Unusual Life

World AIDS Day, Dec. 1 2006, was celebrated in Bangkok with a festival that included a parade, booths, entertainment, a fashion show, and finally a try at setting the Guinness world record for the longest chain of condoms.

Thailand Condom Costumes

Photo Credit: Seattle Metropolitan Magazine

This Sunday, January 28th, we will be appearing on HGTV’s “Offbeat America“, exhibiting our large paint-by-number collection. (And you thought I was just a silly dilletante!)

Check out the VIRTUAL TIKI TOUR of our Paint-By-Number Salon / Tiki Bar.

For a more serious un-offbeat interview, see Dustin Luthers interview of moi, on Rain City Guide.

For more interior photos see The Paint-by-Numbers House

Kelly Lyles, a Seattle artist and gal-about-town is featured in the latest “What’s With That House?” this Sunday, January 21st at 10:30 PM. If you miss it, it will be rerun on January 22, 2:30 AM, January 29, 11:00 PM and on January 30, 3:00 AM.

George Gray, the show’s host, explains: “You’re driving down a neighborhood street and all of a sudden, you slam your brakes and you turn your head like a dog that’s just heard a whistle. You mutter: What’s with that house?”

Local Offbeat Homes on TV

Kelly’s Spot

Kelly’s house on Seattle Dream Homes

“For the most part Soviet architecture and design is remembered for its heavy block buildings and functionally Spartan designs. Its overpowering desire for conformity left little room for individual creative freedom. A notable exceptions to this is in the transportation sector. One can admire this creativity in the Metro stations of cities like Moscow and Tashkent where the coldness and sterility of typical soviet urban architecture is abandoned and costs are not spared as creative freedom is unleashed. While many of us are aware of the elaborate splendor of the Moscow underground, it is easy to overlook the phenomenon of the common roadside bus stop as an example of soviet art and design letting loose and becoming a little weird and crazy.”

Soviet Roadside Bus Stops

Unusual “Castle House” located in Wilkeson, Washington, about a one-hour drive South of Seattle.

Unique blend of style, comfort & stimulation that never could be duplicated. From the ‘For Sale’ brochure: “Thru the stained glass front door revel in the fantasy of etched glass windows with knights on horseback. Up to date kitchen with an old world feel & DR with crys. chand. Now to the FR with wet bar, Castle style FP & str to MB with sitting area, bed chamber& make up chamber.”

“Antique lighting abounds. 2nd str for other BR’S & veiwing tower. Back Dk & stone path lead to babbling brook. Fruit trees & nice stor shed.”

The husband-wife design team of Zia-Priven makes elegant lighting, often from innovative materials. This chandelier, for instance, is made from Ping-Pong balls, fishing line and surgical tubing — a witty twist that was covered by the New York Times.

Zia-Priven Designs

If Elvis were alive today (and I guess there might still be some debate about that), he would be 72 years old today.

This weekend in Memphis there were several events to mark this day, including a Scavenger Hunt, a dance party and Elvis Bingo. More Elvis fun at Elvis Junky.

Can’t make it to Memphis? Then check out the GracelandCam for live shots of both the interior and exterior of E’s former home.

One can’t have a proper birthday without a cake. Last year the Food Network Challenge traveled to the Peabody Hotel and Graceland for pastry and bake-caking competitions. The challenge? Bake the most beautiful Happy Birthday Elvis Cake.

Are you going to be in Seattle? Be sure to attend The Elvis Invitationals, on Friday, January 12, where amateur impersonators get one chance to perform a song, in costume, backed by the Memphis Mafia all-star band, while competing for over $1,000 worth of prizes.

Are you lonesome tonight? Send your loved one a special Elvis Greeting Card.

If you just can’t make it to Seattle or Memphis this week, you can see 100′s of Elvis Tribute Artists as they compete for cash, prizes and the title of “The World’s Finest Elvis Impersonator” in New Orleans January 19-21st at the Elvis Extravaganza.

Looking for a summer event, maybe something international? Collingwood Elvis Festival, Collingwood, Ontario, Canada July 26 – 30th, 2007. Speaking of which, Collingwood was the location of the setting of a new World’s Record for “The Largest Number of Elvis Tribute Artists Performing the Same Song on the Same Stage at the Same Time”

Palm trees, soft white sands, and the sweet sounds of Elvis await you on the cruise ship “Pride of Elvis”. Join Shawn Klush, One of the world’s top Elvis Presley tribute artists and Terry Mike Jeffrey & the TMJ Band and exclusive events, including performances and photo sessions.

Other fun Elvis events…

Elvis Birthday Celebration Concert featuring Kraig Parker in Oklahoma

“Elvis Memories Show” in Belguim

The 6th Annual Elvis FANtasy Fest Cruise from Miami to Grand Cayman Islands.

Friends of Elvis¨ 2007 Fan Club Convention in New Jersey.

Return To Splendour Elvis Weekender (30th Anniversary) in Great Britain.

A man. A woman. A lawsuit.

“Mackris v. O’Reilly” is an oratorio for 31-piece chamber orchestra, 32-voice chorus and three soloists (soprano, tenor and baritone) set to the original court complaint filed against pundit, Bill O’Reilly, on October 13, 2004 and O’Reilly’s on-air settlement announcement given on October 29, 2004. The style of the piece is a traditional neo-baroque that makes the most of the oratorio format. Its 31 parts include seven chorales, two madrigals, three choruses (parts of the chorus matched up with components from the orchestra), four stand-alone recitatives, two instrumental entrances and numerous arias. All of these parts add up to a two-hour running time.

“Mackris v. O’Reilly” makes its world premeire at Meany Hall on January 12 & 13 at 7:30 pm in Seattle. Tickets at Brown Paper Tickets.

The Smoking Gun: O’Reilly Hit With Sex Harass Suit
Female Fox coworker details lewd behavior of cable TV star

Bill O’Reilly, plaintiff settle harassment suit

The Treasures of Long Gone John chronicles the eccentric art and musical obsessions of a self-described anti-mogul of the music industry, indie record producer Long Gone John.

The Seattle premiere of this film is a chance to view John’s incredible art collection which includes Mark Ryden’s “Snow White”. Long Gone John, a life-long resident of L.A. has recently moved to the Seattle area.

In the past seventeen years, he has single-handedly released over 750 records without ever signing a contract and has helped launch the careers of the White Stripes, Hole, The Dwarves, Rocket from the Crypt and The Muffs.

Juxtapoz (#64) features a fantastic article by Todd Schorr describing the origins, ideas, and process behind his amazing work “A Pirate’s Treasure Dream” featured in the film. The article also includes eight still images from the timelapse footage director Gregg Gibbs took while documenting the nine month process.

Sympathy Records continues to be one of the more successful indie labels in the US. Many of his releases also involve commissioned artwork from well- known artists such as, Mark Ryden, Todd Schorr and Robert Williams, often involving subversive riffs on other famous works, like the album cover of The Rolling Stones, “Their Satanic Majesties Request.”

Some of the artists featured in the film are Mark Ryden, Marion Peck, Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup, Camille Rose Garcia, Liz McGrath and a dozen more.

Last year, before his move to the Seattle area, I was able to view his home and snapped a few photos.

More incredible photos of Long Gone John’s Home

Sympathy for the Record Label

Interview with Long Gone John in Little Cracked Egg.

Growing furniture isn’t going to save the planet, but it can be used to demonstrate that it is possible to create genuinely useful things without adding to the pollution that industry inevitably seems to produce. Trees are self-generating, and grown wooden products need only the energy that the sun gives everywhere. It’s free and it’s non-polluting. Training and grafting trees as they grow are established traditional crafts, and wood is durable but it’s also biodegradable, so it doesn’t have to end up in a hole in the ground.

Grown Furniture