Mt. Holly Mayor's Office

Famous Author Mykle Hansen Takes you on a 3-Minute Tour of the 2012 Art Shanty Projects.

2012-01-21T08:05:00.000-08:00

A Parable from Porous Walker

2012-01-06T13:24:00.001-08:00

I Want A Dog That Poops Money from Eighty Four Films on Vimeo.

Tattooed Steiger

2012-01-05T15:16:00.000-08:00

I endorse how Rod Steiger puts all the 'little things' in their places in his 1969 roll as The Illustrated Man. This is a nice look into turning that beast into a work of art. "DON'T CALL THEM TATTOOS!"

Koerner, Ray & Glover - Blues, Rags & Hollers Documentary, 1986.

2011-11-14T07:59:00.001-08:00

What a find! The complete Koerner, Ray & Glover PBS documentary from 1986. Plenty of archival footage of these virtually unknown, outside of the Midwest, Blue-eyed bluesmen.

My favorite Beach Boy? Carl, of course

2011-09-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

Local boy in a Sabertooth Tiger outfit makes good.

2011-08-22T18:07:00.000-07:00

Mt. Holly salutes its former Animal Control agent, Jackson Dahlke, in his second place finish in Sunday's mascot derby.

20 years ago this week, I began work on my first zine . . .

2011-08-03T08:20:00.000-07:00

20 Years Ago, this week I began work on my first Zine, an anthology featuring Jason Sandberg, Zak Sally, and Scott A Dolan. Recently, I was asked by Metro Magazine for my thoughts on zine culture, zines in Minneapolis and the upcoming Twin Cities Zinefest (Saturday, September 24, 2011: 12pm-5pm) Here's what I wrote, an overview of how I got into zines and what it was like to be a self-publisher back in the days before the internet. As a bonus, I've also included the complete contents of Rump #1, a highly-relevant benchmark issue.

Here's a start. Please help with editing and spelling and stuff. I'm a bit of a knucklehead. Anything you'd like me to extrapolate on?

I grew up in Shakopee. Like most small town punks in the 80's, I moved away as soon as I was able (1987). I was lucky. MPLS wasn't far and there was a shit ton of music and lowbrow art happening here at the time. Along with, Kevin Cole's late night radio shows on KBEM, the fanzines and DIY mags (Uncle Fester / Your Flesh / Art Police / Losing Faith / Ferret Comix / Baby Split Bowling News / Profane Existence) I would pick up on my sporadic escapes into the big city were the Harlequin™ romance novels to my locked-in-my-bedroom-against-Reganomics-and-rednecks loneliness.

Up til moving to MPLS I worked in a butcher shop. The U of M was a magnet for of outstate DIY'ers. I was a 'fine arts major'. Don't remember much of actually going to class. (only lasted a year and a half). My life revolved around WMMR (now Radio K) (lasted 3 years before my non-student status was discovered) where I met Jason Parker and the THD crowd . Making xeroxed playlists, station newsletters (Hooray for the Devil!) and gig posters with those punks was a hell of a lot more fun than sketching hirsute transient 'models'. I picked up an internship at Twin Tone aback when Am Rep was still squatting there, and started doing posters for the Uptown Bar. It was a pretty inspiring time and fueled my move out of the fine art program and eventually out of school.

I left school with the mission to forget about art and “make toys and draw fucked up shit”.

I spent a lot of time at Kinkos, and figured I'd get an overnight job there to 'facilitate' my practice. I was not alone. Zinesters are night owls. Being a copy connection' I was in the right place to meet the broad spectrum of MPLS DIY publishers, the anarchists and socialists; the cartoonists and the writers. One late night I met Earnest Mann, who had been publishing his amazing double-sided 8 ½ x 11 zine, The Little Free Press for nearly 20 years. (his zine was also freely reproducible. I host a digital version of one of his collections in the Mt. Holly Public Library (LINK). You should put down this magazine or your computer and go read it now.)

I was introduced to fellow Kinko's employees, Joel Orff and Dan Cahil [CHECK SPELLING] about this time. They were publishing a collective comics zine called Marvelous Martha's Comic's. It inspired me, in 1991 to try to put out my own collected zine, Ye Olde Stinkhammer Press (bear with me, grunge was casting a heavy, flannel-draped dude-vibe on everything in those days.)

The music and art scene back then was reeeeeeeaaaaaalllllly small. It was local, close, and because of this, there was a earnest quality to all of it. Remember, this was a time before 'Alternative Radio' and the internet which 'legitimized' saturated, diluted and commoditized art and music. (sorry, folks, I'm old.)

This was a time where one discovered music through reading Maximum Rock & Roll, going to the record store, catching touring bands or grabbing a beer with friends who just got off tour and would regale with stories and swapped records and tapes. The same was true but to a lesser extent with zines.

If you were lucky enough to visit another town, you did so with a 25 cent Goodwill suitcase, jammed with zines and an extra pair of socks. You sold them at shows. You hit every record store in said town, buying every zine in sight and dropping off zines for consignment. Most shops would take 5 copies. At a quarter a pop, after the 60/40 split, it was hardly viable checking back to collect (via a long-distance call over a land-line, remember this was pre-cell phones). Still, occasionally, the envelope full of change would magically appear in the mailbox. But that wasn't the point. The point was to perhaps, through your hard work, or picking up someone else's hard work, connect with another like mind.

The other option was Fact Sheet Five. It was less of a magazine, more of a published lexicon of self-publishing. This thing was a tome; a couple hundred page brick infested with the classified ads for America's publishing underbelly: comic books, music mags, alternative lifestyles, UFO enthusiasm, rampant conspiracy and dissent (yay!), and (barf!) poetry. . . lots of god damned poetry. Shit was cheep; much was open to flat out trade. Most items were shipped with hand-written letters and offers of friendship.

Most of my best friendships, today, were forged via the U.S. Postal System, 20 years ago. It's crazy to think about.

I met Zak Sally while putting together that first xeroxed collection. Within a month of meeting, I finished printing the book including his work and he and I hit the road for the West Coast to ply our wares for two weeks along the Jonestown / Les Thugs tour. We've been friends ever since. We decided to put our books out under the jointly under the La Mano imprint. Zak's the hardest working self-publisher out there. He spends years sweating over a ink and eraser ort riddled desk and shambling printing press to create a understandable yet unfortunately small portfolio of highly detailed, brutally beautiful works of art. I ejaculated my little turds of magazines in 3 hour sessions. We're like Felix Unger and Oscar Madison in a lot of ways. In the past decade, I've become much more of a dabbler. (I slapped together my latest travesty, a zine of dirty jokes written in code called S.E.C.R.E.T.S.H.I.T. That is distributed with a decoder over 2 years ago.) Zak is pretty much the sole driving force behind La Mano at this point. I'm a liability.

Minneapolis has always been a hotbed for DIY publications. Back in 1919 Fawcett Publications was born of a mimeographed pamphlet of bawdy military jokes called Captain Billy's Whizz Bang. Being a hotbed for socialism and the union movement in the 20's and 30's Minneapolis was littered with hand-made propaganda.

As Minnesotans, our penchant for self-publishing stems from many things. We tend to be pretty self-reliant people here. We have to be, given the climate. With self-reliance comes a certain amount of alienation. This alienation was compounded, in the pre-internet world, by our location. Minneapolis was in the middle of nowhere. With a certain amount of alienation, comes the desire to connect, to be heard. We are a culture of makers here. The folks on the coasts would have their mind blown to be made aware of the breadth of Midwest innovation, in engineering for sure, but also in the creative arts. The volume of zines being published here is a natural extension of our history and a response to cold-ass winters and plague-like summers.

The internet has done much to make zines accessible. I would argue that the internet has also superficialized zines, turning them into pretty products more than an exercise in soul rendering. Crap, who am I fooling. I've always felt that way. I'm just old. I still stumble across gold every once in a while. To each his own, right? That's what zines are about. Not pleasing everyone. It's about banging away on something that makes sense to yourself, putting it out there, and hopefully making a connection with a reader. Plus, did I mention I'm old.

Regardless, there is alchemy in zine crafting that is undeniable. And the end result is, for better or worse (remember - poetry mags), highly personal and gloriously tactile. There is no better venue, today, for getting jumped-in to the zine culture than zinefest, where you can pick up and read from a huge swath of today's MPLS DIY publishers.

This is Prairie Smoke

2011-05-23T20:19:00.000-07:00

It's like the Muppet of the high grass prairie perennials. From my garden.

Mac 1980's Design Team Easter Egg

2011-03-24T13:59:00.000-07:00

Read the article

Daily Photos of the 2011 Minnesota River Flood near Mt. Holly

2011-03-24T07:39:00.000-07:00

I'll do my best to keep this updated through the spring

Man & Machine: A Naked Robotic Love Story - Documentary to debut at SXSW

2011-02-22T08:23:00.000-08:00

Man & Machine: A Naked Robotic Love Story from Delicious Filmworks on Vimeo.

Jonathan Nowak co-directed this documentary about a Belgian couple (Godfried Willem-Raes and Moniek Darge)and their love for each other and of robots and music. The film will be debuting at SXSW this year and looks amazing.

Godfried's theories about new music got him kicked out of a Belgian conservatory and sparked his development of a robotic orchestra, bicycle symphony and an instrument based on sonar reactions to a dancing nude body (Warning it's a bit NSFW).

I had the fortune of working with Jonathan back in my advertising days on the best project I ever was a part of. Congrats, Jonathan.

Film website

Happy Birthday Mac Dawg - Free CD from Mt. Holly Municipal Records

2011-02-17T08:53:00.000-08:00

I first met Mac Dawg outside the Capital Theater in Olympia Washington shortly after we both arrived. He from Kent, Washington (an outer ring suburb of Seattle), me from Minneapolis, Minnesota (an outer ring suburb of Mt. Holly).

Here was this dude who looked a bit like Paul Shafer in a tie die carrying a tape case on which he had drawn a ghetto blaster and a piece of corrugated cardboard advertising "Will freestyle on any topic 25¢ " I gave him 75¢ to rap about the girl I was with, Pizza Hut, and Moby Dick which he did, flawlessly. I bought a couple of the tapes he was selling from his own label, Krazed Up Records.

Read more and download here: Mt. Holly Municipal Records

More recent jams on MySpace, YES!

My Rocket-Wielding Blast-Off Ice Fishing Tip-Up

2011-02-05T18:47:00.000-08:00

This week, I outfitted my ice fishing sledge with a rattle-reel, a super-sketchy homebrew detonator (the trigger involves a guitar pick) and a launch pad. Now, I know when a fish bites because a rocket launches.

No one lost a hand today, but we did lose 2 rockets.

Thanks to the dudes at mission control: Dave, Jake and Jeff.

Here's a hi-res photo of the set-up:

Kahn Ice Gardens - The story of a homemade backyard ice rink

2011-02-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

Late Night Skate from Joshua Kahn on Vimeo.

What do people in Minnesota do in the long cold winters? They dream shit up. Then they build it. This is the story of my pal Joshua Kahn's homemade backyard ice rink. Now keep in mind, this thing is in his backyard in Typical Suburbia, USA. Also, note that we've had 60 inches of snow this year. Look at the quality of that ice!

I'd like to say that this is a unique project, but it's not, these things pop up all over the Twin Cities Area. Still, Josh's rink is pretty incredible. The sophistication grows every year, like lights embedded below the ice to create the scrimmage lines and a homebuilt push Zamboni. I know Josh has been tinkering with an Arduino controlled scoreboard as a future enhancement. Nice!

Dave Zadra's Jigging Gizzee

2011-01-27T08:32:00.000-08:00

My pal Dave loves to boil water. He's built a steam powered motorcycle. So, of course, I knew he'd bring something special to fish with when he suggested we go ice fishing together.

The column heats the water that drips into the sardine can. A stick on a bent spring pops up from under the reel's handle, signaling a bite.

Dave's next modification will be a small chute that will direct the spilled hot water into the hole keeping it ice-free.

Speaking of sardines, that day Dave caught the only two.

Do Something Awesome with your Life! - Brother & Sister Music Video

2011-01-14T12:45:00.000-08:00

What better jam to rock as I head home for a weekend of making stuff!

Neature Walk. How neat is that?

2011-01-14T09:11:00.000-08:00

thanks to Justin Bidwell, headhunter extrordinaire

From the Knitting Needles of The Mayor

2011-01-12T05:03:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, in order to combat some strange memory loss issues, I needed to find a way to meditate a bit . . . which sucks. I am one of those people who cannot shut off their brain. I guess I just didn't understand meditation. I found that rather than snuffing my thoughts, I just needed to apply a focused self-pacing task to them. It apply a regulator, if you will.. Well, thanks to my Uncle Ron, who has been knitting for years and is a patient and entertaining instructor, I found that regulator in knitting. I've gotten good enough to actually make gifts for people, and proud enough to order up some labels from the good folks at Miles Kimball. They showed up this weekend.

Incredibly great video about incredibly great cartoonist, Zak Sally (Lamano Overlord)

2011-01-11T16:57:00.000-08:00

What is Open? A simple explanation of APIs

2011-01-11T16:23:00.001-08:00

Autumn and I made this video to help non-techies understand the difference between traditional development and open development.

Hank's Summer Sale Mailer - 1957

2010-11-04T04:06:00.000-07:00

Discovered a stack of these old Hardware Hank Summer Sale Mailers sitting on the overwhelmed checkout counter at the Waterville, MN Hardware Hank.

I particularly like this rendition of the Hardware Hank character. He looks alot wiser and handy than the neutered later (through current) baby-faced checkout-boy they have employed as a mascot. "Hey, boy, how about showing me fewer teeth and more smarts about straightening or replacing this fan blade?"

On our visit, Autumn and I also found plenty of neat old stock amidst the packed from floor to ceiling shelves. We left with some camping fuel, a battleship-strong Swing-a-way™ can opener, a skeleton toy and the mailer.

What was even cooler than this nifty old advertisement? We've been to many a hardware store where the staff takes interest in you because they are paid to. We've been to others where the advice is handed down from a pulpit. The Waterville Hardware Hank store is still run by the Jacobson family, a family who has handed down more thna just a business. They were welcoming, interesting, smart, and absolutely love what they do, helping people, and it shows. Long live the family store.

View the complete 1957 Summer Sales Mailer.

Don't miss the fabulous insecticide spread on page 22.

Unfortunate CNN feeds on Oral Sex story

2010-11-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

An old pal, Dave Zuck, shot me a line, out of the blue about this unfortunate sync of a story on CCN.com's the chart and a couple of their reporters' twitter feeds. I miss Dave.

BLACKBIRD BURGLAR SERIES: COLTON HARRIS MOORE CREW NECK SWEATSHRT

2010-11-01T07:30:00.001-07:00

This is incredible. Please, tell me it comes in middle-aged man sizes.

PS: Dear Santa - you love sneaking into people's homes. Please, leave this under the tree and our silver where you find it.

From Blackbird: The second burglar of interest in our series, we bring to you Colton Harris-Moore

Colton A. "Colt" Harris-Moore (born March 22, 1991) is a former fugitive from Camano Island, Washington. He is suspected in the theft of at least five small aircraft, a boat and two cars, and in the burglaries of at least 100 private residences in various locations around the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada. He fled to the Bahamas on July 4, 2010, allegedly in a plane stolen from Indiana. He was indicted on July 6 by a U.S. Federal Court in Seattle, Washington on charges of transporting another stolen aircraft in that state. Harris-Moore was arrested in Harbour Island, Bahamas on July 11, after police shot out the engine of the boat in which he was attempting to flee. Two days later, he was deported from Nassau, Bahamas to Miami, Florida and transferred on July 21 to SeaTac, Washington where he is awaiting trial.

DETAILS: Soft 80% cotton 20% polyester crew-neck sweatshirt with 1" double-stitched ribbed collar, double-stitched shoulder seams, and 2 3/4" ribbed sleeves and waistband in black. Runs a little big so size down (if M then buy S) for a slim fit or get your size if your feeling relaxed.

NOTE: In no way are we promoting or glorifying crime. Sweatshirts are the known uniform of thieves and this is our inspiration.

Thanks Sean Whipps for the find!

Urban Outfitters Mt. Holly Mayor Mask

2010-10-29T10:54:00.001-07:00

get yours

Happy Birthday - Ellie Greenwich, Brill Building Songwriter Extrordinaire

2010-10-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

Ellie would have turned 70 today. She blew up the Brill Building in the 60's writing such hits as Leader of the Pack and this monster which reportedly put Spector over the edge. Spector paid Ike $20,000 to stay away from the studio during the recording and an additional $22,000 on production, which is probably why he scrimped (with fabulous results) on this promo for the song.

Let's Trade Arrows - The Mt. Holly Mashpole Project

2010-10-18T20:20:00.000-07:00

Be a part of The M*A*S*H Pole Project

1. Make your own arrow pointing to whatever you like - your home town, your barbershop, your favorite spot for a beer, where you hid the bodies or anything really that you can point an arrow at.

2. Send your arrow to
Mike Haeg
305 Holmes Street S
Mt. Holly, MN 55379

3. I will nail your arrow to the M*A*S*H pole pointing to your destination and add it to our map.

4. I will send you an individually numbered Mt. Holly arrow that you can nail up pointing to our little city.

For more info and to follow the progress visit The Mashpole Project

Beautiful Hands Gallery Grand Opening in Mt. Holly this Saturday, October 9th.

2010-10-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

This Saturday as part of the Scott County Art Crawl, we are opening the Beautiful Hands Gallery in Downtown Mt. Holly. The gallery will be open from 9am - 6pm, followed by a campfire. The show will feature artists from the Greater Mt. Holly Area including:

- Morgan Hawley - Dolls and Wooden Robots
- Gary Hawley - Toys, Painting and Photography
- Autumn Haeg - Photography and Emphiria
- Isabella Zadra - Birdhouses
- Mike Haeg - Junk Guitars, Red Arrows and Mini-Mini-Comics

Plus some surprises.

Whether you are coming to the show or not, you can be a part of the show. I whipped up what I hope to be only the first batch of 100 little wooden red directional arrows that point to Mt. Holly. Each is individually numbered. If you send Mt. Holly an arrow, we will put it up on a big post and send a Mt. Holly arrow back for you to nail up wherever you choose. It's a real world mapping project which will be supported by some online stuff like a blog and, well, if I can figure it out, a map.

What can you put on your arrow? Whatever you like:

- where you live
- your favorite city
- an imaginary city
- the business you build with your own 2 hands
- your studio
- anyplace with really great donuts
- where you hid the bodies
- your band
- pretty much anything that can have an arrow pointing at it.

This project is inspired by the directional sign post from M*A*S*H*. That sign post kept a lot of those characters going. Whether the unit was under friendly fire from an American soldier delirious from a gangrenous compound leg fracture, or shivering holes through their long johns on a frigid Christmas night in Korea, Klinger, Hot Lips and the crew could look up at that sign and believe that places like Toledo actually exist . . . and feel a bit of comfort.

We'd like to share a little belief with you all who have believed in Mt. Holly all of these years. So send your arrows!

If you're coming to the show:
- bring a shirt or something to screen on and we will print a big ol' Mt. Holly arrow on it for you (printing at 4:00)
- bring some quarters for the Crap-o-Mat

The Reverse Geocache. Box only opens at one spot on Earth.

2010-09-24T05:05:00.000-07:00

A single button on a wooden box. Press it and a digital display reads "Hello, This is attempt 1 of 50" The message is suddenly replaced by a new one: "Access Denied". A third message give the only clue as to how to open the box: "Distance 257 miles".

Despite being subjected to the old box in a box in a box birthday gag repeatedly as a kid, I love when the delivery of a present is filled with mystery. It doesn't get much more mysterious than this.

There's a great write up on the spirit of this project over at Arduino artist Mikal Hart's Arduinia Website.

Thanks @seanhaus

Congratulations, Mom! Better Luck Next Year, Dad!

2010-09-17T06:54:00.000-07:00

Hooray! My mom took first place in the Highlander class at the 2010 Cushman Club of America meet in Sturgis this summer! I'm so proud. Dad, you better step it up next year!

Digital Photography is Dead! - New Vivitar Film Camera Commercial

2010-09-17T04:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks to @benhedrington who caught this on late night TV IN THE PAST WEEK!

Digital cameras take good pictures. The problem is your photos end up staying on the camera, or you are forced to sit at your computer to see them.

Looks like the folks at Vivitar are squeezing the last drops of blood out of this withered industry . . . Plus, a free roll of film!

(Don't get me wrong, I still do shoot some film. However, I choose film in these instance because of the difficulty and care involved, not because it is easier or frees me up from all the cables, confusion and costly home printing.)

"Lazy is as lazy doesn't." - Haeg

2010-09-05T09:33:00.000-07:00

Hey Lazy,

Vote up my slogan over at threadless!

Mayor now posting to Superbeast!

2010-09-05T05:21:00.000-07:00

My Buddy, writer, bedazzled ass hunter (SFW), and music expert, Casey Brewer has finally given me a key to his unholy k-hole, the Superbeast Creative Blog. I'll be throwing him a righteous bone now and then like this:

Sage Advice From E. Bloom

SUPERBEAST!

Lamano Corporate Overlord Speaks: Sammy The Mouse Release

2010-08-19T11:13:00.001-07:00

Zak Sally says:
hey all--
heads up here; big party/ signing at Big Brain comics here this friday: it's a pre-MIX (about which more in a second) kickoff, and the release event for 3 new books: look, that's the flyer up above:

WILL DINSKI will have his debut book (from Top Shelf) FINGERPRINTS
AARON RENIER's newest, (via First Second) THE UNSINKABLE WALKER BEAN
i'll be signing/ selling copies of the brand new third issue of SAMMY THE MOUSE (Fantagraphics/ Coconino)

Will and Aaron are great cartoonists-- i'm excited to be doing this with them (and i can't wait to see their books).

and then the next day-- Minneapolis Indie Expo, or MIX.
(details above)

this thing is shaping up to be a fantastic event. Minneapolis (being the great city that it is) has a bunch of different comics events that occur over the course of the year, be it Zine Fest or Fallcon or the Rain Taxi Book fest: i like all of em, but they all serve different...niches, somehow.
but i'll tell you: both US coasts have a sizeable "Small press" convention (SPX in Maryland, APE in San Francisco, and MoCCA in NYC). all of those are great, but where the heck is the one for the midwest? i don't want to jump the gun, but there's some significant signs that the organizers of this here thing a) have their act together and b)have put a ton of work into this thing that has already paid off; from all your local knowns and unknowns to out of town heavy hitters like Sparkplug Comic Books and Top Shelf. hell, John Porcellino's coming out for this thing, and it's only the first year.
i have every belief that this thing is going to be fantastic for Small press nerds and casual "consumers" alike.

La Mano will have a table, but unfortunately i'll only be able to be there for a limited time (due to a family wedding), but i cannot urge folks enough to get down to this thing; just go check it out.
if it's terrible you can get real mad and yell at me next time i see you, but it won't be.
terrible, that is.

Minneapolis Indie Xpo (MIX)
Sammy The Mouse #3

Mt. Holly Shirts - Free! Send me shirts an a SASE (That's Self Addressed Stamped Envelope to You Whippersnappers)

2010-08-09T17:52:00.000-07:00

Free* . . . *send me shirts and a SASE (That's a self addressed stamped envelope to you whippersnappers)

For those of you who missed the best Mt. Holly Days ever, shirts are still available. Send shirts and return postage to:

Haeg
305 Holmes St S
Mt. Holly, Mn 55379

I'll screen batches of shirts once a month.

Be on the lookout for the real-world mapping project around these little red arrows that kicks off in October.

Check out the totally B.S. Chairman Mao / Mt. Holly hybrid that I had to screen for the LaMano overlord in the clothesline photo (above).

The Dark Side of Dr. Seuss - At the Trylon Tues. Aug 10th, 2010

2010-08-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

As Dr, Seuss, Ted Geisel delivered a lesson with every story. Such was the case with the work that he did for internal use by the US army in World War II. Tomorrow night, you can catch a glimpse of rarely seen original prints at the Trylon Microcinema. A caveat: These films were made in different times and thank goodness we have grown beyond many of the racial streotypes portrayed in these films. (The cartoon above show's that our beloved doctor, himself also outgrew them.)

Film archivist Dennis Nyback will be on hand to present his collection and to take questions.

The Trylon Micro Cinema

"Stay Off The Internet and Learn How To Play An Instrument" - Ratso Interviews Dead Moon on Chic-A-Go-Go!

2010-08-06T07:15:00.000-07:00

Toody & Fred Cole not only blaze the hottest rock & roll in any bar today, they are a hell of a couple. If you get a chance to watch Unknown Passage the documentary about their longest running incarnation as Dead Moon, you will see how genuinely great Fred & Toody are to eachother. It's really sweet. This clip from Chicago Public Access' great Chic-A-Go-Go is equally sweet.

Chicagogo's YouTube Channel

Handgun Bluetooth Earpiece Project

2010-08-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

Photo by Curtis Thompson

Last week, the Open API group that I've been working with at Best Buy had a hack day. It was phenomenal. Gone were our computer screens and in their places appeared soldering irons, arduinos, robots, drawdios, LEDs, tweet-a-watts, ping pong balls, Legos and even a professional lock-picking course.

Any of you who know me well enough know that I hate talking on the telephone. I really, really, really hate it. Inspired by the Retro Wireless Handset project from Make Vol. 20, I decided to mod a Bluetooth earpiece for my phone out of a kids plastic toy gun. Now, I look forward to receiving a call from the First Lady while I'm at work. I draw the gun out of my pocket, stick the barrel in my ear (the speaker is in the business end), and pull the trigger to answer the call.

Below is a larger photo of the guts (in charging mode with the cable attached). It still needs a bit of work to flush mount the microphone and I've been debating on painting it to look like a real gun. (I get equally giddy and frightened by the panic that this could cause should someone not notice that the gun is a fake or should I accidentally take a call while at the bank.) But you can see how perfectly the trigger and switch work together on this model of toy gun.

Documentary on the Red House, Olympia WA

2010-07-19T07:10:00.001-07:00

I almost died here back in 2001. I love this place.

1970's Film Tour of The Orange Show by visionary creator Jeff D. McKissack

2010-07-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

Boner Cupcake taken off facebook!

2010-05-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

Where is the love?

Read all about this travesty over at SUPERBEAST

A Robot Buys a VCR

2010-05-05T08:04:00.001-07:00

Armenian grocer, Peter Hajinian writes the best robot-based radio dramas I've ever heard. His latest: A Robot Buys A VCR

Listen and laugh at all the episodes offer at Exorbitant Porridge.

Happy 10th Anniversary, Geocaching

2010-04-30T04:52:00.000-07:00

On May 1st, 2000, the US Government disabled a feature within its Global Positioning System (GPS) called Selective Availability (SA).

From Wikipedia:

GPS includes a (currently disabled) feature called Selective Availability (SA) that adds intentional, time varying errors of up to 100 meters (328 ft) to the publicly available navigation signals. This was intended to deny an enemy the use of civilian GPS receivers for precision weapon guidance.

On May 3, 2000, civilian, Dave Ulmer hid a bucket of swag here and posted the coordinates on the internet, creating the first official geocache. Since then over a million caches have been hidden. The city of Mt Holly has found over 250 of them.

Disappearing for a while

2010-04-26T21:28:00.000-07:00

Please stay in touch: Haeg / 305 holmes st. / Mt. Holly, MN 55379. Or you can follow my further endeavours at: http://lifewassomuchmoreinterestingbeforethe.blogspot.com/

Happy Again - Merrill Womach (organist, undertaker, gospel singer, burn victim)

2010-04-21T11:23:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across Mr. Womach's records while crate-digging metro Goodwills back in the early 90's. Bought the records for the covers, still listen to them for the spirit and the undeniable set of pipes exhibited in the recordings. Had a friendly chat with Spokane's The Makers back in the day in which they charmed me with stories of recording some of their previous band's tracks at Merrill's studio, sightings of Merrill rollerskating around the city's paved trails wearing a terry cloth outfit , and the only Rolls Royce in Spokane! Enjoy!

Quintron & Miss Pussycat - The Drum Buddy Show.

2010-03-31T18:30:00.001-07:00

Father and Son - Canned Hamm

2010-03-22T10:39:00.001-07:00

Father and Son - Tim and Eric

2010-03-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

My first hand-knit QR code

2010-03-16T19:56:00.001-07:00

Want to find out the data?

1. Get a QR code scanner on your iphone or android based smart phone

2. you can use the scanner to scan the knit piece (or even this photo) and it will give you or take you immediately to the link.

3. It's totally worth it.

An uplifting horoscope today!

2010-03-11T08:39:00.000-08:00

Boy/Girl - Sort Sol featuring Lydia Lunch from Danish TV (1984)

2010-03-05T06:51:00.000-08:00

I was introduced to Sort Sol while living in Copenhagen back in 1987. Still own and play this 7" and the Everything That Rises Must Converge Album. A incredible band that was probably just one step away from popping up on a Giorno Poetry Systems LPs of the mid 80's. I still kick myself for not picking up the 1988 limited edition live double Lp (i think there were like 50 made or something crazy like that) that William S. Burroughs, another Sort Sol collaborator, did the liner notes for.

Back in '79, before they were known as Sort Sol they were Sods. Here's a great song about the motorcycle gang wars that raged through Copenhagen for almost two decades.

8 Natural Handstands or (Hold on for your life!)

2010-03-02T07:20:00.000-08:00

ROBERT KINMONT
from 8 Natural Handstands 1969/2009
silver gelatin print, 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 in/ 21.5 x 21.5 cm
edition of 10. Courtesy of Alexander and Bonin

Just discovered this series over at one of my new favorite design blogs: Ready for the House. If I owned one of these, I'd be tempted to hang it upside-down. Looks like he's in a last ditch attempt to hold on to the bottom of a giant asteroid.

Cheetahs vs. Monkeys- Videos

2010-02-21T21:10:00.000-08:00

Cheetahs Vs. Monkeys from Mike Haeg on Vimeo.

Cheetah and Monkey, destroying minds and forgetting to take names, because animals are like that. You want some C v M gear? Send your pre-washed shit and a S.A.S.E (that's a self-addressed-stamped-envelope) to:

Cheetahs vs. Monkeys Fan Club
c/o The City of Mt. Holly
305 Holmes St S.
Mt. Holly, MN 55379

We kneel at the alter of The Library Shanty, Tony Rubin, Infoshanty Eric, The Art Shanty Project and all of you salivating slaves of true rock & roll!

Never get out of the boat!

2010-02-21T20:09:00.000-08:00

Free Cheetahs vs. Monkeys Shirts - Send your shirt & SASE

2010-02-10T09:36:00.001-08:00

Alright, you salivating rockhounds. Your pleas for Cheetahs vs. Monkeys gear will not go unheard or unanswered! Here's the deal. Send your shirt and an SASE (that's a self-addressed stamped envelope for all you teeny-boppers) to:

Cheetahs vs. Monkeys Fan Club
c/o Haeg
305 Holmes St S
Mt. Holly, MN 55379

I will screen up a batch of shirts before March 1st, 2010 and send them back in the mail to you.

What makes a good shirt?
• 100% cotton
• Wash that shit
• Bright and light colors. Black stinks, think chartreuse or lemon yellow or electric teal.

Will also screen fabric tubetops or totes, whatever. If you can send it, I will screen it.

Here's what the design looks like:

Meet the Salesmen.

2010-02-02T07:41:00.000-08:00

Jesus Christ, do I love movies like this one. Movies that capture, nakedly, in near Weegee-like bravado, the atmosphere of an era through voyeuristic glimpses into the actual daily life and flow of dialog of its subjects. I relish the background signage, the homemakers details, but most of all the directness of interaction that existed in pre-popculture America, (yes, this did still exist in the majority of the country in 1968). This little taste, via baseball and film aficionado, writer / journalist and Loafers Tower custodian, Peter Shilling, Jr. introduces you to the 4 main Salesmen, their methods, and the general milieu for this great documentary. A real life Glengarry Glen Ross.

More about Salesman from imdb.

Video - The Incredible San Francisco Artists' Soap Box Derby of 1975.

2010-01-29T10:05:00.000-08:00

The Incredible San Fancisco Artists' Soapbox Derby, 1975. from Mike Haeg on Vimeo.

I stumbled across and purchased an actual print of this film back in SF while working on a project for the SF MOMA. Amanda Pope did a great job capturing the spirit of creativity and the event itself. I wonder where all of these cars are today?

2010 Art Shanty Projects Poster is also a boardgame

2010-01-18T07:40:00.000-08:00

Well, the first batch of posters is complete and for a first time screen printing job, they turned out pretty darn good. Each poster comes complete with 'individual character', you know the slight imperfections (over-flooding, dry spots, all of those things that ensure your poster was pulled by a human and not a robot.)

Here are my photos so far.

Reporter at Fargo newspaper falls for the "hey wouldya blowme"

2009-12-27T19:17:00.000-08:00

Thanks Swenson

Monkeys on Ice

2009-12-21T13:55:00.001-08:00

Matchgame on Facebook

2009-11-27T08:06:00.000-08:00

Life is tough, even when it's great. One of the things that makes waking up worth it is the random surprise that one of our friends provides us out of the blue. All hail social networking, right? That's why I love things like Twitter and Facebook and to a justifiably lesser extent MySpace.

I decided to catalyze my interaction and hosting a cloud-run version of one of the best TV games ever. Here's a taste:

Now, I'm not trolling for more friends. Trust me, I have all the friends that I can stomach. But if you want to play along. I invite you to friend me, and blow my mind.

Friend me here: Facebook

Here is a look at some of the mooks who make life worth living: Panel of Experts

Today was a good day.

2009-11-24T18:59:00.000-08:00

I spent most of today scared shitless. I painted half my face blue. The other half was tear-drenched. I needed my chakras realigned. There are only three things that can do that: knitting (sorry Casey but your hat's not done - bonus: I'll knit a matching one for Kubes) and this video that I throw out as testimony to all the unfortunate beatles accolades out there, and you, my friends.

Thank you all for inspiring me as much as these guys do.

PS John Entwistle WTF!??!?!

Are we finally getting sick of Bipartisanship: caveat - politics

2009-11-24T18:03:00.000-08:00

I voted in my first election in 1987. I studied the politics of each candidate up to the Minnesota state level. After that, I 'threw my vote away' on the third party candidate most likely (or least unlikely) to get into federal politics. Why? I figured that for a candidate to get that far in national politics, they had to be completely out of touch with their constituents, salivating for power over relevancy.

The next year, I was able to experience a full-on election in Denmark where they had something like a dozen parties in play in the election.

I openly admit that I am unqualified to say this is right, because I pay most of my attention to local and global issues (where the real action is . . . bypassing the political stock market that is national politics. Seriously, my own deal).

That's why I pose this as a question.

I was earnestly shocked to see Freshjive issue this shirt. I'm a fan of Shepard Fairey, and Freshjive and my friends who were completely sold on Obama in the past election.

I post this only because I'm curious. What the hell happened? I'm admittedly oblivious.

This seems like a really drastic statement.

Post. Educate me. Please. I just want to understand.

(caveat #2: I'll still vote the same as I always have, so don't try to sway me.)

Thanksgiving: Grindhouse Style (NSFW)

2009-11-24T17:11:00.000-08:00

If there ever was a grindhouse holiday, it is Thanksgiving. It is a holiday seeped in death. I can't think of a better way to celebrate the eviscerating of a living beast, the horrible things we've done to America's indigenous people, and the carnal gluttony of this holiday than with the most atrocious grindhouse trailer ever.

PS: I'm not too upset about the turkey thing, but only because of my L-tryptophan addiction.

Thanks to fellow 'substitute-a-human-for-a-turkey' activist, Sean Whipps for the link

Part 2: Argleton, Lancaster, UK. A walk through the phantom city

2009-11-19T10:22:00.000-08:00

Update!Roy Bayfield blog with photos of his walk through imaginary Argleton! A fabulous read (and cheaper that a plane & bus ticket.)

From Roy's blog Walking Home to 50:

You have to take care at these times. It is all about detail… I had come equipped, with apparatus to protect me from any strangeness that might occur. I didn’t want to come out the other side reduced to a parody of myself, shambling out transformed into, say, Ray Byfield, Marketing Director of Argleton University. So I had with these items with me:

1. A Wonder Woman comic. I thought the Lasso of Truth, wielded by a character created by one of the inventors of the lie-detector, would provide some symbolic defense against irreality.

2. A bad copy of something else: Kyrik: Warlock Warrior (Gardner F. Fox, 1975) is a pastiche of Conan the Barbarian – a piece of entertaining but unoriginal hackwork; Kyrik is to Conan as Argleton is to Aughton. I thought a bit of this would be a kind of inoculation, passages like ‘The outlaws stared at that darkness, saw it shot through with streaks of vivid lightnings, red as the fires of Haderon’ acting as antigens against any reality-dissolving effects that might be encountered.

3. A toy tapir, bought recently at Transreal Fiction. I figured this little guy must be steeped in alternate worlds, having lived in a science fiction shop for a while – s/he could help navigate back to the real world if some compromised reality became confusing.

Read the whole thing here: Roy Bayfield's Walking Home to 50.

Thanks for the tip BlogCadre!

Argleton, Lancaster, UK. A phantom city that exists only on the web.

2009-11-19T07:33:00.000-08:00

View Larger Map

An alleged computer glitch has resulted in the creation of a new, albeit non-existent city in the UK. I for one welcome this new city and share in Roy Bayfield's amazement. It seems that this tiny burgh already has a major export, fascination.

From The Telegraph:

Roy Bayfield, head of corporate marketing at what would be Argleton's closest university, Edge Hill, in Ormskirk, was so intrigued by the mystery that he walked to the where the internet indicated was the centre of Argleton to check that there was definitely nothing there.

"A colleague of mine spotted the anomaly on Google Maps, and I thought 'I've got to go there'," he said.

"I started to weave this amazing fantasy about the place, an alternative universe, a Narnia-like world. I was really fascinated by the appearance of a non-existent place that the internet had the power to make real and give a semi-existence."

Apparently, Google is working to correct this by deleting or redirecting the errant information. (It looks like they've already inactivated many of the photos that were associated with the town.) So visit while you can. Or, even better, someone should actually begin to bring the city into physical existence, by building a city in the open field where Argleton 'exists.' Could be a great project for the nearby university or artists.

From Wikipedia:

One possible explanation for the presence of Argleton is that it was added deliberately as a copyright trap to catch any violations of copyright, though such bogus entries are typically much less obvious. It has been noted that "Argle" seems to echo the word "Google", while the name is also an anagram of "Not Large" and "Not Real G", with the letter G perhaps representing Google. Alternatively, it has been suggested that "Argleton" is merely a misspelling of "Aughton", despite the fact that both names appear on the map. Professor Danny Dorling, president of the Society of Cartographers, considered it more likely that Argleton was nothing more than an "innocent mistake".

A spokesman for Google stated that, "While the vast majority of this information is correct there are occasional errors", and encouraged users to report any issues directly to their data provider. The data for the region in question was provided to Google by Netherlands-based Tele Atlas, who were unable to explain how the anomaly got into their database, but said that Argleton would be removed from the map.

Mystery of Argleton article from the Telegraph

The Senster: Robotic sculpture from the late 60's

2009-11-16T10:56:00.000-08:00

Grabbing a little free time here and there to monkey around with my Getting started with Arduino kit. Looking to start building a bit of interactivity into some of my birdhouses and knitting. Stumbled accross this video from the early 1970's of a giant responsive robot. It 'looks like much of the input for the robot was sound, which makes this silent video kind of eerie.

From Today and Tomorrow:

The Senster was a robotic sculpture developed by Edward Ihnatowicz in the late 60’s. It was commissioned by Philips and part of their permanent showplace, the Evoluon, in Eindhoven between 1970 and 1974. It was the first robotic sculpture to be controlled by a computer and could react to the behaviour of the visitors with its sound and movement sensors. The computer used to control The Senster was a Philips P9201 and had only 8K of core memory. Now, almost 40 years later, every interaction student could make something like this and fit the logic in a small box. But this is still an amazing project.

More links and images over at Today and Tomorrow

UPDATE! After this got picked up by Boing Boing, a commenter posted that The Senster still exists! The Dutch company that did the welding saved it from the scrap heap and mounted it on cement blocks outside their building. It's almost more eerie sitting alons and dormant there in the field. I wonder if it could be reactivated?

Here's the translation from The Senster Today where you will find another couple of photos.

Sonny Barger Beer Prototype

2009-11-14T08:15:00.000-08:00

I recently started mentoring a U of M Design student. I decided to start a blog specifically for sharing thoughts, examples, and resources with a budding designer. Anyone who would like to, can check it out here. Feel free to comment or suggest items. One of the best things about being a designer is the community, right?

A Design Primer Blog

This is a recent post on an assignment that I was given in my school days. Sharing it here, because it's a pretty good story (and selfishly, I'm hoping that someone out there can help me get it made.)

Redesigning a beer label in school was one of the pivotal experience of my design education. A year before I received the project, I was at the Minnesota Beer Festival. There were these guys who didn't pay for a booth, instead they were hoisting cases of their beer over the fence and passing cans of their beer around. (These were prototypes: they actually came in cans that were stamped to have an actual leather feel to them. Once it went into full production, this proved too costly so they used standard cans.) Total renegades. And why not their beer was Sonny Barger Beer. (Sonny Barger is the long time leader of the Hell's Angels.)

When the instructor gave the assignment, I knew exactly what brand I wanted to redesign. I thought about the man, Sonny, and the brand, and most importantly, the end users: bikers who were non-conformists, liked to show off, and for whom the culture of renegade biking changed and defined their life. One doesn't fake it around these fellows. No way.

What carried the most clout with these dudes, was pushing the ticket.

I also thought about things like functionality. Odds are, whether it is a good idea or not, that this beer would end up in the saddlebags of their motorcycles on some several-hundred mile trek across the countryside. So, glass was out of the question, bottles would click and break along the trip. That led me to think about the types of things that would be in their saddlebags.

I dug in a bit and discovered that the original Harleys were chain driven and that meant carrying a supply of motor oil and that motor oil containers were designed to be rugged and portable.

I actually laughed a bit thinking of this big biker pounding a liter of beer out of a motor oil container, totally showboating in front of his bros. I imagined actually seeing the beer glug down through the visible measurement window that is on the side of the container. I knew I was on to something. It fit the lifestyle perfectly.

Then I got realistic. It would probably be way too costly to produce en masse. So, I thought about it being a special limited edition beer. How about a beer exclusively to be sold at the annual Sturgis Rally. Perfect on two accounts. First, it's the ultimate party for bikers. And secondly, if you've ever been to a Harley shop or a biker's garage or even closet, you can't help but notice the amount of souvenirs these guys amass.

I set out to design. Font choices were based on outlaw spirit, and a pilfered copy of Mobil Oil's proprietary sans-serif font.

I mocked up a few of 'bottles'. One for me, one for the guys brewing the beer and one I actually sent along to Sonny. A month or so after, I got a call from Sonny's longtime friend and lawyer. While logistics (liquor laws) got in the way, he said he hadn't seen Sonny laugh so hard in a long time as when he got the package. Success!

I'm still really proud of the spirit of this design not just for the end product, but because the process really opened up the limitless potential for design to make even a good thing, like beer, bikes, and buddies even better.

PS: Still looking for the small-time brewery who can make this happen. Any ideas, would be greatly appreciated.

The New Frontier - Department of Defense Family Shelter Designs from 1962

2009-11-04T22:53:00.000-08:00

I'd really like to find some mid-century purists out there who bought a house complete with its own bomb shelter. Or even better, a homeowner who built their own to complete the clean, cool, cold war experience. If you are an aspiring mod freak of the latter, perhaps you could use some plans. Here they are:

Family Shelter Designs from the Mt. Holly Civil Defense Flickr set

Stumbling across a stockpile of late 50's / early 60's (much of it annotated by the previous owner) CD documents at a recent estate sale, made me remember this great Donald Fagen video from 1983. Oh, the innocence. The intimacy. The Miro, The Gene Deitch. Seriously, you provide the fallout protection, I'll provide the Manhattans. Invite me over... before it's too late.

Donald Fagen New Frontier (1983)
by Crichton44

Mt. Holly Founder's Day Film Festival - This Saturday, Nov. 7th. Check out some trailers.

2009-11-04T08:10:00.001-08:00

Please note the updated schedule and line up.

This year we are proud to present a cavalcade of some of the finest international short films in the history of Hollywood and beyond. These films are guaranteed to change your perspective on the world around you. Open to all. Kid friendly. Festival begins at 6:30. Bring your own blankets.

6:30PM The Terror of Tiny Town. 1938 (USA) A great western storyline brought to life with a little singing and dancing.

8:00PM Time Bandits. 1981 (UK) George Harrison funded. Directed and written by Terry Gilliam. This may be one of my favorite trailers of all time. The movie is quite good as well.

9:30PM Intermission Short: The Dogway Melody. 1930 (USA) I'm currently working on a all human spoof of this all dog send-up of the all human 1929 musical, The Broadway Melody. I will be scouting the audience for potential stars.

10:00PM For Your Height Only. 1981 (Philippines) Action, swinging gangsters, beautiful ladies, and degraded film stock. This film has it all.

11:30PM Auch Zwerge Haben Klein Angefangen. 1972 (D) Die Werke des Autorenfilmer-Starregisseurs Werner Herzog wissen von Haus aus sowieso nur eingefleischte Arthouse-Freunde zu würdigen. Einen Schritt weiter geht sein zweiter Langfilm aus dem Jahr 1970. Die kulturpessimistische Groteske „Auch Zwerge haben klein angefangen“ ist nur hartgesottenen Herzog-Anhängern nachhaltig zu empfehlen. Doch die werden den Film lieben, weil es so viele interessante Details zu erkunden gibt, dass es eine echte Freude ist. Das Faszinierende: Wer die wahre Qualität von „Auch Zwerge haben klein angefangen“ entdecken will, muss den unterschwelligen Subtext des Films sezieren. Ein universeller Sinn des Ganzen ergibt sich erst zwischen den Zeilen bzw. Bildern...

Galcos Soda Pop Stop in LA

2009-11-03T12:08:00.000-08:00

John Nese is the owner of Soda Pop Stop pop only store in LA. Listening to him rattle off what makes or breaks a good soft drink, makes me thirsty. Listening to his passion about supporting the little man in the face of large corporate pressure in the marketplace is just plain refreshing.

Thanks for the link Chris Campbell.

Curb Score! Sun Service Equipment Mobile Workstation

2009-10-07T17:43:00.000-07:00

The tops a bit rusty but I sanded it down and sealed it. Adding a wood work surface and powerstrip are next in order. Damn good find. I can't believe Zadra didn't snag it. It was on the corner of his block.

Join or create a bike club.

2009-10-06T19:11:00.001-07:00

Suburban Bike Club
Originally uploaded by mthaeg

Mt. Holly is lucky enough to have neighbors who like to have fun and who like to ride bikes. Look at this rogues gallery of suburban cast-offs. See the pride in our eyes? This was before we even reached the first stop on the Fall 2009 Gonzo Run. I can't thank my fellow Suburban Bike Club members enough for starting this big rattling mess up.

I don't care where you live. Be it a shitbag big city, or a miniscule dot on the map. Where one finds bikes, one finds bros . . . even bros of the female persuasion.

Cheers, you freaks.

Check out the large format version of these proud peddlers HERE

Walk On By - Issac Hayes

2009-10-06T07:21:00.000-07:00

There are somethings that make me feel alright. Deep cloudy rain. The camera work in High Noon. Late 60's through early 70's variety show stage design. And the non-blacksploitation songcrafting of Issac Hayes. All of these came together, this rainy Tuesday morning, when one of my favorite designers, Josh Leutz tweeted:

The license plate of the Chrysler First Avenue in front of me last night: BLKMOSES.

Which sent me into youtube land where I was met with this video. Thanks Josh.

New Mt. Holly Register is online

2009-10-03T07:16:00.000-07:00

Read it now.

Tricycle with a square front tire.

2009-09-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

Saw this photo over by Guzer. It's kept me laughing for 2 days now.

Macho Man Randy Savage on Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous, 1991.

2009-09-16T08:21:00.000-07:00

"That's why I live in the kingdom of the madness and you are just visiting."

That's exactly what I thought when I late-night-channel-surfed onto this episode of LOTR&F back in the early 1990s. This is just a portion of the high-energy wonka-esque tour given to Robin Leach by Lord Savage and Miss Elizabeth. I would kill to see the whole thing again.

Please vote for one of my presentations to be accepted to SXSW

2009-08-20T12:34:00.000-07:00

Just click on the above graphic to vote. It's simple and FREE.

Presentation 1: Lessons Learned from Failed Utopias & Surviving Micronations.

Take a historical and cartographic trip around some of the world's smallest and strangest communities. While, it takes little more than inspiration to establish one's own little nation, no man is an island. Discover the importance of forging alliances, embracing technology, nurturing commerce and making the most of your resources.

Presentation 2: In this Economy, Innovation is the Key

With clients pinching pennies and pulling their heads into their shells over emerging media, agencies need to grow their relationships with their producers, technologists, and media experts to evolve their campaigns and selves. The evolution of technology is not slowing down, but accelerating in spite of the economy. You can, too.

Husker Du's Zen Arcade Turns 25.

2009-07-31T08:17:00.000-07:00

If you look at the center of one disc of the Minutemen's 1984 clasic 2XLP which also turns 25 this month beating the Huskers' own SST double album release Zen Arcade by a couple of weeks, you'll notice the line "Take that Huskers" etched between the grooves. Nice touch. I actually remember this week at age 16 picking both records up from Northern Lights in the Old E-Block (RIP) of Minneapolis. That was a great day. Although both are desert island records for me, Zen Arcade is my favorite of the two. Take that Minutemen.

From Wikipedia:

The lyrics of Zen Arcade are usually interpreted as telling the story, in the first person, of an adolescent who runs away to escape an unfulfilling home life, as typified in the lyrics of "Broken Home, Broken Heart," "Indecision Time," and "Somewhere." The unnamed character tries drugs ("Pink Turns to Blue"), and religion ("Hare Krsna"), but concludes that he is unable to change his circumstances ("Newest Industry").[6] He shortly discovers that the world outside is even worse. At the very end of the album, after he "turns on the news," it is revealed that this was all a symptom of his insanity, with disorienting 14-minute instrumental "Recurring Dreams." Indicative of the band's desire for the album to be taken as a whole, no singles were released from it.

The Minneapolis Wrestling Club Documentary

2009-07-13T11:49:00.000-07:00

The Minneapolis Wrestling Club from Site-Specific Documentary on Vimeo.

Thanks to Dan Swenson for shooting this my way.

Cardic & Co. - Olde Frothingslosh & More

2009-06-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

With my impending trip to Steeltown, I've been digging around for more background on Olde Frothingslosh, the most treasured of all cans in my beer can collection.

It turns out that Olde Frothingslosh was a seasonal variation of Iron City Beer that was created in collaboration with local radio personality Regis Cordic.

From wikipedia:

One of Cordic's most memorable running gags at both WWSW and KDKA were fake advertisements for "Olde Frothingslosh", "the pale stale ale with the foam on the bottom." The beer was supposedly brewed by Sir Reginald Frothingslosh at Upper Crudney-on-the-Thames. In 1955, Pittsburgh Brewing Company began issuing special Christmas-season cans and bottles of Olde Frothingslosh filled with real beer. The humorous labels changed every year and became favorites of collectors. The brewery released new editions of Olde Frothingslosh even after Cordic left Pittsburgh, continuing until 1982 and then reviving the brand in 1998, and more recently in 2007 (currently available).

Rege had a great sense of humor and style.

Olde Frothingslosh beer bottle labels
Olde Frothingslosh cans
Read Thud, The Magazine of Brick Throw

(Methinks the editor of the Mt. Holly Register needs to step it up a bit.)

The First Lady's Camping Napkins

2009-06-16T07:45:00.001-07:00

These little beauts have been getting a workout!

Neil Young and Devo - Video of the jam session that created Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)

2009-06-11T06:07:00.000-07:00

Neil Young & Devo

Caught the Neil Young American Masters episode last night. While I've always been a big fan of Neil Young as an amazing artist who pulls and pushes himself to innovate, whether it be in his life or music, embracing the latest technology or digging deep in his roots, I was blown away by the 3 minute segment on the early 80's chapter of old Neil's output.

Being a late-night denizen of the early days of cable including Night Flight (RIP) I was completely aware of Neil's movie, Human Highway, in which Devo play a nuclear waste disposal team, but to hear that he actually wrote Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) in a jam session with Devo seemed a bit much to take until they showed a clip of this video. Here it is in it's entirety. Hail Ne-vo!

HAMBURGEREYES Buy-IN

2009-06-10T15:19:00.000-07:00

Be on the inside when the reptoids resurface. I will be.

Forest City Rockers Episode III - Pizza, Tits & Korea

2009-06-05T07:50:00.000-07:00

The Forest City Rockers - Episode 3 from Eighty Four Films on Vimeo.

10 years from know you're going to try to remember where you were when you first saw this thing. Answer: baked.

Vintage tourist Brochures - Caves!

2009-06-04T05:23:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across this treasure trove of old long copy work from what must be the 40's and 50's. I've scanned them in pretty large, hopefully legible enough for you to enjoy reading them as much as I have.

Go ahead:

• Count the number of times the word "Thrill" is used
• Enjoy courteous guides
• Explore yawning abysses
• Marvel at the devil's bathtub
• Fear not for the cleanliness of your garments as they will remain unspoiled
• Be naturally "air-conditioned"
• Gape slack-jawed at FREE Picnic areas

Vintage Cave Brochures Flickr Set

Mt Holly Citywide Garage Sale Teaser

2009-06-03T09:01:00.000-07:00

I decided to snap a few photos to whet your appetites for our Citywide Garage Sale.

Thursday 10:00-7:00
Friday 9:00-5:00
Saturday 9:00-2:00

And remember early-birds pay double!

Frank Zappa Plays The Bicycle on the Steve Allen Show, 1963

2009-06-03T06:28:00.000-07:00

There is no better way to start a sunny summer morning than with a bike ride, courtesy of Mr. Zappa. Watch the entire 3 part series over at A Facemelting Blog of Staggering Riffage.

Mt. Holly Citywide Garage Sales!

2009-05-28T06:27:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 4th 10:00 - 7:00
Friday, June 5th 8:00 - 5:00
Saturday, June 6th 8:00 - 2:00

Loads of stuff.

Highlights! 1977 Pinball Machine (project), 1964 Lambretta (Project), Apple 2 computer loaded with Sim City, Oregon Trail, and Scarab of Ra. Old tables and chairs, weird A/V stuff, Books.

Plus these leftover items from previous sales: yeti scalps, hybrid animals, hj/bj/tj, board games, Jonathan Living Seagull record, tukes, canned foods, soviet cold-war secrets, a brick, the real Hope diamond, prosthetic limbs, old radios, bikes, chairs, free books, shrunken heads, Matisses, Picassos, hopes, dreams, genomes, baby clothes, toilet brush, giant sea monkeys, the jaws of life, deathrattles, cochina dolls, linaments and ointments, fireplugs, shell-o-phones, enigma machines, golden fleeces (2 for 1), rubiks links (unsolved), spanish fly, kitchenware, nuclear secrets, taxidermy, personality inventories, anti-gravitational technology, doilies, traceless firearms and ammo - lots of ammo.

McCall's Serial Killer Sewing Pattern.

2009-05-26T15:18:00.001-07:00

McCall's Serial Killer Sewing Pattern.
Originally uploaded by mthaeg

It's what the coolest in Juvenile sociopaths will be wearing this Halloween!

Love Triangles are Wrecktangles

2009-05-26T14:10:00.001-07:00

love triangles
Originally uploaded by mthaeg

As I've been rooting around, getting things ready for the upcoming Mt. Holly Citywide Garage Sales, I stumbled across this gem of a single color postcard. It's a Motto Mailer From the Lindgren Turner Cco. Spokane, Wash. Date? I'm guessing early to mid 60's.

New Mt. Holly Related Blog - A Facemelting Blog of Staggering Riffage.

2009-05-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

Now that I am on permanent summer vacation the posts here in the Mayor's Office may taper off a bit. Even more so that Casey "Superbeast" Brewer and Sean "Jovi" Whipps and I are posting a mind destroying playlist of epic proportions over at our new blog: A Facemelting Blog of Staggering Riffage.

Strap yourself in for the heaviest Summer ever!

Drawing with Water. Making the Art for the graphic novel Alan's War

2009-05-18T14:17:00.000-07:00

Alan's War is a great first hand humanist look inside the life of an American GI, Alan Cope, who never returned to the US after WWII. It is a tremendous read and an appropriate one as we move closer to Memorial Day. Watch as Emmanuel Guibert creates an image of Cole using his special technique, drawing with water, then adding ink. The effect is magical.

Remembering our veterans. Get your Poppies!

2009-05-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a little video about a British poppy factory and the help and honor that these little paper flowers present to our veterans.

Solar Birdhouse Leaves the Lights On.

2009-05-15T12:33:00.000-07:00

My pal and seasoned technologist (sounds delicious doesn't it?), Nate Hunsaker sent me a link to these OOOMS designed birdhouses that provide more than just a roof for their residents:

From OOOMS:

During the day sunlight feeds the solar panel , charging a small battery inside. At twilight the transparent stick will light up and cast a tiny light on your garden.
This light attracts an easy nighttime snack for the bird; all she has to do is stick her beak out of the hole and wait for the buzz.

Zak Sally Art Show Tonight!

2009-05-15T11:41:00.001-07:00

Friday May 15
the good people of Foiled Again hair salon are hosting an opening reception for Zak Sally (fancy pants illustrator, comic art guy, and head honcho over at La Mano press),
whose selected works will adorn the walls of the salon for the next month or so. fun starts at 6:30, with live "entertainment" and "music" by the always amazing Lady Hard On at 8pm, followed by NoiseQueanAnt around 9pm. standard art opening fare will be on hand - refreshments & beverages of different kinds, but it's probably a safe bet to bring your own libations for the long haul.

630 - ?pm, free for all ages.
Foiled Again Hair Salon
2807 Johnson Street NE

Fatal Farm Revisits Our Favorite TV Shows

2009-05-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

Fatal Farm

Thanks to Sean Whipps for the share.

Get a haircut.

2009-05-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

A fine head of hair adds beauty to a good face, and terror to an ugly one. ~Lycurgus

This haircut is the best I've had in recent memory. I got it down by Floyds'Barbershop down on Lake & Freemont. It's a new joint opened up by my friend Rob Franks of Blogfoot fame. Super unpretentious from it's prices (below $20) to the friendly barbers. I appreciate a good straight razor cleanup and they even dish out shoulder massages. Yuck fou, Franks, for beating me to my dream job.

The photo (for a liquor store ad, seriously) terrifies me. But, I gotta say it was a great honor to be shot by Curtis Johnson. I swear every photographer friend of mine has done a stint supporting Curtis and they all love him.

Mayor's Picks for Art-a-Whirl this weekend

2009-05-14T07:36:00.000-07:00

#1 SS Infinite Regress - Houseboat Installation/Film/ Music/Jumpsuits

The folks over at Creative Electric Studios have a special treat in store for you down on the banks of the Ol' Mississip!

Music Line up:

Friday, May 15, 2009 at dusk
-Gay Witch Abortion (plays on a free floating raft down the Mississippi!)
-Knife World

Saturday, May 16, 2009 morning/afternoon
-Jon Olson & Caveman play acoustic set during coffee time at the dock
-Adam Wirtzfeld & friends play in the afternoon

Saturday, May 16, 2009 at dusk
-White Map (with Zak Sally)
-Allison LaBonne (of the Owls) with friends
(screening of Allison's new music video by Phil Harder during the performance!)
(and maybe more floating music as well!)

Outdoor BBQ at Sample Room Above Docks
Friday and Saturday Evenings Starting at 6 pm
$5 gets you A Beer and A Brat

Location:

View SS Infinite Regress in a larger map

#2 Guzzard Reunion!

One of the best MPLS Bands from back in the day. Recorded a song named after my old band (Zip Jet the Supersonic Enemy of Evil). Broke up in 1996. Part of a whole day of music at Grumpy's NE.

1:00-1:20 Little Irvy
1:40-2:00 the Short Cuts
2:20-2:40 Iquano
3:00-3:20 Fiero
3:40-4:00 Lady Hard On
4:20-4:40 Beaver
5:00-5:20 Best Bitch in Show
5:40-6:00 Bitter Spills
6:20-6:40 Bastard Saint
7:00-7:20 Awesome Snakes
7:40-8:10 Gay Witch Abortion
8:30-9:30 Guzzard

#3 Johnstock

29th & Johnson NE Minneapolis

FRIDAY, MAY 15: Approx. 8:30pm
Movie in the Merchant Parking Lot at dusk. This year's feature is The Muppet Movie!!!

SATURDAY, MAY 16: 10am - 8pm.
40+ craft and art vendors in the lot and surrounding businesses.
11am Pirate Pete Kids Show!!
Live, local music all day.

12:00 Acoustic Death Orchestra
1:00 The Don Sellers Mystery Project
2:00 Backstories
3:00 Still Pacific - My pal Brad's new band
4:00 Draper Daniels
5:00 These Unknown
6:00 Eyes of the Dead Sun

Down the street, at Shannon Aleczander Salon: Free Face Painting and Crazy Hair + Goodies and Gift Basket Drawing!

SUNDAY, MAY 17: 11am - 5pm.
More live music. Vendors are back!

11:30 Wayne and the Boys
1:00 Mellow Roar
2:00 Rising Side
3:00 Backstories

#4 - Art-a-Whirl

Download a map of all of the open studios here!

Tuscan Whole Milk, 1 Gallon, 128 fl oz. Why? Read the reviews!

2009-05-13T09:17:00.001-07:00

Our UX brain and Yogic guru, Azmir Saliefendic, sent this around today under the heading "The Importance of Product Reviews".

From Azmir:

The more reviews you read, the more they seem to make sense.
There are so many gems on this page – keep clicking.

Every review of the 1000+ is rockin’.

Read the Reviews on Amazon.

Anyone got a plate of cookies?

Play Him Off, Keyboard Cat.

2009-05-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

And meet Keyboard Cat! Mt. Holly has become so jaded about passed-along video that this is the only way we can enjoy them anymore. Thank you Keyboard Cat.