Floodlights and Goalposts

The Thunderbird Rink Logo Caws out

August 28th, 2019

47 years of Plano skating madness.

Of referees skating backwards.

Of youth group events and birthday parties.

Of Roller Derbys and makeout sessions.

But most of all, it’s 47 years of that irresistible, hand painted, 8-bit Atari graphics Thunderbird logo.

Endangered Species

It’s street art at it’s best. It’s street art SMT:

Simple. Memorable. Timeless.

Ok. SMT is not a thing, but since the moment I drove past it, the Thunderbird logo nested into my memory.

It’s piece of Plano, nigh Dallas history.

Read up on the Thunderbird Roller Rink in this Plano Magazine piece by Kaci Lahpor
1,000 Jump Shots

August 27th, 2019

Knees bent. Shoulders squared.

Gooseneck up. Snap your wrist. Fly.

Chasing perfection.
Lost on the shelf. The power of an unread book.

August 26th, 2019

The Story of Astronomy has lingered in my library, unopened, for years.

Not a crease across the spine. Not a dog ear between the pages.

I pulled it down from the shelf, hoping it would inspire a poem.

My hope was mislead. But I did learn the sky has a remarkable influence on the Muslim faith:

Allah had put these signs in the sky for a purpose. The stars helped Muslims to work out the direction to Mecca; while the Sun indicated the five times of day when they must pray. The first appearance of the crescent Moon marked the beginning of a new Islamic month. And – by investigating the heavens – Muslim scholars would literally get closer to knowing the mind of God.

Faith and science speaking with each other.

Rare.

Keep those unread books close. Someday they’ll reveal a new truth.
Lunar Morning

August 25th, 2019

Earth’s little brother

traps the cosmos in my mind.

I pause. I wonder.
Legends of Florence: Ribéry Replaces Baggio – 29 years later.

August 24th, 2019

He’s not as handsome as Baggio. But who is?

Like Baggio, Ribéry has the close dribbles. The unexpected changes in speed and direction.

Like Baggio, Ribéry chops the ball past hairy ankles and mud stained socks. And accelerates past hapless fullbacks.

They both play with 5-a-side joy.

They both leave memories for the fans.

But Ribéry has healthier knees.

We must close with Eduardo Galeano on Baggio:

In recent years no one has given Italians better soccer or more to talk about. Roberto Baggio’s game is mysterious: his legs have a mind of their own, his foot shoots by itself, his eyes see the goals before they happen.
Baggio is a big horsetail that flicks away opponents as he flows forward in an elegant wave. Opponents harass him, they bite, they punch him hard. Baggio has Buddhist sayings written under his captain’s armband. Buddha does not ward off the blows, but he does help suffer them. From his infinite serenity, he also helps Baggio discover the silence that lies beyond the din of cheers and whistles.
Eduardo Galeano, Soccer in Sun and Shadow , pg 226
Excuse my manners. Drawing with Adam Savage pt. 2

August 23rd, 2019

How could I publish a post about Adam Savage’s guide to drawing, but not post any of his drawings?

Charlatan!

Imposter!

Traitor!

False testifier!

Please allow me to redeem myself:

finished piece?

Chewbacca’s purse is called a bandolier. Bandoliers exist not only in futures far far away, but in the present day.

From the dictionary:

bandolier / n. a shoulder belt with loops or pockets for cartridges. ORIGIN – from Catalan bandolera (from bandoler ‘bandit’)

Adam’s hand written font in the top left text box stands out. Adding some variety to the lettering transforms a diagram into a near finished piece.

rib caged

The Raven’s ribs are 8 simple curved lines attached to the spine. But a small amount of foreshortening adds depth.

I wonder if Adam added another set of ribs in the final sculpture.

Don’t disregard the notes.

Near the foot: MAGNET TO ATTACH TO PERCH

In the skull: HEAD TOOTIGHT!

teen angst

Even his brainstorming sketches have a bit of weight. It’s worth adding shading, even to the quickest doodle.

I’m inspired. Get out and draw today. Or sketch. Or doodle.

Buy Adam’s book – Every Tool’s a Hammer: Life Is What You Make It, or check it out at the library. I checked it out twice before finally buying the book.
Tickets and Passes

August 22nd, 2019

Clear screen reflections.

Creaked necks, desperate glowing text.

Last stop, Pearl Station.
Light and Power

August 21st, 2019

When’s the last time you learned something new?

But not from the internet. And not from your mama. Or your PHD sister. Or your boss. And not even from a book.

I can’t remember either.

But yesterday I was schooled by a building. By the old Dallas Power & Light Building.

Textbook

What facts did it share?

– The design inspiration came from the Art Deco movement.

– The sharp angular motifs are Zig Zag Moderne, similar to the Chrysler Building in New York.

– And that when completed, the Dallas Power & Light building was the largest welded steel framed structure in the south.

Dope.

I’m all set for Art Deco Dallas trivia night.

But then the questions poured in like wet concrete.

Questions like:

What’s art deco?

Who’s Lang and Witchell?

What’s the Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs?

And that’s when I knew I’d learned something.

Because in my view, learning is more than collecting facts. It’s about being compelled to ask meaningful questions.

Light and power baby…
Skate or Live

August 20th, 2019

A standard Tim Ferris podcast question is:

If you could have a billboard with one message on it, what would it say?

Sure, it’s not a billboard. It’s an increasingly rare hand painted street sign.

But this must be Tony Hawk’s response…

What would your message be?
Clocked Out

August 19th, 2019

Sand in the floor mats.

Surfboards speared through the backseat.

Waves at dusk whisper.