John here:
It's been a VERY productive few days. Cass and I have been working on a bunch of music for other people's projects:
Kirby Ferguson - the genius web director behind the "Do You Take It...?" video - has been making a gang war spoof. We've written him one 'West Side Story' type musical theater number and one syrupy Celine Dion-ish love theme. I don't want to reveal much more about this video because it is set to be released soon and I expect it will be the biggest success of his career.
Birgitte Philippides - the director of Polyamorous NYC - is in the middle of creating a pilot for a reality TV show featuring the lives of a circle of polyamorous friends in New York City. She has an amazing production company working with her on this: smart, witty, queer... and they've got real integrity. Cass and I are obviously excited by the possibility of a TV series showing polyamory to a wide audience in an intelligent, non-exploitative manner. So we pitched them on writing the theme song for the show. It's sort of a parody of those perky "Friends" sitcom theme songs from the 80s & 90s.
I really enjoy working on these sorts of things because they're light. I'm not as invested in the material as I am with Wet Spots songs. This sounds like maybe I don't care as much about them, and that's true... sort of... but in a good way. With the Wet Spots, we've consciously and unconsciously developed personae and a bit of a mission statement to go with the act. For example, we don't want to write a song that would make the audience feel ashamed about sex in any way. Even if it gets a laugh out of them. Now I think this is a good 'rule' to have. In and of itself. But once you get enough of these well-intentioned rules in place around an act, it becomes a bit harder to just blurt out your ideas into songs. You sort of measure them against the yardstick of your aesthetic principles before they even have a chance to develop. You don't intend to do this, it just happens. And it bogs down the writing process.
An unsuccessful writing session is a gut-wrenching experience. Have I used up all my good ideas for this lifetime? Has the well permanently dried up? These questions always arise & dance around - about as easy to ignore as a piece of sawdust deep behind your eyelid. But a simple way to avoid this experience is to not write. To focus instead on the managerial side of the self-employed artist gig. Book more shows, sort out some work visas, send out some promo kits, do the blog etc. This process is insidious because it keeps you away from your real work but seems totally reasonable
Writing for other people is great because we get to throw out all the Wet Spots rules. If we want to write a vicious song, we can. If we want to write a bubblegum pop song then we can. We blurt out the ideas, and if they don't work then it's not a crushing blow to our faith in the viability of our main meal ticket. The other reason why writing for other people is great is because we're writing. Period. We're showing up for work, and getting the gears turning. Which makes it that much easier to show up for writing new material for ourselves.
Or so goes the theory. One of the goals I have for this New York summer stint is to get a lot of work done on a musical. The Wet Spots wrote some songs for a semi-improv'd burlesque / musical theater project earlier this year at the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival. The amazing Screaming Chicken Theatrical Society provided the actors and a lot of the plot ideas. Now Cass and I want to take those songs, and a bunch of new ones, and create a full-fledged, full-length, fully scripted musical with a very different plot. I believe that this musical could be a big-titted hit on a scale way above and beyond what The Wet Spots have achieved. So I'm really invested in it. So I'm really bogged down on it. It doesn't have that playful lightness that good writing requires. So I've been writing for other people instead. And I'm really happy with the results I've achieved in those pieces. But it remains to be seen if I'll now be able to dive in to this musical and give it that same dedication. In this, our last week in New York City.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Friday, August 08, 2008
THE WET SPOTS' BLACK ROCK CITY FIRST UNITARDED CONGREGATIONAL CHOIR
OK, folks! Big news!
The Wet Spots' Choir is a GO for Burning Man 2008.
Here's the deal: we're going to gather as many of our friends and fans as we can find and we're going to perform as a totally random, f*cked up choir at Burning Man.
Where: Center Camp, 8:00 PM Thursday night
What about rehearsals?
We're going to post some arrangements for songs here on our blog.
You download the mp3s and drive your friends insane by playing it in the car all the way from Reno.
Then you and your friends, thus indoctrinated into our nerdy sex cult, will join us for a rehearsal (Bwah ha ha!) on the playa.
Rehearsal: 4:00 PM Wednesday at our camp (freedomcommunity, 3:30 and Dart)
If you can't make rehearsal just show up and fake it.
Sound good? It's gonna be a riot!
Please drop us a line at cass at wetspotsmusic.com or leave a comment on this blog to let us know you're interested. We have absolutely no idea how this will turn out but it's gonna be fun.
-- Cass and John
The Wet Spots' Choir is a GO for Burning Man 2008.
Here's the deal: we're going to gather as many of our friends and fans as we can find and we're going to perform as a totally random, f*cked up choir at Burning Man.
Where: Center Camp, 8:00 PM Thursday night
What about rehearsals?
We're going to post some arrangements for songs here on our blog.
You download the mp3s and drive your friends insane by playing it in the car all the way from Reno.
Then you and your friends, thus indoctrinated into our nerdy sex cult, will join us for a rehearsal (Bwah ha ha!) on the playa.
Rehearsal: 4:00 PM Wednesday at our camp (freedomcommunity, 3:30 and Dart)
If you can't make rehearsal just show up and fake it.
Sound good? It's gonna be a riot!
Please drop us a line at cass at wetspotsmusic.com or leave a comment on this blog to let us know you're interested. We have absolutely no idea how this will turn out but it's gonna be fun.
-- Cass and John
The first Choir arrangement: DYTI! Surprise!
1) Lyrics for Do You Take It are HERE
2) The MP3 of the whole arrangement is HERE . Everyone should download this!
(a right-click will give you the option to download)
3) Pick one more mp3 for the part you want to sing.
(What you'll hear is your part louder than all of the other parts so you can practice!)
Pick whichever part you can sing. Please correspond with your gender.
IF you have to sing the part (esp. guys) an octave lower, that's fine!
If you're trans you can sing and stand with your preferred gender ;)
A reminder: INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO SING WITH US!
REHEARSAL (BWAH HA HA!) 4:00 pm Wednesday at our camp
WHERE? freedomcommunity (3:30 and Dart)
2) The MP3 of the whole arrangement is HERE . Everyone should download this!
(a right-click will give you the option to download)
3) Pick one more mp3 for the part you want to sing.
(What you'll hear is your part louder than all of the other parts so you can practice!)
- The Guys' Lead vocal mp3 is HERE.
- The Girls' Lead vocal mp3 is HERE
- The Guys' BG (Background vox) mp3 is HERE
- The Girls' BG mp3 is HERE. <-- fun for chicks with high voices who like to go "ooo"
Pick whichever part you can sing. Please correspond with your gender.
IF you have to sing the part (esp. guys) an octave lower, that's fine!
If you're trans you can sing and stand with your preferred gender ;)
A reminder: INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO SING WITH US!
REHEARSAL (BWAH HA HA!) 4:00 pm Wednesday at our camp
WHERE? freedomcommunity (3:30 and Dart)
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Burning Man Fundraiser - Wet Spots LIVE DVD for auction!
OK, friends and fans!
Our Burning Man camp, freedomcommunity* is having a fund raiser auction and there's an item up for grabs that many of you have expressed interest in: A DVD filmed live at the Sydney Opera House. Look below for item #8!
We can't distribute this commercially so it's rare. And yes, we do intend to release a live DVD for commercial sale very soon!
And I've copied the text of the whole email so you can see all the AWESOME items up for bid!
*our address is 3:30 and Dart.
Our Burning Man camp, freedomcommunity* is having a fund raiser auction and there's an item up for grabs that many of you have expressed interest in: A DVD filmed live at the Sydney Opera House. Look below for item #8!
We can't distribute this commercially so it's rare. And yes, we do intend to release a live DVD for commercial sale very soon!
And I've copied the text of the whole email so you can see all the AWESOME items up for bid!
*our address is 3:30 and Dart.
How the Fund Drive Works:
1. Continue looking down the page and choose one or more gifts that tickle your fancy.
2. Make sure you begin your bidding at (or more than) the Starting Bid (remember the money goes to making our camp great, so be generous!)
3. Make your bid! Email freedomcommunity@gmail.com with the item number and bid amount in the subject of the email. Like e-bay, the gift goes to the highest bidder.
4. If you have questions about an item, you can email the gifter or harmonydawn@mac.com.
The Drive ends Thursday, August 14, 2007 at Noon PST/ 3pm Eastern.
*** Pass this along to friends and family that might be interested in these terrific gifts and goods ***
THE TRIP
Item #1
A Cascadian Exploration: 3 full days for two people of either sailing in Puget Sound or mountaineering on Mt. Baker (you choose). Trained and experienced mountain guide/sailor included.
- sail on the Cal 27' "Spectrum" in Washington's San Juan Islands. Leave Anacortis on day one, and sail the winds and the tides to whatever location makes sense. Possible destinations include: the clothing optional hot tubs of Doe Bay Resort, the remote sandstone anomaly of Sucia Island, or the sculpture gardens of Roche Harbor. Sleep, live, eat and play aboard. Learn as much or as little about sailing as you want, good food, sailboat charter, mooring and slip fees, and skipper provided.
- mountaineer on the 10,400' volcano Mt. Baker, with summit attempt included (weather gods permitting). This option is best suited for the more fit amongst us. All group gear (rope, tent, protection and kitchen) as well as mountain guide (10+ yrs. experience).
The minimum bid for this auction item is $450 on this 3 day summer getaway for two (approximate value: $1,800). Offer good for two years (2009-2010) in the summer months (May - September) and subject to scheduling availability.
The highest bidder will need to provide their own transportation to Mt. Vernon, Washington (69 miles North of Seattle, a $27 shuttle ride from SeaTac airport) and all personal items (appropriate clothing, sleeping bags, footwear, etc.)
Starting bid: $450
Gifted by Paul Koubek
Gifts & Goods
Item #2
Teal Bird of Paradise Fur Hoop Dress and Leggings by PlayaFur.com
Custom fit available sizes 6-14ish. Needs hula hoop (fits standard cheap hoop).
From the designer: “This piece was in my Summer 07 fashion show and pictures are available on my website. The dress needs the measurements of the winner and I will need a few days to finish it to them.” Would retail for $400
Starting bid: $100 plus shipping $15
Gifted by Mercedes Hartman
Mercedes@playafur.com
Item #3
Pink Shag Fur Leggings by PlayaFur.com
Standard flair knee-high leggings with secret stash pockets. Leggings feature elastic and tie band with pom-pom balls. Would retail for $45
Gifted by Mercedes Hartman
Mercedes@playafur.com
Item #4
Teal Shag Fur Leggings by PlayaFur.com
Standard flair knee-high leggings with secret stash pockets. Leggings feature elastic and tie band with pom-pom balls. Would retail for $45
Gifted by Mercedes Hartman
Mercedes@playafur.com
Item #5
Pink Yeti Fur Shoulder Bag by PlayaFur.com
Good sized. Perfect to act as a daily purse or a fuzzy playa carry pal. Shoulder strap is long enough to fling over your back and forget about it. Extra pocket also placed in lining for small stuff. Would retail for $55
Gifted by Mercedes Hartman
Mercedes@playafur.com
Item #6
Aurora Leather Headband by Jen Laursen
Black leather stars accented with one pearlized blue star. Attaches with 2 snap clips. Made from leather scraps, buckram, glue. Check out the photo and the rest of Jen Laursen’s fabulous made-by-her-own-two-little-hands accessories at www.etsy.com/view_listing.php
Gifted by Jen Laursen
preen_yourself@yahoo.com
Item #7
Gorgeous Hoop Earrings by Shelly Kerry
14k gold filled handmade hoops, gold and copper dyed pearls and small vintage crystal beads. (Email harmonydawn@mac.com and I will send you an image)
Gifted by Shelly Kerry
www.prettycraftything.typepad.com
Item #8
"The Wet Spots Live at the Sydney Opera House DVD" plus a copy of "Hello Kinky" CD.
The Wet Spots are a sophisticated sex comedy duo from Vancouver, BC. Their music has been compared to "Burt Bacharach on Amyl Nitrate" (Sydney Morning Herald" and "Savage Love meets Schoolhouse Rock" (Susie Bright). This DVD is a 75 minute recording of the Wet Spots' stellar show at the Sydney Opera House, recorded in February of 2008. The DVD is not commercially available so it's RARE! For more Wet Spots info go to: www.wetspotsmusic.com
Starting bid $25
Gifted by Cass King
Item #9
Custom Art by Stephanie
Have a special occasion coming up and want a gift that is personal and meaningful? How about a custom-commissioned piece of digital art created from a favorite photograph! Stephanie specializes in creating digitally rendered illustrations based on photographs that use a combination of words, symbols, and illustration to send a simple and moving message. Past pieces have been used as a wedding gift from bride to groom, as a father's day gift from daughter to father, and as gifts between close friends. This auction item would entitle the recipient to a fully customized illustration, including an 8X10 print, based on a photo and message of their choice, completed in time for their special gift-giving event. Two to four weeks required for completion of art, starting from the initial discussion and the date Stephanie receives your inspiration photo. More samples of Stephanie's design and illustration work can be seen at www.alternatif-design.com.
Starting bid $100
Gifted by Stephanie Rubin
stephanie@alternatif-design.com
www.alternatif-design.com
Item #10
“Winged Gate,” a giclée print by BlackLight
Mixed media, 9 X 14, comes in it's own sleeve along with a certificate of authenticity.
Starting bid: $40
Gifted by BlackLight
blacklight@ebonflow.com
Services & Experiences
Item #20 (SF)
Item #21 (NY)
The OneTaste Foundations Course (SF and NYC)
This weekend workshop will teach you to unblock personal barriers and connect to the world around you. Designed and taught by the experienced faculty of OneTaste, the Foundations Course is sure to stretch and to surprise, grounding you in a set of sustainable and integrated practices that have only one goal: To give you what you need to live a turned on life.
Next SF dates: August 9 & 10
The Foundations Courses runs 10am-6pm Saturday and Sunday, one weekend a month. To discuss future dates, contact Justine (415) 730.8320 in San Francisco, or Rachel (510) 689.6384 in New York.
Item #22
1 hour breathwork / energy healing session (Pasadena or the Playa)
Welcome to the New World where we value WHO YOU REALLY ARE! Stephanie helps you get in touch with that truth. Release old thought patterns and feel the loving being within.
Using various energetic healing techniques, celestial language, essential oils, and David Elliot based breathwork, Stephanie will Clear/Repair the Aura, Release Entities, Stuck Thought Patterns, Chords to others,and Open The Heart so you can more easily Receive Your Own Truth.
Stephanie is a certified Hatha Yoga Teacher, Professional Musician, and has completed Healer training with Scott Schwenk - David Elliot Based Breathwork & Seda - Energy Tools for Empowerment 1 & 2. She works with many Non-Physical Healing Masters.
Starting bid: $25
Gifted by Stephanie Erdel
Item #23
1½-Hour Photo Session with Award-Winning Photographer Emily Merrill (SF)
Check out Emily’s website to see the style of her work at emilymerrill.com.
Starting bid $150
Gifted by Emily Merrill
emily@emilymerrill.com
Item #24
Item #25
First Session at Middle Path Acupuncture (Office in the Mission District of San Francisco)
From the doctor: “I am an integrative health care physician practicing acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, Myofascial Trigger Point Therapy and hormone balancing. I am a general medicine practitioner and enjoy treating patients with complaints of insomnia, chronic pain, digestive problems, headaches, seasonal allergies, menstrual difficulties, to name a few. I am an ally and catalyst for positive change in my patients' return to freedom, comfort and ease in their bodies. I am happy to offer my services as a donation to the Freedom Community to support the free creative expression of this group.”
Gifted by Adam Wiscomb, M.S., Dipl. O.M., C.M.T., L.Ac.
Item #26
Reiki "healing energy" session (NYC or on the playa)
Suggested starting bid $35 (valued at $100)
A Reiki session with Lisa S. at her apt in NYC or in freedomcommunity camp at Burning Man at a mutually satisfactory time. The session will take between 30-60 minutes and involves channeling "healing energy" (a form of ch'i or qi) through the palms of hands. A state of deep relaxation, combined with a general feeling of well-being, is usually the most noticeable immediate effect of the treatment, although emotional releases and healing can also occur. Expires Jan 1, 2009.
Gifted by Lisa Speer
Item #27
30 Minute Back/Neck/Shoulder Therapeutic Massage (on the playa, NYC, SF)
De-stress and unwind...I offer my services in NYC, SF, or on the Playa.
I combine Swedish, Deep Tissue, and energy work to relax, rebalance and rejuvenate your body and spirit.
Starting bid $25
Gifted by Val Greene, CMT
Be_the_source@yahoo.com
Item #28
2 Hour Private Yoga Class (Burbank, CA)
From the instructor, Christy Marsden: “The style I teach is traditional one on one yoga that works on the entire individual (their relationships, goal setting, physical health, behavioral modifications, etc). I have been teaching for 13 years.” Valued at $160.
Gifted by Christy Marsden
christy@yogablend.com
Item #29
5 class series at Yoga Blend (Burbank, CA)
Yoga Blend has over 70 classes a week to choose from. Check out their website at www.yogablend.com.
Gifted by Christy Marsden
christy@yogablend.com
Item #30
4 Hours with Bob — Visual Marketing Strategy (SF, or via phone/email)
Curious about how well your marketing is working? Need a logo, or just some advice and coaching? Bob has more than 15 years experience as a designer, marketer and brand consultant. Check him out at bobcanhelp.com.
Gifted by Bob Gower
bob@bobcanhelp.com
Item #31
Mac Help from a Real Mac Genius (SF)
Chris Kosley is the Greatest Mac techie the World Has Ever Known! Yes, he's THAT good! Steve Jobs personally credits Chris with *ALL* of Apple's success. OK, well it was actually some guy wearing jeans and a black mock turtleneck, but he was REALLY IMPRESSED!
Chris has done Mac tech support for over 10 years and worked at Wired Magazine, Apple Computers and helped other various & sundry Mac based clients keep the dream alive by nursing their sad, sick little Macs back to strong, virile SuperComputers blessed with amazing new powers! One of his clients was able to solve the Da Vinci code shortly after Chris simply laid his hands on it and cast asunder the evil demons dwelling within.
Wouldn't you love to have a Mac that's blessed by such a gifted techie?! Got some evil computer demons who need to be cast asunder?! Then bid on this 4-hour block of Chris's services (which normally run $100 per U.S. Hour) and start breathing easier, knowing that your Mac is handled by the best!
Gifted by Chris Kosley
chris.kosley@onetaste.us
Item #32
Internet and Computing Tricks and Treats — 1.5 hour phone consultation (anywhere)
Maybe you need to make a website or fix one, and don't know how or where to get started. Maybe you want to make your Blackberry work with Google Calendar, or use IMAP instead of POP3 with your email. Maybe you want to know what this stuff means. Talk with someone about it in an exploratory, helpful, and non-judging manner.
Areas of expertise: Web sites, privacy, productivity, backups, personal organization, calendaring, or social networking and social media, enterprise.
Alex has 12 years of experience in technology and he has helped some of the largest media companies in the world to make their systems idiot proof.
This service offering is for 1.5 hours of consulting over the phone with Alex Rollin to be completed in no more than 2 sessions, scheduled at least 1 week in advance.
Gifted by Alex Rollins
alex.rollin@gmail.com
415.287.9620
Item #33
Romantic dinner for two — in your own home! (SF)
Why go out when you can have two restaurant professionals cook you a gourmet meal and serve it to you in your own home? We will consult with you over the phone to plan a menu and atmosphere that suits your tastes. We are donating our time and labor. You will need to reimburse us for the cost of ingredients — we’ll stay within our agreed upon budget ☺
Starting bid: $100
Gifted by Harmony Niles
harmonydawn@mac.com
Item #34
Private Wine Class for You and Your Friends (Terroir Wine Bar, San Francisco)
Learn about wine the right way — in a hip place from a beautiful expert, certified sommelier Jeanine Gade. Jeanine will talk to you about your interests and arrange a guided tasting with instruction for you and up to 8 friends. Plan on putting $20 per person into a kitty for the wine; Jeanine is donating her time and expertise.
Gifted by Jeanine Gade
Item #35
A bedtime fairytale, poem, or story (place to be arranged by winner)
Read to you by a gifted reader ☺
Gifted by BlackLight
blacklight@ebonflow.com
Starting bid: $40
Gifted by BlackLight
blacklight@ebonflow.com
Item #36
Explore your shadow side — An Hour with Mistress M (SF)
From the mistress: “It is my pleasure to share with you the art of erotic dominance. My desire is to create a safe, non-judging space for you to play with your kinkiness through consensual power exchange. We will have a 20 min consultation (over coffee or on the phone) to talk about your desires and negotiate a scene that satisfies us both. We can schedule our play to take place in your home, or at the SF Citadel in San Francisco. (I will not engage in any acts that are directly sexual, illegal, unsafe, or non-consensual. I have an arsenal of implements and toys to satisfy us, but if you’d like something I don’t already own, you must provide it.)”
Gifted by Mistress Morgan
nebbianotte@gmail.com
1. Continue looking down the page and choose one or more gifts that tickle your fancy.
2. Make sure you begin your bidding at (or more than) the Starting Bid (remember the money goes to making our camp great, so be generous!)
3. Make your bid! Email freedomcommunity@gmail.com with the item number and bid amount in the subject of the email. Like e-bay, the gift goes to the highest bidder.
4. If you have questions about an item, you can email the gifter or harmonydawn@mac.com.
The Drive ends Thursday, August 14, 2007 at Noon PST/ 3pm Eastern.
*** Pass this along to friends and family that might be interested in these terrific gifts and goods ***
THE TRIP
Item #1
A Cascadian Exploration: 3 full days for two people of either sailing in Puget Sound or mountaineering on Mt. Baker (you choose). Trained and experienced mountain guide/sailor included.
- sail on the Cal 27' "Spectrum" in Washington's San Juan Islands. Leave Anacortis on day one, and sail the winds and the tides to whatever location makes sense. Possible destinations include: the clothing optional hot tubs of Doe Bay Resort, the remote sandstone anomaly of Sucia Island, or the sculpture gardens of Roche Harbor. Sleep, live, eat and play aboard. Learn as much or as little about sailing as you want, good food, sailboat charter, mooring and slip fees, and skipper provided.
- mountaineer on the 10,400' volcano Mt. Baker, with summit attempt included (weather gods permitting). This option is best suited for the more fit amongst us. All group gear (rope, tent, protection and kitchen) as well as mountain guide (10+ yrs. experience).
The minimum bid for this auction item is $450 on this 3 day summer getaway for two (approximate value: $1,800). Offer good for two years (2009-2010) in the summer months (May - September) and subject to scheduling availability.
The highest bidder will need to provide their own transportation to Mt. Vernon, Washington (69 miles North of Seattle, a $27 shuttle ride from SeaTac airport) and all personal items (appropriate clothing, sleeping bags, footwear, etc.)
Starting bid: $450
Gifted by Paul Koubek
Gifts & Goods
Item #2
Teal Bird of Paradise Fur Hoop Dress and Leggings by PlayaFur.com
Custom fit available sizes 6-14ish. Needs hula hoop (fits standard cheap hoop).
From the designer: “This piece was in my Summer 07 fashion show and pictures are available on my website. The dress needs the measurements of the winner and I will need a few days to finish it to them.” Would retail for $400
Starting bid: $100 plus shipping $15
Gifted by Mercedes Hartman
Mercedes@playafur.com
Item #3
Pink Shag Fur Leggings by PlayaFur.com
Standard flair knee-high leggings with secret stash pockets. Leggings feature elastic and tie band with pom-pom balls. Would retail for $45
Gifted by Mercedes Hartman
Mercedes@playafur.com
Item #4
Teal Shag Fur Leggings by PlayaFur.com
Standard flair knee-high leggings with secret stash pockets. Leggings feature elastic and tie band with pom-pom balls. Would retail for $45
Gifted by Mercedes Hartman
Mercedes@playafur.com
Item #5
Pink Yeti Fur Shoulder Bag by PlayaFur.com
Good sized. Perfect to act as a daily purse or a fuzzy playa carry pal. Shoulder strap is long enough to fling over your back and forget about it. Extra pocket also placed in lining for small stuff. Would retail for $55
Gifted by Mercedes Hartman
Mercedes@playafur.com
Item #6
Aurora Leather Headband by Jen Laursen
Black leather stars accented with one pearlized blue star. Attaches with 2 snap clips. Made from leather scraps, buckram, glue. Check out the photo and the rest of Jen Laursen’s fabulous made-by-her-own-two-little-hands accessories at www.etsy.com/view_listing.php
Gifted by Jen Laursen
preen_yourself@yahoo.com
Item #7
Gorgeous Hoop Earrings by Shelly Kerry
14k gold filled handmade hoops, gold and copper dyed pearls and small vintage crystal beads. (Email harmonydawn@mac.com and I will send you an image)
Gifted by Shelly Kerry
www.prettycraftything.typepad.com
Item #8
"The Wet Spots Live at the Sydney Opera House DVD" plus a copy of "Hello Kinky" CD.
The Wet Spots are a sophisticated sex comedy duo from Vancouver, BC. Their music has been compared to "Burt Bacharach on Amyl Nitrate" (Sydney Morning Herald" and "Savage Love meets Schoolhouse Rock" (Susie Bright). This DVD is a 75 minute recording of the Wet Spots' stellar show at the Sydney Opera House, recorded in February of 2008. The DVD is not commercially available so it's RARE! For more Wet Spots info go to: www.wetspotsmusic.com
Starting bid $25
Gifted by Cass King
Item #9
Custom Art by Stephanie
Have a special occasion coming up and want a gift that is personal and meaningful? How about a custom-commissioned piece of digital art created from a favorite photograph! Stephanie specializes in creating digitally rendered illustrations based on photographs that use a combination of words, symbols, and illustration to send a simple and moving message. Past pieces have been used as a wedding gift from bride to groom, as a father's day gift from daughter to father, and as gifts between close friends. This auction item would entitle the recipient to a fully customized illustration, including an 8X10 print, based on a photo and message of their choice, completed in time for their special gift-giving event. Two to four weeks required for completion of art, starting from the initial discussion and the date Stephanie receives your inspiration photo. More samples of Stephanie's design and illustration work can be seen at www.alternatif-design.com.
Starting bid $100
Gifted by Stephanie Rubin
stephanie@alternatif-design.com
www.alternatif-design.com
Item #10
“Winged Gate,” a giclée print by BlackLight
Mixed media, 9 X 14, comes in it's own sleeve along with a certificate of authenticity.
Starting bid: $40
Gifted by BlackLight
blacklight@ebonflow.com
Services & Experiences
Item #20 (SF)
Item #21 (NY)
The OneTaste Foundations Course (SF and NYC)
This weekend workshop will teach you to unblock personal barriers and connect to the world around you. Designed and taught by the experienced faculty of OneTaste, the Foundations Course is sure to stretch and to surprise, grounding you in a set of sustainable and integrated practices that have only one goal: To give you what you need to live a turned on life.
Next SF dates: August 9 & 10
The Foundations Courses runs 10am-6pm Saturday and Sunday, one weekend a month. To discuss future dates, contact Justine (415) 730.8320 in San Francisco, or Rachel (510) 689.6384 in New York.
Item #22
1 hour breathwork / energy healing session (Pasadena or the Playa)
Welcome to the New World where we value WHO YOU REALLY ARE! Stephanie helps you get in touch with that truth. Release old thought patterns and feel the loving being within.
Using various energetic healing techniques, celestial language, essential oils, and David Elliot based breathwork, Stephanie will Clear/Repair the Aura, Release Entities, Stuck Thought Patterns, Chords to others,and Open The Heart so you can more easily Receive Your Own Truth.
Stephanie is a certified Hatha Yoga Teacher, Professional Musician, and has completed Healer training with Scott Schwenk - David Elliot Based Breathwork & Seda - Energy Tools for Empowerment 1 & 2. She works with many Non-Physical Healing Masters.
Starting bid: $25
Gifted by Stephanie Erdel
Item #23
1½-Hour Photo Session with Award-Winning Photographer Emily Merrill (SF)
Check out Emily’s website to see the style of her work at emilymerrill.com.
Starting bid $150
Gifted by Emily Merrill
emily@emilymerrill.com
Item #24
Item #25
First Session at Middle Path Acupuncture (Office in the Mission District of San Francisco)
From the doctor: “I am an integrative health care physician practicing acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, Myofascial Trigger Point Therapy and hormone balancing. I am a general medicine practitioner and enjoy treating patients with complaints of insomnia, chronic pain, digestive problems, headaches, seasonal allergies, menstrual difficulties, to name a few. I am an ally and catalyst for positive change in my patients' return to freedom, comfort and ease in their bodies. I am happy to offer my services as a donation to the Freedom Community to support the free creative expression of this group.”
Gifted by Adam Wiscomb, M.S., Dipl. O.M., C.M.T., L.Ac.
Item #26
Reiki "healing energy" session (NYC or on the playa)
Suggested starting bid $35 (valued at $100)
A Reiki session with Lisa S. at her apt in NYC or in freedomcommunity camp at Burning Man at a mutually satisfactory time. The session will take between 30-60 minutes and involves channeling "healing energy" (a form of ch'i or qi) through the palms of hands. A state of deep relaxation, combined with a general feeling of well-being, is usually the most noticeable immediate effect of the treatment, although emotional releases and healing can also occur. Expires Jan 1, 2009.
Gifted by Lisa Speer
Item #27
30 Minute Back/Neck/Shoulder Therapeutic Massage (on the playa, NYC, SF)
De-stress and unwind...I offer my services in NYC, SF, or on the Playa.
I combine Swedish, Deep Tissue, and energy work to relax, rebalance and rejuvenate your body and spirit.
Starting bid $25
Gifted by Val Greene, CMT
Be_the_source@yahoo.com
Item #28
2 Hour Private Yoga Class (Burbank, CA)
From the instructor, Christy Marsden: “The style I teach is traditional one on one yoga that works on the entire individual (their relationships, goal setting, physical health, behavioral modifications, etc). I have been teaching for 13 years.” Valued at $160.
Gifted by Christy Marsden
christy@yogablend.com
Item #29
5 class series at Yoga Blend (Burbank, CA)
Yoga Blend has over 70 classes a week to choose from. Check out their website at www.yogablend.com.
Gifted by Christy Marsden
christy@yogablend.com
Item #30
4 Hours with Bob — Visual Marketing Strategy (SF, or via phone/email)
Curious about how well your marketing is working? Need a logo, or just some advice and coaching? Bob has more than 15 years experience as a designer, marketer and brand consultant. Check him out at bobcanhelp.com.
Gifted by Bob Gower
bob@bobcanhelp.com
Item #31
Mac Help from a Real Mac Genius (SF)
Chris Kosley is the Greatest Mac techie the World Has Ever Known! Yes, he's THAT good! Steve Jobs personally credits Chris with *ALL* of Apple's success. OK, well it was actually some guy wearing jeans and a black mock turtleneck, but he was REALLY IMPRESSED!
Chris has done Mac tech support for over 10 years and worked at Wired Magazine, Apple Computers and helped other various & sundry Mac based clients keep the dream alive by nursing their sad, sick little Macs back to strong, virile SuperComputers blessed with amazing new powers! One of his clients was able to solve the Da Vinci code shortly after Chris simply laid his hands on it and cast asunder the evil demons dwelling within.
Wouldn't you love to have a Mac that's blessed by such a gifted techie?! Got some evil computer demons who need to be cast asunder?! Then bid on this 4-hour block of Chris's services (which normally run $100 per U.S. Hour) and start breathing easier, knowing that your Mac is handled by the best!
Gifted by Chris Kosley
chris.kosley@onetaste.us
Item #32
Internet and Computing Tricks and Treats — 1.5 hour phone consultation (anywhere)
Maybe you need to make a website or fix one, and don't know how or where to get started. Maybe you want to make your Blackberry work with Google Calendar, or use IMAP instead of POP3 with your email. Maybe you want to know what this stuff means. Talk with someone about it in an exploratory, helpful, and non-judging manner.
Areas of expertise: Web sites, privacy, productivity, backups, personal organization, calendaring, or social networking and social media, enterprise.
Alex has 12 years of experience in technology and he has helped some of the largest media companies in the world to make their systems idiot proof.
This service offering is for 1.5 hours of consulting over the phone with Alex Rollin to be completed in no more than 2 sessions, scheduled at least 1 week in advance.
Gifted by Alex Rollins
alex.rollin@gmail.com
415.287.9620
Item #33
Romantic dinner for two — in your own home! (SF)
Why go out when you can have two restaurant professionals cook you a gourmet meal and serve it to you in your own home? We will consult with you over the phone to plan a menu and atmosphere that suits your tastes. We are donating our time and labor. You will need to reimburse us for the cost of ingredients — we’ll stay within our agreed upon budget ☺
Starting bid: $100
Gifted by Harmony Niles
harmonydawn@mac.com
Item #34
Private Wine Class for You and Your Friends (Terroir Wine Bar, San Francisco)
Learn about wine the right way — in a hip place from a beautiful expert, certified sommelier Jeanine Gade. Jeanine will talk to you about your interests and arrange a guided tasting with instruction for you and up to 8 friends. Plan on putting $20 per person into a kitty for the wine; Jeanine is donating her time and expertise.
Gifted by Jeanine Gade
Item #35
A bedtime fairytale, poem, or story (place to be arranged by winner)
Read to you by a gifted reader ☺
Gifted by BlackLight
blacklight@ebonflow.com
Starting bid: $40
Gifted by BlackLight
blacklight@ebonflow.com
Item #36
Explore your shadow side — An Hour with Mistress M (SF)
From the mistress: “It is my pleasure to share with you the art of erotic dominance. My desire is to create a safe, non-judging space for you to play with your kinkiness through consensual power exchange. We will have a 20 min consultation (over coffee or on the phone) to talk about your desires and negotiate a scene that satisfies us both. We can schedule our play to take place in your home, or at the SF Citadel in San Francisco. (I will not engage in any acts that are directly sexual, illegal, unsafe, or non-consensual. I have an arsenal of implements and toys to satisfy us, but if you’d like something I don’t already own, you must provide it.)”
Gifted by Mistress Morgan
nebbianotte@gmail.com
Saturday, August 02, 2008
The American Dream
A longer blog from John here:
This year I am going to Burning Man for the first time. I've been meaning to get around to it for a while. Lots of my friends are regulars. Most of the people I meet when I'm touring who are involved in creating beautiful, interesting works and / or spaces turn out to be Burners. It's time for me to see where they're drawing their inspiration from.
Now that I know I'm going, I've been asking some of the old timers if they plan to return. Many do not. Some cite the fact that the festival has become too big and the sense of community is now diluted. Which seems like the old "I was into punk before it was cool." complaint: sort of valid and sort of pathetic, too. Others say they have a big problem with this year's art theme: The American Dream.
I happen to think it's brilliant. No one is insisting that people create works of art praising the American Dream. I expect to see several dystopian urban wasteland installations, for example. But I like the theme as well because it's a throw-down to all us resistors and freaks: Can you curb your knee-jerk cynicism? Do you dare to see the good that's inside this country?
Cass and I come from Canada, where bashing the USA is our real national sport. (Hockey's just a way for us to do this while also wearing ice skates.) The USA is brash, we like to say. It's a bully. It has no health care. It's mean. It has vast inequalities. It's vulgar. In Canada our values are slightly different, and we are a whole lot smaller than our neighbour to the south and we are deeply insecure. So we feel justified in being a bit righteous, a bit smug. I grew up with a punk rocker's snotty disdain for just about everything, and I was virulently anti-American for a long time. Without having met many Americans. A bigot, in short. So I find it interesting that in my mid-thirties I am falling head over heels for the old whore.
To me the American Dream is opportunity. Opportunity that does not exist elsewhere. The Wet Spots do not have an opportunity to be full-time cabaret performers in Canada. This is not Canada's fault. The Wet Spots are a niche act. We appeal to a small percentage of the population. In Canada, the overall population is fairly small, so the percentage of Canadians who are our audience are too few in number to keep us working.
In the USA too, only a small percentage are Wet Spots fans but that small percentage is a whole shitload of people. So we jump through the hoops and get our work visas and come down to work here, and we survive - barely - as artists because of it. And we have the potential for much more. And that's what keeps me awake nights. Opportunity is also the American nightmare. The burden of knowing that the chance of success is here. Not the guarantee. Perversely, not having a chance has it's own sick sort of comfort. But here we are all summer working in New York City and I have never been happier. I see the Chrysler building and the Statue of Liberty every day, and every day they choke me up a little.
Cass and I are in Washington DC this weekend for some shows. I am more ambivalent about the architecture here, and what it represents. This is America's official government iconography writ large in all its schizophrenic drama. In the National Mall you get these theme-park-like monuments to the beautiful, demanding ideals of the nation's founders. Stroll a few blocks in any direction, though, and you get these almost fascist architectural compounds that just scream exclusion and power and rich indifference. And these gated places are where the action really goes down. On our day off, Cass and I wander around a few sites, then head back to the hotel since we're feeling drowsy in the damp August heat. Then I decide to go to the gym.
Have I mentioned I have some body issues? I was the fat kid in school, the unathletic one. For brief periods in my life I have been lean and fit, but it took a massive, daily commitment to achieve and maintain. Nowadays I'm always mildly disappointed with the shape I'm in, and to maintain this shape takes a massive, daily commitment. It would be a lot easier if someone put a gun to my head every day and told me I had to exercise. It would also be easier if someone put a gun to my head and told me I was not allowed to exercise. But the choice is all mine, and so are the consequences, and I can't pretend I don't know what will happen if I don't get keep it up. But our hotel here has a partnership with a local gym. According to their website, all I have to do is ask at the front desk in the lobby and they'll give me a guest pass for some place down the street.
I go to the receptionist and ask her for a guest pass.
"What?"
"For the gym."
"Ain't no guest passes for no gym."
"But the website says..."
"They ain't fixed that yet. But there ain't no gym passes."
This is great news. I had the intention to go to the gym. I even got dressed for it. But now I am thwarted in my quest for exercise through no fault of my own. I can go back upstairs and watch some dumb TV and laze around for a few hours like I want to. Totally vindicated. Off the hook. On the other hand, going back upstairs is not going to help me get to where I want to be in the long run. Plus the receptionist seems to enjoy saying "no" a bit too much. I decide I'm going jogging instead. Just to let her know she hasn't thrown me off my game, I ask the woman if there's anywhere nice nearby for a good run. She glances out the window at the torrential afternoon thunderstorm I've only just now noticed, looks back at me and says with a raised eyebrow "You just go run wherever you like, sir."
OK. Now I'm doubly thwarted. Clearly the universe is telling me to take a break and relax. To stop being so hard on myself. That I'm simply not MEANT to keep this exercise program up. That it's hard to maintain good habits when you're on tour, so I shouldn't bother. Plus, that cool documentary is on and I might have just enough time to watch it before our show tonight... But god bless this receptionist, she's looking so damn smug now I decide fuck it - I'm going running in the rain. I thank her and head straight out the door.
Earlier in the day Cass and I were chuckling at the douches who were jogging up and down the National Mall in the blazing heat. Now I'm the douche who's running it in the middle of a thunderstorm. The air is electric around me. Lighting is hitting cranes less than a mile away. Thunder is cracking like bombs. People are running for cover. And I'm splashing by in my soaking wet tank top, shorts and shoes. It's one of the best runs of my life. The air is lukewarm and the rain water is soothing, and the sun is setting brightly through the mist. It's one of those storms where half the sky is cloudy and black and the other half is clear and blue and you can see the dividing line right overhead. I get a good distance down the Mall but decide I shouldn't get any closer to the Washington Monument. It's the tallest thing for about half a mile in any direction, and I don't want to be near by if it gets hit. But the sun is setting directly behind that big old national phallus, and for once it's unambiguously beautiful to me. I drink it in and then loop back east where I came from. And then I see it.
The Capitol Building stands out stark white against the deep grey thundercloud sky. And the setting sun behind me throws a perfect semicircular rainbow arc directly over the dome. Like, DIRECTLY over it. Perfectly framed. WAY too perfectly. If you put this image in a movie it would look like such sickeningly hokey CGI that a San Franciscan queer activist and a rural Texan Republican could each agree to hold the other's hair while they puked into their popcorn. And yet here it is, for real, right in front of me. At first the arc is faint, but as the sun dips lower and the clouds darken further, the colours become more distinct and vibrant. And they get right past the DEW line of my irony. In that moment, I think about the American dream of a truly representative democracy, where money and power do not necessarily trump justice and the will of the people. And I think about how we have the opportunity to create it, but no guarantee of success. And I think how those hip radicals who scoff at the possibility of meaningful change in this country are letting themselves off the hook. They think they are smarter than those of us who hope, but maybe they're just lazier. And they share their cynicism with the ones in power who stack the deck against them. A last look, then I veer off the lawn of the Mall and head back north up the hill where I came from.
Opportunity is a bitch goddess. If you don't believe in her, you sort of just drift along, a souring spectator to the inevitable decay. If you do, she doesn't give you anywhere to hide from yourself. For today, though, I've bought her off. On the way back into the hotel I walk past the receptionist in my soaked clothing. She shakes her head at me and rolls her eyes. And smiles.
This year I am going to Burning Man for the first time. I've been meaning to get around to it for a while. Lots of my friends are regulars. Most of the people I meet when I'm touring who are involved in creating beautiful, interesting works and / or spaces turn out to be Burners. It's time for me to see where they're drawing their inspiration from.
Now that I know I'm going, I've been asking some of the old timers if they plan to return. Many do not. Some cite the fact that the festival has become too big and the sense of community is now diluted. Which seems like the old "I was into punk before it was cool." complaint: sort of valid and sort of pathetic, too. Others say they have a big problem with this year's art theme: The American Dream.
I happen to think it's brilliant. No one is insisting that people create works of art praising the American Dream. I expect to see several dystopian urban wasteland installations, for example. But I like the theme as well because it's a throw-down to all us resistors and freaks: Can you curb your knee-jerk cynicism? Do you dare to see the good that's inside this country?
Cass and I come from Canada, where bashing the USA is our real national sport. (Hockey's just a way for us to do this while also wearing ice skates.) The USA is brash, we like to say. It's a bully. It has no health care. It's mean. It has vast inequalities. It's vulgar. In Canada our values are slightly different, and we are a whole lot smaller than our neighbour to the south and we are deeply insecure. So we feel justified in being a bit righteous, a bit smug. I grew up with a punk rocker's snotty disdain for just about everything, and I was virulently anti-American for a long time. Without having met many Americans. A bigot, in short. So I find it interesting that in my mid-thirties I am falling head over heels for the old whore.
To me the American Dream is opportunity. Opportunity that does not exist elsewhere. The Wet Spots do not have an opportunity to be full-time cabaret performers in Canada. This is not Canada's fault. The Wet Spots are a niche act. We appeal to a small percentage of the population. In Canada, the overall population is fairly small, so the percentage of Canadians who are our audience are too few in number to keep us working.
In the USA too, only a small percentage are Wet Spots fans but that small percentage is a whole shitload of people. So we jump through the hoops and get our work visas and come down to work here, and we survive - barely - as artists because of it. And we have the potential for much more. And that's what keeps me awake nights. Opportunity is also the American nightmare. The burden of knowing that the chance of success is here. Not the guarantee. Perversely, not having a chance has it's own sick sort of comfort. But here we are all summer working in New York City and I have never been happier. I see the Chrysler building and the Statue of Liberty every day, and every day they choke me up a little.
Cass and I are in Washington DC this weekend for some shows. I am more ambivalent about the architecture here, and what it represents. This is America's official government iconography writ large in all its schizophrenic drama. In the National Mall you get these theme-park-like monuments to the beautiful, demanding ideals of the nation's founders. Stroll a few blocks in any direction, though, and you get these almost fascist architectural compounds that just scream exclusion and power and rich indifference. And these gated places are where the action really goes down. On our day off, Cass and I wander around a few sites, then head back to the hotel since we're feeling drowsy in the damp August heat. Then I decide to go to the gym.
Have I mentioned I have some body issues? I was the fat kid in school, the unathletic one. For brief periods in my life I have been lean and fit, but it took a massive, daily commitment to achieve and maintain. Nowadays I'm always mildly disappointed with the shape I'm in, and to maintain this shape takes a massive, daily commitment. It would be a lot easier if someone put a gun to my head every day and told me I had to exercise. It would also be easier if someone put a gun to my head and told me I was not allowed to exercise. But the choice is all mine, and so are the consequences, and I can't pretend I don't know what will happen if I don't get keep it up. But our hotel here has a partnership with a local gym. According to their website, all I have to do is ask at the front desk in the lobby and they'll give me a guest pass for some place down the street.
I go to the receptionist and ask her for a guest pass.
"What?"
"For the gym."
"Ain't no guest passes for no gym."
"But the website says..."
"They ain't fixed that yet. But there ain't no gym passes."
This is great news. I had the intention to go to the gym. I even got dressed for it. But now I am thwarted in my quest for exercise through no fault of my own. I can go back upstairs and watch some dumb TV and laze around for a few hours like I want to. Totally vindicated. Off the hook. On the other hand, going back upstairs is not going to help me get to where I want to be in the long run. Plus the receptionist seems to enjoy saying "no" a bit too much. I decide I'm going jogging instead. Just to let her know she hasn't thrown me off my game, I ask the woman if there's anywhere nice nearby for a good run. She glances out the window at the torrential afternoon thunderstorm I've only just now noticed, looks back at me and says with a raised eyebrow "You just go run wherever you like, sir."
OK. Now I'm doubly thwarted. Clearly the universe is telling me to take a break and relax. To stop being so hard on myself. That I'm simply not MEANT to keep this exercise program up. That it's hard to maintain good habits when you're on tour, so I shouldn't bother. Plus, that cool documentary is on and I might have just enough time to watch it before our show tonight... But god bless this receptionist, she's looking so damn smug now I decide fuck it - I'm going running in the rain. I thank her and head straight out the door.
Earlier in the day Cass and I were chuckling at the douches who were jogging up and down the National Mall in the blazing heat. Now I'm the douche who's running it in the middle of a thunderstorm. The air is electric around me. Lighting is hitting cranes less than a mile away. Thunder is cracking like bombs. People are running for cover. And I'm splashing by in my soaking wet tank top, shorts and shoes. It's one of the best runs of my life. The air is lukewarm and the rain water is soothing, and the sun is setting brightly through the mist. It's one of those storms where half the sky is cloudy and black and the other half is clear and blue and you can see the dividing line right overhead. I get a good distance down the Mall but decide I shouldn't get any closer to the Washington Monument. It's the tallest thing for about half a mile in any direction, and I don't want to be near by if it gets hit. But the sun is setting directly behind that big old national phallus, and for once it's unambiguously beautiful to me. I drink it in and then loop back east where I came from. And then I see it.
The Capitol Building stands out stark white against the deep grey thundercloud sky. And the setting sun behind me throws a perfect semicircular rainbow arc directly over the dome. Like, DIRECTLY over it. Perfectly framed. WAY too perfectly. If you put this image in a movie it would look like such sickeningly hokey CGI that a San Franciscan queer activist and a rural Texan Republican could each agree to hold the other's hair while they puked into their popcorn. And yet here it is, for real, right in front of me. At first the arc is faint, but as the sun dips lower and the clouds darken further, the colours become more distinct and vibrant. And they get right past the DEW line of my irony. In that moment, I think about the American dream of a truly representative democracy, where money and power do not necessarily trump justice and the will of the people. And I think about how we have the opportunity to create it, but no guarantee of success. And I think how those hip radicals who scoff at the possibility of meaningful change in this country are letting themselves off the hook. They think they are smarter than those of us who hope, but maybe they're just lazier. And they share their cynicism with the ones in power who stack the deck against them. A last look, then I veer off the lawn of the Mall and head back north up the hill where I came from.
Opportunity is a bitch goddess. If you don't believe in her, you sort of just drift along, a souring spectator to the inevitable decay. If you do, she doesn't give you anywhere to hide from yourself. For today, though, I've bought her off. On the way back into the hotel I walk past the receptionist in my soaked clothing. She shakes her head at me and rolls her eyes. And smiles.
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