torsohead

the doodysong is up on youtube!

here's the doodysong from youtube. the quality is kinda low due to file conversion and compression, but you can check out the original flash animation here - http://www.joestanford.net/doodysong.html

a time for new beginnings I think

january second already. today is sam's 14th and tomorrow will be my 43rd and a half. the past couple months have flown by in a flurry of hourly craigslist checks and apartment viewings and rental application out-fillings. everything else has been backburnered while I pursued the perfect - or really just an acceptable... well really just about any - apartment at all. I sampled a variety for awhile, but held to the west of lincoln requirement - but other than that I was pretty open. things are tight these days in venice-proper and the search wasn't easy. most people are trapped by the quickly risen prices over the past couple years, and can't afford to leave their rent-controlled apartments. very few studios and one bedrooms have been available and when they are they are pretty highly in demand. well, the studios in the apartment buildings down by the beach are usually available, but they're pretty small and not too appealing and I'm maybe a bit old for "right-by-the-beach these days. but not many other studios and the one bedrooms can be pretty pricey, so luckily for me, susan decided to move back from hawaii - and to make what is kind of a long story, short: we've got a place. but we have to wait until it opens up, so it looks like I'll be staying in sailene and jon's guesthouse for another month, which is pretty nice, and I'm awfully lucky to have it, and am determined to get my life started back up, despite my ongoing period of transition.

that said, I think I'm gonna put the art shows off until february, because I'm not ready with everything... I mean the paintings are pretty much done - definitely the big ones are - if you haven't seen them scroll down or check out the website - www.joestanford.net you know - but I need to finish up the little paintings and do some drawing and writing and concluding, and I just haven't been getting to it... so there's that. now that the apartment search is over and even though I'm still unsettled, I think I'll be able to get back into the swing of things again... it is the new year and all... a time for new beginnings I think.

saddam hussein

I'm not saying that saddam hussein was not a horrible despotic leader, but the arrogance and self-righteousness implicit in any capital punishment appalls me. I was just out for dinner and caught a bit of the coverage on the tv and then came home and read bush's smug and callous comments online... killing this man, no matter how heinous his crimes, will accomplish no good... I yearn for the day when those in power and adults in general realize the truth in the childhood lesson that two wrongs don't make a right. this is a sad day for humanity... and it's been a sad year and an embarrassing decade for the united states and the world at large. here's to a better future and a more peaceful and empathetic new year.

I'm done... well, sorta

The Death of Cain

I've still got the small ones to do, and some writing and drawing that I'll probably put off until I get back to venice. but the small ones and the update to the website I'll try to get done before I leave in about two and a half weeks (oct 14th is the plan).

one more to go & my jeep

Cain and Abel #6

I hope to be finished with the big paintings tomorrow. I'll still be playing around with the small ones for awhile, but they should come together without quite as much effort (I think). I'm happy with my new car, although having gotten used to not having a vehicle, it's a bit daunting to suddenly have one - don't quite know what to do with it... maybe it's not that sudden, I've known I'd buy one for the trip back west for months, but it still feels a bit uncomfortable to have it. when I bought it I was sure it was blue - but it's kinda purplish when the light catches it in a certain way... I guess that's alright, but I kinda lean more towards neutrals when it comes to cars (unlike with the paintings, you know).

two more to go

The Death of Patroclus

Mother Mourning for Murdered Son

The Death of Ajax