Life Byte

me:
oh
don't knock up anybody
is a good policy
That is my policy
though it is hard for me to impregnante people
Though copulating with lasers and rainbows gave me my powers


"Maddog":
i agree

me:
That is a poem
Right there

I am a spy in restaurants, and an eavesdropper on trains.
I wonder how long the man has known the woman he sits opposite.
When her voice breaks him out of his daydream and his eyes find hers
both are softly focused and honest and plaintive and I think "not long"
A trio of friends wait on a fourth. She suffers from what they've deemed
"terminal lateness" and the lexical sequence stirs up the phrase
"not long for this world"
Like a drunk at a dinner party you measure a your daily mile in the steps that you take,
and the minutes that tick by and the restraint you are able to exercise.
There was that switch, wasn't there?
When the answer changed from what you could give yourself to what part of yourself you could deny.
At least that's what I can see from my towering hilltop view.
"Rapunzel, rapunzel let down your long hair, you begrudge her the distance but who put her there?"
I am a spy in restaurants and an eavesdropper on trains.
It's getting so visual I can see myself think.
Across the table you stare.
We are not long for this world, not long at all.

Tom Waits For Nobody

Kind of like in the Simpsons

So BF just woke me up.

The whole apartment smelled like burning plastic...

We searched around frantically, thinking something was inside was smoldering. Then we realized it was coming from outside. The entire block was full of smoke, and smelled HORRIBLE. Like, nose hair singe level awful. We made several hypotheses and *eureka* I remembered twitter. It turns out that there is a tire fire in NJ and the smoke is wafting over to lower Brooklyn.

I mean, alot of smoke. We thought that there was a fire on our block and it's in Jersey City, on Linden Ave, some 10 odd miles away



Holy crap. I'm closing the windows, and going back to bed.

I get by with a little help from my friends

“We are friends and I do like to pass the day with you in serious and inconsequential chatter. I wouldn't mind washing up beside you, dusting beside you, reading the back half of the paper while you read the front. We are friends and I would miss you, do miss you and think of you very often.”-Jeanette Winterson





Me, a Feverbreaker, and a photographer.

Clarification on the Trader Joes Inquiry

Chris,

Thank you for your inquiries. We can assure you that we work very
closely with our suppliers and only source products that are ethically
raised and slaughtered exceeding USDA standards and never source from
factory, feedlot farms. Due to our private label agreements we do not
disclose our farms.

At Trader Joe's, we have been dealing with standards and practices in
many different countries for over 49 years, and our buyers are diligent
about making sure our suppliers and the products they provide are not
below standards set by the USDA. In addition, our Quality Assurance
Team and our buyers audit our vendors to monitor their facilities and
practices.

Please know that if we had any reason for concern, we would not continue
to supply that product and/or use that supplier. Nothing is more
important to us than the safety of our customers and crew, and the
quality of our products.

Sincerely,
Amy
Trader Joe's
Customer Relations

The Gustatory History of a Culinary Punk (Pt1) : Meat is Murder, but sometimes Murder is Ok

I’m going to admit it, given the chance to eat human, in the proper situation, I might. There are a lot of “ifs” here, but if the person died of natural causes, and wanted to be eaten post-mortem, it would be something I might consider.

This is from a girl who was, for over seven years, a vegetarian. It began because I seemed to get sick after eating meat. However as I started learning and being aware of how meat was processed, it turned me off even more. I tended to be quiet about my opinions, citing health reasons, as environmental reasons seemed to only raise ire in people who were more into arguing than discussing. Most people were pretty cool about it. A cousin, now a vegetarian herself, once asked me if I was a Vulcan. She meant vegan. I wasn’t a vegan, but I REALLY wish I were a Vulcan. (Oh Spock, our forbidden interplanetary love can know no bounds.)

Being a generally heartless and morbid individual I’ve never abstained from meat out of concern for the deaths of animals themselves. Quick and painless is the ideal, but the actual killing of the animal doesn’t really concern me. The conditions in which they are kept previous to their deaths is paramount. Aside from the health and environment risks associated with factory farming, I think that treating an animal well during its life is just the right thing to do. I mean, chickens are pretty stupid animals, but they were probably as smart as my hamster (RIP Mr.Hamilton) and I at least took the time to clean his cage out.
However my life changed significantly during my time in Vermont. Living so close to many humane organic and non-organic farms, I saw that there were situations where livestock was being raised in conditions that I agreed with. With the thought being that you essentially vote with your dollar, I decided that it was time to make a shift back to meat and a change from Vegetarianism to the life of a Conscientious Omnivore, in part to support the efforts like I mentioned. It wasn’t an especially easy change, but it was one that I’ve remained dedicated to. Also, bacon is delicious.
I used to eat a pretty wide variety of meat. Having tendency towards anemia for some reason, my diet used to be lean beef heavy. I’m also kind of a seafood junkie, although I’m also very aware of over-fishing issues. (To the point that I am REALLY annoying to order sushi with. Yes, I’m one of those wackos with a chart that tells you what fish is an eco-danger and what is high in mercury.)In the past few years many things have changed. I now live with a boyfriend who isn’t crazy for beef, though he likes it well enough, and in New York, where things are generally pricy and fish is even more so. Plus the phrase “Discount Seafood” should never be uttered.

And so, almost by default, we’ve become chicken dependant. I’ll admit it. Trader Joes sells big bags of ice-glazed chicken breasts that are hormone free (as all poultry and pork in the US are) and raised without antibiotics. Though I am currently trying to find out more information about what specific farms this chicken comes from, no antibiotics are very a good sign. If animals are kept in cramped and dirty conditions they are extremely prone to infection and antibiotics are needed to keep them from dying off in massive numbers.

That being said it leaves me with an epicurean dilemma. How do I keep making the same basic ingredient interesting when you are eating it night after night. In actuality, it’s been a really great way to expand my cooking repertoire and to break out Martha Stewart’s cook book and of course Julia Child. Last night however I had a brain storm.

While chatting online with a friend living in California, I mentioned my issue. He recommended a site where you enter a few ingredients you have in your house and it bounces back recipes that contain those items.

I typed in chicken breast, my heart a flutter with hope. It responded back with “sausage!” I shook my head. I do not have sausage you stupid recipe robot! But then it struck me. My grandparents had made sausage, why couldn’t I? I mean, granted, I didn’t have the tubes, but I could make patties! And I didn’t have a food processor but uhmm…we’ll get to that later. I found this video, which honestly reminded me a lot of my own Italian American family, and decided to try it.

Italians Making Sausage

So I went home, and despite BF thinking I was crazy I began to chop up the defrosted chicken breasts into little pieces and put them into a cleaned out coffee grinder, turning them into an almost paste. I know! I know! Coffee grinder?!? I cleaned everything out afterwards, and I know it’s not the best way but I was IMPROVISING OK. I AM THE BROKE ASS MILES DAVIS OF COOKING.
In the spirit of having a rock and roll cookbook, I have decided to recommend an album and or artist along with any recipe I post.

(This is my idea, don’t fn’ steal it. I thought of it today 10/11/10. If you do I will hunt you down!)
Due to this idea’s IA roots with a New York rock twist I have chosen Santo and Johnny. Yeah I know, it’s old. It’s not what you’d think of when you hear “Rock and Roll” but it counts and it’s my blog and I’ll do as I please. I like old music.

Buy Santo and Johnny

Santo And Johnny’s Chicken Slider Sausage

Put 2 chicken Breasts in a food processor, and by pulsing, make into an “almost paste” NOT A GOO.

1 Tsp Basil

1 Tsp Parsley

1 Tsp Salt

½ Tsp Thyme

1 Tsp Black Pepper (I think I usually would have done a ½ tsp but F loves black pepper)

1/3 cup of red wine vinegar.

2 Medium Garlic Cloves, minced

Then I just got my hands in there, mixed it all together and formed them into patties that were about the size of the palm of my hand. Two chicken breasts yield 4 patties.

Then I pan cooked them in a tablespoon of olive oil in a fry pan

Pretty easy all-in-all and I got to use the phrase “Help me prepare the meat paste.”

I sautéed red and green peppers (I am IA therefore all sausage must be prepared with peppers. We were out of onion.) made some brown rice as well as collard greens with ginger.

It took like, 45 mins start to finish and was a pretty tasty meal, only briefly interrupted by a hail-storm of epic proportions.


Hooray New York.

New and Thrilling Developments!

Ok, so first off:

tonight Box Party will be in the Crown Heights Film Festival.



And my new website is 100% live! HOORAY! One 1 ii

Review of The Radio Bean and ¡Duino! (Duende)

Radio Bean on the Web

What's the deal?: Mention Vermont to any east coaster and certain topics are sure to come up: Ben & Jerry's, Phish, communes, and great skiing. Locals know different. Just off the beaten path in the Queen city on North Winooski Ave is the venerable Radio Bean, a hipster institution well known for their heady cocktail menu, damn fine coffee, and great live music. At a certain point though, even the most bohemian of locals is going to have to eat, and now they need to go no further than right next door. Lee Anderson, the community driven Radio Bean owner, has now expanded into the the former tortilla restaurant next door. ¡Duino! (Duende) is a hotspot of international street food at prices even a poet can afford. (I.E. very, very reasonable.)

Field Notes: Relying as much as they can on local ingredients ¡Duino! (Duende) manages to put a new spin on old favorites. Their "Frietjes" are bomb, even boasting homemade ketchup with a hint of banana, the perfect balance between delicious saltiness and exotic sweetness. Another strong menu offering is the "Kofta Slider" a locally farmed lamb burger mixed with couscous, spices and dried fruit that is served on middle eastern manakeesh, with fried onions, labnhi and arugula. In a similar vein is the "Seperatist Slider." Touching on the unique character and rebellious leanings of Vermont, this slider is a far cry from the Kofta. Grilled beef with red onion maple marmalade ketchup, arugula, and homemade dill pickles makes for a savory indulgence. On my last visit I opted for the "Shin Ramyun." The powerfully spicy Korean soup with delicious traditional noodles. The slightly crisp vegetables give the spicy broth a great balance and the kimchi is some of the best I've had from the states.
The cocktail menu is innovative without being pretentious, and they have a fairly wide selection of beers on tap. My favorite is the "Hot Tottie." ¡Duino! and the Radio Bean took the golden girls favorite of whisky, honey, and lemon a step further with a twist of ginger. It's a cold and flu killer, and the perfect drink to get you through the cold Vermont nights. The real star of the cocktail menu though is the "Five Dollar Shake." An ingenious blend of stout and espresso with a swirl of maple syrup that perches on the stout's foam head. It's a grown up, caffeinated pint of heaven.

The second best thing about ¡Duino!, next to the food, is the ambiance. The decor, which is mostly scavenged and hand built, calls to mind a combination of beatnik paradise and mexican brothel, which may or may not be the same thing. Making an effort to be sustainable and local friendly is something that seems to be at the top of the list at ¡Duino! (Duende), and that helps make it the heart of Burlington's thriving music and art community.


Menu Highlights:
"Evil Jungle Princess Ceviche"
A selection of fresh fish imported by Wood Mountain Fish Company marinated in citrus juices with avocado, thai basil, lemongrass & mangoes served with crispy things $10

"Old World Burro"
Avocado, queso blanco, black beans, sour cream, & salsa bandera in a flour tortilla $7

"Flourless Chocolate Cake"
A rich dark chocolate cake with a strawberry rhubarb zinfandel sauce topped with fresh whipped cream $5

Special Events:
Live music every night of the week
Monday: No guitar open mic
Tuesday: Honky Tonk night! A raucous celebration with a serious dose of down home fun. Frequent contributors are Gordon Stone, from the Gordon Stone Band and Mike Gordon from Phish.
Friday and Saturday: Local and touring acts, check the Radio Bean's website for specifics

My Lover's Resume'

Summary of Qualifications:

Proven Track Record of Responsibility.

Fun to hang out with.

Don’t have fleas.

I like things that you like.

Who wouldn’t hire me?

I also think your daughter is beautiful.

C’MAAWWWNN!!

Peek a boo!

I have dirt against you. So I would, if I were you.

Technically you are allowed to sleep late on Rainy Days...

-so I'll be sleeping late forever.




Oh. Brooklyn.

"How did you access incoming brain messages?”

Someday This Will Be How People Talk About Life Before Facebook - Failbook - Funny Facebook Status Messages ( Failbooking )

Everyone wants a little more time

(A poem for my father on his birthday)

I am not a believer in psychology,
there is too much claim laid and laid blame.
They draw too many comparisons between the mind
and clay, as if tragedy were the only hand that molds us.
If what I believe is true, and the mind is the seat of the soul,
if cogito ergo sum, then the soul is a carpenter,
and the mind is the series of boxes it builds.

They say that men of genius develop mansions
in their minds. That every room is fully furnished
and you can lay your cheek on the cool marble
of an imagined grecian column, more real than any
that ever was. But what of men who build a life
in the real world? St Joseph taught his son
of dirt and and stone and wood. Supernatural gifts
can become curses. If you cannot hammer a nail,
and if you cannot see the grain of the tree,
then your feet will never know the joy of the ground.
Before that moment, the only thing God had never been
was human. It was a gift only the men of earth could give.

My father is not St Joeseph and he is not a carpenter,
but he is a builder of lives and a diligent crafter of spirit.
My father's hands are molded by work,
and joy, and tragedy, reckless hope
and patient diligence. He can do one better.
He can make a slingshot, sharpen knives, and build things.

Cows Come Home To NOTSOX

Let me tell you a story, a story about a place, and about a group of people that I love. Anybody who reads this blog knows that I lived in Burlington, VT for about 5 years. So far the years I spent there were the happiest in my life. Here is a place where you know your neighbor. People are so friendly, honest, open, and accepting that sometimes, to an outsider, it can be unnerving. When I first moved there I was confused as to why cars would stop if you were standing on the side of the road. It took me month to realize that they were waiting for me to cross. It's the type of place where at the end of the day kindness and human decency trumps all.

In that city there is a small but devoted group of kids that make movies and documentaries. They are called NOTSOX. They just finished a project about a public art piece that really captures the spirit of the city, and I think it captures their spirit as well. Working with them when I was up in Vermont was one of my chief pleasures. I'm proud to have been able to help them a little with this project as well.

This is the way that Filmmaking should be. Please take the time to watch their short. You'll be glad you did.

Our Cow Comes Home from Jeff White on Vimeo.

Link to NOTSOX

RIP Dennis Hopper 1936-2010

Ride on.

For Allen G

Errol Morris called it the greatest commercial of all time.

The Most Awesome and Epic Local Commercial Ever

Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Interning in Film and Television

1. The company does not own you.

2. Sometimes saying "no" is the right decision.

3. Common sense is your best friend.

4.Asking if you can observe someone's process shows a desire to learn.

5. Even if the people around you aren't using it, etiquette is key.

6. Be nice to the other interns, even though you are competing against them, in a few years you'll be getting each other work.

7. Don't be afraid to tell someone what you did, a task unnoticed is a task that never happened.

8. Remember that you are a free human being, not a slave. (Sounds stupid, but you will forget)

9. Even the most menial of tasks have the capacity to showcase your abilities if you do them well.

10. When in doubt, ears open, mouth shut.

11. If you see a serious mistake being made, don't be loud and obnoxious in pointing it out. Quietly take the person next up on the chain aside and tell them. This is called having tact. They may get the momentary glory, but guess who that person calls the next time they need someone. You.

12. You are the lowest on the food chain.

13. If someone gives you their two-cents, take it under advisement.

14. Don't "correct" anyone.

15. Charm is superficial. Deal with it.

16. Separate your "work self" from your "home self." It will help to keep you sane.

17. Someone is waiting to take your place, this is both good and bad.

18. People can tell when you're being fake.

19. Listen.

20. Never point out the inadequacies of superiors.

21. If someone is trying to mentor you, let them. Even if you have to pretend that ideas like "networking is important" are new to you.

Cross Cultural Hilarity

One of the things that I really enjoy about my internship is the fact that I've met alot of cool people who are interested in the same business that I am. Some of the interns are like me; post-graduates who are looking to break into the business. Others are college students looking for experience and credit towards their degrees. Some are local, and others are international. The group itself is diverse, and though everyone speaks english, sometimes there are some really great interactions. Out of all of us though Steve has the best misunderstandings. Let me be perfectly clear, the kid is great and his english is, by and large, flawless. However it just seems like he has the most hilarious misunderstandings.

My favorite was today:

Steve and I are headed to the subway, to go on an uptown errand

Steve gestures to the downtown subway entrance.

Steve: Come on, let's go down.

Me: No man, we'll have to use the underpass and it smells like hobo pee.

Steve: What's a hobo?

Me: Umm.. A hobo is...

Steve: No wait! I know. It's those little guys with big feet in Lord of the Rings right?

Me: ::laughing:: That's a hobbit.

Steve: Oh yeah...



More as it comes

RAINCOATS - Fairytale in the Supermarket

*Further Tales From The Flunkie Pool*

"This stuff will kill you, but it's loaded with fun!" - The Cramps "Bikini Girls With Machine Guns"

...
Sometimes I'm blown away by the duality within myself that I ignored; and how in my spurning of it, how much of myself I lost.
…

I met Helen, and old friend of my aunt's on 23rd and 7th today. She started her own production company a couple decades ago and is now a damn successful producer. Sitting in the Starbucks waiting for her I have to admit that I was expecting someone a little more straight-laced than the woman who showed up. With a head of curly blonde hair and the kinetic energy of a coiled spring Helen seemed fun and far less stuck up than a lot of the other producers I'd met so far. We talked shop, I told her about what I wanted to do with my life, told her that I "couldn't not write" which is a mess of double negatives but just flows so well that I can't resist it.

At the end of our little pow-wow Helen had pretty much promised to call me in a few weeks when some more work came up, gave me a bunch of numbers out of her blackberry for casting people and said she might be able to hook up some freelance writing for me. All good things.

I may just make this crazy idea of mine work. I want to be like Jarmusch, Tarantino, and Lynch. (Not in personality, just in the whole "writer, director, producer" thing) I'm a control freak, I know that. But I've got to learn to be a charming one or I'm never gonna make it. I know all this stuff is just a game, and it's one where they don't tell you the rules. But I think that just maybe I'm beginning to figure it out.

2010 demo reel

Christa Pagliei's 2010 Demo Reel from Chris Pagliei on Vimeo.

How each part will proceed...

I.
(Vomit into flowers)
Pull back from white
The subject (A) leans against the frame of the door, and attempts to unlock it but is obviously having difficulty. Finally (A) enters the apartment. (A) leans against a wall, and slides down it falling over. (A) closes his eyes and a slight shade of green spreads out over (A)’s face. (A) vomits purple velvet with flowers on it. The flowers begin to grow from the pool of velvet.
Zoom into black

II.
Pull back from black
(Sing back the dark, pray)
A girl enters a bedroom, obviously depressed. She sits on the edge of the bed, and looks about the room. Pushing herself backwards, she moves onto the bed, knees to her chest in the corner of the room. (Bed Against a wall)The light around her begins to narrow, like a spotlight. She drops her knees and straightens herself, back leaning against the wall. She breathes in, and then out. On the exhalation of breath black tendrils crawl up the blank wall behind her, pushing back the circle of darkness around her. When tendrils have grown to take up the whole wall and the room is full of light again, the girl directly addresses the camera
Zoom into black

III.
(Severed)
Pull Back From Black
(B) walks into a bedroom and sits down at the mirror. (B) gazes into the mirror and begins to brush her hair absently. It is revealed that the mirror that (B) is looking into doesn’t provide a real reflection but rather (SOMETHING UTTERLY BRILLIANT). Moving behind the mirror the gaze is transferred. (The mirror looks at her) (B) bites off her fingers at the second knuckle, and the proceeds to pull clean silk ribbons from the wounds.
Zoom Into White

IV.
(Blood into Butterflies)
Pull Back From White
A young woman sits in a chair next to a small table with a jar on it. She looks almost coy. Glancing around her surroundings she puts her hands down at her side palms facing out head turned slightly to the side like one of those “Our Lady of Guadalupe” prayer cards. She then unbuttons the top buttons of her shirt and peels open her chest to reveal a void out of which Butterflies escape. She collects the butterflies and then exits the frame. The glass jar with the butterflies remains. They move their wings.
Fade to white.






Shot list to follow

Not Even a Working Title

What’s going on?
I have decided to use some of my remaining time in Burlington to create a short series that could either be shown in succession as a traditional film, or used in a video installation.
The project is a series of four short stop-motion animation pieces that explore the connection between pain and beauty. The contrast between negative action and visual appeal as well as the indication of a dream like state will, hopefully serve to create a lasting and effective visual metaphor.

Each segment will be shot using a “live stop motion” technique. In lieu of manipulating inanimate figures frame to frame to create the illusion of movement I will mostly rely on using actual people. Employing a system of 24 frames per second will provide some simulation of the look of film, despite my intention to shoot digital.

Scheduling wise I have the completely mad notion that I will shoot one person’s sequence each Sunday in February, thus completing principal footage before March. If I am careful and organized I’m pretty confident that I can reduce post-production time significantly.

The Sequences

I
An ill (read intoxicated) young man vomits flowers

II
A young girl pushes back an encroaching darkness with her voice.

III
The subject bites off their own fingers, pulling clean silk ribbons from the wound.

IV
A young woman peels open her chest, revealing a void. Butterflies escape from it.


More as it happens,

Chris