Machining

Hello everyone.

Hope the world is treating you all very well. I haven't contributed to the blog in a while because I've been working on a couple different projects. Figured I'd show you guys a bit of what I'm doing instead of remaining off the map. The image is an engraving of a clothing designers logo that I'm making backpack buckles for. Not the most exciting project but I've learned how to do assembly machining (multiples of the same part) and have completed some very precise operations, like this engraving. The material is mild steel. The block is about 2 in. high and 1.75 in. across. Each line of the engraving is 0.032 in. wide and .010 in. deep. This was the first one, to prove it was possible without breaking a tool. Came out really well with some errors I've since fixed, tell me if you notice anything :) . Now hopefully someone wants to buy this ridiculous backpack. Hope yall like. Let me know if you have questions. Love you guys. Peace.

strange journey volume 1

i dont really know who NYLE is but this video is dope.

Nyle "Let The Beat Build" from Nyle on Vimeo.

Gettin Some Shine

No new music lately, but Jared and I have been on the grind getting our names out there with some publicity. Check out the new WordSmith and J. Paul feature over at my boy Mike's blog:

WordSmith & Jared Paul Interview Part 1

Part 2 will be posted later this week.

Banner Change?

What's with the new words under the banner? Can whoever did it explain.

God Loves Ugly

Upper Playground really does work with some sick visual artists (Sam Flores, Jeremy Fish, etc.), and continues to showcase work from up-and-coming artists and illustrators all the time. This is a recent video featuring German artist, Hera, whose work I think is really interesting. I'm interested to hear what people think of her work and what she has to say...

We Are Not For Them

Inspired by Jesse's last post, here's the new-ish video for "Optimist" off of Never Better. One of my favorite tracks on the album, and definitely the centerpiece of the album message-wise. They shot 6 videos in 6 days for this album, one right after another, with different directors doing completely different things. I think Bo Hakala did a good job with this one. Click HD and enjoy.



Bonus: Here's the video for "Drumroll" as well, I know some of you have seen this but it's just so dope...the place they shot it kind of reminds me of the cement factory in certain ways. It seems like that kind of deserted industrial setting. Pretty sick with they did on such a tight budget.

never better

P.O.S.
any one heard it yet?
so good
so distinct
so himself
so right
so bueno.

NewOldie

Hunted By Cent, Not Sense

This is the video for Common Market's new song "Escaping Arkham," the first single from their new Winter's End EP (cop that shit). The video was directed by Zia, who is the brother of Sabzi (the production half of both Blue Scholars and Common Market). I really love his style of shooting music videos...this kid has done like all of Common Market and Blue Scholars' videos, and he always does something that looks really polished, yet innovative, and uses some really creative shots. Make sure you click HQ for this one...it deserves to be seen that way.

The song is also extremely tight, with RA Scion using that butter-smooth flow to comment on both the cultural and personal cost of the financial crisis over a beautiful Sabzi beat. Can't wait to see what this group does next...the EP will satisfy my appetite for now though. (First seen over at DJ Hyphen's blog, The Audacity Of Dope)

Solid Gold

14KT has been getting a lot of buzz by my man Nick over at The Full Clip. This cat is an up-and-coming producer from Michigan who produced recently for Jay Electronica and has a fresh sound that I'm really digging. He is definitely Dilla-influenced (playing around with the drums being on and off time, etc.), but also incorporates elements of electronica and some really quirky and soulful samples. This track is an ode to his home town:

14KT - Ypsilanti




And a bonus: While we're on the subject of Detroit-based producers, here's a classic Dilla gem for your listening pleasure.

J Dilla - Wild

Yea my campus is so loaded..

just saw a fucking girl driving this around. no offense, but seriously.!


P.S. I know i cant really talk but what happened to posting.. are Jordan, Nick, and Luke even on here..? what is this..

MAYFEST

I dont even remember taking this photo.. but you kids should really come next year.
It is wild.

This was a benefit concert i threw with some friends for the conference i put together. We had the co-founder of food not bombs and a skype interview with derrick jensen. it was great.

Fuck Yes

Very Sweet

A Workers’ Paradise Found Off Japan’s Coast

I Don't Know What to Say

Ok. Things have been a little quiet lately. Wanted to show you guys this and blow some minds. It left me speechless. This man is redefining trials/bmx/urban stunts. Get past the initial intro. I guarantee you've never seen anything like this

1,500 Farmers Commit Mass Suicide in India

1,500 Farmers Commit Mass Suicide in India...

http://www.truthout.org/041709D

its been a while.

hello beautiful people.

as i write this i am sitting in on the floor of the library. i chose to sit here. 30 minutes a go. now i have to. and now all the chairs have people in them, and there is no way i can sit on those couches. they are too comfortable. i passed out in them last night at 2. i thought it could just be a nap, but i was wrong.

anyways. i got great news. as you know i have been planning on living in copenhagen in the near future. ill be honest, i dont really know anything about it. well that is slightly untrue. my sociology teacher raved about it (i dont remember why), and it is home of christiania, which is a tight squat. so there it is...i want to go to denmark. makes sense in my head.

so two days ago i was on my computer and i found this website: http://www.cph-bike-rental.dk. i think, "shit, i want something to do in copenhagen. and i wouldnt mind having a place to sleep, at least the first night." i mean, i plan on bringing a sleeping bag, but a bed never hurt.

i write an email.

it looked like:
"hello.

i stumbled upon your website today. i am planning on living in Copenhagen from late july-november, although my time is very flexible. i am currently living and going to college in southern californ, at Pitzer college. i am a cyclist. in late may i will be riding from San Fransisco to Los Angeles, 545 miles. i read pretty much all of your website and your shop/mission/philosphy sound great. (i have traveled in Tanzania, around Dar and Iringa, and think that your project is fantastic...bikes are the answer) I have some experience working with bikes/being in a bike shop, but not a whole lot. i can do things like: change tires and flats/tru wheels/fix the upper and lower limits of the derailer/etc. etc. i am a quick learner.

i will be traveling to copenhagen for a few reasons: to continue bicycling: to posibly get a job in a restaurant cooking: to shoot photography: and to learn the Alexander Technique (body movement work).

Would it be possible to set up some sort of work with you, maybe it could be a trade, or volunteer based, or whatever works for you.

power to the people.
thanks- Jesse"

you gotta love the internet.

so i have been crazed in the past few days. i feel like all i have done since i got back was work.

in the two hours between getting off of the plane and 3 o'clock, i had already hitched a ride back to school with some kids from pomona (who dragged me to Trader Joes with them, fuckers...i was at their mercy), helped my friends finish preparing a fat 40 person meal, packed it up into cars, and served it to people outside of city hall in the city of pomona...before was the college.

now imagine, that was 4 days ago.

it feels like life has been a continuation of those 2 hours.

today. i check my email like i always do. 20 times a day. unreal. and i find an email from Henrik. fuckin internet.

It looked like:
"Dear jesse,

Thank you for your mail. We love people who love us! Sounds like you are doing lot's of interesting things your self, and we will happily welcome you to Copenhagen and of cause also to our little shop. We are two persons running Baisikeli, Niels and me, and then we have two bike mechanics helping us with bike repairs, and one volunteering helping us with contacting hotels in the city. While Niels and I are running this rather complex project we have to take care of the bike rental shop and rent bicycles out to tourists. This can be very stressful at some times, because we have a lot of things to do. Further more Niels and his girlfriend are having a baby this summer, so we will have to hire a person to represent Baisikeli and be responsible for the bike rental shop, and be a helper for a lot of other things. Could that person be you???? If you are interested can you send me a few words about your self, and why you would be the right person for the job.

Any way, we will provide you with a bike, help you to find a place to live, and if it does not work out with you being in the shop, we know a lot of people that can help you with a job in a cafe.

I look forward to hear from you. Maybe we could talk over the phone or skype at some point.

All the best.

Henrik Smedegaard Mortensen

---------------------------------------------------------

BAISIKELI I/S

Turesensgade 10, kld

1368 København K

Denmark

----------------------------------------------------------

P: +45 26176642"

im smiling. i hope you are too.

life is good. matt, how is your search going? (matt and i are talking about spending some time together in some other part of the world)

Power to the people
jMA

Portfolio

So I've decided my goal this year is to make contact with the outside world. First step, web presence and organizing my portfolio. Makes me more on top of documentation. I posted a 'banner' on the right side below the blog archive. It should update, cool little feature. Here's a link. Check it out. Started it a couple nights ago. Tell me what you think, I want input.

coroflot.com/myworks

--Jake

Copyright

TheseGuns?

PostNoBills

NothingNew

WHATSUP?

SHADES..

Here are some shades i designed and rendered.. nothing too crazy but id like a pair..
actually probably going to print them out tomorrow. well see.
anyway im just happy im learning alias this program is such a bitch.

FUCK YESSSSS

Someone took the time so I didnt have to. The voice is annoying but whatever. It makes the point.

Facebook

Reflection

HAHAHA

Josh this is kinda just for you but I thought it was hilarious that Asher Roth is playing a block away from me next weekend.

The Big Bad Brother

In the spirit of the show this weekend, here's some new tracks from the Street Preacher himself. These are off of Ali's new EP, The Truth Is Here, which dropped recently. I'm really feeling these...Anthony is a monster on the beats as always. That piano sample on Good Lord is ridiculous, and Ali's flow is just so effortlessly dope. Begin Here might be my favorite though. Can't wait til Saturday...Amanda's talking to J-Bird (Ali's manager) right now about the specifics of the show. Hope yall enjoy these in the mean time.

Brother Ali - Real As Can Be



Brother Ali - Good Lord



Brother Ali - Begin Here

Read This

Knocked the wind out of me. Really well written and makes a striking point.... Thoughts?

Guy Culture and Anal Sex

Sweet Blog

Found a great bike blog. Posted it in the bookmark section and here. Check out the 180 to slider video and the bmx tall bike. both on front page.

http://www.zlogblog.com/

TED.

lectures and talks....

http://www.ted.com/index.php/

School Sucks

All I want to do is build a fucking house, have a vegetable garden, a couple cows, maybe a goat, and just fabricate sweet stuff. Warm weather, good food, while working on fun, interesting projects. Feeling very frustrated. Probably because I'm terrified of my schedule next year. Just want to work on my machining projects and become an ill fabricator. So that was my little rant, overwhelmed, needing summer so I can get revitalized. Hope everyone is doing well. Peace

ROG

This is something everyone needs to watch. great video.

ROG is.

StockPile

Arthur fucking Ganson

Ok, the guy that makes all of these is named Arthur Ganson. He is a mechanical genius. He hand makes every single part of these machines. The gears are made with a custom fixture he created. I am in awe of this guy. Saw most of these at the MIT museum (read last bike post comment for background).

April 4th, 2009, Marker

April 4th, 2009, Paint

interpolation

"to slum," ?uest explains, "is the art of totally dragging the feel while being totally quantized. So, musically drunk and sober at the same time. Also called ‘to Jay that shit.’ "

interpolation

wildin out
creepin proud
drippin skunk
diesel crowd

do it loud
scream it out
pound the flesh
glistening doubt

bite the cord
string the jawn
sing the sword
wings are gone

drop the axe
just relax
mama’s gun
daddy’s tracks

sliding vulnerable water soaking the vine
drag the record through hometown leaves
run it back run it back and guilty grin
in the belly of the sun a pure drunken analog

climb the tower into jerked pop filter
one take tiger bitten from a first verse shuffle
overlook mountain interpolated
through a thick-walled southern bassline

skins adapt
summer runs
reckless crush
summer’s done

pound the pads
fang to skin
rock the mic
slang and gin

whisper tough
sing it rough
band alive
drink enough

gutter love
chorus killed
home to rhyme
dream distilled

First Frame

I told everyone about it. So, this is what it looks like. The pictures are larger.

After sandblasting and 4 layers of clear coat.

Built up before frame finishing.

- .034" Columbus steel.

- 1.125" Double-butted seatpost.

- 1.125" top tube.

- 1.250 down tube.

- 0.75" stays.

- 68mm BB

- 1.125" head tube

- Surly dropouts

- Haven't weighed it yet.

One of the funnest bikes I've ridden.

MOVING UP IN THE WORLD

Here is the updated flier. Black Element dropped out so now it looks like wordsmith will be handing the mic off directly to the man himself. I hope Ali can keep up!

this is awesome

action

our collective is up to something... this first one is for that story i posted about earlier in the blog.

these two are great. At Claremont McKenna, which is not the school you would want to be at in my opinion. so, i go to take these pictures, at like 1:45 i the morning, and fucking three kids from CMC are there with a campus seurity guy discussing taking it down. so, i say fuck that, and i climb up the building, right after they leave and take it back. if it isnt gonna stay up there we might as well keep it and put it up somewhere else.

QN5 X RSE

Now this is exciting. The first single from CunninLynguists' new jawn, Strange Journey vol. 1, which features none other than Slug of Atmosphere. Rhymesayers and QN5 artists coming together to make a track is always exciting, and this one does not dissappoint. The track is called "Don't Leave (When Winter Comes)" and is basically what Kanye wishes he did with "Homecoming" off of Graduation. Deacon, Natti, and Slug trade verses over an beautiful Kno beat (but then again, have you ever heard a Kno beat that wasn't?) about the relationship between a touring artist and what he leaves behind at home. That instrumental break at the end of the song is incredible, classic Kno. The whole album (which is in the vain of Sloppy Seconds vol. 2 and features Tonedeff, SOS, Mac Lethal, and others) is built around the concepts of touring and travel. Available digitally on the 14th...cop it, support independent hip-hop.

CunninLynguists - Don't Leave (When Winter Comes) feat. Slug of Atmosphere