i shot this walking around my neighborhood yesterday afternoon. i wanted to experiment with getting some shallow depth of field with my hv30. also, i’m shit at color grading so i wanted to practice with a bunch of different looks. i particularly like the metal handrail outside my apartment and the fire hydrant. watch it embedded below, or click through to vimeo to watch it in hd.
-srd
Categories: filmmaking · grand rapids
Tagged: canon, filmmaking, grand rapids, hv30, midtown
once again, my friend juliet has written an eloquent and insightful piece regarding a local issue here in grand rapids. i fully agree with her statement and repost it below in it’s entirety. give founders a call at 616-776-1195 to let them know how you feel about this bullshit.
-srd
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Local Threads Charity Being Changed from Planed Parenthood is an Example of GR Catering, AGAIN, To Religious Extremists
By Juliet Bennett Rylah
I have recently been informed that the annual Local Threads Fashion Show, occurring at Founders Brewing Company on September 20, has changed their charity from Planned Parenthood (the charity that has appeared on all their press releases and flyers) to Kids’ Food Basket. While Kids’ Food Basket is an amazing charity that my own events have donated money to, the reason for this change is, once again, an example of an organization being forced to cater to the religious morals of others.
I am told that when Founders received complaints about the fashion show using the money raised to support the local chapter of Planned Parenthood, Local Threads was required to change their charity.
But why? Why should a company that is locally owned and supported by many cater to the demands of a few people who have managed to acquire telephones or emails to express their discomfort? Why is Founders pandering to these people? I am a loyal customer, with a face and a name, who has a long history of drinking there, eating there and bringing my band in to play there. I have always supported Founders as a local establishment. Did Founders not consider that there are many progressive individuals that drink at their bar that would be offended by this act of bowing down?
Organizations and businesses need to STOP catering to moralists. These ridiculous shackles are what prevents our city from becoming a progressive city where people can feel free to express themselves. Planned Parenthood of Grand Rapids is an important organization that provides medical services and family planning to women. How many of us ladies have received medical support at Planned Parenthood that we could have not received anywhere else, due to our finances, age or other criteria? Planned Parenthood provides a host of vital services and it is NOT an abortion clinic, though they will refer you to many options where you are free to make your own personal choices about your body and your family.
These moralists clearly do not understand its vital role in the community, and I’ll be willing to wager that they’re not faithful beer drinkers either, but they chose to step upon an event and make demands so that their morals would be satisfied. And the worst part about it is that they were catered to.
Religious moralists have often tried to prevent things from happening in this city that don’t agree with them. They have tried to shut down many things — from the productions of Quills and Corpus Christi to the Super Happy Funtime Burlesque Show. If anyone I know doesn’t particularly care for religious, they simply don’t go to church. They don’t try to shut the churches down. So why can’t these religious folk stay out of our venues when something they disagree with is going on? Why do they feel the need to try to infringe upon our freedoms? In fact, I read some time ago that Foundesr Fest was being attacked by certain moralists who felt that if children were to see customers drinking outside, they might associate drinking with fun, therefore Founders shouldn’t be permitted to have an outdoor festival. I think anyone who has attended this festival knows that it’s a wild success, both as far as a festival goes and economically. This is another reason why it surprises me that Founders would cater to the same type of people who attempted to squash their efforts of entrepreneurship previously.
I think we, and by we, I mean you if you agree that this is ridiculous need to take a stand and not back down.
I am in no way suggesting a boycott of Local Threads or Founders. These are both great things and so is Kids’ Food Basket. But I am suggesting that we band together and express our disappointment and let Founders know, especially those of us that are loyal patrons like myself, that we also have a voice and want to be considered and that our customer base is strong enough to support any organization these religious extremists threaten to take their money away from. We need to let people know that they don’t need to cater to the religious right to be successful anymore. We have telephones and emails and social networking tools too, just like those people did. Let’s use them to show that WE also exist.
Additionally, the Charity Tribute Series at The Whiskey Lounge following the Springsteen show coming up this Friday will donate the proceeds to the local chapter of Planned Parenthood and WILL NOT back down.
Categories: grand rapids
Tagged: founders, grand rapids, local threads, planned parenthood
obligatory plug: cheeky strut’s grand opening is tomorrow night from 7-11pm at 216 grandville (across the street from founders) in grand rapids. they’ll have sushi and drinks from republic and music and all those things. i was in there yesterday (my stylist migrated over from echo) and the space is really expansive and welcoming. so check it out if you’re free.
-srd
Categories: grand rapids
Tagged: cheeky strut, grand rapids
i was going to write up a post about all this bullshit whining by the so-called “artists” of grand rapids about artprize, but my friend juliet had already done so over on her livejournal. so with her permission, here’s her response, which sums up how i feel about it pretty succinctly:
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Art Prize? What is the big fucking deal?
I don’t understand all this ARTPRIZE whining. I know that I’m the sort of person that doesn’t give a fuck and isn’t on the DAAC board and I don’t even leave my house much these days, but it’s SOMETHING that’s going on in our city and you’re not going to stop it and you’re not the first person that ever realised that the DeVos family has more money than you.
To say that this prize is bullshit because you think the DeVos family should give money to local artists that are already here is trying to assert ownership over someone else’s income, something that if they so chose, they can EAT and shit out later. They don’t owe you shit. They don’t owe anyone shit. They built this city, and sorry for you, it wasn’t built on rock and roll. It was built on Jesus. And if that’s what it took to get hospitals and a convention center and shit that actually brought people to the shithole that used to be downtown Grand Rapids then that’s what it fucking took. I’m disappointed that John Waters didn’t fund the city and turn it into a carnival, but it didn’t happen. You got the Devos Family.
There HAVE been powerful local contributions to art. Peter Wege built a ballet theater. To complain about the art prize is kind of like me throwing a fit because Van Halen is playing here. BUT I AM A MUSICIAN THAT LIVES HERE AND I WANT TO PLAY THE VAN ANDEL! Oh, but I CAN’T because I have NO MONEY and I’m NOT FAMOUS.
It just doesn’t seem like a big deal at all to me. It doesn’t cost anyone anything except the people who choose to enter. No one is making you enter. No one is making you host a venue. And it’s HIS fucking money. He could pay to have a giant statue of Moses erected where the empty intersection of Fulton and Diamond is and that’s his choice, because it’s his money. And they’d all complain about that, I’m SURE, because that property is empty and shitty and unused and you weren’t going to do shit with it, but goddammit, you didn’t want a Moses statue there. Well, I don’t want the Tap House downtown, or anywhere, really, but someone bought it and made it and that’s that.
I hate to sound so Republican about it, but I think people should just capitalize on the opportunities it’s going to present, because you can’t change anything about it. The bars and hotels and restaurants and shops will get tons of business. Make your tips. Book your band. Busk. Whatever. Just stop COMPLAINING because you weren’t doing anything ANYHOW. I feel like most of us drink or eat or snort or smoke our extra money, so we might as well just… let it happen. At least this dude isn’t spending all his money on trying to breed a cabbit. Although… now that I think about it… why not?
I kinda of want someone to explain to ME what the big deal is. I know everyone is pissed because they think they’ll be hard-pressed to find liberal venues in the area, or so some article said, but if someone wants to host a live sex show in my house, I don’t give a fuck and I think there are other people LIKE ME. No, you might not win, but you’ll get to network, and that’s something I usually only do for free wine and cheese.
AND people bitching about how ‘non-conservative’ pieces won’t win and that’s not fair is like saying, ‘The majority of people didn’t vote for McCain, but I WANTED HIM TO WIN and that’s not fair.’
Maybe later I will smoke pot and discover the real meaning of controversy. Someone aid me.
—
-srd
Categories: grand rapids
Tagged: artprize, grand rapids
and now another rousing edition of “go fuck yourself.” essentially, the american family association put together this “news program” attacking the gay community and bought time on woodtv8 to air it. woodtv8 delayed it feeling it would be inappropriate to air right before president obama was to address the nation. via the grand rapids press:
GRAND RAPIDS – A controversial one-hour paid program on the “radical homosexual agenda” scheduled for WOOD-TV is delayed for the second time as partisans on both sides debate its merit.
Opponents decry it as verging on hate speech, as they press WOOD-TV officials to cancel a special funded by the American Family Association.
In a letter promoting the program, the American Family Association asserts that most Americans get their “information about the homosexual movement from the secular news media and Hollywood, which not only support but promote the gay agenda. What people know is tainted by pro-homosexual propaganda.”
Colette Beighley, assistant director of Grand Valley State University’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center, called it “irresponsible programming. I am just so disappointed that WOOD-TV would participate in something like this.
The special, says the American Family Association, will “reveal the truth about the radical homosexual agenda and its impact on the family, the nation and religious freedom.”
It promises to “alert viewers about what’s at stake for the family” if activists get their way.
the gays are gonna get us! the gays are gonna get us! hide your sons and cover your asses, the gays are gonna get us! american family association, go fuck yourself. god i love it when christians try to pretend like they’re a minority, like they’re the most oppressed group in america. here’s the letter i sent to woodtv8′s programming director:
Dear Mr. Cole:
I applaud your decision to pull “Speechless: Silencing Christians” from your stations. However, it has come to light that you are reconsidering the program to air at a later date. I implore you, sir, to reject the biased, irresponsible, hate-filled, and destructive agenda of the American Family Association and permanently pull “Speechless” from your programming schedule. I know times are tough financially right now, especially for the media, but to take money to air this “program” is despicable. If I wanted to buy time to expound on the dangers of the radical African American agenda, or the Asian American agenda, or the Hispanic agenda, or the Muslim American agenda, would you air my program? I highly doubt it, sir. I can also assure you that if you do choose to air this blatant propaganda, I will no longer watch your station. You see, with places like hulu.com and nbc.com, I think I can get by without watching a hateful, bigoted local affiliate. And there’s plenty that feel the same as I do.Sincerely,
Sean Dailey
Grand Rapids, MI
so, to reiterate: the american family association, go fuck yourself. and woodtv8, pull your head out of your ass.
-srd
updated: woodtv8 has now completely pulled that noise from the air. win!
Categories: politics · tv
Tagged: american family association, gay rights, grand rapids, speechless, woodtv8
walking everywhere/taking the bus can give you a unique perspective on people. on the one hand, it makes me all the more appreciative of my friends who do drive that are always willing to pick my ass up to go to a movie or hang out at someone’s house or drive across the state to a concert. i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again: i really do have the best friends in the world.
on the other, it can also make you hate humanity with the red hot fire of a thousand burning suns. take for instance, the fact that everyone in this city, homeowners, renters, and businesses alike, feel absolutely no obligation to shovel their sidewalks. i know it’s hard to pull yourself away from that rerun of two and a half men for the MAYBE 20 minutes it takes you to shovel the 10 yards of sidewalk that lies in front of your property, but there are people in this town that have to, you know, walk on those things. especially when the only bus that goes near work decides, “hey, it’s christmas, i don’t feel like stopping at diamond and fulton today so a certain already-tired-from-hanging-out-til-3-am-the-night-before-mustache-enthusiast has to walk 1.6 miles to work through, at times, literally 2-foot high snow.” awesome.
i was walking back from my lunch, contemplating not writing this angry rant due to it being christmas and all when a car passed me at high speed and splashed a wave of sludge tall enough to coat kareem abdul jabbar from head toe. that was the second time that had happened to me today.
good will toward man, indeed. i’m moving to australia.
-srd
Categories: friends · misc
Tagged: grand rapids
when i got a phone call last night at 2:30am from sister telling me that she and her boyfriend grant got stabbed and were on their way to the hospital, my first thought was, “holy shit, someone fucking stabbed my sister.” my second thought was, “i wonder what the other guy looks like.” that’s him on the left, jervelle sirvonte gillon.
the story goes like this: brooke and grant were walking home on diamond from the meanwhile late last night when a tweaked piece of shit approached them and demanded her purse while pretending to have a gun. both brooke and grant told him to fuck off but he kept following him. brooke notices that the guy has a knife in his hand. so naturally, she flicks her cigarette in his face and starts punching the guy. in the process, the dude manages to stab her in the arm. grant starts wailing on the guy, getting him on the ground, literally trying to kick the guy’s face in. brooke gets on the phone with the cops while grant continues to beat the shit out of the guy while screaming at him for stabbing his girlfriend. at one point, the dude manages to wiggle out of his shirt and tries to run off. so grant kicks the guy’s legs out from under him and holds the dude there long enough for the police to arrive. the dude then tries to tell the police that he was the one who got jumped, while brooke and grant are nursing knife wounds to their arms and chests respectively. clearly, that was not the case and they carted that fucker off. he’s getting charged with “assault with intent to rob – armed” and “assault with intent to murder.” later, douche.
at the hospital, which i biked to at a lance armstrong-like pace, the cop told grant that his girlfriend was “a baddass.” i’d have to agree. i can’t say i would have done anything more than sock the dude and run. brooke and grant clearly thought otherwise. you can read about this epic tale of badass-ery here.
brooke dailey and grant murdock: certified badasses.
-srd
Categories: misc
Tagged: badass-ery, crime, grand rapids, justice
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