CHICAGO SCHOOL OF POP ART

Peter Mars is my favorite pop artist working today. I was in his studio over new years and his stuff is moving from comical to satirical. He's no Andy, but I may actually be able to afford one of his pieces someday.

WORSHIP FALSE GODS

Hey Mary!

YOUR T-SHIRT IS NOT FIGHTING AIDS

Have you ever seen someone wearing one of these shirts? No. You haven't. And for good reason. They are a tacky attempt to capture a market share looking to negate their guilt. 50% of the proceeds go to women and children in Africa? No. 50% goes to licencing and legal fees, administration costs and the design fee for the twerp who comes up with words ending in (RED).

BOO!

HA!

REMEMBER SUMMER

It's going to be -1º for a high on Friday. Let's keep up the memories of warmer times!

Last summer, the trading floor went to a St Paul Saints game as an 'outing'. Um, look at my sunglasses. Do you think I needed to be 'outed'?

Here, John and I enjoy some frosty cold beverages in the picnic area before going into the game. I don't know who we played. I don't know if we won. I'm positive we had a good time.

YOGA IS FOR WUSSIES

I want to start doing yoga, but its just so gay. They should have, like, a kickboxing-yoga class. I would totally do that. Or maybe something that involves yelling and grunting like karate does. Butch it up a bit, ya know?

BRUSH WITH FAME

Omg! You guys! Ron Jeremy is totally sitting next to me on the bus right now. Wait, maybe its just a random guy. Should i ask to see his ..... ? It's the only way to know for sure.

Something is wrong in this world when I am confusing bums with porn stars.

BODY ROCK

Cool! I want to see this in an IMAX theater.

US STATE CAPITOLS

He doesn't know Minnesota's capitol. Dumb kid!

IS IT TOTALLY SICK THAT I THINK THIS IS KINDA HOT?

From the Star Trib and the AP:

"High school wrestling has been suspended for eight days because of a skin-infection outbreak, the Minnesota State High School league said Tuesday.

At least 24 cases of Herpes Gladiatorum have been confirmed. Officials first became aware of the outbreak after a tournament in Rochester in December.

Since a tournament in late December, 10 teams have reported wrestlers with skin lesions involving the face, head or neck."

I mean, Gladiatorum? That's hot!

COLONOSCOPY

THE ANSWERS ARE IN DECONSTRUCTIONISM

WINNER!

One Dollar.

PACKAGE DELIVERY!

Sure, it's low-brow, but.... this one's for the boys.

It's safe for work, don't worry...

http://www.tmz.com/photos/celebrity-packages/144166/

What!? They all need to be classy?

ENTROPY

All that exists is constantly moving towards chaos. That that is ordered becomes disorganized when not intervened upon.


"Scientists have often been baffled by the existence of spontaneous order in the universe. The laws of thermodynamics seem to dictate the opposite, that nature should inexorably degenerate toward a state of greater disorder, greater entropy. Yet all around us we see magnificent structures—galaxies, cells, ecosystems, human beings—that have all somehow managed to assemble themselves."


- Steven Strogatz

This is my life these days. While in school and occupied, life continued to happen. When not intervened upon, that life got a bit messy. Bouncing through Europe was a great escape, but upon my return I find a life that needs some work.

Relationships damaged, literal and figurative houses cluttered, finances out of balance, a love-life nonexistent.

I have some work to do. Hang out, though... I'm not going anywhere, just TCB.

POPE JOHN PAUL II

CRYSTAL COURT

IDS CENTER MINNEAPOLIS, MN

As I walked through on Sunday afternoon, I took this corner detail of Philip Johnson's Crystal Court. I had to go into work to charge my phone, and it was dead quiet downtown. This is a huge space to see empty. It's bizarrely quiet.

Annex the IDS tower, the crystal court connects the skyway system on a catwalk around an indoor park. There is a cool fountain, which I'll need to get a picture of...

Opened in 1974, the IDS Center (or IDS Tower; in its first years its name was officially spelled IDS Centre; at the time the europeanism was supposed to reflect the tower's role in catapulting Minneapolis into its present status as a world-class city) is the tallest building in Minneapolis, Minnesota at 792 feet (241.4 m).

-Totally just stole that from Wikipedia. Love Wiki.

Johnson's unique stepback design allowed for 32 corner offices on each floor. He called these steps "Zogs". He was a huge queen. He just died last year.

love letters

MORTALITY

Harvey Richard Hanson, my grandfather, has just been diagnosed with fourth stage rectal cancer. There is no stage five. I feel blessed that I still have all four grandparents living as I enter my 30's. I love my grandpa and I intend to make the most of my time with him.

HARVEY RICHARD HANDSON

TECHNOLOGY MOVES FORWARD

Nintendo DS Light.- My cousin Cori has what is essentially a hand-held computer. She plays with this machine all day every day. To watch her manipulate the software with the stylus [like a pro] is impressive...and scary. Kids who are growing up with technology will inherit a world where complete connectivity is the norm.

wowee wow wow

Bryan!

THE NICE ONE

Bob!

MY GRANDPARENTS

My Mother's parents, Harvey and Venise Hanson.

GRANDMA'S MARATHON DULUTH, MN. SUMMER 2006

Let's think about the fun stuff we do when it's not so darn cold outside.

I ran the 5k wearing a patch. I hadn't smoked in, like, 8 hours and I was proud of myself. Dork.

Me, double-fisting. Post-race beers go down really nicely. Ben. Holla.
I wore this chip on my shoe to track the time. I felt plugged-in.
Winners!

MARKETING MOVES FORWARD

Diesel Jeans is doing some interesting ad stuff right now. The campaign is all 'viral video' and 70's porn.


http://www.diesel.com/

THE KID PLAYS HIS ASS OFF

...and we never see his face

I KNOW YOU'RE A MAN BUT I'M GONNA TREAT YOU LIKE A LADY

Mad TV loves the 'mos.

architecture

this will be lost on most of you [unless you're altered, then trust me...] this is course-required media for Wendy and Nikki

THE RESIGNATION

Msg: Ladies, just dont think i can. As i am wont to do, ive indulged too much too early. To bed i must.

Chuck and Drew are forgiving souls. It's the Libra in them.

CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

My Dad used to work in this building when I was a kid. I would come visit him and get wrapped up in the glamour of the city. Nicely dressed people bustling to and fro... I couldn't get enough. I promised myself I would work in a place like this some day. Now, I wait for the bus right here, in front of it, every day. Every. Damn. Day.

IT'S OVER

Take the fucking X-mas decorations down. Please.

THE GERKES

MIKA Sings 'Grace Kelly'

In London the other week, the British boys would NOT stop talking about Mika. I heard this in a bar in Soho and loved it. When I got back, he was blowing up stateside. Listen and enjoy before this song is played to death. He's the new Rufus.

Skid Row - Live

I remember seeing this the first time live. Sebastian Bach was a god to me back then. He's a drunken coke-head to me now.

ROBOTS!

It's Friday. The world is 3 degrees warmer than it was ten years ago, the President is sending thousands more of our young people to fight a war we will never win and Britney can't seem to pull herself together for a comeback.

I think it's time for some soccer-playing robots, don't you?

http://world.honda.com/ASIMO/

IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME

HELSINKI, Finland (AP) -- A novel whose narrative consists entirely of mobile phone text messages has been published in Finland.
"The Last Messages" tells the story of a fictitious information-technology executive in Finland who resigns from his job and travels throughout Europe and India, keeping in touch with his friends and relatives only through text messages.
His messages, and the replies -- roughly 1,000 altogether -- are listed in chronological order in the 332-page novel written by Finnish author Hannu Luntiala.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/ptech/01/25/sms.novel.ap/index.html

THE FUNNY ONE

My brother Ben, ladies and gentlemen. Every single person who knows him has a crush on him. Little shit. Boys, girls, young and old. Everybody.
This is a cheap ploy to get him to read my blog.

When he was little, he quickly figured out the two questions that were expected of him at that stage in his development. Whenever an adult approached him and began ask a question, he immediately cut them off and declared in toddler-speak, "Ben Hoter. Two."

I have two other brothers, Rob [The Nice one] and Matt [The Smart One]. They are both cool on thier own accord. They needn't be published.

THAT THAT IS, IS.

This is grown- up stuff.

GOOD ARCHITECTURE

You should be able to feel good architecture in your gut. Something that you never even considered should fall into place. Order is brought to a space where nothing stood before, because good architecture answers questions we didn't know we had. This window cuts a vertical swath through the western wall of the Walker Art Institute's main stair. It's three stories tall, and isn't centered on any singular axis. This allows it to remain organic while it is modern, purposeful and linear.

Plus, it makes the clouds look pretty.

BLUE

There are other colors, but none of them is BLUE.

RENDERINGS

These renderings are of a Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender community center that I designed as part of my senior project. The assignment was to design a building that would be of use to the community. Minneapolis is the only city of it's size in the U.S. without a GLBT center intended for the arts, theatre, and community involvement.
The basic premise was a self-enclosed campus, one that could be used in different ways by different members of the community. Four cube-like wings are elevated above street level, creating an atrium below and between the wings.
Each of the four wings serves different purpose. One is a two-story theatre, another has photography processing and artist space. Flexible gathering rooms could be used for everything from an AA meeting to a bridal shower.
Lightweight, semi-translucent panels are used on the exterior of the wings. This system [Panelite] allows light and shadow to pass through, eliminating the need for distracting windows. The entire main floor, meanwhile, is shrouded in glass curtain wall, allowing street activity and activity inside the atrium to be continuous.

$$$

I hate money. Actually, no, I hate not having enough money to live the lifestyle I feel I'm due. Growing up in American culture, we have goods and services paraded in front of us, each promising a happier and healthier lifestyle. We buy into the hype and live beyond our means. That's one of my resolutions, steal more, spend less, get ahead by any means possible.

I seriously need to start charging for sex. We're talkin' goods and services, people!

DRUNK MARK

I LIVE HERE

So... bought this house with my brother, Ben, 2 years ago. Little brother Rob moved in with us a couple of months ago. (There is an oldest brother, but he's a Space Doctor. It's a long story.)
Basic post-war 'factory prepared' home, really. Two floors and a finished basement. Some might call it a 'rec room'.

I'm in Northeast Mpls, which is... yes, north-east of downtown Minneapolis. I work downtown, which is a 20 minute bus ride. Super Exciting.

It was built in 1952 and had one previous owner. A cute little grandma and grandpa built this house, raised a family in it, and we got to buy it from them.

I DON'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE TO

White male. White female. Loudly exclaiming 'thanks for the ride!' to the driver. Constantly moving seats. Crack? That, or meth. Subjects bid "goodbye!" to riders as they got off the bus. Getting off at the Broadway exit, female subject waved and yelled, "Goodnight everyone!"

AMEN, SISTER