#also something to be said about capitalism and art and how we judge our worthiness of self expression on how profitable it is

[uncle-fruity]

my much younger friend took T for a smaller period of time and de-transitioned when it didn't help her mental health, it did harm her singing voice permanently. she lost her upper range but didn't take it long enough to gain on the alto/tenor front, she cannot sing some of her own songs anymore. please don't dismiss what she went through, I hate that I was so casual in encouraging her to try this while knowing that she was a professional vocalist.

So, the thing about this is that T is not something that should be taken lightly. It should be something that the person taking it has thoroughly considered, understands, and has come to terms with.

And, I mean, I get it. Sometimes you don't know what you want until you try it and realize it isn't for you. Deciding that you don't vibe with the trans identity and de-transitioning is extremely valid, and it's okay to be disappointed with the results of taking hormones; it's okay to regret it. I would never claim that hormones are for everyone, or that hormones will give you your most ideal body, or that taking hormones makes you a better, more valid trans person. So, before you start taking hormones, it's extremely important to check in with yourself and figure out what your transition goals are, what the hormone could do to your body that you aren't fond of, and come to terms with the fact that, yes, taking hormones will permanently change you in many ways. Are you prepared for that? If things go sideways, will you resent yourself for trying anyway? If you aren't sure, you shouldn't rush into it no matter what the people around you are telling you to do.

HRT is a deeply personal decision, and I personally think it should be prefaced with a LOT of self reflection and self awareness. Under no circumstances should it be taken as a quick fix to underlying mental health issues, because that stuff doesn't just disappear because your body changes. Even dysphoria can persist through hormone therapy. And though hormones can be majorly beneficial & ease a lot of discomfort/distress if you're dysphoric about your gender presentation, HRT should not be the only treatment a dysphoric person should seek out. Mental health needs to be addressed, when possible, with a professional, with a healthy support system, and with a lot of hard personal internal work. Or as many of those things as the individual can manage. I'm sorry it has to be like this.

Also, is your friend's voice permanently harmed or permanently changed? Because there's a big difference there. Will she never be able to sing anything again? Has a professional told her that? Has a doctor looked at the state of her vocal chords? How long has it been since she stopped taking T? Has she tried training with her new voice to see if she can find a range that works for her? Can she sing nothing, or can she just not sing stuff she used to sing? Can she not make new songs of her own to sing with her new range? How young is she? AFAB voices don't finish changing until well into their mid/late-20s, maybe even later. So depending on how young your much younger friend is, her voice may have even more changes to go through, more richness to develop with time. Is her voice truly, honest to god harmed or does she feel that way because she's in the middle of processing grief & loss? The whole framing of this feels a little bad faith to me, tbh.

And like... not to be rude, but is it possible that you're feeling guilty about the encouragement you gave her and have projected dismissal of how serious a decision HRT is onto my post because you feel like you were dismissive at the time? A post which was largely meant for transmascs already pretty sure they want to go on T & need to hear about positive experiences -- and not a post that was written under the assumption that those transmascs will become one of the small percentage of people who choose to de-transition (which, again, super valid! but not what I was talking about, not who I was centering in that post). A post that can be summed up as, "There's nothing inherently bad about taking T, vocal drop is change not irreparable damage and singing skills can be rebuilt. Don't let TERF rhetoric scare you if you're under the impression that T will make you incapable of singing, just be prepared to say good bye to your current voice." I even included a whole paragraph expressing how it's okay & normal to have strong feelings about the changes, and how it's healthier and more responsible to seek out therapy or supportive peers.

So idk anon. I'm sorry your friend is (assumedly) having difficult emotions around her HRT experience. Maybe it would be good to seek out de-transition positivity posts to show her that she's not alone in her experiences and that it's okay that she went through a big change and came out different on the other side. That doesn't make her less worthy of expressing herself with her voice. That doesn't make her smaller or stupid or ruined or damaged. It just means that things are different. And maybe she just needs to know that there's a place for her, that even if everything you said is true about her voice being permanently harmed (again, I'm SO dubious of that claim, especially coming from a random anon) -- even if that was true, and that door was closed to her, there will be so much time for her to find new doors to open in her life, new ways to fit into the world, new passions or skills that she might not have thought possible before. Maybe she needs to hear that she isn't broken, and she didn't destroy her future. Maybe she needs to hear that it's okay if her expectations fall short, because honestly that happens a lot in life, and no one is fully in control of their future. Maybe she needs to know that it's okay that she is who she is, no matter what changes she went through or will go through.

Cheers anon

#there's something to be said about the intersection of this kind of talk and the way we view disability btw #also something to be said about capitalism and art and how we judge our worthiness of self expression on how profitable it is #also something to be said about the pressure put on people to transition in order to feel trans enough #how that can backfire and then the nuance be muddled and used against trans folks systemically #anyway detransitioning is not a tragedy #it is also just a change #detrans positivity #in the last paragraph at least #hrt #transgender #transmasc #detransition #testosterone #ask box #anon ask #more like anon criticism tbh

[aalapdavjekar]

On Identity

First published in October, 2020.

At the age of fourteen, I found myself in my first online chatroom. "Asl," they asked — early Internet slang for age, sex, location. It was never self identifying information. No one was interested in names. No one cared about what you looked like. You were free to be anonymous as long as you provided a small token of details from which the rest could be inferred. Your interests were apparent from the room you were in and your avatar dropped other crumbs of personality. The concept of anonymity was still years from making sense to me yet the obliviousness to physical identity was real. The idea of a fourteen year-old from India soon became dull. So, I decided to get creative.

Some days I would be a 75 year-old living in rural Mongolia who had just purchased his first computer after selling 25 of his favourite sheep. On another, a divorced mother of three, fresh out of prison, looking for advice on everything from makeup to homeschooling. Each day was a blank slate, a new role to fill, a fresh start. Identity on the web is as literal as fiction. It could be as entertaining as you wanted it to be.

Regardless of how you chose to portray yourself, your personality was a central component to how each story was laid down. Regardless of how out there you wanted to go, to an extent, most would assume you were giving out correct information. In theory, you could be the Pope pretending to be the Queen. Not many would care but most would find it funny.

No one can judge the unknown. On forums such as Reddit, getting a new identity is as easy as coming up with a new username. There’s no one to question your motives, judge you by the colour of your skin, or ban you for being too young.

You have no age on the Internet, no gender and you have no country. Your username might change, your writing will mature over time, new subreddits will be found, some will disappear.

Yet, like real life, people can and do judge you based on certain criteria. Online, credibility is based on reputation — call it Internet points, karma, the number of followers, likes, etc. To some online services, these signify your commitment to your role. Like seniority in a real life occupation, Internet points signify how long a profile has been around. The Reddit karma system which was primarily developed as a reward mechanism also serves as an easy way to distinguish between credible profiles and inflammatory and digressive posters — trolls. If you post worthwhile content, you get upvotes — points! On the other hand, if people don’t like what they see, you get negative points. Unlike the virtual world, physical age plays a very important role in real life in determining your credibility. It gives people an easy excuse to ignore your opinions depending on how old you are while giving way to cultural cliches such as respect your elders or tradition is sacred. One of the harshest — kids are stupid might almost seem like a mathematical axiom but ignores certain aspects of the child that are seldom found in adults such as the ability to quickly master languages or adopt new skills.

ASL in the offline world is very much like the Internet. The major difference is that it’s much easier to catch someone lying. As an Indian teenager, I could never pretend to be a 75-year old Mongolian even with the best makeup advice. Yet, there were other ways to pretend. At the time, I thought of myself as shy but I could still stir up some confidence when I had to talk to strangers. I only had to pretend to be charming, smart, and interesting. Society even had my back. “You can be anything you want to be when you grow up,” they told me at school. “Always dream big,” they proudly added. Years later, I realized all these statements only translated into, “get a bigger salary.” So, yeah, they were pretending too. Eventually I came to the conclusion that everyone was pretending. Everyone I interacted with had a story to tell. They all had a big bag of words that they used to confidently describe themselves. Most interesting of all, they all took the story they told themselves and others very, very seriously and would happily clock you in the mouth if you merely hinted at anything otherwise. Like calling someone out in the chatroom for their alleged fakery, painting someone as a liar in real life was akin to assault. But my conclusions weren’t based on some impulsive thought. They were carefully considered observations. The wall of pretense we erect is not even a conscious decision. Almost always, it is based on years of cultural indoctrination.

Who are we?

Culture is a weird one. The typical North American and South Asian of the 1950s could be considered living centuries apart from each other. The Indian, most likely an illiterate farmer barely making ends meet, could not dream of life in the American Golden Age — minimum wage that could pay for two cars and a mortgage. He could not conceptualise the existence of luxuries such as refrigerators, ovens, swimming pools and shopping malls, hospitals and discotheques, or the ability to travel the world on tips earned while bartending. The average Indian farmer desired healthier bulls, better harvests, regular rainfall, obedient wives for his sons. But then, as much as now, drastically different cultures still overlap in certain ways. The Indian farmer, much like his American counterpart, looked to his neighbour to understand himself. If the Jones next door bought a fancy new car, everyone living in the neighbourhood wanted something better. If the Kumars next door threw a huge wedding for their son, inviting everyone from the closest twenty villages, the Chopras dreamt only of throwing a larger party next year. The collective psyche of each culture is only a reflection of the desires of each individual. But cultures, homogeneous or otherwise, are an echo chamber. They consciously or subconsciously produce edicts, rules and regulations that individuals integrate and pass on. Whether it’s capitalism good, communism bad in the American psyche, or India good, Pakistan bad in the Indian, from economic policy-making and government initiatives to television programming and pop art, everything must adhere to cultural norms and traditions. Unless it fits the identity of the collective and follows a cultural narrative, it will be discarded.

Take the never ending list of Indian god-men and celebrities who are routinely treated as infallible figures worthy of worship. Devotees are often so unflinching in their faith that they are willing to overlook overwhelming evidence of rape, murder, exploitation and extortion. This is not unique to India. Charismatic personalities have sway over swaths of people all across the world. Whether it’s Trump, Duterte, Bolsonaro or Modi, the ability to pander to the masses and speak to the cultural norm is more important than competence at one’s job. Trump gave voice to a collective that was scared of immigrants taking over their jobs. Years later, his ineptitude would lead to one of the worst administrative failings in American history and the death of over 400,000 people in the course of the pandemic. The actions of the Indian government during the second wave need no mentioning.

In many countries, questioning one’s cultural norms is akin to treason. Similar to questioning a person’s opinions, questioning the integrity of a political ideology often leads to terrifying consequences. The BJP’s rise to power in India has been followed by the arrests of intellectuals, academics, students, poets, and doctors for voicing opinions against the party. This is quite the routine for authoritarian governments. In the 1950’s, Mao Zedong’s government in China persecuted and killed half a million of its educated populace before launching the Great Leap Forward, a project that aimed at transforming China from an agrarian economy into an industrial power. While it looked great on paper, it led to the greatest famine in history and resulted in the deaths of at least 20 million people. This failure politically weakened Mao. In response, he launched another program to weed out and eliminate dissidents, killing another million in the process while leading to the destruction of thousands of Chinese historical and cultural artifacts. What was the outcome of this violence? It only strengthened Mao’s hold over the masses. His personality was now a cult.

To call humans sheep would be unfair because sheep are never pushed off a cliff by their masters. Human societies, on the other hand, are rife with power struggles, deep hierarchies, discrimination, and violence. Yet, each of us identifies as a good person. We can rationalize why we are good, therefore we must be good. No country in the world would ever think about labeling itself as a force of terror, cruelty, and animosity, but we can easily call “the other” any number of names. We look to our family, friends, and society to support and reinforce these views — call them nationalism, patriotism, freedom, equality — regardless of how accurate or even relevant these views might actually be.

Oscar Wilde said, “Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.”

Our identity does not quite work in favour of our individual or collective happiness. We associate a feeling of national pride towards statistics, numbers, and symbols. Rising GDP is popularly correlated with the “wealth” of a country, but many forget that this number just smashes together a country’s total economic output over a period of time without distinguishing between “good” and “bad” economic activity. Even the man who came up with the concept, Simon Kuznets, was of the opinion that the number had nothing to do with individual well-being.

We look to our history to understand where we came from without realizing we have many incomplete pieces to an enormous puzzle. Many contemporary Indians would associate themselves with the iconic Indus Valley civilization and think of the core of their cultural and religious identities as unchanged for thousands of years. However, the morals and the values carried by the average Indian today — monogamy, marriage, vegetarianism, holidays and celebrations, rites and rituals — all stem from thousands of years of mingling with the outside world. What we define as violent invaders and conquerors today have played an important role in shaping our culture into its current form. Not only did the Mughals contribute to our aesthetics and our lexicon but they also brought with them mathematics, science and philosophy. Global trade helped carry the Indo-Arabic number system (the numerals 0 to 9) to Africa, Europe, and eventually to the rest of the world. The British brought their own legal and judicial systems, passed down from the Romans, the railway infrastructure, and a bizarre penal code which sought to divide the subcontinent culturally, morally, and geographically according to their own prudish Victorian attitudes.

Hinduism, a major global religion today, has its roots in the Vedas, a collection of manuscripts believed to have been written by ancient sages at least a thousand years before the birth of Christ. The Vedas described the lives and spiritual pursuits of the priestly class, the Brahmins of ancient India. Before being written down, they were orally passed on from teacher to pupil. The Vedas described the lives of gods, rites and rituals, spells and incantations, all of which have their roots in even earlier animistic traditions, or the worship of animals, plants and nature — a theme common to the birth of nearly all religions. These texts were central to the agrarian communities that inhabited the Indus Valley. However, one might be hard pressed to call this Hinduism. These ancient traditions later branched out into numerous schools of thought such as Samkhya, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Yoga, Mimamsa, and Vedanta, each with their own unique set of philosophies.

Due to the geographical scale of the Indian subcontinent, the diversity in language, culture, and race, the ideological descendants of Vedic traditions were in the hundreds, if not thousands, and were regarded as a way of life by those who practiced them. The word ‘Hindu’ was simply used to describe people living near the Sindh, a river that flows through the northwestern part of the subcontinent. The word had nothing to do with the individual beliefs of these people. The modern form of Hinduism developed in the 18th century through reformist movements started by Ram Mohan Roy who wished to rid Hindu traditions of superstition and promote rational and ethical ideas about the religion. Thinkers such as Dayananda Sarasvati, Paramahamsa Ramakrishna, and Swami Vivekanada, would develop the idea of a unified Indian continent and seed missionary movements that brought Hinduism to the shores of Europe and later, the United States. Savarkar, who used the term hindutva to describe ‘the quality of being Hindu’, brought on a politically-charged connotation to Hinduism. This was further fueled by the Indian Independence movement that promoted the idea of ‘India as a Hindu nation’ before the eventual partitioning of the subcontinent along religious lines.

It is a topic of much debate whether an organized and unified Hindu nationalist identity that brought the sheer variety of the subcontinent under one banner to overthrow colonialism would have naturally evolved without the presence of the British Raj. More importantly, the idea of a ‘Hindu nation’ starkly contrasts the cultural openness of the early inhabitants of the subcontinent, and their acceptance of hundreds of cultures and different belief systems, which is ironic considering the foundation of Hindutva is based on the myth that India has always been a country for Hindus.

What are we?

Does my cat know he’s a cat? Do animals know of themselves? What about viruses and bacteria? You might say no to all of these questions and state that the ability to know oneself is unique to homo sapiens. The correct answer is debatable but not really the point I am trying to make. What if I asked you what you made you believe you were human, or conscious, or even real? There is good reason for you to believe in all of those things because you might think it’s ridiculous to believe we are just deterministic machines running on genetic code. Surely, we must have free will. Surely, we must be the most intelligent byproduct of evolutionary pressures. Surely, we must be the only creatures capable of stewarding the Earth. Surely, we must be correct about the things we know and accept as fact.

How comfortable would you be if none of these were true? I won’t attempt to answer these questions here because these are an entirely separate discussion but my point is that we believe we are a number of things only because we have identified with these beliefs for a good portion of our lives. Like the Ptolemaists who believed the Earth was the center of the Universe, or Creationists who believe ‘the Earth is 6000 years old and dinosaur bones exist only to test our faith in god’, there may still be numerous misconceptions of reality that we accept as common fact. Regardless of what these beliefs are, it’s critical to understand that our beliefs are our identity. Through many years of indoctrination, people on opposite sides of the Korean Demilitarized Zone still identify as human beings, but their world views are starkly different. One might defend the ideals of capitalist society while the other might think his leader is god and gladly give his life to protect this belief.

There is no distinguishing between one’s beliefs and oneself. Our beliefs form our habits, which in turn form our personalities. We live our lives from the point of view of our beliefs; a home forged from our own subjective interpretations of the world. We hold ourselves accountable to our identity; define ourselves with tokens of adjectives, layers of tradition and symbolism, while in the meantime, we fight to preserve every shred of it, and live the rest of our lives in a struggle to cultivate it. We try to keep it sacred, unique, and immutable. Otherwise, we ask ourselves, what is the point? We work tirelessly to make sure we’re not just another cardboard cutout while raking in trophies, certificates, photographs, children, exclusive club memberships, Internet points — anything to expand our fairytale legacy; anything to suppress our natural mortality and increasing vulnerability. We judge ourselves not through the motivations, beliefs or struggles of others; we judge others based on ourselves. Identity is a relational web. It is a comparison sheet we use to analyse our place in the world. It helps us weave a meaningful story to answer difficult questions such as: What am I? When did I begin? What will happen to me when I die?

No one is born religious. No one is born to identify with a particular piece of land. No one is born to identify with a particular political party. No one is born as a specific identity. We are all simply products of indoctrination. Every single day, from the moment we are born, our education begins — not towards an ideal of truth but towards survival. The agenda of the education system is only a reflection of the cultural landscape it inhabits. Perhaps only science can claim the ability to course-correct and steer its way towards better models of the universe. Humans, meanwhile, are not so flexible. Between years three and four, most children start forming opinions about the world and themselves. I am this. I like that. This young identity is shaped through an education system whose primary objective is passing exams, failing which the child is immediately labelled as stupid. The child is routinely compared with their classmates, labelled any number of things — shy, honest, hardworking, problematic, unmotivated. Their place in the world begins to solidify. The child, in most cases, assimilates these assessments as accurate characteristics about themselves, never questioning their validity.

Over the course of a lifetime, many layers of identity are crafted and worn, each accentuating every other. Our identity has an appetite. It must consume knowledge and meaning or risk starvation. Some may be consumed by this hunger, turning into narcissists and megalomaniacs. Others might see through the illusion. Yet, most people never manage to leave their opinions behind, not enough to provoke a different perspective because the need never makes itself apparent. Most people internalise their self-beliefs themselves to the point where they are defined by them. People tend to stick with people who think like they do. They fall into a loop of self-compliant views and confirmation biases. Eventually, this simplistic view of the world and the self becomes hardwired and impossible to outgrow. Anything that challenges these hardwired beliefs is first ignored as fake news, but eventually, it brings forth an increasingly agitated response. The stronger the hold of identity, the greater is its tendency to fight back against change. People might call themselves vegan, neo-marxist, jazz aficionados, liberal, Muslim, pan-romantics, Indian first, Maharashtrian second, [enter artist’s name]’s biggest fan. They might have good reason to suspect these words as truth. Regardless of their accuracy, these are just layers of identity, to be worn as per the demands of the situation, like seasonal clothing.

When people communicate, it is a specific identity that does the talking. When I am speaking to my boss, I wear the mask of a loyal employee; when I am speaking to my son, I wear the mask of a loving father; with a stranger, all the politeness I can muster; with a foe, skepticism, mistrust, anger. We carry countless and distinct identities, only to utilize a specific ASL — a condensed and limited disclosure of the ego based on the situation and circumstance. These are like webpages which hide the underlying HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code while only showing you what you wanted to see — a funny cat video. The individual’s relational web grows with every new encounter, every new discovery about the world. It begs to answer only one question — Where is my place in the world? The relational web offers a map to reality; a model that seeks to understand and tailor itself based on experience. This is an intrinsic biological mechanism without which the ego cannot survive.

Our identity is life itself. It is the very antithesis to death. These are polar opposites: creation and destruction. Identity forges meaning while death snatches it away in an instant. While the pursuit of meaning is a lifelong endeavour, ageing is a paradox. Ageing in the modern world is the contradiction between wanting a longer life as well as infinite youth. A trillion-dollar anti-aging industry that only seeks to postpone the inevitable, is testament to this fact. In the meantime, all we are left with is the pursuit of polishing our individual story. Some might cherish the annual event that signifies the day they were born while others might hate it, resenting the lives and achievements of others associated with a smaller number while casting everyone else into a basket of irrelevance. Perhaps this is why the shadow of anonymity offered by the Internet is such a comforting place to live. But whether offline or online, my ASL is whatever I want it to be as long as it gives me the joy that I seek and the comfort I need to go on.

There is no point in living in a cage of dubious and limiting self-beliefs. I am not suggesting you could fly simply by identifying as a bird. I am merely suggesting identity is an emergent phenomenon. It is a continuous carving and remodeling of the ego. It evolves in response to experience of an immediate environment because it is essentially a tool evolved for survival. With that knowledge, at the very least, it might bring you a step closer to staying open to new ideas and possibilities. Just don’t take yourself too seriously.

#identity #psychology #humancondition #internet #reddit #hinduism #hindutva #politics

[royal-fm-blog]

Friday Interview - Taron Egerton

This week your glorious host sits down with one of Royal’s most loved residents, Taron Egerton ( @soutterlytaron (. Read more below:

Taron Egerton: Good morning, mate. Thanks for having me!

Nick Grimshaw: Hey Taron! Thanks for joining us on the lovely Friday morning. How are you today?

TE: Quite all right, actually - despite being woken up way too early by our dogs. They really love their early morning runs, more than I do.

NG: Is there such a thing as too early a morning? I mean maybe it's just the radio that does it to me - but I seem to love them.

TE: Yes, there is. I'm not a morning person, at all. Which is why I became an actor - we never have early morning shoots, no sir. TE: Obviously, I'm not to be taken seriously, right now.

NG: I'm taking you completely seriously, mate. So if anyone's listening - don't hire Taron for an early morning, he's not gonna be havin' it. Is that what's drawn you to the theatre at the moment?

TE: I started out in theatre, actually. When I was 15, I joined a theatre group at a local arts centre, and since then I just couldn't imagine not acting, really. At RADA, I spent most of my time on stage, too, doing productions, working behind the scenes, working on scripts, too... and after graduating, I went and played in different theatre plays. It's a theme in my life, I think. That I was chosen for a role in a big franchise film, that was pure luck, and a lot of faith put in me by Matthew Vaughn.

NG: So does Singing In The Rain feel like more of an ode to who you were before going into film acting? Or do you think that it's always going to be what you want to do and film is just something a little extra?

TE: Don't get me wrong, I love being on film sets. Capital L. There's an atmosphere that is unlike any other, and to be able to work with people you have admired for so long... I was really lucky with my projects so far. Theatre, though, that's in my blood, as cheesy as that sounds. The thrill of being on stage, that's something I'm addicted to, no doubt about that. TE: And Singin' - it started as a re-write I did, a doodle, really, because I was bored. My project had been pushed back, I had trained and worked out and had nowhere to go, really. And then Scarlett found my doodles and turned it into a proper project... and thanks to the amazing cast, it went on to be a big success for the Baroque Theatre. And me. I'm really proud of my project.

NG: You should be proper proud mate. I've been down to see you guys and it's really something out, your doodle has really given life to something amazing. Which was a pun worthy of the Valentine's carnival. Speaking of - did you head down? Take a hot date?

TE: Okay, I'm going to be bold and go on the record with this - Jake kills it on stage every time. I'm in awe. There, I said it. TE: That Carnival - I still cannot get over the puns, they were so bad, they were good. TE: My hot date for the night was my girlfriend - we had quite a bit of fun strolling through the stands at the Plantation

NG: I've heard on the town grapevine that you guys are the most loved up couple around, so how does that feel? Do you like feeling settled or are you in one of those situations where you're both settled and have room to fly?

TE: Most what now? I'm not sure people can look at Louis and Harry and still actually say that. TE: If by room to fly you mean that we give each other the freedom to do things our own way, and meet with friends and spend our days the way we want to, then yes, that's exactly what makes us us. Honestly, though - I never thought I'd fall for someone so fully without feeling this kind of fretting you usually feel, when you know you might have someone you feel more for close to you. With Phoebe, I don't think we even thought about it much, we just went for it, one step at a time.

NG: I think when it comes down to Louis and Harry, anything that fast can't be that great - can it? But I'm not here to trash talk anyone. Equal love and all that. NG: I've never been one for relationships myself, mate, but honestly - that reminds me of my mum and dad a bit, they were always proper in love. NG: Do you have a tune you'd like to dedicate to Phoebe this morning? Or anyone really?

TE: I don't want to judge their relationship - they've known each other for ages already, so maybe they never acted out on their feelings? Either way, they're two lads with loads of kids in the house by now. It's kinda funny to see. TE: My parents divorced when I was young and my mum eventually remarried and had my sisters... I feel like there's no perfect person for you, just someone who is right for you, who'll support you and remind you that you're wrong - or right - about things, and someone who wants to spend their life with you. If you have that, that's when you know you hit the jackpot. TE: If I were kinda douchey, I'd say Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You", but honestly, that's mostly, because I heard it this morning on my run... No, I'd like to dedicate Pharrell Williams' "Happy" to the townies out there and hope they have as great a day as I have!

NG: They surely have enough kids for a football team by now! NG: I like that you put wrong their first instead of right, I agree that sometimes I absolutely need someone to tell me 'no' rather than 'yes'. Whether thats a romantic partner, my best friend or my producer Fifi. Just as a final little question, how do you think this all went? Are we setting ourselves up for success? NG: Thanks for your song choices, mate. And it's been a proper pleasure having you on the air.

TE: A mixed football team for sure. Just don't put the tiniest in goal, that'd be unfair. TE: I need to be told no a lot of times. If not, I'll just go for it and end up in a pickle more often than not. But also someone to encourage me. Phee does both and I love her for it and for many, many more reasons. I think this went rather decent, don't you think? You're definitely setting yourself up to be the radio host everyone listens to in the mornings! Fingers crossed you'll get more exposure. TE: the pleasure's been all mine. Thank you for having me.

#interview #interview01 #taron egerton

[ar3volut1on]

We’ve finished the seven churches, the age of grace has ended, Daniel’s 70th week is about to begin, and has He promised Jesus has brought His church, his body, his bride home. John got to see the throne room of God Almighty and guess what, the church was already there as we will see in chapters 4 & 5.

Before we go any further let me just remind you how I approach bible interpretation and study.  When the plain sense (literal) makes perfect sense don’t look for any other sense.  I know a lot of people try to say the whole book of Revelation is just figurative and allegory and all but I strongly disagree.  The authors of the Bible where very clear when they were using any style other than literal.

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. Revelation 4:1

This is one of my favorite verses, I believe John got a foretaste of the rapture.  Just pay attention to the verbiage there; a voice as of a trumpet saying “come up hither.”  I can hardly wait to hear those words.  The following verses about the rapture support this idea. It’s important to note also that from this moment on every thing John sees is future, it’s all prophecy which is why the phrase “things which must come to pass hereafter” is used, as the supporting cross reference verses show.

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Revelation 1:10

Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; Revelation 1:19

And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. Revelation 4:2

Straightway John was in the Spirit, note that capital S it means the Holy Spirit was filling him, allowing him to experience the vision of what must come to pass.   And what a vision it is!  The very throne room of God almighty!

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Isaiah 6:1

Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. Ezekiel 1:1

I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. Daniel 7:9

What a sight we will behold one day when we arrive in the throne room, God’s magnificent glory will be awesome to behold.

And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. Revelation 4:3

As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake. Ezekiel 1:28

I believe I will have a response much like Ezekiel when I  finally arrive in the glory of God’s kingdom.  The day we are called up hither to ever be with our Lord will be a day of unceasing praise and glory to Him that redeemed us.

And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. Revelation 4:4

This verse is where I find further proof the rapture has already happened.  These elders are clothed in white and wearing crowns just like the church is promised throughout the New Testament and in the Epistle’s to the churches in chapters 2 & 3 of Revelation.

And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Revelation 11:16

Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.  Revelation 3:4-5

Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Revelation 2:10

And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 1 Corinthians 9:25

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8

For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? 1 Thessalonians 2:19

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. James 1:12

And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. 1 Peter 5:4

And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. Revelation 4:5

John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; Revelation 1:4

The seven Spirits of God are further explained as the six aspects of the Holy Spirit in Isaiah, the sum total being the seventh Spirit.

And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; Isaiah 11:2

And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. Revelation 4:6

Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. Ezekiel 1:5

Just hold on for a moment as we move into a deeper description of these beasts cause they are crazy weird.  Let me tell ya something, heaven sure won’t be boring, nope it’s filled with magnificient and sometimes strange creations but we lowly humans are the only ones made in the very image of God, that’s something right there.

And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. Revelation 4:7

As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. Ezekiel 1:10

See what I mean?  These are some strange creatures John and Ezekiel saw.  Of course by the time we are finished with Revelation, or if you continue reading Ezekiel (those wheels he saw, those things are crazy strange, really), these four living creatures seem pretty average, almost boring.  Let’s break them down though and make some sense of them. The four faces symbolize their main characteristic and they also stand four the leading tribes of each 4 divisions of the 12 tribes of Israel as they camped and wandered in the wilderness.  For example Judah along with Issachar and Zebulon camped on the est side.

Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of their father’s house: far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch. Numbers 2:2

And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. Revelation 4:8

They get stranger seeing still until we look into them more.  We’ve seen heavenly beings with six wings before, the wings are important as with the top two they cover their faces and the bottom two their feet.  This is in awe and respect to God, it’s one of their ways of worshiping Him.  They used the last two wings to fly.

Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. Isaiah 6:2

And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Revelation 4:9-11

The beasts finish worshiping and then the elders do something awesome, something I hope all of us who are raptured get to do; they cast their crowns before the throne and praise God for He has created all things for His pleasure.  Think about that all this, everything including me and you exist for God’s pleasure.  That’s a powerful, humbling thought, a glorious one too for He is so worthy of our praise.

I am going to cover chapter 5 here also as it is just the rest of the story of chapter 4.  Here we get even further evidence that the church, the body and bride of Christ, is in the throne room and is being represented by the twenty-four elders.

I saw, in the right hand of him who sat on the throne, a book written inside and outside, sealed shut with seven seals. Revelation 5:1

This scroll is like nothing we’ve ever seen before. Once it is opened then the world as we know it is changed forever.  I am trying not to go too deep in this post into all the meanings and ideas behind all that John saw as I am hoping you will watch the videos, Brother Locke explains it all much better than I can.  Basically this scroll is the title deed to earth and all that is in it, including people.  A human kinsman who is legally able to must be the one to redeem the title, but John weeps bitterly because none is found.

I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book, and to break its seals?” No one in heaven above, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look in it. And I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look in it. Revelation 5:2-4

At least at first it appears that way but just read the next few verses then go read the book of Ruth to fully understand what takes place here.

One of the elders said to me, “Don’t weep. Behold, the Lion who is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome; he who opens the book and its seven seals.” Revelation 5:5

Ahh, one and only one, is worthy!  The Lion of the tribe of Judah has overcome and is worthy.  Praise God He is worthy!

I saw in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. Revelation 5:6

This verse gets me every time, for though He is described as the Lion we see Him here as the Lamb, our own sweet and precious Savior.  He is standing as though slain yet He lives and so shall we.  He has seven horns which show us His power, show us the Lion again.  He also has seven eyes which are the seven Spirits of God, the Comforter if you will, that He sent out into all the earth on that Pentecost day back about 2,000 years ago.  This is important because He sent the Spirit to the church, true believers, and ever sense it has filled them with the fruits of the Spirit, leading and guiding them through the nearly 2,000 after Jesus first sent it.  Because it fills the true church and thus pours out it’s influence upon the world it is the restrainer referred to in 2 Thessalonians.

Now you know what is restraining him, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way. 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7

Then he came, and he took it out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne.  Now when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. Revelation 5:7-8

There’s a lot going on here in the above verses.  The Lamb walks right up to the Throne and takes the book, the beasts and elders are back this time with harps and incense.  That’s some special incense too, it’s the prayers of the saints.  That right there is motivation for a robust prayer life.  Our prayers are incense to God, wow!  Now keep in mind this book the Lamb takes is sealed, and for a good reason; it’s the sealed book of God’s judgement upon the earth, the people left on it who were not part of the raptured church, all who rejected Jesus.  Praise God I won’t be here for Jesus’ believers are not appointed for wrath.  But the unbelieving, rebellious sinful world is and when those seals start opening it’s coming down for real.  That’s why this next verse is such a comfort to me.

They sang a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the book, and to open its seals: for you were killed, and bought us for God with your blood, out of every tribe, language, people, and nation, and made us kings and priests to our God, and we will reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:9-10

They sang a new song, that’s the elders by the way, all about being bought by the Lamb’s blood, redeemed of every tribe, language, people and nation.  Redeemed and made kings and priests.  That right there makes it perfectly clear that the church is already in the throne room of God before the first seal is ever opened.  Thank God, praise Him we are spared by grace, bought by the power of the blood of the Lamb who was slain for our sins, the Lamb who rose from the grave three days later.

I saw, and I heard something like a voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousands of ten thousands, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who has been killed to receive the power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing!” Revelation 5:11-12

Just look at the number of angels John saw and heard, that is going to be one amazing sight, and we’re gonna be there right in the midst of it.

I heard every created thing which is in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion, forever and ever! Amen!” The four living creatures said, “Amen!” Then the elders fell down and worshiped. Revelation 5:13-14

Yes He is!  Amen!

As always my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ may the Father bless, keep and strengthen you as you continue to:

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12

knowing that you can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth you. Philippians 4:13

  The Revelation pt. 3 We've finished the seven churches, the age of grace has ended, Daniel's 70th week is about to begin, and has He promised Jesus has brought His church, his body, his bride home.

#faith #God #Jesus Christ #Lamb #Revelation #Spirit

[criticalsuperbeast-blog]

Raising Kain

The Living Room: Self Made at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, June 17 - October 15, 2017. Hamilton, Ontario.

By Anthony Easton

Andy Warhol, Jackie II, 1966. Screenprint on paper, A/P. Collection of the Art Gallery of Hamilton. Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Harold J. Hoffman, 1984. Image courtesy of the Art Gallery of Hamilton.

“Bad taste is real taste, of course, and good taste is the residue of someone else's privilege.”

― Dave Hickey, Air Guitar: Essays on Art and Democracy

The Art Gallery of Hamilton has turned one of its galleries into something called The Living Room. It is intended to be a social space, with a rotating collection. Right now, in it, they have put up three Warhol screen prints, which function as an essay on taste.

One is a double Jackie Kennedy on newsprint; one is a Marilyn on newsprint. The Jackie doesn’t mean as much as the larger ones: two Jackies instead of twelve; black on brown paper instead of black figures on a blue colour field printed on canvas, small size instead of epic scale. The quick and dirty quality of this small Jackie avoids the genderfucking of some of the other Jackies, like the Jackies whose mourning veils look like Wilgefortis beards. Warhol was epic, Jackie was epic, canvas is epic. Even divided, they function as a Mater Dolorosa for an America about to lose innocence. The smaller double print does none of the heavy lifting.

The Hamilton Marilyn is also on newsprint. Drag-ish pink lips printed separately from Monroe’s face– none of the subtlety, none of the care. The material lessens any attempt to push forward ideas of taste. It doesn’t make Warhol any more famous, and it doesn’t make Marilyn any more famous. It’s not even interesting in a vulgar way, like the green on pink ones that were done a few years later.

While these two were facing off, another was placed behind a half wall like a shameful secret.

It screamed Warhol. Jackie and Warhol compound each other’s fame. Marilyn and Jackie compound each other’s aesthetics. They require a kind of mutuality. The 80s Warhol portraits are all about the fame and aesthetic of Andy; they do not push against anything but his personae. Cultural critic Wayne Koestenbaum has tried to defend these works, and art historian Robert Rosenblum’s introductory essay in the book Warhol Portraits has talked about them. When he has something to paint, 80s Warhols have an unapologetic camp vulgarity where pure material pleasure obliterates less corporeal pleasures. His Dolly matches camp step for camp step; his series on living queens has a post-queer wink-and-nod; his Blondie is sexy; his Drag Queen series is properly tawdry.

The Karen Kain portrait behind that half wall does nobody any favours. There is a reason why it is almost hidden. Bob Colacello’s biography of Warhol, Holy Terror, tells about how Warhol would corner vain and insecure women to do portraits, and he would offer them excess. If they wanted more colours, it would cost more; if they wanted glitter, it would cost more; if they wanted more than one variation, it would cost more.

Andy Warhol, Karen Kain, 1980. Screenprint on paper, ed. 46/200. Collection of the Art Gallery of Hamilton. Gift of William S. Hechter, 1987. Photo courtesy of the Art Gallery of Hamilton.

I have no idea who paid for the Kain portrait initially, but it is a four-on-the-floor, super luxe, Cadillac of mid-1980s Warhol vulgarity. 10 colours. Glitter eyeshadow. Glitter lipstick. Highlighting around eyes, hairline, nose. It is an artful example of insecurity: Warhol worried about losing his skill or his fame, and spurted virtuoso excess to prove that he was capable of doing something– anything– new, while ballerina Kain wanted to prove that she was a worthy subject of the artist. Kain was not as famous as other New Yorkers; many of the portraits that Warhol did in the 80s were arriviste or b-list people who did not know how to properly operate in worlds of moneyed taste. In this portrait, artist and subject collide in an upstairs/downstairs moment.

Warhol had great, complicated, theoretically-viable work in the 1980s. It is churlish to judge an artist by their worst work. But Canadian museums and galleries are filled with third- or fourth-rate Warhols. Bought by dentists or doctors, donated to cultural institutions for the tax breaks, Warhols like the Gretzky at the Art Gallery of Alberta are worse than the Kain, mostly due to the lack of glitter. There are six of Gretzky, with each print run numbering hundreds more than the Kains.

But vulgarity is compelling. Luxury is compelling. Sumptuousness is compelling. Being out of fashion is compelling. Committing to complete bad taste is compelling. The worst work by the best artists can tell us something interesting. How we collect can tell us something. This Kain is compelling.

The 80s work of Warhol’s that has been redeemed by critics include prints from the series The Shadows, which are about death, paintings made from piss-oxidized copper, which are about abjectness, and his polaroids, which hold their vulgarity in a tight and tiny little ironic package. The big, whorish, 80s work is still embarrassing. In our hyper-capitalist world, being gauche about money is still considered in bad taste, but not in a slumming, winking style of bad taste. Warhol called this art business art. It was supposed to be about making money, and it did.

This work is so ugly and so vulgar, it is without redemption. Money is toxic, and work so purely about money is toxic. This print is an example of the aesthetic value of capital, but it is a seductive one. Liking things that are bad for you is a good time.

Installation view of The Living Room, Self Made: Stylo Starr’s 89 Dames with Warhol’s Karen Kain at right. Photo courtesy of the Art Gallery of Hamilton.

These three Warhols are in the same room as local Hamilton designer and artist Stylo Starr's 89 Dames. A collection of prints of African diasporic "glamour stars" from the 1950s and 1960s, Starr's work is different than Warhol, and I am not quite sure it is derived from Warhol's work. Starr's 89 Dames are screen prints that kind of look like Warhol's work but lack Warhol's flatness, with collaged lace around some pieces adding complicated texture. They do not play with problems of fame.

Most importantly, even with his Marilyns or Jackies, Warhol's work was always more news than history. Starr's screen prints depict people from the 1950s and 1960s. The choices Warhol made were choices of the market, while the choices that Starr makes are more intimate. Her work develops a canon not so much from the world, but against the world. Lastly, the tension of class and taste in Warhol and the camp self-awareness of the Starr pieces are gorgeous, but prove that bright, or even clashing, colour and patterns can be in good taste. The vulgarity and fame of Warhol does a disservice to the political, subtle, tenderness of Starr.

While the Art Gallery of Hamilton seems embarrassed by that Kain, it reminds me of an Elizabeth Taylor story:

Liz was having dinner with Princess Margaret, and was wearing one of her diamond rings. The diamond on this ring was extravagant. Margaret called it vulgar; Taylor asked if she wanted to try it on. After Margaret put it on, Taylor said “it’s not that vulgar now, is it?”

I feel that way about the Kain: so much to hate about it, so much to think about, so many ways that it is completely wrong.

But, trying it on, it’s not so vulgar, is it?

Anthony Easton is a writer, artist, and theologian. They are interested in class, sex, gender and the west. They have been published in Spin, The Atlantic, Pitchfork, Globe and Mail, and others. They have presented at conferences throughout North America, and in Europe. Their art has been shown in Toronto, New York, Chicago, and is in the collection of the library of the National Gallery of Canada. 

#criticalsuperbeast #hamont #artcriticism #anthonyeaston #artgalleryofhamilton #selfmade #thelivingroom #andywarhol #screenprints #jackieo #marilyn #karenkain #stylostarr #portraiture #taste #aesthetics #camp #celebrity #printmaking #mixedmedia

[itsworn]

2017 Sacramento Autorama: The Custom Capital Gets Deco

It’s been a good couple decades since I’ve traveled north up Interstate 5 in February, destination Cal Expo, in the heart of the state capitol, Sacramento. Home of the California State Fair for as long as I’ve inhabited this earth (1968), Cal Expo is also home to the Sacramento Autorama for the past 47 years, a tradition kept alive and well courtesy John Buck/Rod Shows et al involved.

While Cal Expo has been the center of the attraction since 1970, the Sacramento Autorama goes back 20 years further, back to its pre-Autorama moniker origins when founder Harold Bagdasarian persuaded fellow Thunderbolt club members to hold a custom car show at the Capitol Chevrolet dealership downtown in 1950. Over the next few years, the show continued to grow and “Baggy,” as he was known, took the once-innocent gathering he started for his car club to show off its unique customs to what is now THE indoor custom car show in The Custom Car Capitol of the World.

And to honor outstanding custom car achievements, the Sacramento Autorama has not one, but four top honors given out to the most distinguished of the contention. First and foremost is the Custom D’Elegance Award (chosen by a panel of judges), informally known as “The Bailon,” as it was originally established by fame customizer Joe Bailon back in 1953 as the Car of Elegance award. Next is what many a builder/owner strive for, the honorary H.A. Bagdasarian Memorial World’s Most Beautiful Custom Award (presented last year to Jack Kiely’s stunning Rob Ida–built 1940 Merc), as it’s held in similar regard as the AMBR. And as it would turn out, the 2017 AMBR winner, Bruce Wanta’s 1936 Packard, was not only crowned 2017 WMBC, but was also chosen by the Barris family as the recipient of the the Sam Barris Memorial Award (an honor established by Baggy after Sam’s death in 1967) as well as the aforementioned Custom D’Elegance. That right there, folks, is a triple crown the likes of which no other custom has ever been bestowed. The fourth and final of the B-awards, but by no means the least, the King of Kustoms, an honor John D’Agostino was more than happy to accept for his and Oz Kustoms’ efforts in the creation of “Rita,” his 1958 Packard concept custom.

Yeah, there’s plenty more to see at the Sacramento Autorama (Roseville Rod & Custom’s Builder of the Year display, the Drive-In outdoors for the locals, weather permitting, and even the Suede Pavilion), but for me, it’s always been about the customs. However, there was something new this year that definitely demanded my attention: the lowrider exhibit in the outskirt show buildings. Hosted by various Sacramento area clubs, it was killer turnout that kept each of the four buildings swarming with people all three days.

Even though the rainstorms had been causing havoc leading up to and during weekend (the only major casualty being Sunday’s Drive-In feature), the show went on, and the 67th Sacramento Autorama will go down as one for the history books for a car they call The Mulholland Speedster.

How’s this for some provenance: 2017’s AMBR-winning 1936 Packard, “Mulholland Speedster” built by Hollywood Hot Rods for Bruce Wanta, is also the 2017 World’s Most Beautiful Custom, as well as the recipient of the show’s top honor, Custom D’Elegance, and the Sam Barris Memorial Award winner to top the weekend off in historic custom style. Congratulations to Troy Ladd and everyone involved in the project—including our buddy and designer extraordinaire, Mr. Eric Black.

One of the contending customs that we were certain would come away with at least one of the Big B awards—but unfortunately didn’t—was Brandon Penserini’s 1936 Ford coupe-turned-roadster, “Venus,” from Altissimo Restoration, his shop in nearby Napa, CA.

The one Big B that Wanta’s Packard didn’t wind up with, the [Dick] Bertolucci Automotive Excellence Award, went to the gorgeous 1940 Ford Fordor DeLuxe finished for Mike McAuliffe by East Bay Speed & Custom.

Our pal John D’Agostino finished off the weekend by taking home the King of Kustoms for “Rita,” Oz Kustoms’ resulting efforts on his 1958 Packard coachbuilt custom that features a Bob Divine interior and John’s preferred rolling stock from Coker Tire.

I’ve never like sauerkraut—that is, unless it’s got a blown small-block and giant German helmet on top rather than the usual stinky fixin’s … in that case, it’s an acceptable dish, and one I’d definitely enjoy.

Years ago, the Grand National Roadster Show added a new feature to the Pomona Fairplex landscape: the Suede Palace. The success and popularity of that Quonset hut housed attraction spawned the birth of the Sacramento Autorama’s own version, the Suede Pavilion, held under the same semi-permanent tented building where the big awards ceremony is now held.

Truth be told, my favorite part of the Autorama—the newly added lowrider exhibit. Held in four of the satellite Expo Center buildings on the fairgrounds’ eastern side, the displays were organized by various Sacramento clubs, and the only downside: taking photos was nearly impossible due to the continuous large crowds.

Flaked ’n’ faded panel paint, wire wheels, and skinny whites; Bellflower tips; and tuck ’n’ roll—doesn’t get much better than this when it comes ’60s mild customs, does it?

Speaking of customs, when that word comes to mind, many automatically envision wide whitewalls, fender skirts, and all that jazz. But it’s 2017, and customs come in all shapes and sizes—and with varying wheel and tire combos, such as the Custom D’Elegance–contending 1957 Nomad from A&M Deluxe Customs.

A collective favorite here, Matt Taylor’s “Fool’s Goldster” 1927 Dodge roadster won the hearts of many well before its GNRS debut in Pomona earlier this year. Matt is the Taylor behind Taylor Made Kustoms in NorCal, and on his own (with a “little” help from Art Himsl with paint and Bob Divine with upholstery) stepped up with the big boys of the AMBR contention. When asked by judges where his stanchions were, Matt returned a short time later from a local stanchion supply with an armful of $7 chrome-wire paper towel dispensers—sorry, stanchions—to complete his display.

Best Ford In A Ford

By Tim Bernsau

When Art Vigil started his Model A project, he decided that it was going to be genuine Henry Ford steel, and it was going to be Ford powered. “Nothing else was acceptable,” he told us.

He’d always wanted to build a sedan delivery, and has owned this 1931 Ford for about five years. He spotted it at a car show and convinced the owner to sell it to him. The greatest appeal about this particular car was the exceptional condition of both the body and the original structural wood inside. During the course of the rebuild, a lot of that wood would get removed and replaced with custom-fabricated body and frame supports.

Roseville Rod and Custom is not far from Art’s town of Granite Bay, California, and performed the transformation of the sedan delivery from an already-nice street rod into the car that Art envisioned. It is a combination of ideas contributed by the owner and the team at Roseville. Art said that he set up a board at the shop and invited the builders there to write down there ideas for the Model A. Not every idea was used, but every idea was considered and the car you see here is a success because of everyone’s contribution.

The body is Model A with a 1932 grille and gas tank. The body was modified slightly—such as the lower rear sheetmetal extended to fit around the tank. Mike Cline sprayed the classic Ford Washington Blue paint. The 15-inch steel wheels are powdercoated to match, and dressed up with caps and rings. Inside, deep tan saddle leather is a beautiful contrast to the mirror-like exterior. Roman’s Upholstery extended the leather and square-weave carpet from the split bench seat to the rear door, complemented by the interior woodwork by John Delahunt and Russ McAnulth that has spectators at the 67th Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Sacramento Autorama doing double takes. Vintage Air A/C and an iPod sound system further add to the appeal of the extra-large interior.

Dropping a Ford engine into his Model A was never in question for Art. With a previous 1932 coupe project, Art let friends convince him to use a Chevy 350. This time, he insisted on a drivetrain that was modern, show worthy, and Blue Oval from front to rear. That’s why there is a Ford 302 from Ford Performance mounted between those original steel front fenders. The engine is topped with Edelbrock throttle body EFI, and backed by an AOD transmission and Ford 9-inch rear.

You’re not likely to find a more true blue Ford fan than Art Vigil, or a nicer example of a Ford in a Ford than Art’s 1931 sedan delivery. The car is STREET RODDER’s pick for the Best Ford In A Ford prize, presented by Ford Performance.

Painless Performance Products/STREET RODDER Top 100

By Tim Bernsau

Painless Tech Tip:

Aftermarket Light Switches Nearly all aftermarket light switches, non-OE style, only require one power input. This input, in many cases, is circuit protected by a circuit breaker mounted on the rear of the switch. These will work well unless you have installed high power headlights as then the circuit breaker may trip, or open, prematurely.

1947 Ford Sedan | Brian George | Penryn, CA

When Brian George bought this 1947 Ford four years ago, its style was stuck in the ’90s. Roseville Rod & Custom took care of that. Body mods include smoothing the decklid, getting rid of the vent windows, and adding hood louvers. Chassis changes include a Heidts Mustang II-style independent front suspension, custom four-link in the rear, and AccuAir to drop it to the pavement. A Ford 9-inch rearend is stuffed with 3.78:1 gears. Under the hood lies a carbureted Ford 302. Wilwood discs slow the Budnik wheels. Inside, you’ll find Wise Guys seats, a Billet Specialties wheel, and Classic Instruments gauges. Silver Mist from PPG was chosen as the perfect color for the sedan.

1933 Ford Coupe | Mike Gnoss | Rio Linda, CA Sometimes taking your time pays off. Mike started working on his 1933 more than 25 years ago, but got pulled away by other automotive interests. In 2010, Tim’s Hot Rods performed a lot of the bodywork—chopping the top, tubbing it, shaving the body, and shooting the Blaze Red paint (a Chrysler color). Then the car was stored for another long stretch, emerging just weeks before the Sacramento Autorama. It went right back to Tim Lohrey for assembly, German leather upholstery by ABC Upholstery, and installation of the supercharged 509ci big-block built by Riolo Racing Engines. The aggressive-looking 1933 got done just in time for Sacramento.

1949 Chevrolet Sport Coupe | Brett Cowan | Sacramento, CA The Sacramento Autorama Suede Pavilion is where to find ’40s-, ’50s-, and ’60s-style hot rods and customs. Brett Cowan is a fan of Zocchi and D’Agostino customs, and was frustrated that his 1949 Chevy wasn’t finished. After some time with Marco Garcia and the customizers at Lucky 7 Customs, his custom has been getting some deserved attention. Custom mods include a chopped top, DeSoto grille, shaved sheetmetal, frenched headlights, and 1951 Merc taillights. Wide whitewall tires roll on the stock rims with Cadillac sombrero hubcaps—under the power of a Chevy straight-six engine. The pearl paint has a green apple look, but the color, like the car, is called Devil’s Lettuce.

1931 Ford Model A Coupe | Jeff & Maryann James | Newcastle, CA The barn-find Model A was initially built quick in 2012 as something to drive while Jeff’s 1954 Chevy custom was being built. Chopped the day after he bought it and on the road in two months, it eventually ended up at Miller Metal Works in Texas. Jesse Miller built the hood and sides and the decklid, added those wheel caps, punched louvers everwhere, shot the paint, and basically transformed the car. Lefty from Sacramento Poor Boys added the graphics. SO-CAL Speed Shop boxed the frame and provided many traditional suspension parts. Six Strombergs feed the Buick Nailhead. Like the rest of the coupe, the interior is a work of art, especially the leather interior.

1927 Dodge Roadster | Matt Taylor | Concord, CA Three weeks before appearing in Sacramento, Matt took his 1927 Dodge to the Grand National Roadster Show to compete for the AMBR award. Built in Matt’s tiny Taylor Made Kustoms garage, the Dodge was a hit with every fan of early ’60s show customs, and won the George Barris Memorial Kustom D’Elegance. Not bad for a car that started as a cowl and a pile of parts. Customization extends from the suicide straight axle to the chrome 1962 Impala rear, and every inch in between. The engine is a well-detailed 350 backed by a Powerglide. The steering wheel is 1960 Dodge Polara on a 1955 T-Bird column. The paint was handled by none other than the legendary Art Himsl.

1927 Ford Model T | Ralph Locke | Fairfield, CA In 1954, teenaged Ralph was building a 1927 T pickup. Three weeks after finishing high school, he joined the army and sold the car to a stranger he met while waiting for a bus to Fort Ord. This time around, he worked with Arnold, Angelo, and Frank Zucchi at Zucchi Restoration to fulfill a lifelong dream. The body, frame, suspension parts, and other components are from Shadow Rods. The 59AB Flathead was ported and loaded with an Isky cam. The rearend is a Winters quick-change. The drilled I-beam and split ’bones are traditional stuff, and the four-corner Wilwood disc brakes are a modern upgrade. The interior includes custom buckets, European cord carpet, and Classic Instruments gauges.

1955 Chevy 210 Sedan | Paul Schulz | Folsom, CA Paul’s 1955 was just finished when it won the Third Place award in the 2016 Hot August Nights Cup competition in Reno. Builder Leonard Lopez at Dominator Street Rods came up with the idea of sectioning the iconic body. “I asked him how many cars he’d sectioned like this. His answer: None, and probably no one else has either.” The results are amazing. The chassis is an Art Morrison Enterprises creation. The wheels are from Budnik’s G-Series. Eight injector stacks from the Imagine EFI system top the stroked LS3 engine, backed up with a TREMEC T6 and a 3.70-geared Ford 9-inch. The contemporary interior includes leather-bound seats upholstered at Elegance Auto Interiors.

1935 Ford Coupe | Paul Bradley | San Jose, CA At first, Paul wanted to build his 1935 coupe as a beater, but after meeting Brandon Flaner and the East Bay Speed & Custom crew, “I decided to build a nice car.” The coupe had been sitting untouched in a Compton, California, garage for 30 years when it was spotted by some utility workers (the doorjamb still has an unrepaired bullethole). Eventually it ended up at Paul’s and East Bay’s rebuild began. The 59AB Flathead has dual 97s, and is tied to a 1939 Ford trans. A 5-inch dropped axle, 1935 spindles, and reversed eye springs contribute to the hot rod stance. The nostalgic interior features pleated Naugahyde on a 1937 split bench, a 1948 DeLuxe wheel, and Stewart-Warner gauges.

1936 Ford Coupe | Tom Smith | Roseville, CA This year marks the 25th year for Roseville Rod & Custom, located near Sacramento. The milestone was celebrated at the Sacramento Autorama with a two-row display of Roseville-built cars. Tom’s 1936 coupe was at the front of the line. The eye-attracting tan paint covers a chopped coupe body over a TCI frame. A Heidts Mustang II frontend and four-link rear carry the car. Wide whites from Coker and spoke wheels from Wheel Vintiques continue the exterior’s classic look. The interior is brightened with Sid Chavers’ tan upholstery, a woodgrain dash, and light tan carpet. Classic Instruments fill the woodgrain dash. Tom chose a blown 383 Chevy to power his sweet 1936.

1935 Chevy Coupe | Charlie Freeland | Rescue, CA “It had to be a Chevy,” Charlie told us. When he found this Standard Coupe, it was an early ’80s street rod with a 3-inch chop, gray tweed interior, and failing bodywork. After the complete rebuild, it retains the original body frame wood—but the black paint is replaced with beautiful Midnight Blue. A carbed ZZ4 and 350C trans move the coupe down the road. Chassis components include a Mustang II-style front and four-bar rear, with 3.0 gears in a 9-inch. The 17- and 18-inch Torq Thrust II wheels fill the fenders. Leather upholstery dresses up the interior. Other components include a Billet Specialties steering wheel, Auto Meter gauges, Vintage Air, and an Alpine stereo.

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