitting paternal twin urges to
Emulate either The Chameleon or to emulate The Peacock
Else force cancellation of all subscriptions
Without forwarding post reference

Like at onset of genuine and clinically diagnosed madness
Forced choice between the Fight and the Flight
Else queue for long waits at theme park amusement rides
Screaming for screaming sake; oh the drama!

Behold when constructs fail for chaos
Homoskedasticity becomes our only intelligent design
Like drawers and drawers -- rows and columns of discarded library file cards
With laser focus of the assassin of ADD carnival ducks

Monday

The Old Negro Spiritual

The Old Negro Spiritual
in four parts

I

The struggle our struggle
Seen nothing but trouble
of peoples in trenches
Bottoms of totem poles

A light so dim
Times never right
Not a hug nor a kiss
Never killed for a man

But "Billy Lyons" crossing-up
The game of Stagger
Questions surrounding archetype
"Objects to be observed"

Nothing at all for
The sensitive intellectual
never from bourgeois families
Taken like Jews from the ghettos
II

Rudest boy honed through rehearsal
Nowhere no nothing not
But highest-concept
Living not real

Because the entire purpose
Making it worthwhile
Output production ratio
Many times over consumption

A fetish for shoes
Put on and taken off for
And the embarrassment
of praise and disease ignored

Conceptual epiphany
Sequentially at best
Arrhythmia and the
Awkwardly disappointing
III

Do not hate it when
You become
What you thought you hated
The history of the American people

Like sheep in wolf's clothing
A metaphor flipped
Like "good girls'" conversion
to dirty fuck sluts

Frightening and paranoid
For sins committed
Bridges burning and
Crimes left unpunished

Dark and provocative
Previsions of confusion
Given blessings by the
Sick, the Sicker, and the Sickest
IV

A rumbling felt
Guilt surgically replacing
Shadows of dark clouds
Always weapons more and more lethal

The Id, the Ego, and the Super-ego
The cycles of cycles
Sucked like gravity
Backlogs like rain forests

When I ponder
The songs of my funeral
And if all accounts balance
regret-to-satisfaction

The struggle my struggle
Lived nothing but trouble
Falling in ditches
To die like the rest

My Oldest Facebook Friends (and my 10th birthday)

OK, above is the only remaining image of my 10th birthday party. Saturday, October 25, 1975 (the Saturday directly following my actual birthday). The party was at Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour in Montclair, CA.

Although we had very little money, we somehow managed to execute this party that included some of my 5th grade classmates. I see David Carter and Michael "Mike" Muchmore in the photo. Oh, and there's my cousin, Tina (at least that's what I always called her) on the left. My father probably even showed up to embarrass me to a degree he'll never understand but will affect me until I die.

So I was on the Facebook world wide web site this morning for some routine maintenance and to see what my Facebook Hardcap 100 "friends" were up to (try that with 673 "friends"). I realized that my FB "friends" span 34 years of my life. Not a bad range. The oldest two (not age, people I've known longest (sorry Jon)) were in my 5th grade class. I'll call them Stacey and Debbie because that's their names.

I was the new kid at Vista del Valle Elementary School beginning in the 5th grade after having to survive a horrid 4th grade year in Alice, Texas. Mrs. Riggle was our 1975-1976 teacher. We were in the portable/trailer classroom which we all called the bungalow. We sang patriotic songs and Mrs. Riggle assigned us to remind our parents to vote for Gerald Ford in the '76 election. Probably why I became a lifelong Republican, now that I trace it back.

Given Debbie and Stacey's status as my oldest Facebook friends (not age, people I've known longest (sorry Baty)), and even though I don't really do much backing and forthing with them, I love that they are a part of a history. I do believe that they'll be members of my Facebook Hardcap 100 in perpetuity (or until they de-friend me!).

Now, regarding Stacey, I have a particular memory that just happens to involve my 10th birthday party. The only memory I have of this party other than that photograph was receiving Stacey's gift. It was a 45 rpm record; The Beatles "I Want to Hold Your Hand" / "I Saw Her Standing There." This was significant in many respects, most salient:
a) It was the first record I ever received as a gift and I quickly grew to love music.
b) It was probably my first intimate exposure to The Beatles whom I came to love.
c) Was it her clue to some sort of affection? Heck, I'd never ask; I could only wonder.
d) It was a real gift, not a toy, not something for kids. It was a real 45!
e) Though those songs were then 11 years-old, she picked absolute classics that will live forever.
Now, while Stacey does not appear in the photograph, it still serves as importantly representative. A bookmark for memories. Going back to the photograph....

Note:
a) There is an ashtray on the table. A perfect glimpse of the ancient history of America.
b) I'm sportin' a pretty bitcin' Afro if I say so myself. That's major puff.
c) Mike and I were either too cool to wear a silly birthday hat or, more likely, we could only afford like 4 of 'em and we rotated the opportunity every 15 minutes.
Looking at my face in the image, I see a striking resemblance in my "almost 7" year-old daughter. Poor dear. Forget the college fund, I'll transfer the balance to the cosmetic surgery, orthodontia, and therapy fund. What?! Never mind, looking at that fund's balance, it looks like I owe Fidelity a couple of thousand dollars. Asshole economy!

-----------------

NEXT on Facebook Friends: Kook friends from college.

How Art Works

Not that your or I didn't realize this already, but I believe I've just cognitively conceptualized How Art Works.

Sure there are a few rare geniuses who can function completely within themselves and within their own minds. That's great and all and I totally understand how that could work but most art, I'd argue, requires a level of stimulation. That is certain places, events, accidents, and people cue the brain to do certain things. It's random and it chaotic but this is How Art Works. At least for me.

Just this morning I've decided do a piece that I hope to finish in a few hours because a talented art hero of mine sent this note to me (yes, he used a typewriter):
Ty,

Thanks for making that video and saying and sharing the things you shared. It makes me feel better that at least one other person feels similar about things and "art" or whatever it is that you and I are "obsessed" with! Very inspiring, in fact I (we, [fiancee] and I) watched it twice. Don't stop what you're doing and of course I won't.

Peace,

-J

PS: Maybe we should collaborate on something, involving sound + image - ?? (via filesharing, etc.)
How can one not capitalize on this sort of 8-ball of inspiration-adreniline? You'd be severely remiss or addled. So, I'm going down into the lab now to do a thing because "J" was so gracious with his compliment and suggestion.

I cry tears of diamonds upon my own shoulders upon reflection of what this all means to me.

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This video: [clicky]

Sunday

Her We Go - (album update/initial sketches/sunday worship)

headphones are good a thing
all are everything is headphones & cocoa collection - doy
Her We Go playlist
1) Taste The Monster 5:58
2) Make As New Place 7:20
3) The Pony Act 2:09
4) Trouble in Paradise 2:07
5) Row Versus Wave 5:00
6) Xabed De Blalb 7:18 - newest!
7) in progress.
8) in progress..
9) in progress...
10) Taste (reprise) 1:54
the Kingdom of Leisure contributors
1) tyrone hussein hardaway washington, d.c.
2) richey powell berkeley
3) big dave wave miami
4) philly boy gabe philadelphia
5) eric c. virginia
6) dick turlington new york city
7) grayman washington, d.c.
8) in progress.
9) in progress..
10) in progress...

Working Title:
Grand Escape 2009 - Her We Go tour
Cast to Date:
  • Ty
  • Rich
In The Hat to Date:
  • Santa Cruz beach house
Production Notes to Date:
  • Doy!
  • El Vado (to be released in March?) is here: [clicky]

© 2009 Middlespace Arts - Middlespace East/Middlespace West and all points between


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Here we go thread [clicky]
WTF? Contact: admin[at]middlespace[dot]net
Here we go photography by RPW, CMcG or TJH
What's in the Hat? v7.x update [clicky]