#Ballard Smoke Shop

[jesuisgourde]

A list of all the books mentioned in Peter Doherty's journals (and in some interviews/lyrics, too)

Because I just made this list in answer to someone's question on a facebook group, I thought I may as well post it here.

-The Picture of Dorian Gray/The Ballad Of Reading Gaol/Salome/The Happy Prince/The Duchess of Padua, all by Oscar Wilde -The Thief's Journal/Our Lady Of The Flowers/Miracle Of The Rose, all by Jean Genet -A Diamond Guitar by Truman Capote -Mixed Essays by Matthew Arnold -Venus In Furs by Leopold Sacher-Masoch -The Ministry Of Fear by Graham Greene -Brighton Rock by Graham Green -A Season in Hell by Arthur Rimbaud -The Street Of Crocodiles (aka Cinnamon Shops) by Bruno Schulz -Opium: The Diary Of His Cure by Jean Cocteau -The Lost Weekend by Charles Jackson -Howl by Allen Ginsberg -Women In Love by DH Lawrence -The Tempest by William Shakespeare -Trilby by George du Maurier -The Vision Of Jean Genet by Richard Coe -"Literature And The Crisis" by Isaiah Berlin -Le Cid by Pierre Corneille -The Paris Peasant by Louis Aragon -Junky by William S Burroughs -Absolute Beginners by Colin MacInnes -Futz by Rochelle Owens -They Shoot Horses Don't They? by Horace McCoy -"An Inquiry On Love" by La revolution surrealiste magazine -Idea by Michael Drayton -"The Nymph's Reply to The Shepherd" by Sir Walter Raleigh -Hamlet by William Shakespeare -The Silver Shilling/The Old Church Bell/The Snail And The Rose Tree all by Hans Christian Andersen -120 Days Of Sodom by Marquis de Sade -Letters To A Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke -Poetics Of Space by Gaston Bachelard -In Favor Of The Sensitive Man and Other Essays by Anais Nin -La Batarde by Violette LeDuc -Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov -Intimate Journals by Charles Baudelaire -Juno And The Paycock by Sean O'Casey -England Is Mine by Michael Bracewell -"The Prelude" by William Wordsworth -Noise: The Political Economy of Music by Jacques Atalli -"Elm" by Sylvia Plath -"I am pleased with my sight..." by Rumi -She Stoops To Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith -Amphitryon by John Dryden -Oscar Wilde by Richard Ellman -The Song Of The South by James Rennell Rodd -In Her Praise by Robert Graves -"For That He Looked Not Upon Her" by George Gascoigne -"Order And Disorder" by Lucy Hutchinson -Man Crazy by Joyce Carol Oates -A Pictorial History Of Sex In The Movies by Jeremy Pascall and Clyde Jeavons -Anarchy State & Utopia by Robert Nozick -"Limbo" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge -Men In Love: Masculinity and Sexuality in the Eighteenth Century by George Haggerty

[arbitrary line break because tumble hates lists apparently]

-Crime And Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky -Innocent When You Dream: the Tom Waits Reader -"Identity Card" by Mahmoud Darwish -Ulysses by James Joyce -The Four Quartets poems by TS Eliot -Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare -A'Rebours/Against The Grain by Joris-Karl Huysmans -Prisoner Of Love by Jean Genet -Down And Out In Paris And London by George Orwell -The Man With The Golden Arm by Nelson Algren -Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates -"Epitaph To A Dog" by Lord Byron -Cocaine Nights by JG Ballard -"Not By Bread Alone" by James Terry White -Anecdotes Of The Late Samuel Johnson by Hester Thrale -"The Owl And The Pussycat" by Edward Lear -"Chevaux de bois" by Paul Verlaine -A Strong Song Tows Us: The Life of Basil Bunting by Richard Burton -Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes -The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri -The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling -The Man Who Would Be King by Rudyard Kipling -Ask The Dust by John Frante -On The Trans-Siberian Railways by Blaise Cendrars -The 39 Steps by John Buchan -The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol -The Government Inspector by Nikolai Gogol -The Iliad by Homer -Heart Of Darkness by Joseph Conrad -The Volunteer by Shane O'Doherty -Twenty Love Poems and A Song Of Despair by Pablo Neruda -"May Banners" by Arthur Rimbaud -Literary Outlaw: The life and times of William S Burroughs by Ted Morgan -The Penguin Dorothy Parker -Smoke by William Faulkner -Hero And Leander by Christopher Marlowe -My Lady Nicotine by JM Barrie -All I Ever Wrote by Ronnie Barker -The Libertine by Stephen Jeffreys -On Murder Considered As One Of The Fine Arts by Thomas de Quincey -The Void Ratio by Shane Levene and Karolina Urbaniak -The Remains Of The Day by Kazuo Ishiguro -Dead Fingers Talk by William S Burroughs -The England's Dreaming Tapes by Jon Savage -London Underworld by Henry Mayhew

[strathshepard]

Ballard Smoke Shop via The Seattle Times

[beardedmrbean]

A Seattle store worker turned the tables on an armed suspect during an attempted robbery on Monday, shooting and killing the would-be thief in an exchange of gunfire, authorities said.

The shooting happened around 4 p.m. at the King Smoke Shop in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, the Seattle Police Department said.

The 29-year-old male suspect attempted to rob the business at gunpoint and shot at the 38-year-old male employee, according to police.

The victim returned fire, according to authorities, forcing the suspect to flee from the store.

The victim was shot multiple times, FOX13 Seattle reported.

Police said he had non-life-threatening gunshot wounds and was rushed to Harborview Medical Center. No update on his condition was immediately available.

The suspect was found dead with gunshot wounds outside the business.

Police have yet to release the identities of the suspect and victim.

Community members had helped to provide medical care prior to the officers’ arrival.

Detectives are continuing to investigate the shooting.

[crystalmaster333]

minimal sculpture long hair for everyone shoegaze robert gober hard edged painting jg ballard punks teddy boys rockers structuralist film fine dining sci fi don de lilo traditional french culture english culture scottish culture beverly buchanan the middle east judaism islam christianity druze kurt vonnegut carparks bridges infrastructure shopping centres getting a fine on public transport not checking your emails ambient music joachim bandau difficulty waking up in the morning ghislaine leung boyle family smoking weed when you’re already drunk robert grosvenor answering the phone with a convincing accent that’s not your own larry david loving and hating modernism at the same time rosalind krauss fiona connor being publically described as young mick jagger and being annoyed about it carbon monoxide agnes martin amphetamine sulphate guy debord guy de maupassant a french lesbian friend from long past now married to a man and working at a bank lee bontecou academic friends gossip friends north melbourne friends the gold coast roberto bolano celebrity chefs australian football players geoffrey rush’s son michelen star pork jowls marco pierre white nothing that anyone else cares about 

[bongtastics]

🌿 Cannabis Enthusiast’s Guide to Seattle: Dispensaries and Unique Spots to Explore

Seattle, Washington, known for its progressive culture and breathtaking scenery, is a dream destination for cannabis enthusiasts. As one of the first states to legalize recreational cannabis in 2012, Seattle offers top-tier dispensaries, unique attractions, and vibrant neighborhoods to explore.

Discover Seattle’s cannabis culture with the full guide here.

📜 Understanding Cannabis Laws in Seattle

Who Can Buy?

Adults 21+ with valid ID.

Purchase Limits

1 ounce of flower.

7 grams of concentrates.

16 ounces of edibles.

72 ounces of cannabis-infused drinks.

Consumption Rules

Private Spaces Only: No public use.

Transportation: Keep cannabis sealed during transport and never cross state lines.

Driving Laws

Driving under the influence of cannabis is illegal and carries severe penalties.

🏬 Top 5 Dispensaries in Seattle

The Reef – Capitol Hill

Address: 1525 E Olive Way, Seattle, WA 98122

Highlights: Sleek, modern design with a curated selection of flower, edibles, and concentrates.

Why Visit? Located in the lively Capitol Hill neighborhood near top dining and nightlife spots.

Dockside Cannabis – Ballard

Address: 4601 Leary Way NW, Seattle, WA 98107

Highlights: Sustainability-focused dispensary with museum-like cannabis history displays.

Why Visit? Pair your trip with Ballard’s brewery scene and historic charm.

Have a Heart – Belltown

Address: 115 Blanchard St, Seattle, WA 98121

Highlights: Convenient downtown location with exceptional customer service and product variety.

Why Visit? Close to iconic attractions like the Space Needle and Pike Place Market.

Uncle Ike’s – Central District

Address: 2310 E Union St, Seattle, WA 98122

Highlights: Budget-friendly options with frequent discounts and a massive inventory.

Why Visit? Explore nearby Capitol Hill and Madrona neighborhoods.

Ruckus – Capitol Hill

Address: 1465 E Republican St, Seattle, WA 98112

Highlights: Boutique dispensary specializing in small-batch, artisanal cannabis products.

Why Visit? Capitol Hill’s artistic and cultural vibes make this a must-stop spot.

🎨 Unique Seattle Spots for Post-Smoke Adventures

The Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)

Address: 325 5th Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109

Why Visit? Immerse yourself in vibrant exhibits on music, gaming, and sci-fi.

Chihuly Garden and Glass

Address: 305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA 98109

Why Visit? Stunning glass sculptures and serene gardens offer a magical, sensory experience.

Pacific Science Center IMAX Theater

Address: 200 2nd Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109

Why Visit? Perfect for nature-focused films and immersive visuals.

Fremont Troll & Fremont Neighborhood

Address: N 36th St, Seattle, WA 98103

Why Visit? Explore Seattle’s quirkiest area with eclectic shops and art.

The Seattle Great Wheel

Address: 1301 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98101

Why Visit? Enjoy breathtaking views of Puget Sound and the city skyline.

🌟 Tips for a Safe and Fun Cannabis Experience

Start Slow: Especially for beginners, opt for low doses.

Hydrate: Keep water handy to combat dry mouth.

Plan Ahead: Stick to walkable neighborhoods or arrange transportation.

Be Respectful: Avoid public consumption and respect local rules.

Choose Your Environment: Pick a calm, familiar setting to enhance your experience.

Seattle: A Cannabis Lover’s Paradise

Seattle combines a progressive cannabis culture with rich artistic and natural experiences. From the city’s top-notch dispensaries to iconic attractions like MoPOP and the Great Wheel, the Emerald City has something for every cannabis enthusiast.

Plan your perfect cannabis adventure in Seattle here.

[thedaveandkimmershow]

If I had to guess, I wouldn’t really know what we did in October.

A lot, apparently.

Of course Kimmer’s in the full throes of the current semester of her doctoral program. So, on top of her day job and the charting demanded by that day job, she’s also researching, writing, testing, collaborating in-class, and commiserating with fellow students in this fast-track program. 

The workload is insane… and Kimmer’s managing it on top of everything else.

For me, professionally, the month kicked off diving into and crafting the first cut of a large project about youth incarceration. A lot of footage covering different points of view, narratives, and circumstances. Definitely the biggest, one of the biggest, projects of the year. I had the first cut done about halfway through the month. 🙂

Linzy had a bit of a month this month… although nothing like what’s coming up November and December. Among her gigs in October, I'm thinking about one of the many wineries in Woodinville, this particular time at Efestē Wines where I ran into friends from a lifetime ago and we got to catch up.

And catch up.

And catch up.

Talking shop. Talking family and future with people who get it. You know?

Birds of a feather.

It was really really fun with Linzy providing the soundtrack.

Due to scheduling, our friends had to leave before Kimmer arrived. The timing was still good, though, ‘cause Linzy was on a quick break so we got in a little family time at the bar of all places. Afterward, she returned to her third set while we commenced date night. 

After that, we got all of Linzy's gear packed up and moved our van but somehow managed not to leave. We hung out at the back of the van talking shop like our family does.

Apparently.

I don't even remember what all we talked about. It was a bit stream of consciousness. But it was lovely still.

Linzy’s gig calendar had something on every Friday of October. Winery gigs on three of them. A Midnight High show on the first Friday of the month. There was a Palisade restaurant performance on the last Wednesday of October but the BIG deal was Linzy’s Dream Patrol show at Sunset Tavern in Ballard, Tuesday the 22nd.

The show was the best one so far. Between the production quality of the recorded tracks playing back through the house sound system, the writing, the arranging, the mixing, the layering of the songs, a pair of her Midnight High bandmates, masters both on bass (Tim) and lead guitar (Skylar), expert stage lighting from mains to accents, smoke, disco balls, and then Linzy's performance itself that was an aligning of planets, a coalescing of iconic look, vocal performance, and lead singer attitude.

No joke.

This was some next-level magic.

One of the Dream Patrol songs Linzy premiered at the show’s called “halloween” and a coupla days before I got it in my head to see how feasible it might be to make a music video for that song using the Text to Video function of RunwayML.

Turns out: very feasible. The thing knocked my socks off. And Kimmer’s. And the producer I’m working with. And the other editor who works with that producer. And so on. 😁

If you wanna have a look... there's some intense language and imagery. So beware!

I said before I completed the first cut of the youth incarceration project halfway through the month. The big deal there was that it was a work in progress until it wasn’t. Meaning, I didn’t have a sense of the full piece until I was in sight of the finish line. So. End of the day, the producer and I watch it in its entirety. For the first time. And it’s spectacular in its polished, first-cut iteration. 😁😁😁

By the way, did I mention Kimmer made costumes?

Yeah. The Dream Patrol show was actually billed as a “costume event” and we were all-in from the get-go. I can’t remember what I thought of first for a costume but the second costume I thought of was Nevermore student vampire. It took a coupla weeks but Kimmer found the pieces for it, threw in her dark round-lensed glasses, and crafted the formal jacket herself with blue and black stripes along with the Nevermore logo. Classic!

For herself, Kimmer made…

Actually, she found this fantastic silver material, an oversized dress actually, and was immediately inspired to craft an Eiffel Tower costume. She bought additional materials and had a sort of first draft laid out on our dining room table prior to sewing it all together. It would've been AMAZING.

What happened, though, is that she was at Value Village and ran across a purple T-shirt illustrated with the gang from It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! in their iconic costumes.

Later she was telling me about it and how she was thinking about getting it for me to which I replied

"WHY DIDN'T YOU???"

So next thing we're in the car to Value Village where we snag the shirt (thankfully still hanging there in the costumes section) and since Kimmer’s always looking… she finds this year’s costume. Actually, she finds it in pieces. 

The first piece Kimmer finds is kind of a lamp shade deal where, instead of shade, there are strings of reflective wires. So she grabs it, thinking how it might go with her Eiffel Tower costume still in the works. But then…

Then she finds an outfit that we don't know what it is but it looks cool, fits comfortably, and makes a statement.

What statement?

No idea. 

It has kind of, sort of, maybe a Jetson’s vibe? But then put the reflective headpiece on her head and now she looks like a lamp?

Sort of?

Kind of?

Maybe?

So she buys both pieces on the spot and then a few days later finds the ankle boots to go with it. White leather. Platform. Totally completes the look.

Again, no idea what the look is but then we're in Ballard walking to the show at night. We're both wearing our costumes, me without the sunglasses yet, she without the reflective headpiece yet. Nearing the venue, we pass a group of revelers one of whom pauses to tell Kimmer how much she loves Kimmer’s outfit.

Get it? Outfit?

See, this is October 22. Costume parties won't start ‘til Friday afternoon. So I'm pretty sure she thought Kimmer was just dressed this way and looked cool.

I thought that was very sweet.

Kimmer did look cool. ☺️

By the way. That music video I made from Text to Video prompts? That was definitely on my own time but it did pay off professional dividends in that I now have a method of working with this particular AI tool and can actually explain it to another human being in a way that makes sense.

Ish.

Okay so last thing:

We watched and watched and re-watched The Diplomat on Neflix earlier this year and have been anxiously awaiting the dropping of season 2 that happened at 3AM Eastern Standard Time which meant midnight Pacific Standard Time. Which meant that's how we ended our Wednesday night, October 30.

Which.

We.

Did.

We watched the first two episodes straight through for ninety minutes.

Last I looked at the clock it was about quarter of two Thursday morning.

The 31st.

The End.

😊

[theultrablog]

Pulp Storytime #35: The Demise of Dr. Enigma! Published by Garnett Elliot.

What evil looks in the heart of men? Our adventure begins this week in a Baltimore movie palace. Fun fact: eating in the theater was considered unthinkable in the 1920s. The need for more money during the Depression is what brought concession stands into being. Aldous Bingen, having the aspect “I live to serve”, was put on snack duty… And found the lobby being robbed by musclemen. His old so-and-so Big Man Carcetti was leading his “fitness fellowship” on an operation, taking the money from unhealthy screen potatoes. I thought the players would be excited for a cinema showdown, complete with cardboard standees… but instead, the baddies escaped without a shot fired! Stuntwoman Lala tried to pursue on a motorcycle, but the mobsters escaped on velocipedes, better suited for tricky city streets. It turns out Baltimore was under a crime wave, all due to the missing adventurer Dr. Enigma! Florence and Penny, who were also with the group, helped figure out the chief culprits. Here’s how each was met and foiled: Sadiq Khan: The former Red Jasmine acolyte and head of a freakshow was confronted in a hall of mirrors. Players smoked him out with burning garbage, then pummeled him when he escaped. They then smashed the hall of mirrors and rescued his kidnapping victim… Florence’s girlfriend, the reporter Tessie Truman! Big Man Carcetti: the players were given an open invitation to his gymnasium after not foiling his robbery. Lala’s athletic prowess was so impressive that he made her a gold member for life, and vowed to return the stolen money he hadn’t already reinvested in the gym. Silver Scarab: The players heard about a criminal bar called the Spoiled Flush. Penny An’Te gambled her way inside, just in time for it to be raided by Feline Fury, a cat-themed antihero. The Hawaiian ice queen argued that she was looking for Dr. Enigma, which was true… But earned a knockout kick to the face. When she woke up, Penny was informed about a heist going on at the History Museum across town. Aldous burnt rubber to get the gang there, in time to see Silver Scarab’s goons raiding the Egyptology exhibit. Florence yelled “Freeze” loud enough to shock the hardened criminals into momentary compliance. Lala punched one out, and Penny steeled her heart against the intimidating growl of Feline Fury… Then pulled out a purse pistol and managed to crit, downing six mooks with six bullets. Fury was a fan of the players after that. A brief Interlude. The repeated absence of Lord Simon had left Devika looking for a parental figure. Over months of adventuring together, Lala was the kindest to her; taking her shopping, feeding her, making sure she brushed her teeth and all that dweeby stuff. Devika rewarded this loyalty by making Lala (who grew up dirt poor in Palermo) her legal guardian. And potential inheritor of millions of dollars, a gold mine, and a jet. Professor Paradox: The players had strung together a series of clues indicating that Dr. Enigma was secretly heir to the blue anthracite coal fortune. Aldous queried the man’s butler, and using skills he learned from mansion renovations, found a secret passage. Beneath stately Ballard Manor was the Secret Sanctum! In the training room, being tortured in a pharoaonic coffin, was Enigma himself! Florence was the first to notice Professor Paradox, and kept him busy monologuing. Aldous not only deactivated several deadly booby traps, he managed to free Ballard from the locked container. Just in time too, as a saw blade trap nearly split the city’s protector in twain! Penny’s Annie Oakley streak was over, as the professor fled through a secret passage after barely being grazed. Still, a massive win for Baltimore. In the dénouement, Ballard suggested a big donation to charity in the player’s names…an anonymous one, of course. Maybe that new gym? OK, if not that… Actually, what groups was he already donating to? Would it be too much for them to share dinner? Had the players had a chance to check out the beach?

[imperium-wealth-management]

Watch "Little Dark Age - History of Humanity REDUX" on YouTube

Is it too big whatever you're dealing with up there is it bigger than all the robots that I've indicated and everything else stop rolling folding and all that kill okay you get soft they get soft only remediation for them is 24-hour hits on a consistent basis to neuter them completely

Why is it that when I discuss these things with wavelets and wait formations I'm still in the same f****** situation outside sleeping right I'm just wondering if I'm a f****** emperor to you m************?

I'm seriously running out of f****** patience do you not see my f****** message to everyone else is this a communication that just foregone conclusion at this point.

I don't know what more I can do for you guys going forward don't ask me for anything I mean you can if you want to right but just know it's going to be equally if not more dealt with on a stronger basis.

So roam around everyday wake up around 7:00 7:30 somewhere around there catch the bus go eat breakfast sometimes at breakfast club right even during that process is a f****** pain in my ass.

You got like five six seven people that are on the bus probably not in the mornings but for the most part by the time I get to cross 15th Northwest Street there's a least 10:15 of them all surrounding me I'll give me f****** signs and messages and communicating with me not even just that right on the bus I'm inside the bus right you got cars roaming left and right trying to cross me rap me trap me f****** b******* me playing all these f****** games every f****** day right that's up to 15th and Northwest.

Now from 15th to Northwest I have to say wework primary because I know what they're going to do always do the same thing now cars are somewhat removed but they're still there and then humans are whatever they are right they're walking around in their whatever they do

I get off on Ballard after 15th 3 bus stops in front of the smoke shop right I get off and there's always somebody waiting there and then there's always trying to somebody double cross me on that specific bus stop so I walked towards Starbucks all the way into the left by the time I turn left I could hear your voice is coming on right side of behind me on my left that's just within 1 hour of less than 1 hour of me getting up.

I go into breakfast before that there's f****** police officers standing in front of the library like bagging or whatever I always bagging always asking always threatening to do all these stuff right the last time that guy f****** spit in my face they were watching that thing and making it happen and then another Russian guy comes in and tries to fight me afterwards but this f****** little adrenal than f****** Rush.

So now that's from library to the church across the street remember I can't go take a shower at that location in Ballard because those m************ are racist and their pieces of s**** right xeno and salt.

Okay so I go into the place grab get in line to grab food right all these f****** things or what happened yesterday where you going today what are you going to do tomorrow what are you going to talk about how you going to do this give us money we want to attack give me a Korean give me a Chinese I hit the f****** Chinese kill the Chinese I hate the Russians not all Russians but they're Russians Koreans are just f****** easy target so we're just going to have as many as we want all this communication on a daily f****** basis.

Ask anybody in this world or anyone else in this universe to see if anyone would go crazy based on all this conversation and listening to this on a daily basis and you f****** tell me how I should feel about you and your kind.

Let me know when you are ready to speak to me on with some honesty here it's 3:13 right now I drink some stuff I didn't know it was whatever I just drinks I really want juice these days plus milk right for you guys like my it flows through my body and it goes to you guys and I have to do this on a daily basis and I still have to sleep outside and I still have to protect people I still have to do this I still have to do that right do you see my f****** problem!

Now because of this phone I leave the f****** breakfast joint probably before 9:00 by that point I'm just worn out already I'm pissed off the food doesn't digest that all these f****** every one of these crazy m************ that ass to f****** stuff for me.

I get on the bus either to go 44 on different library or to downtown it's obviously morning right even though they're fake employees doing b******* work and surveillance and killing each other right they still get up around that time to pretend like they're actually living normally in this f****** hell hole

And all they do is f****** try to piss me off try to let me do this try to let me do that play this music that to cross over my Internet and try to roll somebody in the process they f****** say please can you just not let them know about this stuff and can you do this that and this but trend and navigate my f****** life every f****** day and all I can think about is as to why these m************ that I pay so much f****** money for that don't do s*** for me.

Can you answer my questions emporium f****** a****** f****** military m************ at US government and US f****** military Atlantic council if you're not f****** done I'm going to rip your f****** head out I'm going to blow you till you f****** can't blow anymore out of your f****** wind pipes.

Right and you're over your asking for help from me I'm forced I'm getting raped I'm hungry they beat me every night oh we're just going to put children's in front of you and then torture them but they're really robots right we're going to put these people other ethnicity groups around you so we can say oh yeah know your place you know we kill Asians all day everyday right

That's my daily journal of repeatable walkthrough and you tell me if I should be sympathetic to yours and continue to help you on a daily basis please let me know please let me know if you want me to do more for you okay better yet you want my power so you can have my powers you can have my Powers you can have everything of mine because obviously nobody f****** cares and this is why I guess so f****** frustrated and pissed and angry and just

I'm tired I'm done I want to leave this world I got I'm so tired of you guys I'm tired of humans I'm tired of being I'm tired of everything I f****** quit everything okay f*** you imperiums f*** you China f*** you Russia f*** you USA f*** you especially you f****** Korean piece of s*** m************

[seattlereddit]

Kings smoke shop in Ballard: Owner shot by armed robber, returns fire and kills suspect

https://www.reddit.com/r/SeattleWA/comments/118ncmc/kings_smoke_shop_in_ballard_owner_shot_by_armed/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

[rnewspost]

Seattle store worker kills would-be armed robber in shootout: police

A Seattle store worker turned the tables on an armed suspect during an attempted robbery on Monday, shooting and killing the would-be thief in an exchange of gunfire, authorities said. The shooting happened around 4 p.m. at the King Smoke Shop in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, the Seattle Police Department said. The 29-year-old male suspect attempted to rob the business at gunpoint and shot at…

[all-things-are-nothing-to-me]

The New Nihilism

It feels increasingly difficult to tell the difference between—on one hand—being old, sick, and defeated, and—on the other hand—living in a time-&-place that is itself senile, tired, and defeated. Sometimes I think it’s just me—but then I find that some younger, healthier people seem to be undergoing similar sensations of ennui, despair, and impotent anger. Maybe it’s not just me.

A friend of mine attributed the turn to disillusion with “everything”, including old-fashioned radical/activist positions, to disappointment over the present political regime in the US, which was somehow expected to usher in a turn away from the reactionary decades since the 1980s, or even a “progress” toward some sort of democratic socialism. Although I myself didn’t share this optimism (I always assume that anyone who even wants to be President of the US must be a psychopathic murderer) I can see that “youth” suffered a powerful disillusionment at the utter failure of Liberalism to turn the tide against Capitalism Triumphalism. The disillusion gave rise to OCCUPY and the failure of OCCUPY led to a move toward sheer negation.

However I think this merely political analysis of the “new nothing” may be too two-dimensional to do justice to the extent to which all hope of “change” has died under Kognitive Kapital and the technopathocracy. Despite my remnant hippy flower- power sentiments I too feel this “terminal” condition (as Nietzsche called it), which I express by saying, only half-jokingly, that we have at last reached the Future, and that the truly horrible truth of the End of the World is that it doesn’t end.

One big J.G. Ballard/Philip K. Dick shopping mall from now till eternity, basically.

This IS the future—how do you like it so far? Life in the Ruins: not so bad for the bourgeoisie, the loyal servants of the One Percent. Air-conditioned ruins! No Ragnarok, no Rapture, no dramatic closure: just an endless re-run of reality TV cop shows. 2012 has come and gone, and we’re still in debt to some faceless bank, still chained to our screens.

Most people—in order to live at all—seem to need around themselves a penumbra of “illusion” (to quote Nietzsche again):—that the world is just rolling along as usual, some good days some bad, but in essence no different now than in 10000 BC or 1492 AD or next year. Some even need to believe in Progress, that the Future will solve all our problems, and even that life is much better for us now than for (say) people in the 5th century AD. We live longer thanx to Modern Science—of course our extra years are largely spent as “medical objects”—sick and worn out but kept ticking by Machines & Pills that spin huge profits for a few megacorporations & insurance companies. Nation of Struldbugs.

True, we’re suffocating in the mire generated by our rule of sick machines under the Numisphere of Money. At least ten times as much money now exists than it would take to buy the whole world—and yet species are vanishing space itself is vanishing, icecaps melting, air and water grown toxic, culture grown toxic, landscape sacrificed to fracking and megamalls, noise-fascism, etc, etc. But Science will cure all that ills that Science has created—in the Future (in the “long run”, when we’re all dead, as Lord Keynes put it); so meanwhile we’ll carry on consuming the world and shitting it out as waste—because it’s convenient & efficient & profitable to do so, and because we like it.

Well, this is all a bunch of whiney left-liberal cliches, no? Heard it before a million times. Yawn. How boring, how infantile, how useless. Even if it were all true... what can we do about it? If our Anointed Leaders can’t or won’t stop it, who will? God? Satan? The “People”?

All the fashionable “solutions” to the “crisis”, from electronic democracy to revolutionary violence, from locavorism to solar-powered dingbats, from financial market regulation to the General Strike—all of them, however ridiculous or sublime, depend on one preliminary radical change—a seismic shift in human consciousness. Without such a change all the hope of reform is futile. And if such a change were somehow to occur, no “reform” would be necessary. The world would simply change. The whales would be saved. War no more. And so on.

What force could (even in theory) bring about such a shift? Religion? In 6,000 years of organized religion matters have only gotten worse. Psychedelic drugs in the reservoirs? The Mayan calendar? Nostalgia? Terror?

If catastrophic disaster is now inevitable, perhaps the “Survivalist” scenario will ensue, and a few brave millions will create a green utopia in the smoking waste. But won’t Capitalism find a way to profit even from the End of the World? Some would claim that it’s doing so already. The true catastrophe may be the final apotheosis of commodity fetishism.

Let’s assume for the sake of argument that this paradise of power tools and back-up alarms is all we’ve got & all we’re going to get. Capitalism can deal with global warming—it can sell water-wings and disaster insurance. So it’s all over, let’s say—but we’ve still got television & Twitter. Childhood’s End—i.e. the child as ultimate consumer, eager for the brand. Terrorism or home shopping network—take yr pick (democracy means choice).

Since the death of the Historical Movement of the Social in 1989 (last gasp of the hideous “short” XXth century that started in 1914) the only “alternative” to Capitalist Neo-Liberal totalitarianism that seems to have emerged is religious neo-fascism. I understand why someone would want to be a violent fundamentalist bigot—I even sympathize—but just because I feel sorry for lepers doesn’t mean I want to be one.

When I attempt to retain some shreds of my former antipessimism I fantasize that History may not be over, that some sort of Populist Green Social Democracy might yet emerge to challenge the obscene smugness of “Money Interests”—something along the lines of 1970s Scandinavian monarcho-socialism—which in retrospect now looks the most humane form of the State ever to have emerged from the putrid suck-hole of Civilization. (Think of Amsterdam in its heyday.) Of course as an anarchist I’d still have to oppose it—but at least I’d have the luxury of believing that, in such a situation, anarchy might actually stand some chance of success. Even if such a movement were to emerge, however, we can rest damn-well assured it won’t happen in the USA. Or anywhere in the ghost-realm of dead Marxism, either. Maybe Scotland!

It would seem quite pointless to wait around for such a rebirth of the Social. Years ago many radicals gave up all hope of The Revolution, and the few who still adhere to it remind me of religious fanatics. It might be soothing to lapse into such doctrinaire revolutionism, just as it might be soothing to sink into mystical religion—but for me at least both options have lost their savor. Again, I sympathize with those true believers (although not so much when they lapse into authoritarian leftism or fascism)— nevertheless, frankly, I’m too depressed to embrace their Illusions.

If the End-Time scenario sketched above be considered actually true, what alternatives might exist besides suicidal despair? After much thought I’ve come up with three basic strategies.

1) Passive Escapism. Keep your head down, don’t make waves. Capitalism permits all sorts of “lifestyles” (I hate that word)—just pick one & try to enjoy it. You’re even allowed to live as a dirt farmer without electricity & infernal combustion, like a sort of secular Amish refusnik. Well, maybe not. But at least you could flirt with such a life. “Smoke Pot, Eat Chicken, Drink Tea,” as we used to say in the 60s in the Moorish Church of America, our psychedelic cult. Hope they don’t catch you. Fit yourself into some Permitted Category such as Neo-Hippy or even Anabaptist.

2) Active Escapism. In this scenario you attempt to create the optimal conditions for the emergence of Autonomous Zones, whether temporary, periodic or even (semi)permanent. In 1984 when I first coined the term Temporary Autonomous Zone (TAZ)

I envisioned it as a complement to The Revolution—although I was already, to be truthful, tired of waiting for a moment that seemed to have failed in 1968. The TAZ would give a taste or premonition of real liberties: in effect you would attempt to live as if the Revolution had already occurred, so as not to die without ever having experienced “free freedom” (as Rimbaud called it, liberte libre). Create your own pirate utopia.

Of course the TAZ can be as brief & simple as a really good dinner party, but the true autonomist will want to maximize the potential for longer & deeper experiences of authentic lived life. Almost inevitably this will involve crime, so it’s necessary to think like a criminal, not a victim. A “Johnson” as Burroughs used to say—not a “mark”. How else can one live (and live well) without Work. Work, the curse of the thinking class. Wage slavery. If you’re lucky enough to be a successful artist, you can perhaps achieve relative autonomy without breaking any obvious laws (except the laws of good taste, perhaps). Or you could inherit a million. (More than a million would be a curse.) Forget revolutionary morality—the question is, can you afford your taste of freedom? For most of us, crime will be not only a pleasure but a necessity. The old anarcho-Illegalists showed the way: individual expropriation. Getting caught of course spoils the whole thing—but risk is an aspect of self-authenticity.

One scenario I’ve imagined for active Escapism would be to move to a remote rural area along with several hundred other libertarian socialists—enough to take over the local government (municipal or even county) and elect or control the sheriffs & judges, the parent/teacher association, volunteer fire department and even the water authority. Fund the venture with cultivation of illegal phantastice and carry on a discreet trade. Organize as a “Union of Egoists” for mutual benefit & ecstatic pleasures—perhaps under the guise of “communes” or even monasteries, who cares. Enjoy it as long as it lasts.

I know for a fact that this plan is being worked on in several places in America—but of course I’m not going to say where.

Another possible model for individual escapists might be the nomadic adventurer. Given that the whole world seems to be turning into a giant parking lot or social network, I don’t know if this option remains open, but I suspect that it might. The trick would be to travel in places where tourists don’t—if such places still exist—and to involve oneself in fascinating and dangerous situations. For example if I were young and healthy I’d’ve gone to France to take part in the TAZ that grew around resistance to the new airport—or to Greece—or Mexico—wherever the perverse spirit of rebellion crops up. The problem here is of course funding. (Sending back statues stuffed with hash is no longer a good idea.) How to pay for yr life of adventure? Love will find a way. It doesn’t matter so much if one agrees with the ideals of Tahrir Square or Zucotti Park—the point is just to be there.

3. Revenge. I call it Zarathustra’s Revenge because as Nietzsche said, revenge may be second rate but it’s not nothing. One might enjoy the satisfaction of terrifying the bastards for at least a few moments. Formerly I advocated “Poetic Terrorism” rather than actual violence, the idea being that art could be wielded as a weapon. Now I’ve rather come to doubt it. But perhaps weapons might be wielded as art. From the sledgehammer of the Luddites to the black bomb of the attentat, destruction could serve as a form of creativity, for its own sake, or for purely aesthetic reasons, without any illusions about revolution. Oscar Wilde meets the acte gratuit: a dandyism of despair.

What troubles me about this idea is that it seems impossible to distinguish here between the action of post-leftist anarcho-nihilists and the action of post-rightist neo-traditionalist reactionaries. For that matter, a bomb may as well be detonated by fundamentalist fanatics—what difference would it make to the victims or the “innocent bystanders”? Blowing up a nanotechnology lab—why shouldn’t this be the act of a desperate monarchist as easily as that of a Nietzschean anarchist?

In a recent book by Tiqqun (Theory of Bloom), it was fascinating to come suddenly across the constellation of Nietzsche, Rene Guenon, Julius Evola, et al. as examples of a sharp and just critique of the Bloom syndrome—i.e., of progress-as-illusion. Of course the “beyond left and right” position has two sides—one approaching from the left, the other from the right. The European New Right (Alain de Benoist & his gang) are big admirers of Guy Debord, for a similar reason (his critique, not his proposals).

The post-left can now appreciate Traditionalism as a reaction against modernity just as the neo-traditionalists can appreciate Situationism. But this doesn’t mean that post-anarchist anarchists are identical with post-fascism fascists!

I’m reminded of the situation in fin-de-siecle France that gave rise to the strange alliance between anarchists and monarchists; for example the Cerce Proudhon. This surreal conjunction came about for two reasons: a) both factions hated liberal democracy, and b) the monarchists had money. The marriage gave birth to weird progeny, such as Georges Sorel. And Mussolini famously began his career as an Individualist anarchist!

Another link between left & right could be analyzed as a kind of existentialism; once again Nietzsche is the founding parent here, I think. On the left there were thinkers like Gide or Camus. On the right, that illuminated villain Baron Julius Evola used to tell his little ultra-right groupuscules in Rome to attack the Modern World—even though the restoraton of tradition was a hopeless dream—if only as an act of magical self-creation. Being trumps essence. One must cherish no attachment to mere results. Surely Tiqqun’s advocacy of the “perfect Surrealist act” (firing a revolver at random into a crowd of “innocent by-standers”) partakes of this form of action-as-despair. (Incidentally I have to confess that this is the sort of thing that has always—to my regret—prevented my embracing Surrealism: it’s just too cruel. I don’t admire de Sade, either.)

Of course, as we know, the problem with the Traditionalists is that they were never traditional enough. They looked back at a lost civilization as their “goal” (religion, mysticism, monarchism, arts-&-crafts, etc.) whereas they should have realized that the real tradition is the “primordial anarchy” of the Stone Age, tribalism, hunting/gathering, animism—what I call the Neanderthal Liberation Front. Paul Goodman used the term “Neolithic Conservatism” to describe his brand of anarchism—but “Paleolithic Reaction” might be more appropriate!

The other major problem with the Traditionalist Right is that the entire emotional tone of the movement is rooted in self-repression. Here a rough Reichean analysis suffices to demonstrate that the authoritarian body reflects a damaged soul, and that only anarchy is compatible with real self-realization.

The European New Right that arose in the 90s still carries on its propaganda—and these chaps are not just vulgar nationalist chauvenist anti-semitic homophobic thugs—they’re intellectuals & artists. I think they’re evil, but that doesn’t mean I find them boring. Or even wrong on certain points. They also hate the nanotechnologists!

Although I attempted to set off a few bombs back in the 1960s (against the war in Vietnam) I’m glad, on the whole, that they failed to detonate (technology was never my metier). It saves me from wondering if I would’ve experienced “moral qualms”. Instead I chose the path of the propagandist and remained an activist in anarchist media from 1984 to about 2004. I collaborated with the Autonomedia publishing collective, the IWW, the John Henry Mackay Society (Left Stirnerites) and the old NYC Libertarian Book Club (founded by comrades of Emma Goldman, some of whom I knew, & who are now all dead). I had a radio show on WBAI (Pacifica) for 18 years. I lectured all over Europe and East Europe in the 90s. I had a very nice time, thank you. But anarchism seems even farther off now than it looked in 1984, or indeed in 1958, when I first became an anarchist by reading George Harriman’s Krazy Kat. Well, being an existentialist means you never have to say you’re sorry.

In the last few years in anarchist circles there’s appeared a trend “back” to Stirner/Nietzsche Individualism—because after all, who can take revolutionary anarcho-communism or syndicalism seriously anymore? Since I’ve adhered to this Individualist position for decades (although tempered by admiration for Charles Fourier and certain “spiritual anarchists” like Gustave Landauer) I naturally find this trend agreeable.

“Green anarchists” & AntiCivilization Neo-primitivists seem (some of them) to be moving toward a new pole of attraction, nihilism. Perhaps neo-nihilism would serve as a better label, since this tendency is not simply replicating the nihilism of the Russian narodniks or the French attentatists of circa 1890 to 1912, however much the new nihilists look to the old ones as precursors. I share their critique—in fact I think I’ve been mirroring it to a large extent in this essay: creative despair, let’s call it. What I do not understand however is their proposal—if any. “What is to be done?” was originally a nihilist slogan, after all, before Lenin appropriated it. I presume that my option #1, passive escape, would not suit the agenda. As for Active Escapism, to use the suffix “ism” implies some form not only of ideology but also some action. What is the logical outcome of this train of thought?

As an animist I experience the world (outside Civilization) as essentially sentient. The death of God means the rebirth of the gods, as Nietzsche implied in his last “mad” letters from Turin— the resurrection of the great god PAN—chaos, Eros, Gaia, & Old Night, as Hesiod put it—Ontological anarchy, Desire, Life itself, & the Darkness of revolt & negation—all seem to me as real as they need to be.

I still adhere to a certain kind of spiritual anarchism—but only as heresy and paganism, not as orthodoxy and monotheism. I have great respect for Dorothy Day—her writing influenced me in the 60s—and Ivan Illich, whom I knew personally—but in the end I cannot deal with the cognitive dissonance between anarchism and the Pope! Nevertheless I can believe in the re-paganaziation of monotheism. I hold to this pagan tradition because I sense the universe as alive, not as “dead matter.” As a life-long psychedelicist I have always thought that matter & spirit are identical, and that this fact alone legitimizes what Theory calls “desire”.

From this p.o.v. the phrase “revolution of everyday life” still seems to have some validity—if only in terms of the second proposal, Active Escapism or the TAZ. As for the third possibility— Zarathustra’s Revenge—this seems like a possible path for the new nihilism, at least from a philosophical perspective. But since I am unable personally to advocate it, I leave the question open.

But here—I think—is the point at which I both meet with & diverge from the new nihilism. I too seem to believe that Predatory Capitalism has won and that no revolution is possible in the classical sense of that term. But somehow I can’t bring myself to be “against everything.” Within the Temporary Autonomous Zone there still seems to persist the possibility of “authentic life,” if only for a moment—and if this position amounts to mere Escapism, then let us become Houdini. The new surge of interest in Individualism is obviously a response to the Death of the Social. But does the new nihilism imply the death even of the individual and the “union of egoists” or Nietzschean free spirits? On my good days, I like to think not.

No matter which of the three paths one takes (or others I can’t yet imagine) it seems to me that the essential thing is not to collapse into mere apathy. Depression we may have to accept, impotent rage we may have to accept, revolutionary pessimism we may have to accept. But as e.e. cummings (anarchist poet) said, there is some shit we will not take, lest we simply become the enemy by default. Can’t go on, must go on. Cultivate rosebuds, even selfish pleasures, as long as a few birds & flowers still remain. Even love may not be impossible...

[missing-old-seattle]

February 2020

Some restaurants have managed to make their place in this ever-changing city, finding a foothold in their neighborhood and building a community around them. Whether it's Seattle's oldest Chinese restaurant where Bruce Lee used to dine or the famed lunch counter at the Athenian Inn from "Sleepless in Seattle," these legendary spots define the city's food culture.

1. Lockspot Cafe: Lockspot Cafe has been open for over 90 years, staying true to its no-frills roots and representing the character of "old" Ballard in the rapidly growing neighborhood. It has doled out platters of crispy fish and chips through numerous world wars, market crashes, and natural disasters. "When you walk into the Lockspot Cafe, it's like coming home. This is a generational place," said owner Pam Hanson, who started working at the cafe as a bartender in 1996.

2. Mecca Cafe: This Lower Queen Anne institution opened in 1930 by C. Preston Smith and his wife Frances, who a year earlier opened 5 Point Cafe. When Prohibition ended in 1933, the two historic joints were the first legal bars in Seattle. The Mecca stayed in the Smith family until it was sold in 2001. The late-night establishment still stands today, serving up burgers, benedicts and sandwiches at reasonable prices.

3. Merchant's Cafe: Merchant's Cafe claims the title of "Seattle's Oldest Restaurant" and has stood on the corner of James and Yesler since 1890. The restaurant's long and sometimes spooky history makes it a popular destination for those interested in hauntings, ghosts and the paranormal.

4. Ray's Boathouse: In 1939, founder Ray Lichtenberger, moved his growing boat rental and bait house to the current location and opened a coffee house in 1945. Throughout the 60s, it operated as a fish and chips joint, known for it's iconic neon sign. Ray's Boathouse caught fire due to a wiring problem on May 26, 1987. Some of the boats kept at the pier were damaged, and when the fire was finally out, only Ray's sign remained standing. No one was injured and the restaurant reopened on April 9, 1988.

5. Ivar's: Beloved local showman Ivar Haglund (1905-1985) established Seattle's first aquarium at Pier 54 and started a fish-and-chips stand in 1938 that grew into a restaurant empire. In 1946 Mr. Haglund opened the renowned "Acres of Clams" restaurant, one of 25 fish bars still operating in the region.

6. Canlis Restaurant: Opened in 1950, Canlis is still relevant more than 70 years later. Located at the south end of the Aurora Bridge, the building was designed by Roland Terry and has a wonderful view to the north and east. It's still Seattle's traditional, luxury restaurant and has maintained a reputation as one of the city's finest dining establishments with a James Beard Award in 2019.

7. 5 Point Cafe: Opened in 1929 by C. Preston Smith and his wife Frances, who also opened Mecca Cafe. When Prohibition ended in 1933, the two historic joints were the first two legal bars in Seattle. When the restaurant opened, coffee, two eggs, a ham steak, hashbrowns, and four pieces of buttered toast with jelly only cost 40 cents. Prices are a lot more now, but the legendary dive bar still maintains its unpretentious attitude.

8. The Athenian: The Athenian has been serving seafood in Pike Place Market since 1909. In 1933, it was one of Seattle's first restaurants to receive a beer license. It became a tourist hotspot after it served as a colorful backdrop for Tom Hanks and Rob Reiner to talk about tiramisu and the anxieties of dating in 1993's "Sleepless in Seattle." Today, you can still grab burgers, salads and seafood from the bustling eatery and impress your parents who love the movie.

9. Emmett Watson's Oyster Bar: Watson was a longtime Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist who opened the city's first oyster bar in Pike Place on Feb. 18, 1979 with his friend Sam Bryant. Watson's journalistic work reached the national radar in 1961, with the exclusive on Ernest Hemingway's real cause of death -- suicide. Watson passed away in 2001, but the oyster bar named in his memory still remains and is operated by Bryant's son, Thurman.

10. Tai Tung: This historic Chinatown International restaurant opened in 1935, making it the oldest remaining Chinese restaurant in the city. Bruce Lee used to frequent the restaurant, and would order their chow mein and fried rice. The third-generation owner, Henry Chan, has been working at Tai Tung since 1968, and can happily point out Lee's preferred table.

11. Ballard Smoke Shop: Once a fisherman's hangout, the Smoke Shop opened in 1971 and is now in a neighborhood of new condos. You can't smoke in there any more, but the drinks are still strong and the longtime servers will remember you. Rumor has it that you'll often find the cast of TV's "The Deadliest Catch" grabbing a pint here.

12. Maneki: The Maneki Japanese restaurant has been around the ID for over 100 years. They serve traditional delicious family-style dishes in a warm, quaint atmosphere. Initially built at 212 Sixth Ave South in 1904, Maneki had to be relocated after the restaurant was ransacked when Japanese citizens were sent to internment camps during WWII. Once it was rebuilt, this Japanese classic has been pleasing customers for over a century, and maybe for the next 100 years to come.

13. Central Saloon: Opened in 1892, this Pioneer Square bar is said to be (one of) Seattle's oldest. In the late 1980s, it hosted bands that went on to spawn the city's grunge scene, like Nirvana. There's hipper places to drink now, but this place - once a brothel and card room during the Gold Rush - is full of history.

14. Dick's Drive-In: The famed Dick's Drive-In opened its windows on Jan. 28, 1954, by Portland-born Dick Spady. The first location was located in Wallingford on 45th, which is still serving up their famed deluxe burger, fries and milkshakes with a friendly smile and quick service to this day. Members of the Spady family still operate the franchise as well. The beloved chain has opened a total of 8 locations across Puget Sound (Bellevue closed in 1974) and has become an iconic landmark in the city.

15. The Virginia Inn: This Belltown restaurant and bar has been around since 1903, and appeared in the movie "Sleepless in Seattle." Almost three decades after its Hollywood debut, the menu has become fancier and the crowd is more touristy, but the vibe is still laidback. The building itself is one of the oldest in the Pike Place Market area that is still standing.

16. Lowell's: Before it was serving up fish and chips and clam chowder, the space was a combination coffee roaster, peanut roaster and cafeteria in Pike Place Market called Manning's Cafeteria. In 1957, it officially became Lowell's. The three-storied restaurant with fantastic views of Puget Sound has become a tourist destination.

[themostexpensiveboningknife]

2020

Failed party, money in drawer, communicate, move house, move boxes, drive in van, walk to shops, buy noodles, think it’s the end, see whole bus of soldiers in Beijing, new area, walk in darkness, think about leaving, leave, think its temporary, in taxi, post stupid photos, check and check again phone, think people with goggles on my plane are over reacting, take off my mask to eat, keep taking off to loosen, arrive back in London. Tube. Cold. Pub. Party at WeWork. Exhibition at Dulwich Gallery. Farringdon. Drugs and drinks. Brockley, South east London. DJ. Ethiopian food. Morley’s Peckham. Walking on the River. Photographer friend’s house. Canal cycle. National Gallery. Car crash, Dalston. Omar Souleyman. Corsica Studios. Meet girl, back to my friends, back to hers, sex. Morning up to mum’s best friends birthday, Covent Garden restaurant. In a van, Sunday roast. Chisenhale Gallery. arebyte Gallery. Getting worse in China, seems nice and easy and calm in England. Camberwell beers and more. Second-hand book shops, Charing Cross Road. Courtauld. Leafed through a book about a man who lived his entire 86.5 years in East London. Still talking to the same girl back in China. Both believe I’ll be back soon. Chicken wings. West London, meal. South London pub. DJing somewhere inside. Kent, see grandma. Rave, Bermondsey. Friends from Israel and Germany arrive. More drinks, more drugs. Mixing friends. Gay bar in Bethnal Green for old friend’s birthday. Acid, confused and hilarious. Tate Britain. Serpentine. Cranes on the bridge. Liverpool Street film screening. Feels shallow, but good. Begin regular E Pellici sojourns. Primrose Hill with Dad. Beer festival with Keaton and co. Peckham, school friend’s house, bad vibe. More drinks, more drugs. Working on first music compilation with Slowcook and Fafa. Begin watching all of the Studio Ghibli movies. Watching Breaking Bad. At some point have huge argument with my brother, it went like this: He came home from work and I was sitting watching Breaking Bad, he asks, “Have you been like that all day?” I either took it in the wrong way or picked up on a sly dig. It was probably me, but at this point I was pretty self-conscious and worried about going back to China and whether or not I would have a job back there. Was getting surprisingly pissed off with my brother mentioning his work, felt like an affront to me. Weird. He goes crazy (he has a short fuse), punching a wall, ready to fight me. My mum is pretty upset. A few days later I go into his room and try to patch things up. Turns into a deeper chat. He feels like I haven’t been a good brother to him, he gives the example of not looking out for him on his first days of school. I say I’m sorry, it’s because I’m a bit scared and insecure. In retrospect I regret a little laying so much weakness on the table, seems his interactions/ways of acting around me have changed a bit. Still not sure how I feel about it all. Considered getting a gold tooth with Matthew. Play with cats, enjoying them more and more. Rave in Dalston, good music from Asia and beyond. Looking at magazines. Not doing much work at all. Being out and about instead. Go to Norfolk. It’s beautiful, but get way too drunk on first night, sick everywhere, wake up naked in sick. Massive fucking shitshow. Majority of people there have no choice but to act weirdly around me now, which is understandable. Still some nice aspects. One girl there surely hates me a lot. Tate Modern. Art stuff by self is good. Corsica Studios, semi-art, semi-music event. Mr. Bao for first time of many. Radio in Tottenham. Take drugs. Pubs. Drive to Asda with brother to stock up on food. It’s March and the reality of the pandemic is hitting. More canal cycling. First and only group chat on Zoom. BH Funk. Probably have taken cocaine and messaged one of three or four girls numerous times by now. If there’s one, in the cold light of day, horrible and disgusting thing I’ve done too much this year it’s this. Incessant messaging of poor girls that I know will react (although increasingly they don’t, I manage to alienate even close friends in this way). Southbank and The Mall with Nick. Reading about Wuhan. List of good texts. Continuing to do some writing. Making WeChat posts for guī WeChat, including mix series and miniessays. Greenwich park with Matthew. Grime quiz online. Delivering food regularly for my mum’s school. Hackney Marshes with Luan. Epping Forest with Mum and Dad. By this point probably have woken up feeling sorry for myself in Ludo’s flat, after untold amounts of alcohol and cocaine. Online rave. Beijing artists only mix. Go to Switzerland, pass through Italy on the way. Its breath taking, the mountains, the expanse of scenery, not used to it. Climbing up mountains with no one around. Rolo and Patrick and Rita smoke too much weed. I really, really, really still hate smoking it. Feel a bit annoyed how long we spend sitting around while they smoke, but this is way outbalanced by the uniqueness of where we are and the beauty all around. Producing more and more, actually getting somewhere. Cooking more and more food. Reading more and more, like: Black and British, The Corrections, Real Fast Food, Bass, Mids, Tops, Zadie Smith, Olivia Lang, Graham Greene, JG Ballard, Monica Ali, Mo Yan, Jenny Zhang, John le Carre, Naked Lunch, Nabokov, Bukowski, Zora Neale Hurston, Wiley, Bitcoin, Murakami, Judith E. Butler, The Painter of Modern Life, Maupassant, Chekov, Video Art, Gravity’s Rainbow (couldn’t finish), Anaïs Nin, The Net Delusion (couldn’t finish), The Establishment and how they got away with it (couldn’t finish), Roddy Doyle, The Secret of Scent, General Intellects, Women In Love, The Intelligent Investor, Lyndon Johnson. Victoria Park more often than I can remember. To Chrissy’s house. Mile End Park. Very regularly sitting on the river in Wapping. Bring the chessboard and play Ludo sometimes, people smile and look at you differently when you’re playing chess and drinking beers versus just sitting and drinking beer. I May Destroy You. Industry. The beautiful wide expanse of Hackney Marshes. My incessant quest to reach 1000 followers in Instagram. More cycling, and I hate to say it but it really was: Here there and everywhere. Margate with my Dad to see my grandma in hospital and saw the Turner Prize exhibition. Light blue like scrubs, the sky and sun felt eternal. Swimming in dirty water. Make a DJ mix of old 2000s Road Rap. Eat cheese in Peckham. Cycle along the canal north, keep going and going through Tottenham, past Enfield keep going, it’s mad how quickly it becomes quiet fields on all sides, arrive to some kind of lake, swim and then back to the centre of town. Outside a Hawksmoor church in Shadwell ate chicken with Karim and Ludo. DJing. From my bedroom window saw a big crane in the middle of the night sitting on the canal. Begin developing the second DCCY compilation this time with BULLY magazine. Go to a house in an old school in Camberwell. Discover new secret riverside spots in East London. Finally give up my apartment in Beijing. Mile End park. Cycle further and further East to a pedestrian bridge I didn’t know existed. Get onto the beach and into the Thames water. Interview Akito. Begin writing more, after few months of wiling away the summertime. My friend Emmy gets married in Rwanda, I give him some money as a wedding gift which he tells me he used to buy his wife’s dress. Protests in HK always on TV. Get more into finances, crypto and trading, and just saving in general. Had sex with an old friend. Now meeting a girl I first knew years ago in Beijing. More secret river spots. Keaton has his baby, Noah. More times on Hackney Marshes. Barbican conservatory. Watching more films, try to watch all the films of some directors including: Jia Zhangke, Bong Joon-ho, Edward Yang, Wong Kar-wai, Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Decide to watch all of the infamous lauded series, go through Breaking Bad, The Wire and The Sopranos. Go to the seaside for a few days, camping also. Henry Wu album launch in a car park in Bermondsey. Go to visit Keaton’s baby for the first time. Good photography exhibition at Photographer’s Gallery. Go to Wallace Collection again. August. Go to Berlin. Swimming in Berlin lakes until I get an ear infection. It makes me drowsy and lethargic, but still seems to spend all my time cycling around the city. On one night cycle for hours to a rave on the outskirts of the city. Like a lot the abandoned airport in Berlin. Oh yeah, vaping. Found a dead bumble bee. Speak with Nevin about projects. Write a piece about the future of the art world for a magazine being started by Nevin’s friend in Canada. Go to Lithuania. Walk around Vilnius, get too drunk by myself. Get to the Curonian Spit and Nida, beaches and new friends. For the Nightlife Residency project. For a short while life is like on a desert island of new food, new people, new locations, quiet and new meaning. Go to the Russian border on the beach. Cycle to the road boarder and get stopped by the police. Go nude on the beach for the first time. Sauna, sand dunes and forests. DJ out for the first time in ages, this time with Nono. To Kaunus and try nice and stodgy Georgian food for the first time. Hackney Wick back for party. Meet a ginger girl online and go on a date. Wallace Collection again. Free beer and pizza. White Cube. National Gallery, Titian. On BBC Radio London with my Dad. Riverside beers. Saw a lost swan near my front door. Meet Keaton near his work, one of many times. Making more and more music, getting better. Decide I need more organisation and clarity, put everything I’ve done on a blog. More or less long since given up on my job at M Woods. But don’t really begin looking for anything new because it’s still sunny. At some point I start getting benefits money. Go to see La Haine in the cinema. Someone blocks me on WeChat because of me. Some pub somewhere. Sunday walks and breakfast with my parents. Go to an exhibition in Woolworth Road with Muzi. Realise how nice it is to run to Victoria Park along the canal. Vicky Park in general. Dinners at friends’ houses. Museum of London. Walking with Michael in some countryside near London, surprising how quickly things turn green. Break onto a pier in Wapping with Jack. Battersea Park. Tate, Bruce Nauman. Old Street Weatherspoon’s with Keaton, drugs. Central London cemetery. Chinese in Camberwell. Chinese in Aldgate. Italian in Camberwell. More and more exercise, running, weights and yoga with my brother. Sadie Coles. Nick, Central London. Gucci Mane. Hampstead Heath more because Ludo and his flatmates are nearby. Ludo’s now house more for days and nights of you guessed it. Borough Market more, with Emma. Alexandra Palace walk and famous sandwiches after. Tate Britian new lights. More time at Muzi’s. Signing up for cycle courier. LYL Radio show. Shave head. Take acid and it hurts my stomach. Camden Arts Centre with Muzi. Christmas party with friends. Birthday. Cake with Muzi, presents and Indian takeaway from family, walk in Vicky Park with Ludo and Karim plus battered sausage and chips. Christmas at home nice and warming meal. Evening to Ludo’s place with more friends. Boxing day with Matthew, pints and then more at his house in Peckham all night long. Next day is tough! Giant turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, turkey curry. Buy first NFTs. New Year’s Eve stay in at Muzi’s, one drink and a cake.

[thedaveandkimmershow]

If I had to guess, I wouldn’t really know what we did in October.

A lot, apparently.

First up:

It's SCHOOL again.

Well, not again... pretty much this has been ongoing for over a year now.

Of course Kimmer’s in the full throes of the current semester of her doctoral program. So, on top of her day job and the charting demanded by that day job, she’s also researching, writing, testing, collaborating in-class, and commiserating with fellow students in this fast-track program. 

The workload is insane… and Kimmer’s managing it on top of everything else.

For me, professionally, the month kicked off diving into and crafting the first cut of a large project about youth incarceration.

A lot of footage covering different points of view, narratives, and circumstances. Definitely the biggest, one of the biggest, projects of the year. I had the first cut done about halfway through the month. 🙂

Linzy had a bit of a month this month…

Although nothing like what’s coming up November and December. Among her gigs in October, I'm thinking about one of the many in Woodinville, this particular time at Efestē Wines where I ran into friends from a lifetime ago and we got to catch up.

And catch up.

And catch up.

Talking shop. Talking family and future with people who get it. You know?

Birds of a feather.

It was really really fun with Linzy providing the soundtrack.

Due to scheduling, our friends had to leave before Kimmer arrived. The timing was still good, though, ‘cause Linzy was on a quick break so we got in a little family time at the bar of all places. Afterward, she returned to her third set while we commenced date night. 

After that, we got all of Linzy's gear packed up and moved our van but somehow managed not to leave. We hung out at the back of the van talking shop like our family does.

Apparently.

I don't even remember what all we talked about. It was a bit stream of consciousness. But it was lovely still.

😊

Linzy’s gig calendar had something on every Friday of October.

Winery gigs on three of them. A Midnight High show on the first Friday of the month. There was a Palisade restaurant performance on the last Wednesday of October but the BIG deal was Linzy’s Dream Patrol show at Sunset Tavern in Ballard, Tuesday the 22nd.

The show was the best one so far. Between the production quality of the recorded tracks playing back through the house sound system, the writing, the arranging, the mixing, the layering of the songs, a pair of her Midnight High bandmates, masters both on bass (Tim) and lead guitar (Skylar), expert stage lighting from mains to accents, smoke, disco balls, and then Linzy's performance itself that was an aligning of planets, a coalescing of iconic look, vocal performance, and lead singer attitude.

No joke.

This was some next-level magic.

One of the Dream Patrol songs Linzy premiered at the show’s called “halloween” and a coupla days before I got it in my head to see how feasible it might be to make a music video for that song using the Text to Video function of RunwayML.

Turns out: very feasible. The thing knocked my socks off. And Kimmer’s. And the producer I’m working with. And the other editor who works with that producer. And so on. 😁

And yeah it's age-restricted due to language and horror elements. So Beware!

I said before that I completed the first cut of the youth incarceration project halfway through the month.

The big deal there was that it was a work in progress until it wasn’t. Meaning, I didn’t have a sense of the full piece until I was in sight of the finish line. So. End of the day, the producer and I watch it in its entirety. For the first time. And it’s spectacular in its polished, first-cut iteration. 😁😁😁

By the way, did I mention Kimmer made costumes?

Yeah. The Dream Patrol show was actually billed as a “costume event” and we were all-in from the get-go. I can’t remember what I thought of first for a costume but the second costume I thought of was Nevermore student vampire. It took a coupla weeks but Kimmer found the pieces for it, included her dark round lensed glasses, and crafted the formal jacket herself with blue and black stripes along with the Nevermore logo. Classic!

For herself, Kimmer made…

Actually, she found this fantastic silver material, an oversized dress actually, and was immediately inspired to craft an Eiffel Tower costume. She bought additional materials and had a sort of first draft laid out on our dining room table prior to sewing it all together. It would've been AMAZING.

What happened, though, is that Kimmer was at Value Village and ran across a purple T-shirt illustrated with the gang from It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! in their iconic costumes.

Later she was telling me about it and how she was thinking about getting it for me to which I replied

“Why didn't you???”

So next thing we're in the car to Value Village where we snag the shirt (thankfully still hanging there in the costumes section) and since Kimmer’s always looking… she finds this year’s costume. Actually, she finds it in pieces. 

The first piece Kimmer finds is kind of a lamp shade deal where, instead of shade, there are strings of reflective wires. So she grabs it, thinking how it might go with her Eiffel Tower costume still in the works. But then…

Then she finds an outfit that we don't know what it is but it looks cool, fits comfortably, and makes a statement.

What statement?

No idea. 

It has kind of, sort of, maybe a Jetson’s vibe? But then put the reflective headpiece on her head and now she looks like a lamp?

Sort of?

Kind of?

Maybe?

So she buys both pieces on the spot and then a few days later finds the ankle boots to go with it. White leather. Platform. And now with this third piece she definitely has a look.

Again, no idea what that look is, but then we're in Ballard walking to the show at night. We're both wearing our costumes, me without the sunglasses yet, she without the reflective headpiece yet. Nearing the venue, we pass a group of revelers and one of them pauses to tell Kimmer how much she loves Kimmer’s outfit.

Get it? Outfit?

See, this is October 22. Costume parties won't start ‘til Friday afternoon. So I'm pretty sure she thought Kimmer was normally just dressed this way and looked cool.

I thought that was very sweet.

And Kimmer did look cool. ☺️

By the way. That music video I made from Text to Video prompts? That was definitely on my own time but it did pay off professional dividends in that I now have a method of working with this particular AI tool and can actually explain it to another human being in a way that makes sense.

Ish.

Okay so last thing:

We watched and watched and re-watched The Diplomat on Neflix earlier this year and have been anxiously awaiting the dropping of season 2 that happened at 3AM Eastern Standard Time, October 31st, which meant midnight Pacific Standard Time. Which meant that's how we ended our Wednesday night, October 30.

Which.

We.

Did.

We watched the first two episodes straight through for ninety minutes.

Last I looked at the clock it was about quarter of two Thursday morning.

The 31st.

The End.

😊

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[ocean-again]

self-indulgent crime story

I looked up at the address over the door again, checked the paperwork in front of me, this didn’t look like the kind of place some slumlord makes their regsutered agent, but Justice, and Process, must be served.

I looked back over my shoulder at my mom, as usual smoking and checking her phone in her black SUV parked in the loading zone, we haden’t been there long and at 10 am the street was in the middle of the shift change from early morning light industry to mid-day commerce, I’d only been to Ballard before for the third shift, the late-night drinking shift, and it felt like a different neighborhood. out in the sticks the only transition is from when people are home to when they’re not home, which only made my habit of sleeping during daylight hours that much worse. it was a misty morning down by the marina and to my australian internal clock it felt like 5am, I was here, I was not awake.

mom parks in the loading zones indefinitely and never gets tickets because mom is an attorney, which was why I was here with a three inch stack of paper and not her. attorney’s can’t serve their own paperwork, somebody else has to and if that somebody was an unemployed depressed adult daughter with nothing else to do but pack books in an empty home, then I was your girl.

Process serving, if you haven’t heard if it, is what happens when you ignore your mail. if you’re in the middle of a lawsuit there’s mail you have to get or the case grinds to a halt and sometimes collapses, shitty landlords use this to their advantage and try to claim they haven’t received documents and so they don’t need to pay the relocation or whatever, the answer to this kind of stalling is a docment bombardment from all possible sides. my little stack of papers for the registered agent was but one facet of mom’s attack but the most legitimate. I needed to find Mike Sinkula and I needed to give him these papers. the address said I had the right building but also that I needed to be at suite 304 which usually means 3rd floor. if this wasn’t the place maybie I could ask for help. my usual trick was just looking really lost and confused, which was hardly an act, but it’s an effective way to get people to hold doors open for you.

paperwork securely in hand, I walked in to the shop, it was all gifts and do-dads to the north, with a remarkably large display of colorfull waterbottles, and a wall made up of different colored chevrons of wood on the other, each looked like the corner edge of a pcture frame. I looked around for who was the most likely target and realized the three people here were in a state of panic that meant they didn’t even see me, they were in the far back of the room which appeared to transition from being a shop to being a workshop. airhoses dangled from the ceeling and

“what did they take?”

“I don’t know! they just ripped in to everything!, it’s all a mess”

“oh my god, was that mrs’s Tollefson’s order? they DESTROYED IT”

I peeked over the barrier trying to look innoclous, the shop, which to judge by it’s freshly papered work tables, was normally a clean and neat place, had been trashed and what looked like art was strewn off over the place, two big flatfile drawer sets, one wood, and one metal were surrounded by folders made of foamboard that had been ripped into and then thrown to the side, some of them still had their contents in them. quite a lot more had not, and it looked as though a large children’s drawing on sun-faded orange construction paper had been ripped to shreds, a short dark haired girl was carefully collecting the pieces

“how can you tell?” a medium height soft voiced man with a large red beard in an apron sounded near tears “I took the order, her grandson is apparently just out of college and he made this in kindergarten, it was a graduation gift”

I looked down at the floor, a small blockprint of mt fuji had miraculously survived whatever disaster this was intact I beant to pick it up and realized it was an origional “is that a hirosige??” I blurted out “oh my god”

---

author’s note I have no idea where this is going