A big shoutout to the very kind hearted and colorful man I met at the laundromat outside Joshua Tree. All the locals seemed to know him and had sat through his tangents many times. We shared my cigs as he told me about him and his brother trying to blow a tunnel in the mountains with dynamite in the 90s, which ended with military helicopters and only the beginnings of a tunnel. He told me that he was descended from the hired guards of Vlad the Impaler. “When you impale that many people, you need guards.” He said dementor-like hooded figures do strange rituals at night in the mountains there. “Harry Potter is real.” He said Biden was the antichrist and Trump could save us, though he acknowledged his faults and said he personally loved everyone. I believe him. I don’t think he was mentally well, but he had found a way to survive and be a well-liked member of his community. His eyes were brilliant and he was generous with his cheap whiskey. I think of him often and hope he is happy
Feb 23, 2025
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My friends and I were bored last night so we looked for things to do in our town because there's usually nothing. On Google maps we find a place that was a "boarding school for witches, ghouls, and monsters" so of course we get in the car and pull up.
Once there it is obviously a witches house. An old 1800s building with glowing pumpkins out front. Red lanterns illuminating the windows and so many random things in the backyard including a circus tent. This had to be a witches house. So we approach and knock on the door. We are pretty certain it's just someone's house but it's a Tuesday night at 7pm what's the worst that could happen.
We wait for a moment until we see a light turn on and a disheveled man in his pajamas, a big orange beard and a trucker hat opens the door and says "hello?" Looking at us quizzically. I say "hello is this ****** - boarding school for witches, ghouls and monsters? We found it on Google maps and are curious." He chuckles a little and says "let me explain. Come inside." We enter a dimly lit living room decorated with antiques and ominous knick knacks. Dozens of candles hung from the ceiling and he takes a seat on a large throne in the corner. We sit on plush antique couches as he begins to tell us about his passion project.
It turns out his whole entire home was basically an art installation and a manifesting of his life into a fantasy world story. He has lived in his artwork for atleast the last 14 years since he moved into the home and you can tell he cares about it deeply. He tells us how it's morphed and changed for years as he's lived and grown. He wants to make a TV show or a movie and that's what all of this has been for. He's done many things like haunted houses, mercantiles, fantasy experiences, but as of recently he got married 6 months ago and has 7 step children now. His art project has morphed and become more functional. Where he used to live in his characters bedroom he now lives in his own with his wife who is a costume designer. They work together to bring his story to life.
He gave us a tour of every room in his home. Each eclectically decorated with antiques and knickknacks his dedication has attracted him. One was an original glass domed framed photograph of a women's father from the early 1900s gifted to him. And strewn about the home was hundreds of dolls and doll parts. He has acquired these from a random phone call from a man he has never talked to, but he offered him $30,000 worth of antique turn of the century dolls and doll parts. This man just attracts the most amazing things.
His laundry room was half decorated as a wizards mercantile expertly hand crafted shelves and signage marked hand crafted wands, brooms, wood jewelry and so much more. He told us the story of how down in southern Utah he discovered a tri split winding tree alone in the middle of the desert. He harvested this ancient tree and turned it into 3 sister brooms all gorgeously crafted.
We talked with him for an hour and a half and we learned about his TV show he wants to start shooting this year. And about his dreams for what he wants to do with it. We gave him tips on social media and short form content to share his passion and we learned much about each other. We met a very interesting man yesterday.
Mar 5, 2025
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I was travelling from tokyo to vancouver solo and had a 1 night pit stop in LA. When I got settled in to the hostel it was like 10pm and almost everything was closed so i went to get in-n-out. Afterwards I wandered over to the pier and end up talking to a bunch of old heads who'd just left the closing bar. Friendly dudes, I end up smoking weed w them and playing chess and listening to jazz with this one dude who does street chess hustling (he's wearing all white and plays on abbot kinney boulevard iykyk) until like 4am, at which point he tells me usually just finds a couch to sleep on. Being the totally naive and no self preservation having person I am, I realize I have the hostel room with 2 beds (I am exhausted from travelling and wanted a non-dorm night) and tell him that of course he can crash on the other bed. I tell myself if he wanted to assault me or take my money or any number of nasty things he would have done it already. Anyway, he doesn't murder me in my sleep and take all my belongings, and we both go about our lives. If/when I go back to LA I'm gonna try find him again.
Jul 5, 2024
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Last year, I made a new acquaintance at a house show & learned that she DJ'd on the side! She invited me to a party that she was DJ'ing a few weeks (?) later, so I drove to the address. Apparently it was a random warehouse space in downtown Orlando. There was a huge skateboard ramp in there and t-shirt printing supplies in the back, I think? Watching her play was really fun. At one point she even hooked up a Nintendo D.S. and made a beat on one of the games!!
The parking situation downtown is confusing, so I ended up parking my car in front of the church next door while their nighttime service was going on. The parking lot was full of other cars and there was no signage for towing, so I figured it was fine. There was also a fence around the parking lot, but I didn't notice the gate until I came out of the party and found my car sitting alone there, locked inside. I called the church and the nice guy on the other end said I could pick it up in the morning, so I Uber'd home. The next day, I came to pick up my car and had to wait about half an hour for the church man to get there.
As I was standing there, wearing an outfit that was hardly goth at all, this random guy on the street told me: "I just gotta say, I love your gothic style. I ain't gonna lie, baby, you're gorgeous. I'm sure you got a girlfriend though, right? Okay, well, remember me!" Somehow he clocked me as queer and hit on me at the same time. I decided to wait indoors after that. Eventually I did get my car back, but everything that happened in those 12 hours felt so random.
Mar 25, 2025
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Ok stay with me here. Too much public filming. This is going to discourage good weird public activity. We need people being weird in public. Odd dancing, carrying around insane items, freaked out fits, etc. Instead of a quick vid to show your friends, or, god forbid, *get internet clout*, people should be sketching the scene and describing it in colorful language. Now you have to take accountability for your opinion on the matter, your draftsmanship and writing gets better, and the public freaks have plausible deniability in the job interview. This goes for drunk man on the street tik tok videos as well. Put on a newsboy cap and start jotting. There should be exceptions like intentional performances or heinous crimes of course. I’m open to other exceptions I just can’t think of any rn. This will never be a reality but i can try
Feb 25, 2025
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The brits went crazy with this phrase. Some of their best work
Apr 17, 2025
Mar 10, 2025