How Are You So Sure? Because the Universe Provides

"How are you so sure?" I asked a friend that question, in awe of his certainty that he's where he's meant to be in life and will get every and anything he wants and needs.


He pointed to the walls of the studio where we sat and each poster on the wall had a story. He could recount all the laughs and tears and the gifts he received and things he lost. He expresses gratitude for all he has and goes through life fearlessly. Not to be confused with foolishly.

We were hanging out that day because I needed his energy. I always feel good in his presence. I feel heard and I'm guaranteed a piece of sage advice from him. 

I was on vacation a few weeks prior and questioning my direction in life. I was internalizing all the change in New York. There was this resistance in me against being the 'naked man photographer'. I was discouraged at my living situation and bank account balances. 

It's hard to look on the bright side at times and go forward knowing I will be taken care of. Even though I'm ten years removed, depression has rewired my brain. My usually optimistic, determined nature is sometimes shattered with hopelessness, despair and fear.

Dear Mr. Anthony Bourdain

Of all the sidewalks in all the world he showed up on mine.


It was a bright, Thursday afternoon and I was heading back towards Columbus Circle from CBS Broadcast Center. As I passed my old stomping ground, the Time Warner Center, I looked up from my phone and there he stood.


He was there. Nerves bubbled up inside me but I didn't stop walking, I didn't alter the course. I knew I had to say something. Never mind that I was carrying two man grooming products in my hand. He moved his cell phone from his ear just as I got to him.

UFC 157: Rousey vs. Carmouche - Ultimate Fighting Women

Rousey vs. Carmouche at UFC 157

Rousey: "...Damn, those girls did deserve to be in the main event."


On Saturday, February 23, 2013, in Anaheim, California, "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey successfully defended her Bantamweight Championship against "Girl Rilla" Liz Carmouche in UFC's first women's bout. The night was history making. And inspiring.

A Random Moment with Davi Russo

 

Davi Russo, photographer and director

"I'm usually the one asking the questions," I said at some point during our conversation at the bar. After exchanging a comment about the song that was playing and commiserating over both being a dying breed—native New Yorkers—we drank and talked about art, photography, sex and beauty ideals. We saw each other again at his exhibit and book release, "Turns" at Munch Gallery. Returning to the restaurant where we first met, it was my turn to ask the questions.

~   ~   ~

I’m Davi Russo and I work as a photographer and director and I make pictures. I guess I like to think of myself as someone that is a maker of things.

How long have you been a photographer?

Well, my mother gave me photography but in like a natural way. When I was 7 years old, she gave me my first camera – she gave me actually 2 cameras – she gave me an old Kodak 110 camera, the film looks like a little telephone, and she gave me a Polaroid 600 series camera. My job was to kinda be the family photographer because my father was incarcerated around that time and so my mother realized that we’d be sending photographs to him through the mail. I think she was very smart about understanding that if she gave me this assigned role it was probably an ego boost for me as a young man, you know, and it gave me something good to do. I’m sure that my father adored having those pictures sent … so that’s how I was introduced to photography. It wasn’t like I studied it or something like that.

A Random Moment with Vid Son Doz

Vid Son Doz, painter, sculptor, art explorer

I eyed him curiously at the Artists Wanted "Cosmic Architecture" opening reception in late May 2012. When we finally spoke, he introduced himself as being from a rainforest in Puerto Rico. It wasn't the wine, I had heard correctly. This past Monday, June 18, 2012, his work was among the many showcased at Art Takes Times Square. It's only fitting that after a tremendous thunder and lightning storm, which produced hail and snow, we'd meet again.

~   ~   ~

I have lots of names. My sister, lately’s been calling me Videous Termite but I’m Vid Son Doz which is short for David Peterson Albandoz, but I shortened it, I like that everything happens in threes and the last letters of my name became Vid. My friends call me Vid. I sign my work Vid Son Doz—that’s my artist name. It’s important to me that we share our art, that we share our experience. That’s why I’m here.

So what’s your title? What do you call yourself?

I’m an artist—painter, sculptor. I am more like an art explorer. I mean I have lots of variety of art.

Inspiration struck! Vid Son Doz paints the latest in his Vegetative Translunary collection 

A Random Moment with Habib Idris

Habib Idris, painter

In keeping with the random yet the synchronicity of life, I ran into an old college friend in SoHo on Wednesday. I knew he painted but wasn’t aware of the extent of his work. I was also witness to the effect his creations have on people; a mother and daughter walked by and were instantly drawn to one of his mannequin pieces—art admired, art sold. He was gracious enough to let me interview him right there on the spot.

~  ~  ~

Introduce yourself and tell us what it is you do; what’s your craft?

Habib Idris, from Ghana. My craft is paint. I paint. I draw. It’s therapy for me. To get my mind off a lot of things I paint. I don’t consider myself an artist… You can say I’m an artist but it’s more of a hobby or something that relaxes me than for money. But in this economy, you gotta do whatever you can to make money, right? And I’m using what I can. I’m blessed to have a gift where I can paint or create something so I use that to make a little money for now.

A Random Moment with Rubén González

Ruben Gonzalez, singer/songwriter

We first met last year at a show we both participated in at Word Up! Books in Washington Heights. He sang before intermission, I read after. I attended one of his jam sessions in September. On June 19, 2012, we met before his show at the Nuyorican Poets Café. We popped into the Snack Dragon Taco Shack and were greeted by the aroma of steak on the grill, soulful beats and sipped homemade Raspberry Limeade as we discussed his career, creative process and his panty-dropping music that he sings from his testicles in his neck.

 

At the taco shack

Alright, introduce yourself and tell us what you do

My name is Rubén González and I do a bunch of things, mostly related to music. I’m a singer/songwriter. I’m also an instrumentalist; I play bass, guitar. I’m also a teaching artist in New York City Public Schools working with early childhood but also I arrange and direct a couple of percussion orchestras for 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th graders in Brooklyn. That program has been going on for years and years and it’s grown and it allows me to see music in a different way, arrange for little hands, for little brains—it’s a lot of fun—at PS 130, the one that I’m thinking of, the most important program, on Fort Hamilton Parkway in Brooklyn. The principal is very supportive, we’ve got all kinds of instruments, so I teach there and I arrange for them and introduce them to music. Being a teaching artist gives me the opportunity to introduce young kids to music the way I feel it, the way I would like to have been introduced [to it].

Gallery Crawl

Photo by: Mia Berg

I attended the evening reception of Mia Berg's WOMAN : CAMERA at Gallery 151 on Thursday evening. The nudity, self-portraits and Spencer Tunick got me through the door. After studying the images and the exchange of opinions, my friend and I headed to Chelsea for an impromptu gallery crawl.

Your Black Is Beautiful

I was contacted earlier this week about participating in an upcoming PSA and documentary, Black is Beautiful, a project created by Babatunde Odesanya of the Black and Latino Film Coalition.

"This documentary is the culmination of 100 Black and Latina women verbally celebrating the strength, power and beauty of being a person of color.  From their hair, to their features to their varied tones, these ladies will be expressing why "Black Is Beautiful" to them."

A Clear & Lucid & Natural & Simple Conscious

Clear & Lucid & Natural & Simple by Conscious. It can be a quick read for instant "aha moments" or one that can take a few days to get through because his gems of wisdom will cause moments of contemplation.


While reading Clear & Lucid I had flashbacks to many of the conversations I've had with Conscious. Why won't he use revolving doors? He explained it to me in such a way that it's up to me to figure it out. That quote is on page 66 and it's written 6 times--there must be meaning to that as well. Sometimes what he (or Montag or the Bronx Über Villain) says doesn't hit me right away. I can see it now, I'll by lying (half)  awake, having a restless night, amethyst helping me none and something I read in the book will become clear. Seeing his statements in print made them real again. And there are times when speaking to Conscious and while I was reading Clear & Lucid that it's as if Conscious is reading my heart. "Bout to 'life' #unfollow some ppl." Yes! I've taken this step numerous times. Recent eclipses and constant growth as a person have made it easier. Certain relationships/people eclipse their way our of your life and we're the better for it.

A Marathon Of Inspiration

ING NYC Marathon 

After drinks and a PG-13 rated sleepover, we woke to sunshine and cheers from along 4th Avenue. My sleep haze cleared instantly as I rushed to his living room window. The wheelchair racers whizzed by on their hand bikes.


I've always had a connection with the ING NYC Marathon--maybe because it takes place in November, maybe because it's a "NY thing", maybe it's the athleticism of the event but I watch it every year. One year, I watched from the Columbus Circle entrance of Central Park. I was really depressed that year and the marathon was quite the morale booster.

Elite Women (lead pack)

Shall We Dance?

"Do you dance?" he asked.

"What do you mean, like in general?" I asked. "Yeah, I dance."

"Do you dance to this kind of music?" The music playing was 30's, 40's & 50's swing, jazz and blues.

"No, I've never danced to this."

He extended his hand, "Shall we?"


After the Holiday Shops Opening event, that is how I ended my Thursday evening in Bryant Park under a crystal clear sky and waxing gibbous moon. He looked harmless enough, Ray did. That's his name. Ray. I didn't get a last name. Black gentleman of 60. He led me through the basics of the Lindy Hop and foxtrot. An audience formed, some snapping photos of us. When I caught on to the steps, he added kicks and spins. "Some times the man flips the woman over his head..."

Frasier Meets 3rd Rock From The Sun

I would love to see Dick Solomon (John Lithgow, 3rd Rock from the Sun) and Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer, Frasier) meet one another. I think their character dynamic would be very entertaining and competitive. Just imagine all the polysyllabic chest-pounding!


Setting:
Seattle, Washington circa 1999


Premise:
Dick Solomon and his family, Sally, Harry and Tommy are new tenants in the Elliot Bay Towers. But how/why do they meet? Dick is a new member or Frasier's wine club, or Frasier is giving a psychiatry talk at the same university Dick where teaches.


Character Dynamics:

Both Frasier and Dick are pompous, multilingual and intelligent but Dick's naivete about Earth and total lack of respect for personal space would become glaringly obvious to Frasier. He interprets it as some sort of psychiatric problem that he must diagnose and treat. Dick mistakes Frasier's interest as friendship but when Frasier begins to label him and insist something is wrong with him, Dick is offended (Nothing is wrong with my brain! My brain is far superior to yours!) and the competitive nature of their relationship begins.

Sunday Jam Session

Music.

It took me to 1960's Brooklyn and 1980's Harlem.

Took me through Argentinian pride and Uruguay strife.

It celebrated the West Indies and declared independence for Brazil.

Music took me to lovers' beds and hearts. The trips and falls in and out of love.

Took me to the great State of Texas.

Music took me to New Orleans to march with the saints.

Took me to a blues joint.

Music tugged secrets from our souls with each slide of the trombone.

Took me into the soul of a blossoming songwriter.

It softened angst and broke outer shells.

Music tasted like Guinness and Malbec and Mate.

Music filled the room. 8 people in a room and music will make it feel a hundred deep.

It softened a love cynic's heart and brought tears to eyes.

It sounded like throaty laughter on the 3 and 16 count.

Music left it's mark with the power of words.

It wrote this prose.

Music is the bass Griot.

It evoked cravings for cuchifritos.

Music was the glue that held handshakes, hugs and hips together.

It instructed the 2-step and the way he twirled her this way and that.

On a sticky September Sunday, it wasn't too hot for music.

Music, Inspiration And "Too Much Boogie"

I received goodies in the mail last week -- two erotic short story collections. I just finished reading one of them, Too Much Boogie: Erotic Remixes of the Dirty Blues by Cole Riley.

After looking over the "track list" on the back cover I immediately turned to "Effects of Moonshine" by Dorla Moorehouse. Due to recent happenings in my own life after drinking actual moonshine, I had to read this story. I wasn't disappointed. The heat, the dancing, the bodies...

Planet Of The Apes Meets Jurassic Park

"Caesar, we found an island for you. It's in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, 
off the coast of Costa Rica. I think you'll really like it." 
"Caesar will go. No more stupid humans."

I spent a rainy Sunday afternoon watching a Jurassic Park marathon. I'm a sucker for a good creature feature. In the third installment of the Jurassic Park (2001) franchise, part of the storyline is the Velociraptors (raptor) are intelligent and can communicate with one another with specialized calls. That aids them in hunting and they can also call one another for help. Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) gives a lecture in which he theorizes that had it not been for the cataclysmic event that wiped out all dinosaurs, raptors could have become the dominate species on earth.

Hmm...

In come the apes. 

One intelligent species against another.

Tastes Like Travel

The universe places you exactly where you can achieve what you asked for.

                                                                                - @mightymoebetta

The Law of Attraction is so powerful it's scary. My need to travel must be strong enough that the Universe is listening. Paris (and France in general) is everywhere I turn. I joke about my willingness to do unspeakable things to get to Brazil in 2014 (behind every joke...). Recently jobs I've applied for are perfect for me and would give me the opportunity to travel and/or work with internationals. I don't have the means to travel at the moment so I'm satisfying my wanderlust in NYC. It's uncanny--the new people I'm meeting are natives of countries on my must-see list and people who have visited them already. When I finally make it to Paris, Brazil, Thailand, South Africa, Italy, etc. it will be new to me but I'm being prepped, appetite kept whet, constantly gaining new insights.


All signs point to my inevitable travel. Sometimes I swear it's all too perfect. This past month has been plotted like a movie--full of foreshadowing and "coincidences".

World Cup Of Women's Love

Last year, I was on South Africa time for a month during the World Cup. This year, it's Germany. My Nigerian ladies were eliminated during the Group phase. Sigh. I just finished watching the Germany v Japan quaterfinal match of the FIFA Women's World Cup 2011. Japan pulled the upset and eliminated Germany (1-0), the defending champions and the host country. It was a great game! Japan was the underdog coming in and they played hard. This was after France and England played to penalty kicks (and England's squad was peppered with hobbled players)! France missed their first PK and I didn't know how it was going to play out. I stood the entire time. But then England missed a PK and,well, France didn't. This sets up a pretty interesting semi-finals.

Age Is Nothing But A Number

"World's Oldest Female Bodybuilder" Ernestine Shepherd
at Book Expo America

The past few days I've felt "subpar" as I like to put it. I wasn't sick, but I could feel something coming on--slight congestion, sneezing, achy body. I know last week wore me down and that left me susceptible to a virus or bacteria. The lack of sleep and close quarters at Book Expo America--it can take a toll on the best of us.


What made me feel better was two great workouts which left me drenched and winded. Today, I still sound a little nasally, but much improved from Saturday. I always feel worse when I don't workout--physically and mentally. It's been a part of my life since high school. Being active is my being.


I'm telling you all this because I want to share one more highlight from Book Expo America. I purposely left this one out because I wanted to do a separate post. May 23, I received a press invite from Guinness World Records for a great interview and photo opportunity with Ernestine Shepherd, the "World's Oldest Female Bodybuilder". I committed one thing that annoys me when others do it (or don't do it)--I didn't read the email all the way through. I saw the words "female" and "bodybuilder" and "oldest" and I was blinded by excitement. I'm a huge advocate of women picking up weights. Strength training improves posture, confidence, raises your resting metabolism, regulates hormones, increases body density, shapes and tones your body and, the obvious, makes women stronger.

Sarah Small's Tableau Vivant at Skylight One Hanson

Sarah Small's "Tableau Vivant of the Delirium Constructions"

What a way to start the week!


On Monday night, I attended the premiere of Sarah Small's "Tableau Vivant of the Delirium Constructions". I'm always asked how I find out about these things so here's the brief history: Sarah Small is the photographer who shot me for Moregasm, she attended the opening reception for my photo exhibit, Man. Toy., I was contacted about being in a Tableau Vivant in October 2010, but missed the casting deadline.


OK...


I spotted a familiar face (and body) when I arrived--Sidney Etienne--one of the models. I also loved the interior of Skylight One Hanson. It's a beautiful venue. I'll put that on my list of places to check out in case I have to move my garden party indoors. The mosaic tile mural was an extension of the "living picture" Small created and vice versa. The performance was a homage to art history. Guess where she got the inspiration for this... The Louvre. Again, I loved the set. I don't know if my photos do it justice.