Sarah Dope

So one of my favorite photographers just joined Buzznet the other day!

Go check out his work, and leave him some love...

http://lithiumpicnic.buzznet.com

So I have returned from the United Trade Show in Las Vegas.... and I am oh so tired.

Day 2 we a little more hoppin' than 3, but what can ya do.

The original plan was to send Angie and I out to Magic on the third day so we could go promote there and remind people of the United show. Unfortunately, we were running short a couple of folk for our booth that day, so that plan didn't go through.

The United Block Party on Day 2 was slow. The free drinks were nice. The live art was rad. But we (SYC FUK and Lost Angels/dboy/JRVDesign) chose to not stay there too long. Stopped by the Hustler party too late... whoops... headed back to the hotel to sleep.

Day 3, us SYC FUK girls worked, then left a little early to head back home. Ah, how wonderful it was to pass out on my own bed again....

Monday, looks like I will be doing a photoshoot with Lost Angels/dboy/JRVDesign for their stuff. Check 'em out.... www.jrvdesign.com

Also, check out SNAC:  www.snaconline.com

Holy crap.

So. The convention, although slow on the first day, was pretty amazing. I am here working as a promotional model for SYC FUK. My job is to wear their clothes, walk around, draw people to the booth... occasionally pass out flyers...

On my breaks, I got to walk around and scope everything out. I networked with some amazing people, and it looks like I will be getting some sic fre clothes soon from other companies.... bought some more designer stuff for discount.... and will be making bargains with others. It's fucking rad.

Oh, and fellow Buzzmakers Skeet and Rony are down here, too. I've been so busy today I have yet gotten a chance to say hello to them... but keep an eye on their Buzznet pages. I'm sure they will have some cool stuff of their own soon.

My old friend/co-worker from Roadrunner and Warner Bros., Maria, is here, as well. Good people.

After the convention, it was naptime, then dinner... then we headed to JET. Although we were on the list for it and wanted to see the Pet Shop Boys perform, the list line was way too long, and we were long over it.

It was time to go to TAO with the Lost Angels (clothing) guys. VIP table. Free booze, great tunes, and dancing.

And now.... I sleep.

Day 2 tomorrow.

First things first, my buddies in LONG SINCE FORGOTTEN have released their new album, The Theft, TODAY!!! AVAILABLE IN STORES AND ONLINE EVERYWHERE!! GO PICK IT UP!!



Secondly, I will be at Warped Tour this weekend (Friday and Saturday) in San Diego and Los Angeles.

Also, Angie GoGo and I will be in LAS VEGAS, NEVADA this coming Sunday to Wednesday, working at The United Trade Show!!!! Come see us!

Here it is!!!

The OFFICIAL MySpace for Gerard and Gabriel's comic, The Umbrella Academy!!!

CHECK IT OUT and ADD THEM!

www.myspace.com/umbrellaacademycomic

So for everyone who have been asking me and expressing concern about my toe, yes, it is doing MUCH better now.

Here's what happened:

When some of the Strata boys and I went to the beach, at one point, I decided to walk around barefoot. Eventually, I felt I stepped on something hard, but at first I didn't feel anything cut or anything... it just felt like I had stepped on a seashell. So I continued walking.

As I settled myself back near our campfire, I threw my boots back on for a bit... only to take them off later when I felt some stinging... and discovered my bloody toe you see in the picture.

We weren't leaving for a while, so Hrag filled an extra ziplog bag we had up with salt water to rinse it off (since the only other option was to rinse it off with beer... yeah... no). Enter more blood, but thank god there was nothing really stuck in the actual wound.

When we got to Hrag's, we cleaned it with peroxide-- er... rather, he cleaned it while I looked away and bit my arm to prevent myself from screaming and waking everyone in the house up. I've been putting Neosporin on it and wrapping it up in bandaids ever since.

It's healing quite nicely.

Oh boy.

So, the last show of our (Strata) tour with Sick Puppies and Finger Eleven was insane. Great show, great celebrations... and someone please remind me what happens every time I go out drinking with Rich. haha.

Following the slight hangover the next day, came the three day drive to San Jose.... NON STOP. We only stopped for gas and a short period of hangtime in Salt Lake City, UT.

We didn't get to San Jose until this morning. 8 AM.

Ooooof.

Anyway, lots of fun pictures and video (including the time we prank called my buddy Elias from Kill Hannah) coming soon! After I finish up some final paper work... and.... beach time in Santa Cruz!

Discrimination is not uncommon or unheard of, especially in this day and age. But I must admit, it has been quite some time since I have had to really deal with it.

Sure, there's been slight remarks thrown at me in the past few years, mostly idiots telling me to go back to China, or attempting to mock what they think an asian language sounds like-- Things that just further their ability to make themselves look like sad little stupid fools. These days, these are the things that I let just bounce off of me and I walk away and go about my business. Sticks and stones.

I recall that the last time I actually got offended, was a couple years ago. I had a new job at a major record label that paid me somewhat decent. To celebrate, a friend and I had decided to splurge our funds a little on a nice dinner. We had never been to a "notorious Italian restaurant" on Hollywood Blvd... so why not try it? It had history.

I remember walking in one afternoon. The place was nearly empty. We were immediately greeted at the doors and asked if we would like to see menus. At first, I thought the employees were being nice and courteous, thinking they were offering us menus to look at while they cleaned a table off for us or something.

Unfortunately, they finished their sentence with, "...Because we don't have hamburgers or Chinese food here."

My jaw dropped. I was about to drop $50 at this place? No thank you. I threw the menu back on their front counter and walked out.

Before that incident, it had been years since I had to deal with racism and discrimination. Before that, it had all been crap while living in the Midwest.

I recently returned to the Midwest with the [Strata] boys. We were in St. Louis, MO (a city I used to practically live in back in the day) and decided to stop by one of the bigger malls. As soon as we pull in to park, a security car rolls up next to us and stops.

"What are we doing here guys?" he asked.
Hrag responded that we were here to shop.

The security guard then immediately informs us that "there is no photography in the mall."
....None of us even had cameras out. What an odd thing to say.
When Hrag asked why, we were given the answer that "Oh, these stores don't want their trademarks on the internet, you know."

I started tossing my boys strange looks. Did this guy realize that most of the stores were chain stores with online websites that have their logos on them? H&M? Hot Topic? JC Penny's? Ben & Jerry's? etc. etc.

Next was the excuse that the mall was a monument.

...Was this guy serious?

I was tempted to get into it with him then, and inform him that I used to live there... and I know damn well that that mall has never been, and will never be, a monument.... but I knew it wasn't going to help, and would probably result in a pointless battle for hours.

Here's the best part.

His next excuse was that there were "terrorist attack warnings" and they "had to check everyone out."

...Are you fucking kidding me?

We let it go... but you bet we took offense. Just because two asians, a mexican, and an armenian are in a van together doesn't make us terrorists.

It just shocks me how much ignorance is left in this world.