Robot Parade!

This is probably the best thing ever. I don't have much to write about it, it just simply makes me happy. This is a very informal post (who knew I could get even lazier...)

Enjoy.


Robot Parade from Jared Foster on Vimeo.

-jc del barco ii
robot/human/robot

Olympics > Human Rights!

"August 09, 2008

Record ratings for NBC's Olympic opening ceremony

[Updated, 1:04 p.m.] -- NBC’s Olympic dream of ratings fireworks came true.

The network’s coverage of the Games got off to a roaring start Friday with the most-watched and highest-rated non-U.S. summer opening ceremony telecast ever.

The Beijing event averaged 34.2 million viewers and received an 18.6 national household rating.

In the nearly 50 years of televised Olympics, that's higher than any previous non-domestic summer opener -- up 35% in viewers from the Athens ceremony in 2004 (25.4 million, 14.6 rating) and 25% higher than Sydney in 2000 (18.5/32). The household rating bested the 1960 Rome Games on CBS (18.1) -- a record that's stood for 48 years, according to Nielsen Media Research."

-The Hollywood Reporter. Read full article here.

Well, I'm upset about this. I like the Olympics. I think competition is a good thing. Good sportsmanship has been a timeless way for humans to entertain and challenge each other without any hostile intentions.

This year I am not watching them. I don't like this one bit, but I feel like I needed to be a responsible citizen of earth. We live in a time where people, individuals or masses, can make a difference. As many of you are aware, China has been, well, a bit rough around the edges.

We live in a modern world where any threat to civil rights will not be tolerated. China has had a disregard for such notions for too long now. They can wash the streets all they want, but looking pretty doesn't do anything for the global climate. After keeping up with news and having a few discussions with friends and family, I realized I shouldn't support China's fraudulent international appearance. Hopefully, many would share this belief and actually make a significant worldwide statement that would put pressure on China to change its ways.

Apparently not. Record breaking ratings? Really America? You're all talk. People brag about boycotting the Olympics to show political awareness, but ratings show otherwise.

Read this too: Father of former Olympian killed in Beijing

These are some bittersweet times for sports. Remember how fun little league was? I hope the rest of the Olympics run smoothly and safely. I also hope China realizes that it can't hide how it treats it's citizens or how it pollutes the earth. Also, as an American, I hope we kick ass and win golds all around.

Good luck, athletes!

-jc del barco ii
American/not-a-good-swimmer/used-to-run-hurdles

SHARK WEEK! 7/27-8/2!!!!

That's right ladies and gentlemen. Tomorrow starts the 21st annual Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. If you aren't familiar with Shark Week, go ahead and skim the wikipedia article here.

Shark week is a fun time of the year for me, and it should be for you too. The Discovery Channel dedicates a week of its programming every year to sharks. Don't be confused though, they host shows ABOUT sharks... not FOR sharks. Shark week is a milestone for summer. I think it's a great way to break in the last month of summer vacation.

Invite friends over. Turn on the tele. Fire up the grill. Wear those sandals. Drink that beer. Watch that shark.

My girlfriend and I chatted about it a few weeks ago and we started brainstorming plans. I encourage all of you to make up your own plans or to expand on ours. Some ideas we came up with were making construction paper shark hats, a Long Beach Aquarium visit, chumming the swim zones with rotten squid (my idea), fishing with dynamite (again, my idea), etc. We only faced one speed bump when we realized neither of us get the discovery channel. This kink will be worked out shortly. Stay tuned.

The discovery channel set up a pretty nice website for their shark stuff though. Check it out here for info on programming and fun links. Check it out here so you can plan your day:

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/sharkweek/sharkweek.html

Luckily, it isn't like Coachella where you have to sacrifice one great act to catch another. These are all awesome shark shows on the same great stage. All you need is sunflower seeds, diet coke, and a sofa. The website features links to news articles about sharks, info about sharks, everything. Finally, they one-upped wikipedia for results when you type "shark" into your search engine.

I was reading on the website about some of the shows that were going to be featured and I was totally stoked about the Mythbusters this week. They are going to build a 16-foot RoboShark. This has to be illegal. It's practically a weapon. I'm just hoping that it has lasers to take out the rogue U-Boats left in the English Channel (they're still there, trust me).
Aside from RoboShark, they claim that they will test whether or not dogs attract sharks. Hm.
How do they plan on testing this? I don't like the sound of this one bit. Dogs are not supposed to be tested as sharkbait.

In order to compensate for its cruelty to dogs, the Discovery Channel also posted links to its new ocean conservation blog which is full of information anybody that wants to help out sharks! I encourage you to check this out too because it is our duty as responsible citizens of Earth. More importantly, sharks will eat you if you don't. FACT.

Alright guys, I challenge you to take August into your own hands and have an amazing Shark Week. Bond with friends, watch Jaws, learn about sharks, go to the beach, get eaten, and have a blast. I'll keep you guys updated with my activities, and feel free to contact me to invite me along too!

-jc del barco ii

sharkfan/sharkbait/nerd

Gay Driving: Proibito!

While drunk driving is commonly illegal in most nations, Gay driving still holds no conflicts with the law in Italy. Though worth celebrating, this breakthrough for progressive human rights around the world came at the cost of homophobic humiliation and 100, 000 euros.

26 year old Italian, Danilo Giuffrida, won a lawsuit against the state in Italy when the transport ministry told him that he would have to retake his driving license exam due to his recent "sexual idenity disturbance".

He claimed that that he was gay on his military service medical examination. They then sent word over to the Departmento of Motoroni Veihiconolli that Danilo Giuffrida was indeed homosexual. Giuffrida passed the test a second time after agreeing to take it again for being gay. They then issued him a driver's license that expired in a year. Most Italian drivers licenses expire in 10 years.

Hmm.

Read full article here.

I'm not really an Italian stereotype expert or anything, but I don't understand how being gay can make anybody a bad driver. As Nancy as it gets, jammin' out to Madonna on the piazza streets isn't gonna hurt anybody. If anything, I think they would probably just make driving more fashionable.

Upon further thought, I realized that Americans have driving stereotypes too. I'll say what everyone's thought at least once in the States:

Asians, Women, and Old People are a threat to public safety on the roads.

But why? No reason. I think we should all take this as an opportunity to calm down our road rage and let go of stereotypes. Otherwise, we're just as bad as the Italians. Yes, I just took one step backwards with my previous statement.

Italy realized it was being stupid and homophobic so they gave the guy 100,000 euros to cover up the damage and apologize to the modern homophilic community.

If I were him, I'd spend that money on building the gayest car on earth. Pink, glitter, fuzzy dice, poppers, Cindy Lauper, the works. He should get a car so flamin' that it's threat to it's own gastank.

HA! (I've lost all credibility, wit, and dignity with that that joke.)

Here's a link about the Top 10 Gay Cars of 2008.




Well. Here's one for civil rights and DMV inconveniences around the globe!

-jc del barco ii

decent driver/likes pink/dislikes The Man.

My Brightest Diamond: <3

My buddy Charlie invited me to see Sufjan Stevens at the Wiltern in October of '06. I was never a huge fan, but I was excited nonetheless. Opening for Sufjan was a band called My Brightest Diamond.

A full string quartet, drums, bass, and the best part of all: a dainty and elegant girl with a guitar and haunting voice behind a microphone stand covered in white x-mas lights.
I instantly became a fan of Shara Worden and shortly got a copy of her 2006 debut Bring me the Workhorse.

The young ex-opera performer picked up the rock and roll lifestyle touring as one of Sufjan's Illinoisemakers while opening with her own MBD.

A few months later when I was living in Paris, I got tickets to see her perform in a rock trio version of MBD at Le Point Éphémère. During the opening act, I caught a glimpse of her standing alone at her merch table. I instantly abandoned my party and walked over. I introduced myself and engaged a nice conversation about the french, travel, music, celestas, music boxes, cigarettes, etc. She was kind and charming. For the first time in a long time, there where butterflies in my tummy to accompany the usual nausea.

L'amour

On June 9th in New York, Worden sent out an e-mail that she would have an in-store performance at Other Music in Manhattan that same night. I made plans with my girlfriend and our friend to swing by. I was lucky to have been in the city then.

When we arrived, there was already a line wrapping around the tiny record store. At 8:30, the crowd started piling in to a tiny shop. Shara Worden walked up with a nicely decorated polka-dot dress and her string quartet followed. I was a good 4-5 feet away from her. It was crowded, but the intimacy of the performance was deep and exciting. The strings resonated naturally in a small environment, and her powerful voice was heard well, even without the help of a mic. She looked the audience in the eyes and smiled and sang to us.

Watch this short documentary about the evening which is posted on her website:



After the set, we hung around to greet her. My girlfriend and friend were hungry, but I insisted that we say hi. She was also upset that I wouldn't hold her hand around Shara Worden. At the time I didn't see it as a big deal, but in retrospect, I was being a dick. Sorry MK. I got a chance to say hi to her, but I was nervous because she was talking to me and I could tell that my girlfriend was irritated. I didn't mention that I had spoken with her in Paris and instead asked her something stupid about her new album.

I ruined my chance of striking up a fan/celebrity friendship. Perhaps next time... hopefully...

...

The next week, her new album A Thousand Shark's Teeth hit the public. It's a lovely album. Wonderful string arrangements over some 90's reminiscent grunge guitar all lead by Shara's wonderful vocals. I'd say the new album is a fusion of jazz, 90's rock, and classical music. She is an American Edith Piaf with a song writing style of Jeff Buckley. To be honest, I felt like a 30 year old woman when I first heard the album. It's very feminine. Some of the singing cries out painfully, while other songs like Apples have an innocent playfulness to them. Pick the album up and see for yourself.

It wasn't her albums that won me over though. It's her presence. See her live. I've seen her live in LA at a huge venue with about a 12 person band, in a small shitty Parisian venue with a guitar, drums and bass, and in a tiny record shop with a quartet. Each time, she managed to have an incredible sound and had the charm to win the hearts of everyone in the room. Though I've been to plenty of shows in my life, I would defend that Shara Worden is one of the best performers I've ever experienced.

Again, see for yourself.

-jc del barco ii

fan/teenage girl/bad boyfriend

Gradutation.

Cheers to the class of 2008.

I graduated from Chapman University on Saturday morning. Through the blistering heat and scorching sun, all grads and families stuck it out to watch us turn the tassels.

But seriously. I was damn hot. Commencement was not as comfy as I had hoped.

Here goes my day:

I was awaken at 5:30 AM by my frazzled English roommate saying, "Let's graduate, mother f*cker". The anticipation gave me the energy to sprout out of bed in a second and shower. After grabbing our black (note black) cap and gowns, we walked towards the Old Town Orange Circle, just a few blocks away.

We line up out side of Paul's Cocktail's and show our IDs to the bouncer. I know I look young, but I've been at this bar at least once a week for the past 2 months. I was wearing my cap and gown at 6 AM. I just wished the bartender could have cut me a bit of slack and not made me wait and show my ID. Fuck. I hate that guy.

The bar was packed with students, the bartenders were pourin', and students were chatting. My roommate and I took some shots for a toast, and then I started over to breakfast with a bloody mary. A reporter from the OC Register came over and interviewed me about the Chapman 6AM Graduation bar tradition! Check out the article if you're interested!

We then waltzed on over to the Wilson Field at Chapman to figure out where to line up.
It was already hot, I was tipsy, and I needed to go pee. Graduation was already a mess.

After seeing friends in line and sitting down, it set in. Not that I was done with college. I was amazed that we would have to spend the next 3 hours facing the hottest sun of 2008 wearing black gowns. This wasn't going to be easy. I felt as if it was the last hurdle that Chapman wanted us to leap over to get our degrees. 4 years of expensive schooling, now slow physical torture. Dynamite.

It was worth sitting through the heat though. I like ceremonial events. It was nice shaking Doti's hand when I got my diploma. It was great turning the tassel to the left side with my peers. After the ceremony was done, the Film Students gathered by the new fountain on campus and mingled with families.

My family was thrilled. I was suffering from mild heat exhaustion, hang overs, and emotional disbelief, so I was overwhelmed when my family wanted to get picture after picture with me. I actually blacked out for a moment. It was too much. After hugging and kissing were done with the family, I walked around with friends and met other families.

We were done. I've built some good friendships and some good memories these past four years. We have all come a long way. I have the best friends and family on earth.

Thank you Arthur, Audrey, Mom, Dad, MK, Randy, pets, Prescott Family, Laura, Kathryn, Darren, Anthony, Sebastian, Charlie, Thomas (Long and Bailey), Faraaz, Justin, Crystal, Enrique, Natalie, Dilshan, Ben Ras, Chris (Walls and Richmond), Dennis, Joey, Ed and Joe (may God rest his young and vibrant soul), Alan, Alex Cox, Lucca friends, everyone on every filmset I've worked on, North Morlan friends, Starbucks friends, Thunderboating friends, French friends, Professors, study Groups, Paul's Cocktails, cocktails in general, music, movies, travel, mistakes, etc.

If I forgot you, I am sorry. We can chat about it later.

For the first time in my life, I am proud of myself. I am the luckiest man on earth.

Cheers God, I'm going to destroy the Earth.

-jc del barco ii, B.F.A.

Guns = Freedom (and FUN!)

First check this episode of Americana on http://www.vbs.tv/video.php?id=607689676 out. It's about a gun shop in Pearl River, New York:




Did you see it?

...

"I also like to carry a Glock 9mm, this is more of your everday gun..."
...

Seriously?

Everyday gun? Instructor Adam talks about gun convenience and utility like iPhones. Actually, Apple products are far less complicated. They don't have many options, so choosing is easy, like at the In-N-Out drive-thru. Guns, however, come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Adam continues to describe the shotgun as "the most effective home weapon on the planet". He disclosed that he casually likes to leave one "lying around" his house. Other guns can take out 18-wheel trucks driving at you, large men, ethnic men, homosexuals, liberals, vegans, terrorists, or any other threat to W.A.S.P. American culture. As a matter of fact, shop owner, Ziggy (that's right, Ziggy), said that his 50 caliber hand gun can shoot down dinosaurs.

Dinosaurs.

First terrorists, then the neo-hippies, and now DINOSAURS!?! America is under serious threat people. Charlton Heston (may he rest in peace) has left us at our darkest hour. Who will unite the NRA? Who will defend us?

I certainly hope it's not that little chubby kid with a lisp in the video. Aside from already being a total nerd, the kid has the hots for the gunpowder. That's a big no in modern urban culture (I'm pretty savvy here, see Paris BFF blog).

Don't get me wrong, I like America a lot more than your average. I-just-got-back-from-a-semester-at-la-Sorbonne-in-Paris-college-student. I think it's a great country. Chances are someone from my country can kick someone from another country's ass. On this note, I just can't get my mind around the right to bear arms thing. I was on vacation in Sweden last year when the tragedy at V-Tech happened. When people found out I was American, they seemed a little taken back like I was going to hurt them or like I was some sort of beast. You would think that after WWII America would figure that we aren't going to be attacked. Our countrymen will not have to form a neo-minuteman militia.

Guns have always been a hot topic in the States.
Personally, I don't like them. I think they're silly. It's like smoking. It's bad for you, rude, smelly, and makes other people bitch a lot... but at least smoking makes you look cool.
Fact.

Guns don't make you look cool. That little fat lisp kid isn't gonna start chat with a hipster chick on the smoking patio of Club Bang using gun talk. That's negative game. You can't even bring guns into clubs. Stick with smoking, kids.

Adam and Ziggy did make guns seem like a lot of fun. I mean, they've been loadin on bin Laden. They're two nice guys that are really into what they're into. Ziggy buys his wife an Elvis gun, I buy my girlfriend avocados. I guess when I think about it, guns give me the freedom to buy my girlfriend avocados. I can't complain. Thanks guns. Thuns.

In summary, I conclude that smoking is cool, shotguns are handy, dinosaurs are dicks, and guns are saving my relationship.

Here is a list of gun-related links so you can study and come to your own conclusion about how guns affect your life:

National Rifle Association

Guns and Fun Forum

Wiki: 2nd Amendment

Idiots with Guns Blog

International Homicide Comparisons

-jc del barco ii

ex-smoker/ex-cool/afraid of dinosaurs and (or with) guns.

I'm a Real Group Show.

Firstly, I am sorry for not blogging for three weeks. Film shoots, travel, extreme fatigue, and blatant laziness kept me from myself.

Moving on.

On Tuesday, April 15th, I went over to the Guggenheim Gallery at Chapman University to review the opening of an art show named "I'M A REAL GROUP SHOW". Though there was a lacking theme, artists Natalie Kiwan, Christopher Richmond, and Hannah Rogers had shared their mixed-media artwork.

Kiwan had an interesting hanging canvas that looked like a more sophisticated mobile, even bearing artifical clouds. That's right. Clouds.

Rogers' work was pretty modern. I personally have a fascination with projection and always approve of projection as an art. She had a sort of video mosaic of people's faces projecting onto a wall. I wish the room had been a little darker for this installation.

For the real flesh, a good friend of mine, Christopher Richmond had presented his large collection of photos of corridors as well as candid shots of people sleeping in waiting rooms. With the money recieved from a recent grant, Richmond had hardbound 8 copies of the collection, titled "This is Institutionalized Space".

The photos had a nice rhythm when flipping though the pages. Every photo had the same form looking down a long cluttered hall of a hospital or something similar, with only furniture and colors changing. I wasn't looking at the furniture in the frame, rather, I found myself lost in the hallway after each subsequent photo. Some would find the shape and form monotonous after a few photos, but I find discipline and meditation in such presentations bold.
The latter half of the book focused on people sleeping in waiting rooms. I liked this for two reasons:

a) The pictures are calming. There is a sort of cathartic peace in looking at an image of something resting. The last photo of the book uses space so well to capture a woman sleeping in a chair with vast wall above her.
b) Imagine this guysneaking around in a hospital illegally snapping photos of people sleeping. Chris told me he had to run from a woman who witnessed his creepin' on some sleepin'... I was sad that I missed this.

Richmond's Obsessive Compulsive Disorder shone through with his flawless display of the books, each with it's own podium and chair to ensure premium comfort for patron viewing (or judging, if you're a dick).
He even had neatly laid out white cotton gloves for people to wear to prevent smudging the pages...




Seriously.



Richmond brought balance to the OCD quirks with his one-of-a-kind refreshment table. Soft drinks, water, pastries, fruit, cheese, and the non-offensive usual Guggenheim installation snacks were present of course, though were dwarfed by the plate of free Chesterfield 100's. This is a surefire way to win over the heart of 4/5 college art snobs (see left). Though I recently had quit smoking, I had to indulge in the novelty of free smokes with my buddy, who also doesn't smoke. The 100's were brutal. I wished I smoked with with the white cotton gloves from earlier.




Upstairs was awesome. A dark room with one screen projected and a set of headphones. Richmond had wired a security camera to cover the live exhibit from above for the voyeuristic viewing pleasure.

Richmond's fine gift for taking photographs of hallways, voyeuristic shots of people sleeping (or live patrons), and neatly presented work all came together for a nice enjoyable evening. Whether it be the fine art, the company of friends, or the free nicotine, the patrons were bearing smiles. Success.

Chris Richmond is a fine photographer and cinematographer pursuing a BFA in Film Production and a Minor in Art at Chapman University. He consumes store bought sushi, chewing gum, and cigarettes. Please look over his work at his website at http://www.chrisyrichmond.com.


-jc del barco ii

newfound art snob/former smoker/amateur