(Mr)Arash

@caliburrito on the @bsideshow with @ogdiegobrown #crappyawesome...

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:43:05 -0700

@caliburrito on the @bsideshow with @ogdiegobrown #crappyawesome #theaudacity @killcrey @iamnavjeet @wackoe

The Boy and the Sea. Photo of my nephew by my brother, edited by...

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:50:20 -0700

The Boy and the Sea. Photo of my nephew by my brother, edited by me.

The Bee & the Ant

Sat, 18 May 2013 16:44:00 -0700

I stood outside Starbucks and took in the day. The sun washes a pristine glow of calm on everything like a tsunami of light. As I breathe it in, a bee starts maneuvering around me. I pull away from it several times, fearing its stinger. It stays in hot pursuit and almost lands on my skin several times until it finally touches down on my white tee. I assume it was attracted to the color. With a twinge of anxiety, I shake the cloth in order to persuade the bee to find another landing spot. If flicks off and lands on the ground. I take a few steps back in order to avoid agitating it. A part of me thinks about stepping on it in order to alleviate my anxiety about the possibility of any future eminent threat.

It got me thinking… If it were an ant, I would not have maneuvered. I would have flicked it off, not caring about whether it survived. I may have killed it by smacking it right away. If the ant was in my home, I may have grabbed a spray and slaughtered its entire family and army with the press of a plastic trigger. If it were a bee hive, however, there would be more strategy involved. I may have called in a specialist to have the hive removed professionally.

Then it dawned on me: That’s why they want nukes. Not the bees and the ants. The proverbial Them. Them with the brown skins. Them with the foreign religions. Them with the dictators or strongmen or scary forms of government. Them who supposedly hate us. Us the proud and the patriotic.

I’m not normally one to kill things so quickly and easily anyway. Going back further, however, I’ve been conditioned to treat the bee with respect because I’ve been stung before. In order to avoid being stung, I’ve learned to think twice about touching it. The ant can’t do shit to me, so it gets no respect.

We don’t screw with companies who have powerful lawyers. Big trucks have paths cleared for them on the highway because they can cause more damage whereas motorcyclists are often bullied by even Honda Civic drivers. The big guy at the nightclub may be immediately forgiven if he accidentally bumps into someone whereas the smaller guy might get checked back or, at the very least, be given a threatening look.

Speak softly and carry a big stick.

They want nukes not because they plan to use them. They just want not to be squished or stepped on. From what I understand, bees die once they use their stingers. The nuke is like the bee’s stinger; it’s the last resort. If they’re ever forced to push the button, it will be the end of them anyway. We have 1000 stingers to their one or two. During their interview, Fidel Castro admitted to Oliver Stone that attacking the United States would be suicide. All They really want is simply not to be bullied.

All of that said… I still don’t want them to have nukes.

Understanding your threat is not the same as appeasing it. To make strong policy, we learn how our opponent thinks not in order to be sympathetic and forgiving, but in order to formulate stronger, smarter countermeasures. A battle is like Checkers. War… Any war… Is Chess.

The bee flies away, possibly to accost another guy wearing a white shirt. I watch my feet as I walk into Starbucks, wondering how often I accidentally step on ants as I walk in an average day.

Obligatory EDC ticket arrival photo. #edc #edm #trance...

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:01:10 -0700

Obligatory EDC ticket arrival photo. #edc #edm #trance #trancefamily #hashtags

@dashberlin at #bssmnt #edm #trance #trancefamily @iamnavjeet...

Tue, 14 May 2013 13:36:32 -0700

@dashberlin at #bssmnt #edm #trance #trancefamily @iamnavjeet @camdeezy86 @nicklesmash

DIEGO BROWN PROJECT | New Music And Songs | MTV

Thu, 09 May 2013 11:13:08 -0700

DIEGO BROWN PROJECT | New Music And Songs | MTV:

DIEGO BROWN PROJECT new music, concerts, photos, and official news updates directly from DIEGO BROWN PROJECT’s Twitter and Facebook.

Characters I created as a kid. Don’t remember their names...

Wed, 08 May 2013 21:37:04 -0700

Characters I created as a kid. Don’t remember their names but I remember their outfits and look.

crappyawesome: This week on Crappy Awesome the guys are joined...

Tue, 07 May 2013 23:24:55 -0700

crappyawesome:

This week on Crappy Awesome the guys are joined by the band All Else Fails. Listen to the full episode 5/9/13 at www.crappyawesome.com

Recent shoot. Couldn’t ask for a more professional model.

Tue, 07 May 2013 20:22:34 -0700

Recent shoot. Couldn’t ask for a more professional model.

Boys of Summer. Photo of my nephews and their cousin by my...

Mon, 06 May 2013 10:20:00 -0700

Boys of Summer. Photo of my nephews and their cousin by my brother. Edited by me.

Sketching on a beautiful Saturday.

Sat, 04 May 2013 12:48:35 -0700

Sketching on a beautiful Saturday.

Photo

Wed, 01 May 2013 16:19:55 -0700

27 Science Fictions That Became Science Facts In 2012

Wed, 01 May 2013 14:38:49 -0700

27 Science Fictions That Became Science Facts In 2012:

We may never have our flying cars, but the future is here. From creating fully functioning artificial leaves to hacking the human brain, science made a lot of breakthroughs this year.

Henry Hargreaves's Photos of What Famous Musicians Eat Backstage

Wed, 01 May 2013 14:37:17 -0700

Henry Hargreaves's Photos of What Famous Musicians Eat Backstage:

Mariah Carey wants Cristal Champagne and bendy straws, Lady Gaga won’t eat your smelly cheese, the Foo Fighters demand “big-ass kielbasas that make men feel self-conscious,” and Rihanna may want turke…

My new muse and band-mate, Kat. @mykittysays

Wed, 01 May 2013 12:48:07 -0700

My new muse and band-mate, Kat. @mykittysays

In the Eye of the Sikh - Photo by @killcrey

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:25:23 -0700

In the Eye of the Sikh - Photo by @killcrey

The full Diego Brown Project team finally together for a photo...

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 22:16:19 -0700

The full Diego Brown Project team finally together for a photo shoot! @ogdiegobrown

Photos of @krookedtreez from #CrappyAwesome Podcast acoustic...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 23:23:40 -0700

Photos of @krookedtreez from #CrappyAwesome Podcast acoustic performance.

Courtship From Hades

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:14:00 -0700

I was in my early twenties, she was in her late twenties.

We met by my apartment so we could drive to a local Oktoberfest together. It was the first time we’d spent more than 10 minutes in each other’s presence. Upon arrival at the event, I asked for input on what she’d like to do. Her response was that she needs a man to take charge and make decisions. I smiled and let it go. Then she brought it up again. Several times.

At the end of hour two, I was done and ready to never see her again. I became kind of irritated with her. I learned that day why a first date should always have a logistical fire exit. The more dismissive I was, the more she pined for my attention - which further solidified that I never wanted to see her again.

We arrived at my apartment. Purely out of habit/politeness, I said to her, “would you like to come up.” I was regretting the words as they escaped my lips. To my shock, she says, “sure!”

We hang out in my kitchen and have a couple of drinks. I’m cold to her, hoping she’ll just finish her drink and leave. But she wants my attention more and more. Which raises the red flags about her higher and higher. She asks for another drink.

After a half hour, I’m at a place of total indifference towards her the likes of which I’ve never been to another woman. I’m talking to her as if she’s an annoying co-worker. There is a moment of silence as she comes closer to me. I think to myself “what the hell.” I slide my hands up to her cheek so that I can go in for a kiss. She whispers, “I don’t like my face being touched.”

I literally throw my hands in the air. I give, I give! Uncle! I tell her I have plans and need to get going.

She leaves me two voicemails over the coming weeks, awkwardly attempting to sound interested in her definition of intellectual subject matter by talking about books, because she somehow concluded that that was what I was looking for.

Boston explosions: 'Please don't be Arabs or Muslims'

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:05:11 -0700

Boston explosions: 'Please don't be Arabs or Muslims':

The societal modus operandi of elevating Arab and Muslims to the level of guilt strips one from the ability to grieve.