Analog Aesthetics

Well, it's about that time again. 2006. The new year. Lots of friends came to visit, I drank far, far too much wine, and I've been working like a fiend on my projects. Lots of New Year's Resolutions this year, one of which will be to keep in touch more - and take more pictures.

Email me your addresses! I've got lovely letters with your names on them.
Ever wonder what it's like to be me?


We had one snow day. This was it.


The wind was really gusting and blowing everything around. This photo taken right before I was covered in snow. For about.... 10 minutes. Then alas! No more snow.



I'm pretty sure Aaron was just showing off for this. And you can't even see him!


I have no idea where this is. It doesn't even look like it belongs in Koeln. Smokestacks? I'll take bets on what this is. Then we'll ask The Illustrious.



This is the bridge right near my house. It's never looked so good. That's the train station in the background.


Jay insisted we take pictures of some German signs for her grandmother. Hallo Grossmutter!


We got completely drenched trying to do some Christmas shopping. Jay makes those shirts herself!


Probably my favorite picture. Der Dom looks so beautiful. Taken the day it snowed.


You just can't avoid reading when coming to my house. Books lying around everywhere - besides. We partied too hard the night before...


This was me playing "Bed is for Sleeping" (Bonnie "Prince" Billy) for Aaron.


I think I was actually playing (and singing) Pearl Jam right at this moment.


More pictures of signs for Jay's grandmother.


This street also exists right around the corner from my house. I love it. It looks so mysterious.


One of my favorite houses along the Rhein. I'm totally addicted to walking along the river at night. Destroyer, this means you.


Jay finds a record at Underdog Records that makes her wonder what her family was doing in the 70s.


End of a very long night. Our good friend Ben led us to this bar, and I have no idea where we are. That's why I'm drinking heavily. I found out that very night that my favorite restaurant - Unsichtbar - lies just around the corner from me. The next person to visit gets treated to dinner!


Ben talking to the Sony robot. It didn't like to listen to us, either in German or English. We told it to stop and walk a lot. It just fell over.


Who would have thought you could take photographs in a bathroom the size of a closet? Ben der Fotograf!


This was the craziest night. We met Dirk, who owns the record player store across the street from my favorite French bar, Legete Pop. He offered to sell me something fabulous at half price. We <3>


Trying to be winsome.


We all got in on the photograph action. Jay, with the entire bar staring at her.


Aaron flexes for everyone. Ben loves it. So does the camera.


Oliver and his bird. He was the most photogenic of us all...


Kids love graffiti. So do we. How obvious. I'd be afraid of misspelling.


I hadn't been outside in days. Post-Christmas! The city was hectic with shoppers. I bought a handmade scarf and some gifts for the family. Do I look happy? No. But crazy seems to be in order.


My balcony view after the snowfall. Too bad it didn't last!


You can't tell, but there are snowflakes falling into my eyes/nose/mouth right at this moment.


Kelly sure knows how to pose. This is her killer face. It's also her makeout face.


Kelly (makeout face included), Jay (tickled pink), Oliver (Croatian/German that he is), Aaron (always looking tough), me (blissfully drunk). The start of the glamour shots a la Ben.


Photos taken until we passed out. I think this was early on at the bar though. So that doesn't explain my delerious face...


Jay and Oliver couldn't look cuter. And check out that chandelier!


Ho's Supermarkt. Open all day, every day.


Puppet street performance, played for the kids. And us. But we're big kids, so it still counts...


We were hungry and stumbling around the city by this time. And happened upon a skating rink and some hidden Weihnachtsmarkt goodness. Reibekuchen!


This guy draws huge portraits and pictures in front of der Dom everyday. He's quite talented. Too bad it's only temporary.


This is my favorite stranger in Koeln. He stands in the street, rain or shine, and gets no appreciation. Hats off to you, Mr. Frog!


Another busy day on Schildergasse. Things can get nasty and hectic - just try walking down Hohe Strasse on a Saturday.

Well that's it folks! I miss you all and hope to hear from you first thing in 2006. Expect phone calls on New Year's Eve, and get on the mic to share your Christmas stories with me! Tell me all about your new Christmas loot.

Ich liebe Euch alle und guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!

# Article by Ama : 8:52 PM

Get on the mic!

Seeing as I'm not home for the holidays, I thought I'd say a global Merry Christmas! And guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!

Tomorrow is the first Christmas day. The 26th is the "second Christmas" day. I dream of you all, sitting at home with your extended families, grandmother, aunts & uncles, the sweetest nieces and nephews. Eating so much food. Laughter. Snow. Presents, jokes about your latest haircut or lack of a solid relationship, picking on your little sister. Warm homes and delicious pies. Between now and the New Year, there's nothing but family and friends and an endless string of catching up.

This year, my third being in Germany and not with my family, means croissants baked at 9:30 p.m., fabulous music (so far: Statistics, Stars, Cat Power, Kings of Convenience, Last Days of April, Medications, Elliot Smith, Sombreroland - even the Christmas EP! - Adem, New Buffalo, Bonnie "Prince" Billy & Matt Sweeny), plenty of time to think, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, my new played-by-mouth keyboard, and guitar jams. Podcasting. Drunken phone calls. Playing with my new PDA, because Wally's better than candy corn. Burnt fried mashed potatoes. WSBF visitors: Jay and Oliver Basic. He's Croatian and promises a wild party for New Year's. Kelly in Berlin. My brother with my parents. My darling little sister is hopefully making Christmas dinner. Cold Montana. Dreaming of Seattle. If you're Barsuk, call me. Recording my resume on mini-disc. Burning said croissants. In love with walking along the Rhein, and the events of December 13th. Hopeful, a new year around the corner. Nashville, TN. Vacation in February. 2006.

Happy Holidays!
Frohe Weihnachten!

Ryan can sing!
So much I don't understand.
Get on the mic!

Get on the mic!

New Year's Resolutions: BEST SITE EVER.
Reading too many books at once. Status anxiety.
Podcasting.
Celebrating Wally's awesomeness and graduation.
Missing my friends and family for Christmas. Aaron Benko bringing the happiness to the holidays.
Jay and Oliver Basic coming tomorrow for a little tour of Cologne. Binging on wine.
Writing music reviews, because boy howdy, how I love Ida.
Listening to my favorite new CD over and over.
Shameless plug for another great record. Didn't know Wir Sind Helden was so talented.
Writing some new poetry. Planning a vacation to the US really soon.
Internship starting soon. Working on the best resume ever.
Crazy radio voice.
Still remembering the look on your face at this movie. Remember Bonn?
Partying with Kelly, because she's the Party Lioness.
Get on the mic!

painted lilies
giving way to
(green-red-green)
roses piled upon
(empty)
fields, where
a delicious wind
escapes (just before)
the darkened sky
opens above
our heads
and showers (our bare
shoulders with)
heavy drops
I lick from your forehead
to (the tip of) your
nose
in a salty line
and your fingernails scramble
across (remote patches of) skin
on my lower
back
(to tease into) laughter
and our blankets
are soaked
(to the bone)
but the blossoms are
m e l t i n g ,
(coloring our) faces
in their fragrance

...

Felt like sharing. Just this once.

Get on the mic!

Skipped my textual topologics class to eat Reibekuchen at the Weihnachtsmarkt. It was delicious, of course, but unless you can handle it, don't try to eat three pieces all by yourself. Even with applesauce.

The Weihnachtsmärkte here are so beautiful. The vendors don't sell anything necessary other than delicious food, but somehow you find yourself thinking you really could use a new windchime or belt buckle in the shape of a goat. Or an industrial-sized bag of oregano. The smells are just fantastic, especially coming from the stalls selling sweets - trying the smoked and sugar-encrusted almonds are a must. If you're feeling up for a wild time, there's nothing better on a cold December evening than Glühwein. Word on the street is you don't need more than two for a good time either.

My hypertext project has come to a standstill, pending some major revisions. My regular project, however, is taking off in new directions - including tonight's interview with Toronto's The Most Serene Republic, opening for Broken Social Scene. Should prove fun and entertaining, besides the fact that the guy who tried to pick me up at the laundromat yesterday will be there. Kelly will also be in attendance, which (thank goodness!) means she'll be there to deflect any annoyances. And dance a lot.

I wish I remembered to take pictures. I haven't taken a single once since I've been here, but you get the idea. I'm living in paradise. We still don't have snow, but I'm pressing my thumbs for some by Christmas. I won't be seeing my family this year, but this is the third year in a row, so it's becoming quite routine. Besides, I'm holding out hope that Wally will graduate this semester and come see me in January, so maybe family is on the way after all!

What can I say other than: I cannot sleep without feeling such a lust for life and inspired, viewing the world so vivid? It attacks me with its brightness and promise of possibility. Optimism. Slack-jawed. Neverending. Soon. Begin the happening! Bring on the seriousness, to be chased out by laughter! Let it roll, let it plunge us out of despair. "Give us this day..." Understand yesterday; experience today. Give up reflection to the gloomy past, become haunted with visions of endless giddiness. Embrace that whose beauty you can only fathom with eyes closed. Rely on your gut to guide you. Tomorrow is the time to get down to business. You've got an eternity, if only you learn to listen to the moments. Release. Believe. Breathe, rush. Twirl, spin, jump.
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It appears nearly everyone is skeptical about the idea of successfully using stereoptics, i.e. simultaneously reading two texts. I may just try to trick you into it!

Look at the picture above. All the areas of color seem like they don't make sense, but if you stare at them long enough, you'll be able to read four English words. I swear - don't give up! Initially your brain tries to see just the colored areas; more organization of the blobs are needed to perceive the intended message. You'll be just as ticked as I was when you finally see the words!
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Wally and I are deep in thought working on our latest project to revolutionize hypertext - the ability to read two separate texts simultaneously. Don't think it's possible? The key lies in the way we view a word, a sentence, and interpret their shape. When we've got a running beta, I'll post the link here. In the meantime I welcome your comments and criticisms.

On the subject of hypertext, I found the first paper I wrote in college on the subject of humanity. What defines being human? As a naive freshman, this question was much more difficult to answer than one might believe. We compiled all our papers online as hypertext. Take the journey and read the article here. Side note: interesting to see how the concept of hypertext has already evolved over the years, from obvious to embedded.
Get on the mic!

If you're a musician and would like to take part in my Fulbright-funded project - the impact of digital technology on the music industry (how you write, record, distribute and promote your music; your opinion on evolving trends and technology; your digital media use), please email me for a short interview. Better yet, if you're going to be in the Cologne area anytime soon, contact me and we'll set up an interview at your show.

You supply the music, I'll supply the audience (and bring cookies)!
Get on the mic!

Thanks to Sooz for the most entertaining thing I've ever witnessed on the Internet and the one thing I miss about Christmas in America - the outrageous house Christmas lights.

You won't regret playing that clip twice.
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If you're not sure what you want to do in life, try it out in excess and see where you stand.

After my week-long show escapades, I'm more in love with music than ever before (in love? love? want to make babies?). All I have to do is see a live show and I'm returned to heaven, like curtains being lifted/fog parting/grass swaying and all that pretty poetry. I forget for a moment that the music business is slick and tricky going; I just listen, listen and all is forgiven. I've been to Frankfurt and all over this city, new places and new faces, and I gotta say I'm hungry for more. Sadly, there don't appear to be many shows this month, but then again it's Christmas and despite the hush there's already a call for spring.

My special adoration to: Mayday (our discussion gave me brilliant hope!), Orenda Fink (she's a vision); Hockey Night (if I land at NPR, you're my man), Supersystem (have I ever thrashed so much? my neck says no); Film School (how do I look American?), The National (wow. your show blew me away); Jeff Klein (i thought you had tears in your eyes while singing and it moved me), Statistics (you simply can't imagine. just go real limp. come back.)
Get on the mic!