KC Masterpeas

Christmas Competition

2011-12-22T17:49:00.000-06:00

We have really been getting into the holiday spirit this year, and you know what that means: bad - spirited decorating competition with our neighbors!

Several weeks ago, we decorated our front door, in the way in which we normally do, by adding decorations on top of our previous year's decorations, in order to equally celebrate all holidays that have come before (please take note of the Halloween pumpkin, 2010's Thanksgiving turkeys, and Valentines day hearts. So festive in every way!)

All was going swimmingly until our next door neighbors decided to up the ante and compete directly with us for holiday cheer. Clearly they are looking for a mean-spirited competition on the fourth floor for best holiday decorations. Jamie says that they are just trying to join in the fun, but I don't buy it! Next-door single mom and two small children are trying to one up us this holiday season, and I'm ready to fight for the title of best holiday door decorations!

Stay tuned for when I make the pug-with-lights-on that I saw the other day stand gaurd in front of our door as a sort of a holiday watchdog.

Mega Bog Pays a Visit

2011-12-05T13:27:00.001-06:00

Some friends from the Pacific Northwest paid us a visit! The charming band Mega Bog toured the nation and stopped by our neck of the woods to enjoy our fabulous company and play a show in Manhattan. It was great to meet them in the flesh and hang out with them for a bit. Mega Bog played a great show at the Cake Shop and Jamie has co-created a great video about it!

Mega Bog "Throat MTN" at Cake Shop, NYC from Jamie Burkart on Vimeo.

They stayed with us for the night and enjoyed a few Apartment Activities!

For a little context, in the spring of last year, Jamie went on tour with James Rabbit and iji (members of which rearrange to be Mega Bog). They hit all the hotspots throughout the West and Middle West, and terrorized groups of young people. (See below)

Mega Bog in NYC:
Erin Birgy (Mega Bog, bandcamp + Wizards of the Ghost <- Tape Label She Runs)
Zach Burba (iji, bandcamp)
Shelby Turner (Sundance Kids, bandcamp)

On tour with Kusikia.

On their way east they played in Kansas City and we talked about it here.

Grad School: What Do I Do There?

2011-10-27T20:23:00.000-05:00

Many may have wondered what I actually do at grad school (many have not wondered this). So I thought I would present a few things that I've worked on. Generally, I've found that you can do whatever you want at grad school, and still I've chosen fairly boring topics. Let me convince you of their merits!

Last semester I was looking for a tactic that would help declining cities deal with mass amounts of vacant properties. I found that Genesee County, Michigan (where Flint, Michigan lies) has a lot of vacant properties, as you can imagine. To deal with this they formed a Land Bank. What does that mean?

Land banking is a way for cities and towns to organize all their vacant (foreclosed, abandoned, all of it) into one place and to have ownership of it. By gathering all these vacant houses, commercial spaces, and vacant lots into one organization, it would be easier for people to buy these things and the county would have less to deal with.

Also! When someone else buys them, the new owner will pay property taxes (hopefully) on them. Property taxes are the main way that cities get money, so this means the more property tax revenue they can generate, the more garbage they can pick up, the more firemen/women they can hire, the longer they can have the library open.

As you can see from the graph, the population of Genesee County could not be falling any faster. Because people are leaving so quickly, they have way more housing that people that need it, created a huge problem with vacant properties. I won't even bring up the housing crisis because clearly thats a whole other issue.

The Genesee County Land Bank was created in 2002, and you can see from the graph below that even though people are leaving as fast as they possibly can, the county has managed to increase its revenue from property tax because of the land bank.

Ok, so land banking has not made Flint, Michigan into a thriving metropolis, but it has managed to mitigate serious negative effects that go along with incredible population loss!

So! If you are just itching to buy a $100 vacant lot or $10,000 house, check out their site!

Also, if you were really enticed by the above graphs, feel free to read my whole paper about it! PDF or word doc.

Spencer Owen, Scinematica.

2011-10-21T12:28:00.000-05:00

Woah, cool. Here's a music video I made in 2003 with Spencer Owen for his song Scinematica. This is from when it first became normal to me that people in my life spend so much time in their bedrooms recording pop music on multi-track tape machines!

I was really interested in Spencer's process which I tried to reflect in how we made the video. As I understood it, his approach to composition was rooted in a kind of real-time feedback recording practice, as though he was improvising in ensemble with himself through the tape machine.

So for the video I configured three multi-media environments for Spencer to discover and utilize. He entered each space and the song began to play. I imagined this event as the visual extension of his multi-tracking process. The video is a simple cross cutting between the first-take in each space.

And yeah, it's been a while since I've made a music video. This one is from my first year out of high-school. For the last while I've forgone the camera when making this kind of experience with a person. But this ability to keep and share the work with lovely and non-present people like you makes the camera a temptation again!

If you have any photos, media or diary-entries about projects and activities we've done together email them to jamie@kc.rr.com. Thanks!

Stay up with Spencer Owen:

Albums on Bandcamp
http://spencerowen.bandcamp.com/
Albums on Archive.org
http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22Spencer+Owen%22
Albums on SoundCloud
http://soundcloud.com/spencer-owen/sets
Each week on the radio
DJ Sharkey, KALX 90.7fm Berkeley, Sundays Noon - 3PM Pacific (live streaming)
Writing about Laurie Anderson
http://oneweekoneband.tumblr.com/tagged/laurie_anderson/chrono
CDs from Ballbearings Pinatas
http://www.ballbearingspinatas.com/
Beautiful Vinyl LP + CDR from Gnome Life Records
http://www.gnomeliferecords.com/spencer_owen.html

Ashley, Singing to the Baby

2011-10-14T11:03:00.002-05:00

I recently had the pleasure of returning to Kansas City for a couple weeks to do some work. Well, really it was supposed to be one week. I had just finished a new checkout process for Harry J. Epstein Co. And I was brought out to start-up another website for a niche auto-industrial supplier in Kansas City, KS. Anyway, after an intensive work-week-long visit, I was supposed to fly back home to Brooklyn. It was Saturday. Biking up the alley from You Say Tomato to my mom's house, I was struck by the first color and fragrance of fall. Leaves were crunching with gravel under my tires as sunlight peeked through to the backs of houses. It was such a euphoric moment. I thought to myself, why am I doing anything but this? I thought of all the friends I hadn't caught up with and all the events KC Kids had brewing for the coming week. So I decided to hit reset, and give myself a second week in Kansas City.

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Attending the Public Opening with J. Ashley Miller

SPACE THANG
by Jori Sackin and Pat Vamos

Site-Specific feature film at The Strand Theatre on Troost

Pat and Jori made a feature-length site specific movie-going experience called Space Thang for a one-night-only event at the Strand Theatre. The Strand on Troost is Kansas City's oldest operating movie theatre. Generally they only show adult pictures. It's just three blocks from my mom's house. But I'd never go by that way, because the neighborhood erected a permanent road-block to divert traffic. I'm proud of everyone who spends time in parts of the city where common knowledge says we're not supposed to go.

The event was a wild success with 150 people in attendance. That's a lot for a theatre with fewer than one-hundred seats. I imagine that people were sitting on the floor. Everything began with a musical performance by the band Mary Fortune, followed by MK12's short film "Follow the Sun" as a trailer. Vamos' DVDs, Sackin's paintings and Space Thang t-shirts took the place of the usual merchandise for sale in the lobby.

The fresh context of the situation gave Sackin and Vamos license to produce animations and found-footage collage that weren't suited for everyone, but that just about everyone came out to enjoy.

THE BINDERY
Idris and Amanda's Live-In Restoration Project

MEGA BOG + KUSIKIA from the Pacific NW
Shortly after extending my visit, I found out that our friends Erin, Zach and Shelby from the grey mountain sound of Seattle were on tour with Kusikia, trying to find a show in Kansas City. Rita Brinkerhoff, Drewcifer, the bands and I scrambled a little bit and somehow everything fell gracefully into place. The mysterious house show that resulted with Blondie Brunetti at Ruby's Sofa King Swing HQ had such a rich and encouraging mood. It was one of my very favorite shows.

PERFORMANCE SPACE at KAW POINT
My default approach to problem solving is to ride my bike around for three hours and talk to government officials. When I heard the Mega Bog show was looking for a venue, my first thought was to have it at Kaw Point.

This spot where the Missouri and Kansas Rivers join a) can be seen from space, b) has multi-pass historical significance, and c) gives an emblematic view of Kansas City as a City on the Water. The natural panorama becomes backdrop to an outdoor amphitheater with bathrooms, electricity and seating for 500.

I spent half a day figuring out how to book a show there. It turns out it's really easy. Just contact the Friends of Kaw Point. Your show is why they built the park. Shows durring daylight can be reserved free of charge. After dark, you need to have some form of security guard present.

The show at night would be such a beautiful show. It might be lit by oil lanterns in the river-bank grove, with the city glimmering on the confluent surface all around.

To Reserve the Stage at Kaw Point Contact:
Dwayne Knott, Secretary, Friends of Kaw Point
Louisa3@earthlink.net
(816) 868-5343

The 816 Bicycle Collective NEW BUILDING
The 816 collective held their 5th Annual Benefit with music, food and friends in fancy dress. The big news was the unveiling of their plan for a new bicycle transportation complex at 31st and Cherry in a set of adjacent buildings they recently purchased. The buildings are a big restoration project. The complex will house 816 Bike's community bike shop and public programs. It will also provide leasable office space that will co-locate several of Kansas City's bicycle advocacy groups. This community space could be as significant to the 31st street corridor as YJ's has been for the crossroads.

More to come: I'm working on a post just about this plan.

PHOTOGRAPHED and NOT PHOTOGRAPHED

Now it's not that I don't like living in Brooklyn. In fact I feel like I've gotten my second wind here. I just like both New York and Kansas City. It has been hard to live here, like it's hard to learn a new subject. You start from the beginning. And even after a year, I'm still working to make a way of life here that's really me, that brings me closer to my Total Maximum. I guess you might say, "When does that ever stop?" Growing up in Kansas City, I was attracted to people who knew you didn't have to live in New York or LA to have world class fun. And it is harder to find those people in New York or Los Angeles. But maybe I'll let loose my criteria a little bit, let myself change and find new ways to share fun ideas. I'm not done yet! And I don't think I could leave without figuring it out.

You Heard it Here First! Earthquake on Clinton Ave!

2011-08-23T22:35:00.001-05:00

When an earthquake rumbled Brooklyn today, Jamie B. Burkart, took matters into his own hands and produced Clinton Avenue's most hard hitting coverage of the event:

After Earthquake - Clinton Hill, Brooklyn - August 2011 from Jamie Burkart on Vimeo.

The Report from Jamie B. Burkart:

I was working in the apartment when it started to wobble as it sometimes does on the fourth floor.

A man outside shouted, "You feel it too?"

I went to the window. He was talking with a woman on the second floor of the next building.

"Call the Police," she said.

He was holding his phone. "No, I just talked to my girl. She felt it too. It's happening all over."

I decided it was time to go out for a sandwich.

Near the deli there was a truck filled with steel plates and a small crane. It was stopped in the middle of the street. The doors were open and the radio was on loud so everyone could hear.

~~ tremors ~~

~~ 5.8 ~~

~~ New York ~~

"I felt my truck start to wobble," the driver said. "And I was like, what's going on with my truck?!"

At the deli the guy who made my "veggie hero" sandwich said he didn't feel a thing. I think he must have been too light on his feet. You know, with the lunch rush.

Bike the Hudson to a Beacon!

2011-08-19T11:53:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, we embarked on a great land journey, up the Hudson and eventually to the town of Beacon, NY. Jamie organized a group of us to bike to Beacon, a roughly 100 mile trip, throughout three days. He stated that one should be very carefully prepared for: a casual scenic ride, cabins, camping, swimming, and museum viewing! And prepared we were! We all met at another beacon of sorts, a cute red lighthouse on the Hudson around 181st street. A group of five of us, myself, Jamie, Stewart, Alana, and Eric set off for our journey up the Hudson!

First stop! Turkey!

An important feature (to me) of this trip was the exploration of state parks along our route, here we are featured in the first NY state park of our trip!

The first day, we biked 40-50 miles (and jeez, up a mountain) to another state park, with a cabin! (Just

a side note, the promise of a cabin will convince me to embark on any journey.)

Next state park! This state park had an incredible pool built into the mountain! Great work New York State!

The next night brought the promise of rain (by a friendly ranger and friendly smoking lady), so based on the recommendation of friendly smoking lady, we holed in a great gazebo, lakeside! But don't worry, we are still in a state park.

The final day was record breaker in terms of rainfall for New York, but all was well, and it added a little swiftness to our speed!

On our third day, we made it to Beacon! We are clearly very wet! Thankfully, Alana showed us one of the best coffee shops that we'd ever been to, and we quickly forgot about being entirely drenched. After warming up with the sweet sounds of elderly ukulele players at The Best Coffee Shop, we hit the museum, Dia:Biacon, for some fun minimalist art! Tired and drippy, we hopped on the train at Beacon with our bikes and headed back to Grand Central Station and along home.

Video: Mudjackin' on Masterpeas Theatre

2011-07-11T14:07:00.053-05:00

Jamie and Julia are pleased to bring you the very first episode of our informative new video series, MASTERPEAS THEATRE! Joining us for the debut celebration are the filmmaking power-couple Megan Mantia and Christopher Good! They tell us all about their upcoming comedy feature, MUDJACKIN' and how to avoid litigation in the Ozarks!

Masterpeas Theatre: Support Couple's Mudjackin' from The KC Masterpeas.

You can support Chris, Megan and crew in making the summer of our lives (as movie goers) by pledging to MUDJACKIN' on KICKSTARTER. Even a small amount makes a big difference. And you can get your name in the credits. Wait, what is this NPR? Since when did Masterpeas have a pledge drive?!

Donate to Mudjackin' on Kickstarter.

But really, few are better documentary subjects than Christopher Good and Megan Mantia as their creative work bridges so many of Kansas City's sprawling collaborations. Their combined footprints read like an introduction to the Kansas City scene.

About our Video:

THEME MUSIC for PROBE by GOODBYE THE BAND.

===================================================
CHRISTOPHER GOOD AND MEGAN MANTIA
===================================================

HOLY MOLY
HOLY MOLY (2011) starring Jimmy Darrah and fashion designer Peggy Noland is Christopher Good's second short film. Produced by Megan Mantia. Very Good!

Holy Moly from Christopher Good.

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RETURN OF THE GUMSHOE KIDS
Return of the Gumshoe Kids is Christopher Good's first short film. It premiered last summer. It's about an aging junior detective, probably way past the age where it's appropriate to be a junior detective. But he kind of can't let go.

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The SSION
A Kansas City band run by Cody Critcheloe, who has just relocated to Brooklyn. The SSION is an amazing collaboration also. It involves many Kansas City people. It's been going on for nearly 15 years now. They recently did a big show at PS1 in New York. (See our post "Cody Critcheloe and KC's Ssion at MoMA PS1.") Megan Mantia helps coordinate things. She helped coordinate their movie BOY. Their new album "BENT" is available for free download.

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WHOOP DEE DOO
Christopher Good and Megan Mantia partially met through Whoop Dee Doo. This is a group that is also a sprawling collaboration in Kansas City. It is a legitimate non-profit that Mantia and Good have both worked for. Chris has filmed. Megan does documentary photography, helps organize things and is the treasurer on their board. (Previous Masterpeas post about Whoop Dee Doo!)

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SECRET CITIES
Secret Cities is a three to four piece psych-pop band, kind of from Kansas City. Christopher Good did a music video for their song "Always Friends."

Secret Cities, "Always Friends" by Christopher Good.

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RAH BOOTY
Rah Booty is a radical cheer-leading squad based in Kansas City, MO. It was started by sculpture students at the Kansas City Art Institute including Leone Anne Reeves and Megan Mantia.

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LEONE ANNE REEVES
Leone Anne Reeves is an incredible individual who lives in Kansas City doing amazing performance. She's got an MFA in performance from the Art Institute of Chicago and she went to the Kansas City Art Institute. She's a master of disguise. She's in the new movie MUDJACKIN'. She's so funny and awesome.

David Bowie: Dance Magic Dance on Whoop Dee Doo from leone anne reeves.

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JIMMY DARRAH
Jimmy Darrah is a very talented actor and director from Kansas City. He stared in HOLY MOLY, the short film from Christopher Good and Megan Mantia. He's also going to star in MUDJACKIN'. Good first discovered Darrah through Darrah's short film CURSE OF THE WEREMAN.

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ALEX MOSS

Alex Moss is a beloved Kansas City drummer. He drums for a couple bands, one called Der Todesking and the other called U.S. Americans. One hardcore, the other - kickass American rock. He's also acting in MUDJACKIN'.

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MIKE TULEY
The musician Mike Tuley is a longstanding landmark of all-ages music in Kansas City. He is Christopher Good's good friend and a collaborator. He is the initiator of the AD ASTRA ARKESTRA (live video Christopher Good), formerly Ad Astra Per Aspera. THE SHORT BUS KIDS to THE GRISLY HAND: We are the people. We have the power. This is our mission.

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SHANNON MICHALSKI
She may be known to most as her persona THE WOMAN in THE SSION, a very intimidating individual. But Shannon Michalski is a very powerful young lady who acts in lots of plays and was in the troupe of Late Night Theatre in Kansas City. She is the other female star of MUDJACKIN'.

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Please do Donate to Mudjackin' on Kickstarter.

The Waterfront!

2011-06-21T23:08:00.006-05:00

We are now on week 2 of weekly ferry adventures! This past week, we embarked on the new East River Ferry which just started at the beginning of the month. It is free for the first two weeks, so we knew this one was not to be missed!

We were really excited about the ferry! We took it several times, and we finally get to commute by boat! The ferry took us to the "coffice" in Greenpoint from our home near the Navy Yard! "Coffice" being coffee/office combo or a coffeeshop where you can do some work, not coffin/office (who would want to go there?)

In keeping with our waterfront theme, we went on a great tour of the South Bronx led by Friend of Brook Park in the South Bronx, Harry Bubbins. He showed us some really interesting spots and different areas that the group is working to make more accessible along the water front. We heartily recommend the tour!

And don't forget, mulberry picking! Another great part of the tour is that mulberry-picking secrets are revealed!

Luckily, on the way back from Bronx, we were able to slip onto the last ferry of the evening and go straight home!

Readers! We have received some great suggestions about the free ferry to Governors Island, but where else can a free ferry take us? Maybe you're curious about a ferry, and you want us to check it out first for you to make sure its not smelly, if so, let us know and we'll give a whirl! Where should we go?

Staten Island Adventure!

2011-06-12T21:13:00.007-05:00

During the past week we have seen some record settings temps! There's only one thing to do when this sort of thing happens: Go To The Beach! So we set sail for Staten Island!

In search of a more nature-y and not too crowded beach, we headed to Wolfe's Pond Park. It was great! (Please view my new favorite photo of a more crowded and less nature-y beach on that same day)

We took a charming trail from the train to the beach through the park, and somehow arrived at the beach.

If you wish to go, which I highly recommend, it takes some time, but is a thoroughly enjoyable journey!

Step #1: Take the Staten Island Ferry (Free!) to St. George, its great!

Step #2: From there you can take the Staten Island Rail Road to Prince's Bay. This is part of the New York City Metro system, so you can transfer from any other bus or subway in the other boroughs. (We took the train from Brooklyn to Manhattan, got on the ferry, and then transferred to the Staten Island train).

Step #3: From the Prince's Bay stop, you can go pretty directly from the train station to the park and through the park's series of trails to the beach. There are many more than this, as we found, so just get in the park and hunt around! From there, you can follow a trail straight down to the beach!

Step #4: Enjoy that beach!

Step #5: On the way back to the train, you can get ice cream!

The Delicious Adventures of Dylan McKeever

2011-06-06T18:57:00.010-05:00

A recent development in our lives has been the arrival of Dylan McKeever at our doorstep straight from sunny California! This has led to creation of many pizzas and viewings of "The New Robin Video"

In case you are not familiar with Dylan, here are a few fun facts to get you started:

#1. As you can see from above, Dylan likes sandwiches.

#2. Mr. McKeever also enjoys illustrations and has created a hilarious, yet cautionary comic book series about the dangers of food gone bad.

#3. You can oftentimes find Dylan crooning sweet melodies and dancing like a mad man.

Photo by Jamie

Dylan's move to the big city is not only spurred by his love of our apartment, but by his desire to publish his latest comic book, The Delicious Adventures of Burger Dude! Burger Dude is blue, eats indiscriminately, and is action packed! Whats not to like?

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id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;href&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;="http://antarcticatakesit.bandcamp.com/track/straight-to-your-heart"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Straight To Your Heart by Antarctica Takes It!&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Above is a fine example of Dylan's sweet warbles! What do you say ladies?!

Additionally! Last year, Dylan put out a charming album, accompanied by Maria Schoettler and others (sorry others!) Its fun! Its booty shakin! Its somehow sad (why won't she just come back to California? to the disco?). Check it out!

Photo by Jamie

Cody Critcheloe and KC's Ssion at MoMA PS1

2011-05-17T21:17:00.214-05:00

The Ssion "Bent" MoMA PS1 PopRally performances are utterly fantastic. Cody Critcheloe and his band of pan-discipline collaborators make a new space of image, sound, movement and style that is so energetically pristine it rips to the high-end of DIY. Critcheloe fulfills his pop-stardom and the punks win.

The Ssion is mounted as a traditional pop star project. Imagine this was put together by Malcum McLaren, Paisley Park and the good folks at Motown. Critcheloe assumes the role of media icon. He projects himself into the same domain, onto the same platform, as his idols. They are mostly Women in Rock. Inside the shimmering sphere he finds communion with these stars, continues their narratives and inserts his own. We are all dancing, Ssion-face on. It sounds like this.

Listen To The Grrrls by SSION

It is a wonderful success that these brick-dust glitter kids from Missouri and Kentucky have found national support for their personal myths. Pop culture icons in heart and soul, maybe that's all it ever takes!

I really enjoyed seeing all of the collaborators who traveled to New York from Kansas City to make the production. Some friendly faces I spotted were Christopher Good (documentation!), Megan Mantia (dancing / documentation!), J. Ashley Miller (music & rapping! / birthday!), Garrett Fuselier (video / digital staging / birthday!), Drew Bolton (video / digital staging / working the crowd!), Jaimie Warren (dancing!), Shannon Michalski (power!), Zach Van Benthusen (staging!) and Matt Huff (dressing everyone for Peggy Noland!). I'm so proud and impressed by everyone. I'm sure there are tons and tons more Gumbys rolled into this ball whom I didn't catch or who weren't there in body.

Plus, it was really great how the show brought some KC ex-patriots out of the woodwork. And it gave us a chance to meet all sorts of new people who are open and ready for this fun we love so dearly.

Photo Credits
1. Photo by Kathy Grayson
2. Cody by Julia Fredenburg
3. Photo by Anthony Cuellar
4. Photo by Rebecca Smeyne
5. Ssion by Mindy Bond
6. Ashley, Bobby, Jamie by Julia Fredenburg

Our friend Dylan hadn't seen the Ssion before! Here's his impression:
http://dylansarm.tumblr.com/post/5597292317/heres-a-photo-that-julia-took-of-the-mind-blowing

Springtime in New York

2011-04-16T17:45:00.026-05:00

One of my favorite things about the first half of spring is weather that challenges us to be ambitious. Put on shorts! Go outside and dance under trees. Wind will shake pedals all around you, even if it's only 45°F and grey as rain.

Celebrating Spring - Mexica Danza in Brook Park, South Bronx

This morning Julia and I were on our way to an Environmental Tour of the South Bronx. It was a bike tour lead by river community organizer Harry Bubbins.

Harry Bubbins (lifejacket) talking with Mayor Bloomberg
from peaceandlove1 on Flickr

We decided to ride our way out there, which is a pretty major excursion for us! It involves several major bridge crossings. And though most of the trip slid happily along well designated bike routes, the DOT could take note that the pedestrian railings atop the Triboro Bridge are unnervingly low. No fence? Whew! What a drop!

[Update: Upon further review, after hearing some convincing arguments and considering the uncommon windiness of my first experience, I have determined that the Triboro Bridge crossing is excellent as is. One might even say, it's breath-giving.]

Robert F. Kennedy-Triborough Suspension Bridge from jag9889 on Flickr

I wish I had the guts to take a photo as we crossed the bridge. Julia looked downright heroic in her floral raincoat, crossing to Randall's Island.

Anyway, we arrived in the Bronx too late to catch the bike tour. So instead we enjoyed the spring celebration in Brook Park. We spoke with several of the Friends of Brook Park and were impressed by their active neighborhood. They were working on several projects to make the the South Bronx waterfront more accessible through new parks and a pedestrian bridge. I identify with the desire to make our less iconic urban waterfronts more personable.

In the end we did get to meet Harry Bubbins. He's been doing these bike tours and involved with many other waterfront activities in the Bronx for at least the last 15 years. So we'll have to show up a little earlier for his summer tour.

Data Note: I set the Time's Up! rides and events calendar to feed updates into Google Calendar. This is how we found out about the Bronx ride. There are lots more interesting rides on here all the time. So, if you use Google Calendar or iCal you can subscribe to the Time's Up! gCal feed I set up.

If you're going on a ride, let me know. We'll have spring ambition! And I'll put on shorts even if we have to wear thermal leggings underneath.

Inescapably Ideal: Safe House by The Grisly Hand

2010-12-19T11:34:00.114-06:00

Ever since the Tanka Ray show the other night when Ben Summers went out and got me a copy from his car, I can't stop listening to THE GRISLY HAND on their new album Safe House. Lauren Krum's rascal-Dorthy vocals lock with dust bowl persistence to the stutter-step harmonies of this fountain city ensemble.

The Distraction by The Grisly Hand. Recorded live at Davey's Uptown, Kansas City, MO - 11/20/10

"PARIS of the PLAINS"
The first time Julia and I saw The Grisly Hand perform was when their banjo player Mike Tuley married our friend Brooke on his family's farm. Do I need to say it was unforgettable?

Paris of the Plains by The Grisly Hand

The phrase "Paris of the Plains" along with "City of Fountains" and "Heart of America" are slogans you can read on welcome signs at the airport. If it weren't for these punks turned Americana, I don't know who would intricately unfold Kansas City's municipal tag-lines through sung narrative.

Lyrically, the song's character travels the semi-rural bi-state area around KC, finding little work and sending postcards back to a spurned lover in KC (possibly the city itself?). It is as though the character charts a broad geographic perimeter around the city. People and postage are drawn back in, toward the the local maximum at the center. Kansas City, the biggest city within reach, becomes inescapably ideal: a Paris of the Plains.

If you can't tell, I love this music. You can support these heroes and get the whole album by purchasing Safe House via the iTunes Store. Or try to spot Ben as he slings them from the back of his car. Something to listen to next time you're at KCI.

The Grisly Hand

Kian Bryne -Fiddle
Andy Davis - Mandolin, Keyboards
Jimmy Fitzner - Electric Guitar, Vocals
Lauren Krum - Vocals, Tambourine
John Nichols - Bass Guitar, Vocals, Piano
Charles Snyder - Drums, Vocals
Ben Summers - Acoustic Guitar
Mike Tuley - Banjo

* Most of the photos in the wedding sideshow above are by Julia Fredenburg.

Cold Season Cure: ToeJam & EaRL

2010-10-25T13:07:00.056-05:00

With midterms over, Julia finally has a chance to sit back and take in the full flare of fall. Sadly, this flare comes with a head-cold. So I found the perfect remedy: ToeJam and Earl for Sega Genesis.

It's working!

Not to be confused with Earl Grey tea, ToeJam and Earl is a two player cooperative game where you goof around with presents in a surreal landscape. It's as if the universes of Marvin the Martian, Ren & Stimpy and Roberto Matta intersected with hip hop on my 5th grade wallpaper. And it really will cure the common cold!

Health Benefits:
It's non-competitive. So much so that when Julia and I walk up to one another in the game, our characters give a high-five. Virtual high-fives are a great way to avoid spreading germs.

It's fun. Much of the fun comes from bizarre interactions between ToeJam, Earl and a strange crowd of cherubs, mad scientists, hula dancers and bees. I find myself less concerned with completing a level, than making Earl do a goofy dance that makes Julia laugh.

It's widely available. For those bleakest cases unable to leave their homes, you can find this game within the radius of your wireless signal. To play ToeJam and Earl on your computer, you just need a Sega Genesis emulator program and the ToeJam and Earl ROM file. If you're on MacOS you can download them both here:

Disclaimer: Now I'm not normally one to go for video games, but in the name of health, I'll do whatever it takes. Period.

Season 2: Brooklyn, NY

2010-10-13T21:02:00.107-05:00

The KC Masterpeas have moved to Brooklyn! We considered starting a new blog, but somehow PeaNYC didn't roll off the tongue. Anyway, maybe we are still in Kansas City. And we have just uncovered an extremely dense new area.

Julia is doing a graduate program at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.

I have come up with an incredible new way of doing laundry!

We got to see Laurie Anderson perform at a venue that's a fifteen minute walk from our house. There's a 24 hour natural food store called Mister Coco's about 500 ft from our kitchen. My sister Madeleine in Boston is now close as Saint Louis. And at the farmer's market I saw Julia's ears perk at the mention of a Fort Greene Neighborhood Association. Hmm?

We have been very fortunate with an easy move. We swapped into this apartment when our friends Matt Robison and Julia Meuse moved away. I'm still up to web development work. We passed safely through life's tornado. And so many familiar faces are here with us!

Many friends who we knew from different past places have all just moved here at the same time.

Kansas City

Alex Phillips
Bobby Grace
Colin Leipelt
Stewart Losee

Santa Cruz

Welcome to New York!

MoMMAP - Kansas City Premiere - Sunday Aug 1, 2010

2010-07-27T22:57:00.204-05:00

Kansas City Premiere - Sunday, August 1, 2010 - 5PM - Fringe Fest, Screenland Crown Center.

I might be wrong to start thinking about John Acquadro's new feature comedy, "Most of My Memoirs Are Plagiarized" by looking up the definition of sociopath. Clad in bold primary patterns and a signature yellow raincoat, David "Ashley" Planner (Dan Keezer) is a sociopath whose Shakespearean plots-within-plots crease the film's course. But a deeper understanding of his mental state doesn't boost the pure fun of this picture. Because the pleasure in MoMMAP isn't unfolding psychodrama, it is the fast-talking humor of pivot-logic. And the puzzle isn't the human mind. It is an actual giant jigsaw-puzzle. Once solved it becomes the admission ticket into a multi-phase treasure map adventure trap. You may have already noticed. This isn't The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.

Photo by Julia Fredenburg.

"We're going to make your home the world again!" - Ashley

For me it is difficult to separate the fiction of MoMMAP from the reality of its making, which is remarkable since the film is such a work of surreal optimism. When John called to say that he and his group (Demalgamation, New York / New Jersey) would be shooting primarily in Kansas City and would we and my brother (Dominic Burkart, 13) go out for a role, Julia and I weren't surprised. Maybe these are the plagiarized memoirs making it hard to distinguish a summer in Kansas City from the scenario written by our good friend John.

Photo by John Acquadro.

I have always thought that once behind the camera John stops being a filmmaker and becomes a diary filmer in the tradition of Jonas Mekas and Stan Brakhage. He divorces himself from all the plans and preparations required to coordinate a project of scale, at times to the frustration of his collaborators. But he becomes astutely sensitive to the actual human moment, to the absurdity, to the beauty, to the typography of the world in time around him. He doesn't always point the camera where he is supposed to, but some of the most unlikely moments make it through to the final cut.

Photo by Dan Keezer.

MoMMAP is worth it just as an index of the strangest locations in Kansas City that cut well against Brooklyn and Omaha. It's worth it as the document of a group's ethic at a time. It's worth it only for the authentic positivity and frank wardrobe of Emily Monen as Immaculada. Close your eyes and just listen to the acoustic intervention by Teal Gardner of UUVVWWZ and the MIDI melodies of Goodbye the Band. Come out for the fantastical view of American middlebrow culture today. Stay for the burger-soda.

"Most of My Memoirs Are Plagiarized" (2010)

Dan Keezer ● Emily Monen ● Wilson Vance ● Maria Calderon ● Chris Wilson ● Jamie Burkart ● Julia Fredenburg ● Carrie Thompson ● Teal Gardner ● Arone Dyer ● Goodbye the Band ● Buke and Gass ● Joe Knapp ● Spencer Owen ● James Monen ● Lauren Pascale ● Sue Hendon ● Dominic Burkart ● Shayna Stevens ● Danica Wilson ● Jennifer Gunn ● Shan Raoufi ● Jeff Koster ● Alexandra Ackerman ● Weston Ulfig ● Ramona Fagbore ● Gladys Morris ● Nancy Monen ● Morgan Klein ● Shawn Stevens ● Jacob Stevens ● Fergus Baumann ● Alaina Hickman ● Dylan Strimple ● Chris Stoll ● Patrick Kinney ● Amy Ramsey ● Paul Baumann ● William Monen ● Dr. Michael Davidian ● George Hendon ● et al.

Managed by Emily Monen.

Written and Directed by John Acquadro

Prom Time!

2010-06-21T10:30:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago, some old and new friends of ours took us to the prom! The Harveyville Prom in Harveyville, Kansas in fact! A nice artist couple bought the Harveyville elementary and high schools and turned them into an artist residence and lively farm. Fortunately for us, they held a prom in the gym and we were invited to tag along! We got to stay the night in the 5th grade classroom and received a great breakfast in the cafeteria!

Quick facts: Harveyville is 1 1/2 hours from Kansas City, and the population is about 250.

New Summer Line on Etsy

2010-06-18T15:28:00.004-05:00

New summer line on Etsy! Very Exciting!

Thanks to Laura Frank for being my charming model and thanks to Jamie for being a grade-A assistant!
My Etsy

Update : New Urban Agriculture Rules in KC

2010-06-15T14:21:00.004-05:00

Back in April I wrote this post about urban agriculture in Kansas City and truth be told, it was a response to our friend and neighbor who was pessimistic about the new regulations possible imposed by the City Council. He thought they might muck it up.

I said buck-up! Not everything's so bad! Well, here's to you Mike Wells, things have turned out just as you have said!

Here's the latest:

You can sell produce from your property (a bonus!)
You cannot have "row crops" in your front yard (very sad!)

Before this was enacted, there weren't any regulation of putting veggies in your front yard. Mostly, you just had to make sure your grass was mowed and things weren't looking too decrepit. Now you can sell produce from your property, but you can't grow it in rows in your front yard. A mixed bag!

New Urban Agriculture Rules in KC

2010-04-21T21:54:00.007-05:00

Recently a new ordinance regarding urban farming in Kansas City has been introduced in the City Council.

What will this new ordinance do?

Residents can work on a garden or pickup veggies even if they don't own the property. Currently, you have to own the property.
Gardeners could sell produce onsite with a special permit

Tentative! If this ordinance about new urban agriculture rules in KC passes the Planning and Zoning Committee on May 5th, then it will go to the full Council for a vote.

The Study of Something New

2010-03-11T13:37:00.048-06:00

Let's do new things, over and over until we get it right the first time. With practice and observation we will improve our craft at doing what we've never done before. Enter new situations. Invent new goals. Build better by a changing plan.

We are redhead children of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, whose wire models of movement assume that a process is made to repeat. Teach us your tricks of flex and bend. But show understanding when you find our optimal loop will not close.

Because we are not bricklayers. We never face the same job twice. Our strength and our anguish is a long tail of skill left at each site with the project complete.

"Do Easy"(1982) Gus Van Sant film adaptation of "The Discipline of D.E."(1973) by William S. Burroughs

"The Easier Way"(1946) from the Prelinger Archive

Drawings by Ian Correa

2010-03-06T17:20:00.112-06:00

My friend Ian Correa used to be a private investigator. Once he was on a case where the husband claimed to have lost the ability to create new memories, like in the movie Momento.

Ian is camped out in his car within view of the house.

It's 2am and well lit summer streets go on forever like great indoors. We are listening to Steve Reich on a CD Ian got from the library. He rolls down the window to smoke. Ian is the best driver at night in summer after a movie. The first time he heard Steve Reich he cried, so he keeps renewing the CD. Next he puts on DJ Shadow.

At first when Ian moved away no one understood his jokes. He would make a joke in his straight conversational way and everyone thought he was a liar. For a while it seemed like this would be a real problem.

I don't know how Ian feels about communism, but when he leaves graffiti on a bathroom wall he likes to write, "Red Revolution Now."

The night before the raft project left St. Louis, we were half way home from the pizza shop where he worked for a couple years. "I talked with my boss," he said. "I quit. And I'm coming with you guys in the morning."

Ian is a practical romantic, an eagle scout. He is always down for an adventure and won't put up with bullllllllshiiiiiiit. We're climbing the ladder to the roof. We're testing all the doors. There is a hole in this fence. I trust him. He's on the inside.

Ian has always been a private person. There parts of his life that remain a mystery to me. What happened last year that wiped out his savings? I don't ask the details of his relationships. Maybe I should. Neither of us are great a keeping up on the phone. But I do look at his drawings.

You can see all 42 of the drawings Ian gave me, even (gulp) the racy ones, on flickr. I hope he keeps up the good work and doesn't mind that I put all this on the web.

Ian Correa lives at his friend Nate's house in Saint Louis. He is working on a graduate degree in Library Science and has a book club. He grew up in Kansas City and recently gave me a manila folder full of drawings. We've been friends since secret santas in sixth grade.

photo from James Johnson

Video: River City Risks

2010-02-08T09:32:00.005-06:00

I like causing problems. Wait, that's not how I'm supposed to say it. I believe a good problem, one worth solving, is an opportunity people really enjoy.

I've been thinking about what makes Kansas City special. Like how Silicon Valley has the superconductor, we have the Missouri River. The river downtown is more than a division between North Kansas City and south. It connects us to Cities on the Water. It is a place to imagine.

The path is short. Step to the next step downhill. Reshape the landscape that forms you. Drop a city in the river and it is so gone.

Selected Projects and Collaborations with Jamie Burkart.

Photos by Julia Fredenburg

Finding a Voice

2010-01-29T20:23:00.003-06:00

My email is Jamie@kc.rr.com. It's a pretty simple address. So sometimes I receive messages intended for other people. They are special SPAM from people very close to me on the keyboard.

Today's message, titled "Updates," was from a person only one letter off. Attached were versions of five poems in progress. This one is called "When."

"When" read by Jamie Burkart

Send me a poem and I'll read it.

English Country Gentleman

2010-01-28T16:35:00.005-06:00

Jamie and I started watching the tv show about a year All Creatures Great and Small about the veterinarian James Herriot. James Herriot is a veterinarian in the English countryside in the 1940's (the show was made in the '80's). Basically Herriot and another vet stomp around in their galoshes in the middle of the night to get to cows and then put their hands into animal bellies. They use real animals in the show, and although it its probably meant to be "family friendly" it gets pretty gross. After watching several seasons, I decided to create a sort of James Harriett Wardrobe. Rachel Scott describes it as "English Country Gentleman". I just recently finished one of many essential pieces, a great grey wool vest to add to this very dapper look!

Parking and Kansas City

2010-01-27T10:00:00.010-06:00

(Photo From Commuter City: Introduction By Ersela Kripa and Stephen Mueller of AGENCY)

AGENCY, a design, architecture, and research practice based in New York, has written a series of interesting articles about car culture and its architectural effects on Kansas City, MO. And best of all, nice graphics and photos!

Commuter City: Introduction
And

Transient Space

Also, this group had a show at Charlotte Street Foundation's La Esquina space in the past month or so, they appear to be everywhere.

Great New Source of Laughs Thanks to Kansas City Subdivision

2010-01-26T10:00:00.002-06:00

Recently, there has been a mildly interesting news story about a new subdivision in Kansas City. The proposed subdivision is on a portion of land near the KCI airport (for non-Kansas City area residents, this is far from Kansas City proper. Its about 20 miles from the downtown and 35 miles from our apartment.)

The project is called the Lake at Tomahawke Ridge Subdivision in Platte County, MO and has come up against a lot of resistance. Platte County Commissioners voted down the project earlier this year, so the developer asked the city of Kansas City, MO to annex the property into Kansas City, MO. Currently the subdivision is not inside the boundaries of Kansas City, MO, and annexing the property into the city limits would allow the development plan to proceed.

Kansas City planning staff recommended against it and the Kansas City Plan Commission denied the developer's request for annexation because it would tax city resources. The subdivision is very far and it would be difficult to provide fire, police, and garbage services. A few weeks ago, an ordinance requesting the annexation was introduced in the Kansas City, MO Planning and Zoning Committee and will likely be voted on by the full Kansas City City Council in the next month or so.

As a result, a surprisingly funny website has been produced! I feel that it's not often that a humorous website opposing a subdivision is produced . The site has a great and direct name, and it has the bland graphics of a real estate website! Whats not to like? Good work lakeattomahawkeridgesucks.com and thanks for delivering the subtle/not so subtle humor that this mostly boring issue deserves!

Glass Urinals Full of Chocolate

2010-01-24T10:00:00.013-06:00

I've been helping our friend Jori with a website for his family's wholesale hand tool store on 8th Street in downtown Kansas City. Harry J. Epstein Company was started in 1930 with Jori's great-grandfather Harry, so Jori is the fourth generation.

Jori's Virtual Tour of Epstein's

I sit just inside that front window at Harry's old desk working on shipping modules next to the fax machine. Representatives from tool manufactures stop in with chromatic voices and a "hello young man." The store is an 80 year experiment in good ethics that lead to good deals on good tools heavy in the hand.

Shopping Cart Animation

For the holidays Jori's dad Steve gave many customers glass army surplus urinals (unused) full of Hershey's Kisses.

Past Jobs: A Jamie that Works (2/11/09)

Yearlong Projects Completed

2010-01-21T16:40:00.005-06:00

I started working on several crafting projects during the summer of 2008, and have only recently finished them. I never anticipate a project taking this long, nor do I anticipate having the patience to spend a year doing a mindless crafting task! This is a huge crochet blanket (If interested, I used a pattern from the book Vintage Crochet)

I also just finished a much too large quilt! (Some hand quilting and some machine quilting)

New Winter Line on Etsy!

2010-01-20T10:31:00.004-06:00

I've got a new winter line up on Etsy. Its not too late, winter's not over yet!

Thanks to Laura Frank and Maria for modeling and Rach Scott for her hilarious captions, as usual!

Computing Query!

2010-01-03T16:25:00.004-06:00

Computing Query! I have recently been looking for a site on the internet to serve as a sort of external hard drive.
I like how flickr works in that I pay a small fee ($15 a year or something like that) and I can upload an unlimited number of photos. I use it a lot to backup my photos and when I'm looking for something specific, its easy to find.
I can't seem to find something like this for all files, not just photos. I've found a few sites that will upload for a fee but they always want $15 or more a month, and for that I could just buy another external hard drive. Anyone have any ideas?

Greatings in the New Year!

2010-01-01T16:04:00.012-06:00

Julia's back from California and Jamie's less sleepy, so here at KCMasterpeas we'd like to welcome you into The New Decade!

And as we look forward, join us in looking back from last new year with Jamie's Patented All-In-One 2009 Annual Mix. Think back wistfully with songs that hark to a simpler decade with 2009 Recession Era hits like the Original Dr. Who Theme Song, Life is So Peculiar and L3t teh B34t C0ns013 Yov (Pewep Merix)!

Jamie's 2009 Mix

Enjoy 2009 like never before with some of our favorites from times gone by!

Here's to you 2009!

New Adventures!

2009-12-11T16:29:00.006-06:00

Its been quite a while since we've had any new posts on the blog!
Currently, Jamie and I are in Eureka, CA working on a Victorian house that my parents recently bought. It was built in the 1890's and needs a little work. We've been pulling down everything off of the walls and tearing everything up off the floors. And smashing things!

This is a small view of the upstairs, from my room. You can see what I've doubed the "creepy room". More on this later!

A big part of the renovation process is making things look terrible at first. It seems that the previous owners may have been thinking that same thing with the red and black motif! I'm sure it was just a stepping stone away from looking spectacular and going perfectly with the cat pee/gross carpet professional design.

Here's Jamie relaxing after a hard day's work.

An exciting part of this renovation process is assuming that if you peel enough garbage off the walls and floors, you will discover something really great! It was with this idea in mind when I insisted that there was probably something hidden inside the nuel post at the bottom of the stairs. At a victorian house in Vicksburg, MS a man told us that people would put the deed to their house in the nuel post and then seal it up when they were done paying the house off. So I made my dad pry open our nuel post to find out if there was something inside! Turns out no. It was solid.

Stay tuned for a full and thorough home tour in the coming days!

Whats that Smell?

2009-08-14T16:00:00.002-05:00

There has recently been a rash of interesting news stories about a variety of toxic materials in Missouri. All of the stories are unrelated, gross, and some involve sludge!
Kelly Eckerman/KMBC
The first and grossest comes out of Cameron, MO. It turns out farmers in and around Cameron, MO have been spreading a toxic sludge as a fertilizer onto their fields. Here's the best part- it comes from a tannery, and its the stuff that takes hair off of hides. (Above is a picture of a guy holding some). National Beef Leathers owns a tannery in St. Joseph, MO and distributes the sludge to all those lucky enough to want it.
Now here's the problem, other than the obvious, there is a strangely high rate of brain tumors in Cameron, MO. Is there a correlation? We're going to have to wait to find out! Stay tuned!

The next is in Leadwood, in the heart of Missouri's Old Lead Belt region! The days of the old lead mines are over, but there is a significant amount of mine waste still there. The Doe Run Co. owns the mines and is responsible for the cleanup.
The debris left there, called tailings, are contaminated with lead and are also huge. Too huge to move. So they decided to cover the tailings with grass to keep the tailings from blowing away. Now here comes the sludge- Doe Run Co. decided to put treated sewer sludge over the tailings to get the grass to grow, a fertilizer of sorts! Unfortunatly, the neighbors are complaining and the EPA is ready to regulate!
Stay tuned for more updates on current and future sludge issues!

New Etsy Update, Summer Style

2009-07-17T14:38:00.006-05:00

New Etsy Update! Summer wares!

Rachel Scott courteously wrote the hilarious captions for the pieces and Laura Frank lent her bodacious bod as a lovely model.

News on the Recylcing Front!

2009-07-06T13:16:00.005-05:00

Big News! After much complaining and many calls to city services, we are getting curbside recycling! It actually had nothing to do with me and my loudmouth complaints, but was solely influenced by city budget cuts.
The details: until a few weeks ago, we weren't qualified to receive curbside recycling because a private company picked up our trash dumpster. If you do this, the city would give you a few bucks because they didn't have to do it. They've gotten rid of this subsidy though because of the current economic situation, you know. So our landlord is taking away the dumpster. This means we are eligible for recycling! This also means that we have to throw our trash in the street (pictured above), but finally we can stop hoarding our plastic goods!

Madison Nguyen: Mystery Revealed

2009-06-08T16:09:00.005-05:00

Back in the days of "my apartment in Santa Cruz", Jamie and I were intrigued and befuddled about a story that was in the San Jose Mercury steadily for several months. The gist is the story is that San Jose City Councilwoman Madison Nguyen, a prominent and beloved Vietnamese politician, wanted to name a part of the city "The Saigon Business District", but residents wanted to name it "Little Saigon".

There was a huge outrage about the name, including a hunger strike and extensive front page coverage by the San Jose Mercury News. We could never figure out why this was a huge deal, but leave it to This American Life to explain the great puzzles of the news. If you were also confused in August of 2007, then click here and listen to the answer (I'm sure, blog readers, that your only dilemmas of 2007, were slightly entertaining news stories, right?)

Breaking News: Ratastrophe!

2009-05-19T22:40:00.013-05:00

The KC Masterpeas are for the first time bringing you live breaking coverage of a real-time situation. There's a rat in the fridge!

Or at least there was until we tried to catch it in this box. It was too fast!

Unbelievable! He/she ate the rhubarb pie Julia just made! What are we going to do?

James Rabbit: In love with the Idea!

2009-05-07T19:15:00.050-05:00

Every city needs a Tyler Martin who meets you on the sidewalk to say, "this city is yours!" But for those who dwell beyond the cooperative housing situations of mid-California, Perfect Waves will do.

Perfect Waves is the new album from Tyler's omni-valent band, James Rabbit. In 20 tracks on two sides, Tyler rallies his friends and geniuses into helpful harmonies with more zeal than a pro-tourism board.

Listen to this track and hear what I'm saying.

This City is Yours by James Rabbit.

So good! When has the lunch special at Yan Flower been this triumphant!?

This music is important as a celebration of responsibility.

It's like the feeling I get when I walk our neighborhood in Kansas City. I see a person our age and my attention turns. In a glance it's as if we ask, do you have the answer? What do we do as our parents get older? This city is ours.

If you e-mail Tyler, he'll mail you a CD with sweetness and understanding. Or you can listen to the whole album streaming.

I won't say it's a complete life-training package, but it'll get you started. And there are a ton of hits!

Here is a video that Thor and Tyler made as they crowdsourced the recording at the Crystal Palace. And keep an eye out for a special guest appearance!

Photo Credit:
The photo at the top was taken by Roselle Kingsbury.

Video Lab: Time is Long

2009-05-07T12:58:00.022-05:00

A VHS tape loop between two VCRs make a 90-foot video delay. The live installation "Time is Long" was part of Bushwick Art Projects in Brooklyn. Is the space between VCRs cinematic?

Video Lab: Time is Long from Jamie Burkart.

Video Lab 2: Time is Long
I really enjoy traveling to install video. I did this show at the advice of our friend Shan Raoufi in Brooklyn. Shan, Julia and I met in Santa Cruz, CA. But his aunts and brother live in Kansas City! He is fond of telling me that if it wasn't Santa Cruz, it would have been KC.

On his most recent visit, Shan made a ghostly video featuring his bother, his father, Julia and me. You can watch it here.

Photo by John Acquadro.

About the recording:
I gave this walk-through to Missing Pieces in 2006 for their Coolhunting.com feature on the event. View the whole feature here.

More Blogs? You bet!

2009-05-05T21:33:00.000-05:00

So I've been doing an internship with City Councilman Ed Ford down at 'ol city hall, and part of that internship involves me trying to increase Ed Ford's web-presence! I feel this is a must for city government and also elected officials. So I spear-headed an effort to create the Ed Ford Blog!

Its been in the making for a little bit, but I've waited to post about it here until I got a good amount of info-graphics posted on it. So take a look and offer some helpful, yet non-rude advice! (and no I cannot turn on the comments section of the Ed Ford blog, I'm sure in your heart of hearts you can understand)

Video Lab: Bicycle Driven Animation

2009-05-04T09:30:00.006-05:00

I really like video. Even the word video sounds fun and easy to use. This is the first webisode about the videos of my life. The series is called Video Lab.

Video Lab: Bicycle Driven Animation from Jamie Burkart.

Video Lab 1:
I introduce an animation controlled by a bicycle and 1970's video equipment. I took special care not to use cameras for feedback in this real-time cyclocross through signal and code.

Honeysuckle Will Be The Source of Our Ruin!

2009-04-28T11:23:00.001-05:00

Recently I've become intensely against honeysuckle plants. I will explain the problems that the plant is creating in our fair city to any one who will listen! Honeysuckle (pictured here) is everywhere in Kansas City. Any place where people aren't carefully attending to their yards the stuff grows. I think I've spotted some yards that are cultivating it, although luckily those foolish gardeners are in the minority.

The problems with honeysuckle are these: it is an invasive exotic species that grows leaves earlier in the season than other trees and plants. The shade that the leaves create block the sun from reaching new trees growing under the honeysuckle bush. This means that new trees cannot grow when the honeysuckle is around, so urban forested areas with the stuff are doomed to become honeysuckle forests after the current trees die (from old age and stuff). Can you hardly believe this outrage?!!

I learned about the TERRORS of honeysuckle mostly from this Walt Bodine episode and also from the grumblings at arbor day festivities in Liberty, MO

The Walt Bodine Show - Plants and Trees, Native or Invasive?

Big news! Kids LOVE ham radio!

2009-04-25T11:16:00.001-05:00

Hot news! HAM radio class in Parkville, MO. Hard hitting news! Kids love HAM radios!

(I photographed the HAM radio class for kids this past weekend for the SunTribune)

New Blog

2009-04-21T12:05:00.000-05:00

So, I've started a new blog. Its not a competing blog, and it will definitely not take the place of posts about pets, self promotion, or obnoxious behaviors. What it will do is provide those hungry minds eager for Kansas City politics a place to satiate their desires for info graphics, committee meeting updates, and links to city ordinances! Check it out!

Jungle Kitty : Friend and Foe

2009-04-19T17:50:00.000-05:00

Now, I usually refrain from posting about various pets that I see, mostly because its kind of like hearing about other peoples kids or dreams: boring. But here you go blog readers! Pet story!
Our neighbors have a cat that we have named "Jungle Kitty". When we moved in and there were still thriving plant life, neighborcat would hang out under the plants. It was like he was in the jungle.
Then winter came and all the plants everywhere died, and we worried for Jungle Kitty. It appeared that he lived outside and would be trudging through the snow! We doubted that the neighbors loved or cared for him at all, because they weren't cradling him in their arms and shielding him from the snow. But then things started to warm up again, and the neighbors have ventured outside, mostly to take photos of Jungle Kitty! Tons of photos all the time! So it turns out they do love Jungle Kitty and want to share that "photos of Jungle Kitty" love with others! I've caught them in the act!
Oh also, his real name is Perry! Don't be fooled though, Jungle Kitty is in fact mean, and yeah, you know it, a scaredy cat!

Photo Intern

2009-04-18T12:49:00.000-05:00

For those that wonder what do I do with my time besides make biblical type scarfs and look at neighborhood pets, rest assured, I am busy! I've been interning with the Sun Tribune, a newspaper company (they have several weekly papers in the area) that's north of the river. (Jamie and I live south of the river, which is sometimes described to me as "scary" by people I talk to north of the river. why this is should probably be its own blog post!). With the internship, I've been taking photos of high school sports, Easter egg hunts!, arbor day events, and an Easter service. Its pretty interesting and I get to go places that are nice old small towns that I would have no clue about otherwise. A few of them are centered around turn of the century universities (Liberty and Parkville Missouri) and have older downtown areas.

Parkville, MO (photo by neal1960)

This Easter I took some photos of the Grace Community Church in Smithville. There were too many people to use the usual church, so they were in the Smithville High School gym! Here's the associated article, the photos and text are from yours truely!

Spring/Summer Etsy Preview or Kudos Rach Scott

2009-03-30T21:41:00.000-05:00

Here's a small preview of what I'm working for my Spring/Summer on Etsy! Thanks to fashion icon Rachel Scott's great suggestions for new fabric wares, I've made a new skirt and giant plumage-like fabric scarf.

John Acquadro is Goodbye the Band is Demalgamated in New Jersey.

2009-03-26T12:36:00.000-05:00

Photo by Julia Fredenburg.

This morning in my email I got a new song from our friend and former housemate John Acquadro (Goodbye the Band). John produces multimedia hits like most people grow hair. The song is called "Everyday, My Day's a Cop." This style is so advanced that even Google doesn't understand.

Julia and I used to live with John in Santa Cruz, CA. Now he lives in New Jersey. He goes by all sorts of amazing names like William Darkblood and Johnny American.

John once produced a video that claimed to be the long lost sequel to J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye. Salinger supposedly authored this sequel direct-to-video. John submitted The Picture in the Rye to the Whitney Biennale.

John is a big fan of seminal avant-guarde filmmaker and Kansas City native Stan Brakhage. I think he would be a good housemate with Jonas Mekas, Ryan Trecartin and Thurston Moore. He makes real albums and fake album covers.

Last fall John visited KC with our friend Shan Raoufi. They make movies together.

They were in town to scout locations for a feature project called Demalgamation. While they were here Shan shot part of a music video for John's "Amazing Marsheen." See if you can spot Julia, me and more geniuses of Kansas City and Santa Cruz.

I have a feeling that Kansas City hasn't seen the last of William Darkblood!

Castles in the Sky over Kansas City

2009-03-22T23:15:00.000-05:00

Moving from California to Kansas City, I noticed that space is less of an issue. But after the last couple weeks I'm beginning to think that space is no issue at all. If you have a idea for a project that thrives in the public eye, but doesn't have a budget, then you can set up shop in Kansas City's finest unused storefronts rent-free "until something better comes along."

I've been super excited about Westport recently. For those who don't know, Westport is a district of Kansas City. It was a launching point of the Oregon, Lewis & Clark, Santa Fe and California trails. It is home to the best coffee shop, movie theater and ice cream in Kansas City. It's a 10 minute walk from our apartment. But like many commercial districts, it hasn't been doing so hot recently. I think Westport's master cleanse has gone far enough!

Informal community projects and formal business communities can build relationships that let everyone get to work. Awesome projects keep storefronts bright for the passing public. They fill the gaps in a district's smile. They can drive traffic for neighboring businesses. There is even potential for rent-free occupancies to reduce a land owner's tax and insurance liability. Everyone gets to do what they do best.

Our favorite faux-public access kids show Whoop Dee Doo built a float for the St. Pat's parade in Westport...

Books for the Planet and Operation Breakthrough each collected then sold donated materials in Westport storefronts. Sales from Books for the Planet benefited the Kansas City Gay & Lesbian Filmmaker's Fund.

Operation Breakthrough's sales "help children who are living in poverty develop to their fullest potential by providing them a safe, loving and educational environment."

I want to build Castles in the Sky over Kansas City. I am serious about this.

I want to inflate full-scale castles on Kansas City's most prominent vacant lots. I'm talking about multi-story bounce-houses, Crystal Palaces that glow emerald at night and sustainable biodome residences for public living. (Post your inflatable castle design in the comments!)

I want to develop a way of rolling plastic grocery bags together into very long sheets. I anticipate working with neighborhoods, real-estate companies, city departments, friends and strangers to design, produce, install and maintain iconic block-parties over Kansas City.

And a healthy workstyle will continue support our Sunday family dinners and breakfasts in the conservatory.

This is similar to:
A London suburb's response to empty storefronts.
The media collective Ant Farm's inflatables of the 1970's.
The annual ice palaces of Montreal.

Whoop Dee Doo

2009-03-21T11:46:00.000-05:00

Hey Friends,
Its about time the Whoop Dee Doo was brought up on the blog. It has had a few mentions here and there, but not a formal introduction.
Whoop Dee Doo is a faux public access childrens show centered (I think) around the live taped performance of the variety show. Its nice to watch the show on the Myspace, but its way more fun to go to a taping. What happends at a taping? Hilarious and zany acts! There are lot of highschool dance troop type groups, pugs!, religious mimes, and tons of kids and adults dressed in costumes dancing! And pugs (sometimes)! An important part of Whoop Dee Doo (it seemed to Jamie and I) was that it managed to do things that alot of groups/organizations had failed to do in Kansas City. And that was bridging the racial divide in the city. And high school kids aren't too cool for it!
Alright, now to be honest, Jamie and I have gotten involved in Whoop Dee Doo (Well, Jamie mostly, me only a little), which would explain all the plugs for it! (More on that later) Why bother talking about a cool group unless you have something personally at stake in it's success?! Right, friends?

This is one of my favorite videos made with Whoop Dee Doo personalities, but not by Whoop Dee Doo. It was in fact made by the hilarious Leone Reeves.

The Whoop Dee Doo float for the St Patricks Day Parade

More news on Whoop Dee Doo to come!

Browne's Irish Market

2009-02-21T20:29:00.000-06:00

Last week I took some photos for the KCTribune, a web based news source for Kansas City, of a group meeting to discuss local Irish fundraising events.

The Article
Some More Photos I Took But Weren't Included In The Article

Thor Visits KC + "Strangers" Video

2009-02-19T10:16:00.000-06:00

I know that many of us have thought about our Transcontinental Hometowns. We imagine an overlay on the world map that indicates couches we can sleep on and friends we haven't met. Places to visit, people to see, it's just a matter of getting there...

Strangers by Jamie Burkart.

Thor, has made the great leap and is visiting us from Santa Cruz.

The next week will surely include a vegan tour of Kansas City, multimedia jam sessions and a ride along through the Main Street Corridor Development & Community Improvement District with our friend in the red shirt, Stewart.

"Stay still Thor, I'm going to do a sketch of you in ASCII art."

.\ .\
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Thor has come to town!

See more Thor on:
Flickr
Vimeo
Myspace
YouTube
Last.fm

* Most of these photos are by Julia.

Mike Sinclair

2009-02-13T12:38:00.000-06:00

One of my new fav photographers in Kansas City is Mike Sinclair. He was part a great project put on by the American Institute of Architects called Kansas City's Snapshot Project. He photographed a certain path through Kansas City from east to west chronicling different neighborhoods in KC. Check it out!

A Jamie That Works

2009-02-11T09:00:00.000-06:00

I just got a job making juice at Succotash in KC's River Market! It's going to be a good summer! Let's take a look at some of my past jobs...

"The Shop" Musical from Jamie Burkart.
Jamie Burkart, Community Director / Interactive Features Editor.

Jamie Burkart, Adventure Scientist.

Jamie Burkart, Cartographer in the Land of the Small.

Jamie Burkart, Speed Eating Champion.

Jamie Burkart, Escort Service!

Jamie Burkart, Media Archeologist.

Jamie Burkart, Magician.

Finally, We Are Getting The Attention We Deserve

2009-02-09T22:49:00.000-06:00

One of Jamie's fav things to do is to write letters to the editor of the Kansas City Star but they haven't been published. Indeed there are many things that are incredibly frustrating about the Star that warrant letters to the editor, and finally his day has come! There has recently been a three part article about the crime situation in Kansas City that places the blame on a particular zip code and its "culture of violence". We both felt that this was probably not the most constructive use of Kansas City Star resources and that the crime should be attributed to the unnacredited school system and race issues that plague Kansas City. And we got angry! And you know what happens when we get outraged, letters to the editor time! This certain letter to the editor was specifically about the idea to create contrived crime fighting technology. Comon KC Star and City Council’s Public Safety and Neighborhoods Committee, $225,000 to $250,000 per square mile, are you serious? That was it! Enough is enough! Time for a letter to the editor! Jamie carefully crafted several ideas I had about the problem and used his wordsmith skills take all the swears out of my original ideas and make a printworthy letter to the editor.

James Johnson, Part 2

2009-02-07T20:37:00.000-06:00

Last month I made a video for James Johnson and he just made one for me!

The Holding Cell (for Jamie Burkart) by James Johnson, 2009.

James Johnson and I have been friends since first grade. He's a painter and a musician. He lives in Iowa City, Iowa with his girlfriend Carla. They filled sandbags when it flooded. He's exploring the idea of becoming a nurse. He works at a preschool. I've met Carla a couple times.

Encryption by James Johnson, 2009.

James and I had sleepover birthdays with the movie and the board game Clue. We started clubs. We made videos. We walked all night in the August air to find our impulses to organize, initiate and create with taste and care.

Would I Rather by The Newport Pleasure (James Johnson & Jeff Keeling), 2002.

I love that Mom knows my whole story. She's followed my narrative from the start. She gets the humor in my life choices.

After Mom, there is a small and ever growing cloud of family and friends who remember who we are. And I remember them. And as I turn into each and every me I can be, I fall back on the cloud from time to time to see with relief that our perspectives can still overlap. I know that we aren't in the same place. We follow the possibilities where they lead. But I can see as far as we've gotten.

I'm proud of all my friends and geniuses.

KC wears it out.

2009-02-02T22:24:00.000-06:00

Music Video: Pewep in the Formats

2009-02-01T16:45:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was the hottest Jan 31st ever in Kansas City history! It got up to 72ºF! I'm pretty sure that spring is here to stay.

No longer will I wear three layers of thermal shirts, two layers of thermal pants and two pairs of socks under my regular shirt, pants, sweater, gloves, shoes, coat, face mask and layered earmuff-hats. Yep, nothing but butterflies, buds and blossoms from here on out!

What? It's supposed to get down to 17ºF tomorrow? That's all right. I guess it is only February. And I didn't throw my coat into the river after all.

And now for another odd moment in Kansas City's climate history... "4RMS at a Time" by Pewep in the Formats!

Pewep in the Formats (Collaborative Music Video) by Jamie Burkart.

Though set in the Arctic Ocean, this video was shot in Kansas City's summer of 2004. While we were shooting, enough evaporating pool water condensed inside the dome's surface to cause intermittent showers!

Ok Bokeh! Let's Make Stencils of Light!

2009-01-27T18:48:00.000-06:00

If you're looking for a way to generate warmth this winter without driving up that heating bill, try an optical effect! Bokeh is the word for those wonderful glowing orbs that happen when pinpoints of light are out of focus in a photo. I'm going to show you how to reshape the globe.

Step 1: Cut a nice stencil-esque shape out of a piece of paper-board. I used a box cutter to cut a box of Annie's Totally Natural Bunny Pasta into a pretty pine tree. It should fit within the size of your lens cap.
Step 2: Attach your stencil-of-light to the front of your camera lens. I'm using Julia's camera, so I was super careful not to let anything touch the glass. At first with her wide-angle lens it didn't turn out the way I expected. I got a vignette border matte effect!
I switched to a longer lens and it worked like a charm!
For these photos I draped a string of holiday lights over the bedside table. There is one red bike light blinking in there too! My recorder's never been so majestic! And that's saying a lot for a recorder.

Now I'm thinking about what to do next. It doesn't have to be a high-contrast stencil. I want to try printing on a transparency to make my bokeh a photo! What would it be like with a color design? I want to make a little mechanical wheel contraption that rotates in front of the lens to make an animated moving bokeh for video!

Ahh! I'm excited. Here's a bokeh video I found.

Lights that lead us home at night from Tanja Tiziana on Vimeo.

We Want The Funk!

2009-01-25T10:08:00.000-06:00

Friends, I think its about time we wrote a little more about Kansas City. There are a lot of juicy things that happen here! Politically, socially, city ordinance-ly, you name it! I figured that most people reading this blog are My Parents or Friends From Out Of Town, who are just pining for new insight into city government! One of the most entertaining and probably least harmful gaffes in Kansas City local government is perpetrated by the current Mayor Mark Funkhouser There have been several controversies surrounding the mayor, but the one that is most interesting, concerns his wife. The mayor's wife Gloria was a full time volunteer in the mayor's office and was stirring up trouble! Frankly, she seems to have a problem blurting out racist and inappropriate comments and just generally being a nuisance. The City Council soon passed an ordinance saying that one could not have family members volunteer in the office in response to Gloria's politically damaging nature. In the meantime, there have been a trifecta of lawsuits between City Council, the Mayor, and a former staff member of the Mayor in what has been dubbed as Mammy-Gate, and is a real disaster! So now Funkhouser is working from home so that his wife can work with him, and there are unlimited lawsuits that the Mayor is dealing with because of his dedication to Gloria Squitiro. In other words, it is a huge debacle! But nonetheless a source of entertainment! What is Gloria going do next?! Hit a cop? Eat a puppy? Publish an unfortunate Christmas card that ends up in Harpers Magazine? Who knows!?
Friends of ours have mixed reviews of Mayor Funkhouser. Jamie is still a staunch supporter and upstanding citizen Flannery Cashill told me that she's just glad he's NOT doing anything. Former Mayors, primarily the last mayor Kay Barnes, reveled in stadiums, arenas, and beer arenas. (More on that later!) (Here is a real photo from their blog! This is the least weird photo of them together)

Video: Hiram (a documentary about a father)

2009-01-23T10:38:00.000-06:00

This week's video is a few years old. It's from back when I lived in Santa Cruz, CA.

My neighbor Hiram got married when he was 16. He is a committed father, a youth and my peer. In this documentary Hiram and I draw lines across discontinuities with the style that suits us best.

Hiram (a documentary about a father) by Jamie Burkart.

This video was first screened at an event in the house where it was filmed. After the show, Hiram and I sat at the front of the room. Our peers gave us questions to ask each other.

Hiram is a popular young man and a caring father. Our video acknowledges the connection between those two worlds. It says publicly what is tough to say even in private. And I hope it helps Hiram feel more fully himself with everyone he loves.

Hiram and I worked to communicate the issues of his fatherhood to the horizon of his young friends and peers. We tried to express his ethic without imposing a moral.

For me personally, this video was very difficult to make, screen and watch. It is a deep challenge to craft a representation of another person. It's serious stuff! But I try to make it a little goofy.

When I was making this, I was really into the writings of the Community Video Movement from the 1970's. In video's infancy, groups like the Raindance Corporation saw the potential for indigenous media to be "a spark plug for change." I hoped that the witnessing process of production and exhibition would strengthen collective bonds and add depth to our agency. To see Hiram tell his story would encourage others to tell their own.

The opening music was made just for this video by Goodbye the Band (aka John Acquadro). Here are links to John's Official Web Site and Demalgamated Videos.

Imagine you are at the screening in Hiram's house. What questions would you ask? For those of you who were actually there, what did you think?

Great Darning Technique! Exciting!

2009-01-19T15:27:00.000-06:00

I found a great technique for fixing sweaters on this blog. It works like a charm and I wanted to spread the word! I had a sweater from the thrift store with about 20 holes and now they are gone! This is the gift that keeps on giving, and I wanted to give it you my four sweet friends in the blog-o-sphere.
Now, this looks very time consuming, but I just followed the general idea of this without going whole hog on it. On this blog, she has a lot more string exposed, but I bunched the hole up a little more so the patching wouldn't show as much. Also, this particular blogger made this delightfully fluffy creation. Kudos to you Blog Full of Jelly!

Video: Accommodation for James Johnson

2009-01-15T14:55:00.000-06:00

So, I'm setting up online video sharing accounts. I'm going to post one video each week. This first one I put together after a recent conversation with my oldest friend James Johnson. I made the audio in my Whale Costume.

Accommodation (for James Johnson) by Jamie Burkart.

"Some parts of what I'm doing are deeply me. And some parts are more arbitrary. I believe that we can accommodate each other without compromising ourselves."

So, looking at this I see that there is part of the frame that I occupy. And there is another part that is somehow cultivated for critical openness.

You might read these audio and video feedback performances as a counterpoint to the Japanese Obsessional installations. The Obsessionals feared we would lose ourselves in the Infinity Net. I assert that as we integrate deeply, our dynamic identity networks can remain our own.

In Japan since WWII there have been artists that call themselves Obsessional. They are concerned about loosing themselves in the homogeneity of infinitely permuting patterns. There is a fear of contamination or loss of cultural and personal identity through assimilation. The one is always about to be consumed by the infinite whole.

In Yayoi Kusa's installations all texture is erased by polka dots. You enter a room with a polka dotted floor, a polka dotted mannequin and mirrors for walls. Immersed in an infinite feedback network you confuse yourself with the doll at your side and cease to exist.

She writes, "One day I was looking at the red flower patterns of the tablecloth on a table, and when I looked up I saw the same pattern covering the ceiling, the windows and the walls, and finally all over the room, my body and the universe. I felt as if I had begun to self-obliterate, to revolve in the infinity of endless time and the absoluteness of space, and be reduced to nothingness."

I will share 10,000 identities and still be myself.

How do you keep your head above the water when you are deep in a context? Or do you let go? Do you feel compromised, or are you accommodating?

- Jamie

Shameless Self Promotion on the World Wide Web

2009-01-08T15:57:00.000-06:00

Here's some more of my famous shameless self promotion (which I guess is the sole reason for this blog anyhow)!
I've got a nice online exhibition on the New Chemical History

Whale Costume: The Latest Software of 2008

2008-12-31T21:13:00.002-06:00

Whale Costume is the latest in my series of hand-crafted computer programs. You can download the program for free, listen to a demo recording and find out why I code digital clothing for aquatic mammals in Missouri.Whale Costume lets you play your live voice like a polyphonic keyboard. Just put on some headphones, sing into your computer and type on the home row to make perfectly tuned harmonies like Cher!

Whale Costume works with your normal computer keyboard, but it should work with MIDI inputs as well. So give your pitch-bend wheel a spin! You could even use a MIDI sequencer to pre-program all the melodies of your favorite holiday tunes. Your live voice sings all the parts in unison to make performance fantastic!

Here is some of what I was thinking about as I made Whale Costume...
I've been interested in early animation. It must have been an amazing feeling to first make a living image of thought for all to see.

I think it would be easier to invent a new technique for communication than to dream of content that uses a new medium's full potential. I like to think about the strange possibilities early animators realized.

In the first decades of the 1900's Windsor McCay danced with dinosaurs, fed Manhattan to a dog and avoided foreclosure by flying a house to the Moon. His characters obeyed new laws of fun house physics drawn from ideas.

There was a cartoon from 1946 that I used to watch when I was a kid. It was called "Willie the Operatic Whale." It was a Moby Dick story about a singing whale with three sets of vocal cords. A sea captain is hunting Willie because he believes that the whale has eaten three opera singers. Willie makes performances at the Metropolitan Opera in New York singing all the parts at once all by himself.

So I made a program called Whale Costume that lets you sing with multiple voices.

Holidays Rule

2008-12-27T12:00:00.001-06:00

The Holidays were different for me this year because I live in Kansas City. When I lived in California I would be part of the rush of merry revelers traveling home for the holidays. This year I hosted Christmas Dinner at my apartment. And instead of waking up at my mom's house Christmas morning, I layered my pajamas and jaunted across the neighborhood with presents in tow.

But I do like the formal consistency of the holidays. Everyone gets all dressed up to find their people and have a good time.
I made my annual mix CD to exchange with the Fam. It's a way of keeping up. This year's mix features many familiar voices and celebrities including Conner Martin, Dylan McKeever, John Acquadro, Max Bennett-Parker, Spencer Owen, Thor Andersen, Tyler Martin, Walt Bodine and Yours Truly.

I've witnessed two holiday miracles in the last couple days. First, it is suddenly warm enough to go without a coat. And second, this bike is still in front of the apartment. I don't know who's it is. It's been parked there with confidence and no lock for at least 2.5 weeks. It makes me want to leave all the doors unlocked, the windows open and the computers outside.

And if I haven't given you a wintery hug this week because you are halfway across the world remember that distance isn't relative to our bodies. We are jumping the network.

Jamie

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-26T11:20:00.000-06:00

Currently, I'm back in Sacramento for our California Christmas! When I left Kansas City a few days ago it was 8 degree, only 8 degrees and so its nice to come to Sacramento for its "T-shirt weather". There were a few things that were really strikingly different from Kansas City that I hadn't realized before, most notably, orange trees just all over! Just on the street, for free, everywhere! Maybe I've mentioned this, but Jamie and I have been trying to get most of our produce from the farmer's market, as sort of a culinary challenge to get creative. Last week, I realized after buying a five pound bag of turnips, that I just don't like turnips or as my grandma said "I turnup my nose at turnips". So turnips, potatoes and cabbage are what's available at the last stand not selling doggie cookies at the farmers market in KC and the streets of Sacramento are bathed in oranges.
This is a plant in my parents' backyard in Sacramento. A similar plant in our conservatory in Kansas City completely froze and is now literally bleeding all over the hardwood floors. In other words, things are getting really cold in KC and I didn't really notice until I came back to Sacramento and saw what a lush tropical paradise it is!

There is a lot excitement with this unbelievably cold weather though. Jamie seems less impressed, expecially since I'm always screaming, "Jamie! Look how cold it is now! Its 5 degrees but weather.com says 'feels like' negative 10! Aaaahhh! Looook! Aaaaah!" I'm sure this sort of clammering can get tiresome. Epecially since I say the same thing about our favorite neighborhood cat Jungle Kitty, "Jamie! Look at Jungle Kitty now! Aaaaah! Loook! Aaaah!" You get the picture. I can not believe this! Now 23 degrees is balmy and comfortable
When it gets really crazy cold, we like to go on a walk (that couple is not us, but they must have a similar mentality) so I can know what 12 degrees is like. Very thrilling!

Here I am in my standard winter fare, no kidding my sweet California babies. Winter wonderland also means new winterwear on my Etsy, take a look!

Box of Worms Disaster

2008-12-04T21:05:00.001-06:00

In an effort to combat certain policies that Kansas City has about recycling (they disagree with it), we've decided to go overboard! We've been trying to make a worm compost bin with little success. We started it a few weeks ago and only got about twenty worms (it turns out you need hundreds) and it turned into a disgusting poo smelling mess. We think the problem is that it is way too wet in the bin and not enough worms.

We haven't completely giving up though, and my dad bought us some worms online and had them sent to our apartment. They didn't quite make it though, they were sent by this company in a cloth bag with some newspaper in a cardboard box. How can they live like that? They can't it turns out. Anyway, we're still hopeful and there is still a bin that smells like rotting food and mayo on the back porch/garbage zone. In a similar vein, still no recycling for our apartment complex, even though I called the city to argue with someone about it! They are stubborn devils!

Have patience Kansas City

2008-12-04T16:44:00.000-06:00

I was raised in KC and when I visited Memphis I felt a link. Both cities grew up on the river. Kansas City's Muddy MO drains into Memphis' Old Miss 'Sippy. We were reared like siblings, drinking from the same source. As the cities matured, they got angsty and moved out. They tested their limits, discovering layer after layer of suburb while shedding their childhood identities as capitols of corn, beef, wheat and cotton.
Both cities still work to figure out who they are, who they have been and who they want to be. They wake from dreams with words on their lips... Will I ever find my vocation? Is it OK to be friends with Mom? How can I accommodate people, places and ideas to achieve the total participation and successful production that's right for me?
Don't worry, it has already started. Just keep doing what lays before you with the brilliance that suits you best Memphis. Have patience Kansas City.

Julia's in Sacramento

2008-11-29T11:53:00.000-06:00

Moderately Employed

2008-11-29T00:21:00.000-06:00

Hey there blog friends, I'm still Sacramento, land of plenty, but I thought I'd update about KC. The problem with my analogue life/digital blog means that by the time I get my film developed, the holiday/graduation/exciting bug is over and long gone. Anyhow, so it means that you might get news of my exciting KC lifestyle in the same time frame as Kansas City gets up to date environmental policies : a little late. So when I start getting recycling at my apartment, you'll get timely blog updates, but until then, sit tight greedy readers! (Don't be fooled though, this post has in fact only digital photos, and no has ever voiced ANY concern for this issue, this is just a warning for the future)

Back to business! I got a job, mostly. I'm a second lens of sorts for a woman who shoots weddings in rural Kansas. Her family has a wedding venue with her family called the Grand Loft and I shoot the less essential shots. Whats not to love?!

The venue is in Osawatomie , Kansas.

Osawatomie has many modern conveniences. For instance they have the oldest psychiatric hospital in Kansas! It also has an "unusually high crime rate" Needless to say, I enjoy it thoroughly! Way better than pets, there's a dance floor!

On a Sacramento note, Rach and I have been out on the town for Thanksgiving eve. I'm not usually "out on the town", but when you're on a tropical California vacation, you're apt to live a little!
We went to Rachel's least favorite bar Club 2 Me. We got facebook invites and couldn't resist, infact she says on the facebook event page "Club 2me? Can't wait to see a bunch of people who forgot I existed, then quickly re-enter their consciousness by wailing along to a Journey song with them and spilling the remnants of a mojito on their fake italian loafers/forever 21 halter!...looking forward to this, seriously! Thanksgiving 2k8!" This turned out to be pretty much true and we had a great time I think. While we were there I only got two glasses related "fun nicknames". I guess thats what you get for confusing people with eyewear - name calling. Club 2 Me!

Belated Post! and Big News! Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? Its me, in Sacramento!

2008-11-23T14:27:00.000-06:00

Last weekend or whenever Veterans Day was, my folks came for a visit! They came to revel in our lifestyle of young twentysomethings! exotic! late nights! (I think readers of this blog know just how untrue this is (especially readers of julia fredenblog!))
What we really did was explore the sights and sounds of Kansas City's (and surrounding areas) past! Truman Library, Battle of Westport plaques, mysterious exotic Mormonism church in Independence, MO, the history lessen never ends! Oh and most importantly, we all watched a lot of Hercule Poirot, my favorite Belgian detective.Jamie claims that this church's (The Community of Christ Temple) spire is really a slide and is there for Jesus to slide down in the second coming, but I am skeptical. This church was, until 2001 was called the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and is in Indepence, MO (birthplace of President Harry S Truman) and is not so far from Kansas City. Please explore this, and tell me if you think there is a slide! It has been a conversation piece at several dinners!
There they are at a historic house in Lexington, MO, site of Civil War battle something or other!

Also, big news! My parents and I did a swap, and I'm in Sacramento right now with them until December 1st! Lets communicate!

Software!

2008-11-18T22:43:00.000-06:00

I got the computer up and running...

And made a little program that makes you sound like Cher. This could be thought of as my response to Julia's remarkable and awe inspiring crafts. GingerSnap is my computer Kraftwerk.

- GingerSnap -
by Jamie Burkart (Feb ‘08)

This program SNAPS! the pitch of your voice to notes you choose. You know, like Cher! Do you believe in how easy this program is to use?!

What makes GingerSnap cool is the way you perform the pitch of your live voice in real time. Intuitive gestures make it easy to dynamically retune any sound. So, Cher could use this program in live performance to follow the key changes in her song.

More fun GingerSnap projects...
1) Tune your radio and make Ira Glass and Terry Gross part of your band's performances of new music works by Philip Glass and Terry Riley!
2) Let your microphone pick up the sound of your speaker to generate a crystal feedback atmosphere!
3) Advertise a "Duet Performance of 'The Rose'" but when everyone shows up, it's just you and this program. Your real voice and your GingerSnapped voice can do two-part harmony! Just remember, in the winter, far beneath the winter snow, lies a seed, that with the sun's love, in the spring becomes a landscape of crystal feedback atmosphere! Then as everyone is leaving, give them holiday cookies you've cut-up into cute shapes with a pixilated cookie quantizer. GingerSnap!

Jamie

[2nd Version]
Fixed recording so files are saved to the Desktop. Made a floating window that lets you use you computer keyboard's home row as a MIDI Controller.

Veteran's Day

2008-11-18T14:11:00.000-06:00

So I think that being in Kansas City is about connecting what I want to do with what I'm doing. This Kansas City adventure is about building a lifestyle of connections between people, places and ideas that I care about. It's a nice feeling, becoming who I am.

It's like last week. Julia's parents were visiting from Sacramento for Veterans Day. We've never had so many people for dinner! The regular Sunday night crowd were there. My Mom, her boyfriend Mister Ed, sister Megan, brother Dominic, Julia and I were joined by the Fredenburgs of the West. It was a ruckus night of squash soup, lasagna and apple pie!

It's dangerous to move somewhere away from people you love. Because everywhere there are people worth caring for. And after moving once, you'll always miss someone from where you were.

So it was the most amazing feeling, not last Sunday - but the Sunday before, to be surrounded by so many people from all over who I love so well.

And the more recent Sunday night's dinner was good too.

Jamie

New Etsy Update

2008-11-16T13:58:00.000-06:00

Great news! New Etsy update! I'm sure its a relief to all you in blog-land that I've updated my Etsy shop once again. Now all of you that have been clamoring to get your grubby little mits on some homemade wares have your chance to finally live big!

Don't worry though, my friends with custom orders, your items are being diligently worked on my me and all of Midwestern elves. They are adorable and all wearing their puffy Chiefs jackets, carefully crafting your custom orders and gearing up for winter.

Things have been getting a little chillier here, well only yesterday, but still! It snowed just a little bit, you really had to look hard to even notice, but it was there alright! I'm just gearing up for winter weather!

Great Idea

2008-11-12T17:31:00.000-06:00

Things are going pretty well, craft wise. So well that I'm constantly crafting. (well to be honest, I've been sick and my parents were visiting us here in KC, where the playas play, so I've taken a break until today.) Here is another custom dress that I made for a lovely someone on Etsy.

All this crafting makes me think I should put an ad on Craigslist for an intern or something. I could even offer course credit to a fortunate textile design student! The art institute is right around the corner from me, an easy commute for any student! They might be a little disappointed though when they get to our apartment and find out that I actually should have put "sweatshop work in my sunroom" instead of "perfect fashion design internship, great experience!" in my Craiglist ad.

Art students! Just think about it!

Halloween Fun

2008-11-03T18:21:00.001-06:00

Jamie and I really enjoyed reliving the dream that is high school prom photos! In these type of photos, it's very important (a 17 year old Mathew Debarry, who was the photographer at the prom, told me) to show off your fingernails that you carefully manicured for the occasion.

I'm a ghost, Jamie's mom (Anne) is Tinkerbell, and Dominic (Jamie's brother) is an alien. Sometimes on just the right Halloween night, a totally unscripted, candid photo of a few friends having a good time without any coaxing, can be captured, with out poses.

Jamie was a cube. We went trick or treating with Dominic around the neighborhood, and there were hoards of kids! MANY people were visibly angry at Jamie's costume because it wasn't super clear. "What the heck are you?!" Some people reacted well, but a lot of kids just stared blankly at him with a little bit spit coming out of their mouths.

Things ended a little differently at our favorite annual Halloween riot! Things get a little scary sometimes, but what's Halloween without a little mob danger?!

First Crafting Post!

2008-10-29T18:11:00.000-05:00

Thats right guys, this is my first blog post about crafts! And I'm sure it wont be the last!

My Etsy shop has been doing rather well ("rather well" means better that what it was before, which was uneventful to say the least). I successfully sold everything in the shop, and had a bunch of custom orders for other things that had already sold. This is great! But also crafting has consumed my every waking hour (when I'm not working on my new found love of blogging!)

Here are a few different views of a dress that I made for a fine female lady in Australia! Exotic! (The top photo is the original version of the dress)

Michel and Barack Obama, Our New Crafts (we're still doing crafts though too)

2008-10-27T21:12:00.000-05:00

One of the many luxuries of living in the Midwest is that presidential candidates come to your town! Sure California has fun in the sun, but Barack Obama and his extended family don't even bother with the beach parties and the obvious electoral votes that will go to him. As a result, Jamie and I have become VERY POLITICAL. Well, to be honest, we are more political than before, but not obnoxiously so, we don't have T-shirts, yard signs, buttons, or even annoying advice for friends.

A few weeks ago, Michelle Obama came to town, and we went to go see her. Emanual Clever (everyone's favorite ex-mayor/current congressperson) spoke and got everyone riled up! There was a big crowd, so mostly what we saw of soon-to-be first lady was a red pantsuit, but it was a fun raucous time!

Last week we got the whole enchilada, with Barack Obama himself! We took Dominic, Jamie's 11 year old little brother, and got on the bus with all the other decked out Obama supporters. It was a pretty long event, just hordes of people and lines and demonstrators and counter demonstrators and demonstrators against demonstrating, so by the time Obama got there everyone was tired of the whole thing. Unfortunately we hadn't been there since three in the morning so we didn't have prime seats, so the result was that we got to see his very bright white button-up and that's about all. We aren't deterred though, and might go to a friendly election party on November 4th! See you all there,

Julia

2008-10-24T21:15:00.001-05:00

Hey friends, enemies, and interweb busybodies! This is my first and outdated post about our trip from the Heartland of California to Heartland of the Nation! That's right, here's a little bit about the great trek East on the Missouri Trail! The wonders of Nevada and its scenic rest stops, never ceases to amaze! This was one of very first stops along the trail, and it was here that I got a little nervous about a leering man in the desert. Nevada!

We also stoped at Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado and enjoyed all the dino memorabilia. Jamie is very smart about computers but not as smart about things that are real vs things that are fake. Here is trying to lure one of the fake dinos into our car with treats and petting.
Here I am, surveying the land, from the view of the dino.

I think our favorite spot on the trip was Strawberry Hotsprings in Colorado. This particular hot spring had all the liberal "back to nature" ideas of home but without all the discouraging cold ocean water!

What a paradise Colorado is! It has everything that I could ever want! Earthy hotsprings, adorable B&Bs, and winter sports! We stayed at the Holiday Chalet in Denver and, as you can see from this photo of the kitchenette, it is adorable! Kudos to the Holiday Chalet.

The haven that is the Holiday Chalet ( (303) 437-8245) also has a tremendous tea service!

It only took us a few days, but we managed to make it to good old Kansas City, MO and set up shop. Stay tuned for updates about Midwestern crafts, Jamie's "how-tos", and tons of webisodes!

Painting Every Room

2008-09-24T09:59:00.000-05:00

Just one look in the bathroom cabinet and you'll know that I'm fierce with a brush. The bristles are sprayed erratic with energy I bring against gingivitis, gum disease and bad breath. But these last couple weeks I've learned that painting an apartment is different from cleaning my mouth.

UPDATE: Painting Project Finished!

1) The first step in starting any new project is finding an online how-to tutorial. Our friends at Easy2DIY have prepared a nice one in glorious 3d just for the Masterpeas. Thanks Easy2DIY!

Julia and I are serious about color. In California we cleansed our pallets with sea foam wash. Pastels of every hue ruled the coastal neighborhoods.
Maybe there is something about 98% brightness that makes a person want to wake up and go on a walk before breakfast. Doesn't 6% saturation beckon one to look further, to indulge curiosity and have faith in possibilities? In choosing the colors for the rooms of our new apartment we could not deny this important region of CIE 1931 color space.

At the same time, we've enjoyed populating our apartment with furnishings and furnishing our population with an apartment built around 1900 in the Arts and Crafts style.

So we chose colors that blended whimsy with sturdy, primary with secondary, Julia with Jamie.

[How to paint rooms: Jamie Style]
1) Use a hand brush first to do all the detail work, like where the wall meets the ceiling or the trim. Throw prep time, drop cloths and masking tape out the window while getting prosumer results by painting around that fine wood trim with a slow confident hand and a high quality 1.5" angled sash brush.

2) Fill in your hand painted
outlines with the broad strokes
of a roller.

3) Sometimes it might take
2 or 3) coats to make it even.