artist of the day---R. Crumb

a video of my work

artist of the day

orwell diary ---august 28, 1938

Night before last an hour’s rain. Yesterday hot & overcast. Today ditto, with a few drops of rain in the afternoon. The hop-picking due to start in about a week.

particle collider

They have just finished building a huge particle collider near France that is the largest (I believe, ever made) it is feared by some scientists that there is a chance it will create black holes in space time when it is used. It is being used to test for a theoretical partical called the The Higgs boson.
Much of this is beyond the brain of alex but I like the fact that they are trying to figure out how and why mass exists if most off the particles that make up mass are themselves without mass. I find this of interest.

finished

I finished my painting--birth of liquid flight today. next I will carve it in glass.

birth of liquid flight.

almost done with this piece, will finish today. I have to unify the background. I am going to carve this piece in glass soon.

orwell diary--august 26, 1938

Hot. Dense ground-mist early this morning. Many blackberries now ripe, very large & fairly sweet. Also fair number of dew-berries. Walnuts now nearly full sized. Plenty of English apples in the shops.

birch wall

today I finally get my glass for my 90 foot etched birch wall I am making for a hotel. It has been a long time coming. I am doing prep work today for it. I will photograph the process from beginning to final installation in hotel. I have other deadlines on top of this one as well.

orwell diary--august 25, 1938

Everything in Suffolk is much more dried-up than in Kent. Until the day we arrived there had been no rain for many weeks & various crops had failed. Near S’wold saw several fields of oats & barley being harvested which had grown only 1’ or 18” high. Ears nevertheless seemed normal. Wheat crop all over the world said to be heavy.
A bedstraw hawk-moth found in our back garden & mounted by Dr Collings¹. Evidently a straggler from the continent. Said to be the first seen in that locality for 50 years.
Little owl very common round here. Brown owl does not seem to exist.
Dr C. says the snake I caught was the “smooth snake”, non-poisonous & not very common.
Today hot again.
Gipsies beginning to arrive for the hop-picking. As soon as they have pitched their caravans the chickens are let loose & apparently can be depended on not to stray. The strips of tin for cloth-pegs are cut of biscuit boxes. Three people were on the job, one shaping the sticks, one cutting out the tin & another nailing it on. I should say one person doing all these jobs (also splitting the pegs after nailing) could make 10-15 pegs an hour.
Another white owl this evening.

watercolor of the day

I painted this to day...it is called The Birth of Liquid Flight---unfinished!

groupthink

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKivdMAgdeA&NR=1

latest update

hemingway

Hemingway had 5 concussions in his lifetime. I have had 11 and I have a few decades left in my bones.

artist of the day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35vrg7a64nY

watercolor of the day

Here is a bad photo of a drawing/ watercolor I made today...I am not sure who she is but I always figure out later who or why I made a piece. This is 22 x 30 on Fabriano paper. My camera is not made for close shots--- lens is too wide. I spent 8 hours so far on this piece.

song of the day

painting of the day---the dog, by Goya

Here is one of the greatest paintings ever made. This was made by the artist goya as part of his late series of "black paintings" paintings in which he tore apart humanity and showed his general disgust with the cruelty of humans. This painting is (in my opinion) so far ahead of its time that it was the first true "modern" painting. the composition is so strange and the subjetc of a dogs head just creeping out from "the dirt?" here goya gives in to the dark imagination that fueled his spanish brain. One must look at art in the context of the time it was painted, if you think about what was going on when in art he painted this (1820) then you can begin to understand the genius of it. I thin kthe dog my be a symbol of him sinking into the dark- sand of his final days and he is doing all he can to reach for the light and keep his head above the shadows. These paintings done at this time were all painted directly onto the walls of his home. This is why, in my opinion, Sargent is not fit to kneel at the feet of Goya. Art is about passion and emotion and not slick brushful renderings of aristocrats. When goya did his court portraits, at least he made them look like the de-natured pigs they were. In fact, I am surprised Goya was not jailed for his paintings of the courts and that they accepted his renderings of the inbred hemophiliacs with frog skin.

GOYA VS. SARGENT

later on today I will explain to the world why Goya was a better artist than Sargent!

etched glass NYC--- by gardega

here is a better photo of two of my symbolist inspired glass carvings. They are edge with LED lighting that breathes some light into them. Photographing glass is not easy. I had to make both of these in one day--- wish I had a week on each.

WEBSITE:
www.bluelineglass.com

brooklyn photo

I took this photo yesterday in Brooklyn..The street hits people pretty hard sometimes. art is is art when it shows the good, the bad and the ugly...

etched glass new york city---by gardega

Here is a nightclub installation I made last year. They are LED lit glass women...I need to re-shoot this picture. This deadline was very tough, I remember well.

website:
www.bluelineglass.com

etched glass NYC--by gardega

Here is a window I created for a mausoleum a few years ago. It is an image of St. Francis. This window was about 20 feet high.

WEBSITE FOR GLASS:

www.bluelineglass.com

dont know much about singing but I am pretty sure that this is good singing.



good song to draw to as well.

Gardega Rd,

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&client=firefox-a&channel=s&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=uq4&q=cleburne+texas+gardega+lane&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&resnum=1&ct=image

The town I grew up in Texas was so small that they named the road after my family when we moved. I feel famous now.

I don't really speak to other artists much. I have a few that I converse with on occasion but I am mostly a recluse--- There seems to be a lot of jealous weirdness among artists and I want no part of such things. This sculptor from France found my website and we occasional trade emails, He seems like a nice guy and makes some nice work. He is part owner of a foundry in the south of France. here is his blog/ site.

http://atelieraeris.blogspot.com/

the internet is really a great thing when you think about it. enjoy it while you can, one day Big Brother will snip the wire..hopefully my sponsor doesn't mind when I rant against big brother.

a well placed pigeon

God made man--- man makes sculpture because is trying to mimic the creation- process of God. God made pigeons to let man know that now matter how good an artist you may be, you will never be God. A well placed pigeon led me to this theory.

central park composition number 7

If you want people to think you are an artist---it is important to put a number after your work..for instance, even though this is only one picture I took of this scene I call it composition number 7...This was a method favored by the abstract expressionists..instead of calling a work"blobby mess" or " I cant draw the figure for diddly squat" you would name it important names like "green composition number 14" this brings up the value and makes the public think you are really an artist and not a snake oil salesman..I should charge for these lessons.

central park turtle

Central park snapping turtle. I found this guy yesterday after walking back from chiropractor. He is in same pose I was in twenty minutes before.

sidewalk buffalo

this is my second in a series of "found art" art that exists independent of the tampering of man's hands...I call this oil stain "sidewalk buffalo." These pieces are easy because I dont have to do any work...

Man of the hour--george orwell

click around the channels of your TV set and all you will hear about is how Russia invaded Georgia and the tragedy that has befallen Georgia. I am convinced our media has overdosed on Orwellian Koolaid because Georgia attacked Russia first, killing as many people as died in 911 and destroying much of the city of Ossetia. For some reason this fact is being ignored by the media. I even spoke to a famous TV journalist friend about it via email--and he didnt know this fact! White is black and black is white and ignorance is strength. I am only interested in this because the mainstream media is lying to us and we are drinking it up like a drunk to whiskey. good thing we have monday night football to take our minds off such matters...the good thing about artists is that they are the first people the government throws to the pavement when they start kicking in your doors...Now back to our regular scheduled program.

here is a video from you tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0SIICIBSf0

5 AM

There never seems to be enough time to do all the things in art I want to do so I have gone back to getting up at 5 am and running a few miles. The only thing I miss about the suburbs was it was better for running. New York City is a strange thing at 5 am. One day we will be able to sleep forever so until then...

buried

My schedule for the month remaining includes etching a 90 foot birch wall (the infamously delayed wall)

etching 5 art deco panels for a downtown space.

painting another book cover. queens painting--- I think

re-etching a 9 foot side glass panel for a nightclub because a polish guy jumped through the first piece.

thirty second poses

when you draw quick poses you have to look for that overall larger issues of what the pose is about. you cant focus on detail like a foot or hand, that is why quick poses are good. They are like vitamins! When you are rusty and you cannot find your rythym in drawing it is like getting having a dentist drilling into your teeth--no fun..it doesn't matter if you work on art all day long. Drawing from life is a different animal, altogether.

one minute drawings

Here are some one minute poses from yesterdays rusty drawing session. quick poses are a good thing for an artist to draw.

sisitne chapel

woke up thinking about the Sistine chapel.


you can do a lot in a lifetime
if you dont burn out too fast
first you need endurance, first you've got to last... N.peart

figure drawing

I went figure drawing yesterday. It is a hard thing to do when you are rusty. I am rusty and need to get the rust out of my hand. It is most important for an artist to draw from life and it is very easy to stop doing it when you are toio busy, you must make time.

watercolor of the day--Athena

Here is a bad photo ( colors dont show) of a watercolor I finished today. It is a painting of Athena. It is 22 x 30 on Fabriano paper. Athena is the goddess of wisdom.
ne will work. It is pencil and watercolor on 22 x 30 Arches paper.

soon

words of the day

It's not how fast you can go
The force goes into the flow
If you pick up the beat
You can forget about the heat
More than just survival
More than just a flash
More than just a dotted line
More than just a dash

It's a test of ultimate will
The heartbreak climb uphill
Got to pick up the pace
If you want to stay in the race
More than blind ambition
More than simple greed
More than a finish line
Must feed this burning need
In the long run...


From first to last
The peak is never passed
Something always fires the light that gets in your eyes
One moment's high, and glory rolls on by
Like a streak of lightning
That flashes and fades in the summer sky

Your meters may overload
You can rest at the side of the road
You can miss a stride
But nobody gets a free ride

More than high performance
More than just a spark
More than just the bottom line
Or a lucky shot in the dark
In the long run...


You can do a lot in a lifetime
If you don't burn out too fast
You can make the most of the distance
First you need endurance
First you've got to last...

vermeer geometry

I am convinced that the use of sacred geometry in art has been lost to time and that the great painters never "hap haphazardly" placed their figures and objects in space. I have been refining my own method of study. If nature makes use of sacred geometry why not artists?

painting of the day---vermeer

This is vermeer's lady with a water pitcher. This is on permanent display at the Met. I look at it every sunday. It is one of the finest pieces in the entire Museum. I once painted a copy of this but it is lost somewhere. I think what makes this a great painting is its simplicity of form and color and mood..I think harmony is a good word for this work.

artist of the day--eratosthenes

Eratosthenes knew that on the summer solstice at local noon in the Ancient Egyptian city of Swenet (known in Greek as Syene) on the Tropic of Cancer, the sun would appear at the zenith, directly overhead. He also knew, from measurement, that in his hometown of Alexandria, the angle of elevation of the Sun would be 1/50 of a full circle (7°12') south of the zenith at the same time. Assuming that Alexandria was due north of Syene he concluded that the distance from Alexandria to Syene must be 1/50 of the total circumference of the Earth. His estimated distance between the cities was 5000 stadia (about 500 geographical miles or 950 km). He rounded the result to a final value of 700 stadia per degree, which implies a circumference of 252,000 stadia. The exact size of the stadion he used is frequently argued. The common Attic stadion was about 185 m, which would imply a circumference of 46,620 km, i.e. 16.3% too large. However, if we assume that Eratosthenes used the "Egyptian stadion"^[1] of about 157.5 m, his measurement turns out to be 39,690 km, an error of less than 1%.^[2]

Although Eratosthenes' method was well founded, the accuracy of his calculation was inherently limited. The accuracy of Eratosthenes' measurement would have been reduced by the fact that Syene is slightly north of the Tropic of Cancer, is not directly south of Alexandria, and the Sun appears as a disk located at a finite distance from the Earth instead of as a point source of light at an infinite distance. There are other sources of experimental error: the greatest limitation to Eratosthenes' method was that, in antiquity, overland distance measurements were not reliable, especially for travel along the non-linear Nile which was traveled primarily by boat. So the accuracy of Eratosthenes' size of the earth is surprising.

Eratosthenes' experiment was highly regarded at the time, and his estimate of the Earth’s size was accepted for hundreds of years afterwards. His method was used by Posidonius about 150 years later.

failed watercolor---by gardega

I tried to do a copy of my favorite Raphael painting yesterday..I screwed it up..by painting failures you get better...

lyrics of the day--waylon jennings

I've always been crazy and the trouble that it's put me through
I've been busted for things that I did, and I didn't do
I can't say I’m proud of all of the things that I’ve done
But I can say I’ve never intentionally hurt anyone

I've always been different with one foot over the line
Winding up somewhere one step ahead or behind
It ain't been so easy but I guess I shouldn't complain
I've always been crazy but it's kept me from going insane

Beautiful lady are you sure that you understand
The chances your taking loving a free living man
Are you really sure you really want what you see
Be careful of something that's just what you want it to be

I've always been crazy but it's kept me from going insane
Nobody knows if it's something to bless or to blame
So far I ain't found a rhyme or a reason to change
I've always been crazy but it's kept me from going insane


---this would have to be my theme song...

last summer

I had no time this summer to enjoy beach or kayak--it has been a work survival/ fest..painting fast enough to keep the wolves at bay. I found this picture on my computer today from last summer when I had time to go to the beach. This is one of my finer watercolors (I think)...I sold it last year. I was very much into the space of this watercolor, usually I have to fight to keep my ADD at bay. Here I zoned into the picture, I guess it is a kind of zen.

watercolor of the day---impossible river

I am working on a large watercolor--22 x 30 inches. I am calling it "The Impossible River" a river that feeds itself and flows in circles. I like to be paint worlds I would like to see, worlds that I can only visit in my head..I guess that are fantasy scapes but the name fantasy has some bad connotations so I will stick to my strange world label...UNFINISHED

welcome france

Hello, France and welcome...

Pop surrealism--by gardega

Sometimes I swim in the modern waters of Pop Surrealism. It has its moments but it has a little bit too much sugar if not done carefully and you risk becoming an intellectual diabetic.

media update

As you may know I am a big fan of george orwell and consider him an important artist and writer. the more I analyze the media the more fearful I become. I will give you an example. What happened recently in Russia is totally misrepresented in the media. Georgia attacked Russia by attacking Ossetia first and killing over 3,00 people and destroying an entire city. The media has ignored that fact and only mentions Russia attacking Georgia. I have no horse in this race but the disinfo is astounding. If you do your own research you can find out a lot in this world. The mass media is not to be trusted but rather ignored. I am surprised most Americans don't think Russia attacked Georgia to steal our peacches.

Strange World---signed print

Here is a print of my very popular Strange World series. It is printed on handmade watercolor paper from Spain. Each one is signed and numbered by artist. paper size is 8.5" x 12". The printed area is smaller. On ebay soon...

vonnegut print for sale

click here to purchase:

Vonnegut Print--by gardega

Here is a photo of my new Kurt Vonnegut print. These are printed on high Quality hand made Spanish watercolor paper. This is limited to an edition of 200 hundred pieces, each one signed by Gardega! I am going to put on ebay today for bidding. I am not sure what I want to sell these for yet. These prints are a great way for me to keep my studio running at maximum efficiency so I can focus on painting larger pieces for an upcoming show.

Today I bought some great handmade watercolor paper from Spain. The nice thing about this paper is I can use it in my printer as well and make prints on it...I am excited to try that today...My first print will be my Vonnegut painting..

slideshow

I have added a small slideshow link to the right...it is just an embryo of a slideshow but soon it will be an entire chicken of a slideshow.

technology vs. heart

I have noticed in my years as an artist that the more technical an artist was, the more anal and obsessed with the craft and technique--- that very often there was something crucial missing in their work--heart and spirit. I would rather look at a painting or piece of art with a few technical faults and shortcomings than a perfectly painted lifeless work. I love paintings by blake and goya where in spite of a lot of technical flaws they are still works of genius and timeless masterpieces. I would rather study a Gericault painting than a David painting any day. You cant teach spirit, you can teach technique. That is why with the computer and digital camera these days everyone thinks themselves an artist. There are a lot of people out there who are very methodical and patient and learn their "programs" and systems and technique but there is quite often something missing. (in my humble opinion)

the seasons

I generally am not inspired to paint in the summer. My creativity for some reasons is at its zenith in fall and winter..Lately the air has cooled a bit as we lose our grip on summer and slide toward the inevitable fall and winter. Winter I hate but I paint a lot and get work done at my easel (indoors). Today I am inspired to paint some new strange world paintings, for those who are new to my site I will explain later...I am going to trek to art store and buy a bunch of good watercolor paper and make some art today...deadlines be damned--- I am in the mood to paint what I want to paint today--will upload as I go...It is good to be greedy and selfish when you are inspired to make art...

george orwell---daily journal august 12th 1938

August 12

12 August, 1938 by orwelldiaries

Very hot in the morning. In the afternoon sudden thunder-storm & very heavy rain. About 50 yards from the gate the road & pavement flooded a foot deep after only 1 1/2 hours rain.

Blackberries beginning to redden.

( I missed a few days on his journal so I am catching up)

color of the day--burnt sienna

Burnt sienna is an iron oxide pigment: a warm mid brown color. Chemically, burnt sienna is formed by burning raw sienna (Terra di Sienna).


I use this color all the time. Many of my artist friends hate it but then again they also think Sargent is a great artist. Burnt sienna is a color that is always welcome on my palette while Sargent is not allowed onto my bookshelf. I use Burnt Umber when I do my underpaintings. Generally pigments that are made from iron oxides etc are cheaper and not as expensive as other colors. If you are a computer hack you don not need to bother buying paint at all.

limerick of the day--by gardega

There once was a man named Vermeer
whose talent was painfully clear
his circles of light were brilliant and bright
the Camera Obscura was near!



art lesson of the day---google camera obscura...

The Dali

Like any artist I spent some time in front of and behind the bars of NYC..I have invented the best drink ever and have named it--- The Dali.

1 ounce malibu rum

1 ounce white tequlia

creme de cacao (white)

heavy cream

Kahlua splash (optional)

add ice and shake

Hemingway would have been proud of this.

alex art book

I found a place online that lets you publish your own art books...I am going to make a book of my art--it is about time..if anyone wants to buy one please contact me...you can see prices etc. at www.blurb .com, if you bought art from me maybe I can include your work(s) in the book. Let me know if you would like your pieces to be in my first book.


alexgardega@gmail.com

etched glass by gardega

I am working on a bunch of art deco inspired windows downtown for a hi-end party event space.

quote of the day--hunter s thompson

'If you're going to be crazy, you have to get paid for it or else you're going to be locked up.' - H. Thompson

coney island photos

I took some photos at coney island yesterday..overcast and rainy...

orwell diaries---august 11

August 11

11 August, 2008 by orwelldiaries

This morning all surfaces, even indoors, damp as a result of mist. A curious deposit all over my snuff-box, evidently residue of moisture acting on lacquer.

Very hot, but rain in afternoon.

Am told the men caught another snake this morning – definitely a grass snake this time. The man who saw them said they had tied a string round its neck & were trying to cut out its tongue with a knife, the idea being that after this it could not “sting.”¹

The first Beauty of Bath apples today.

spirits of the park

I am working on a painting in which two spirits are standing by a lake in central park. I tend to think that if there are ghosts or spirits that they would haunt places they used to go to when they were alive. This will be for sale soon--- oil paint on an 18 x 24 canvas.

Orwell Diaries---August 9 , 1938

As you may know I am a big fan of George Orwell. They have begun to release his daily journal from the thirties. I will post it here, daily...

August 9, 1938

9 August, 2008 by orwelldiaries

Caught a large snake in the herbaceous border beside the drive. About 2’ 6” long, grey colour, black markings on belly but none on back except, on the neck, a mark resembling an arrow head (ñ) all down the back. Did not care to handle it too recklessly, so only picked it up by extreme tip of tail. Held thus it could nearly turn far enough to bite my hand, but not quite. Marx¹ interested at first, but after smelling it was frightened & ran away. The people here normally kill all snakes. As usual, the tongue referred to as “fangs”².

Notes by Peter Davison, from the Complete Works:

¹The Orwells’ dog.

²It was an ancient belief that a poisonous snake injects its poison by means of a forked tongue and not, as is the case, through two fangs. So Shakespeare in Richard II, 3.20 – 22.

Guard it, I pray thee, with a lurking adder

Whose double tongue may with a mortal touch

Throw death upon thy sovereign’s enemies.

See also 11.8.38.

ebay store

I am loading a few ideas up for sale t0oday in my ebay store. link is to the right.

TV

Haven't had a TV in months and I dont miss it. I get more work done than I ever have in my life and that makes me feel good. Better than a sharp stick in the eye. I do miss the History Channel but that is life...It is better to try and make history.

etched glass nyc---by gardega

Here is my glass website: www.bluelineglass.com

found art

I was walking home from the art store today and I found this napkin on the street. I was so interested in the shape of it that I picked it up and took it home. yes, I washed my hands after...I still think it is pretty amazing, I will let you comment on what you think you see. I have my own ideas as to what it looks like. I did not change it or photoshop it. It went right from my art store bag to my scanner.

nassau cover

Here is my Nassau Book Cover...it was emailed to me with some color saturation issues...It is an illustration, not a fine art painting so I have to make a lot of adjustments to that end..dali and picasso did illustration so I have no problem with it. Things I wont do--- draw super heroes, paint your poodle, work for the evil mouse company. This original is for sale, I would like to replace the happy couple with a spirit or ghost or skeleton--take her back into Gardega land

Blueline Glass---gardega

for those interested, I have another website for my glass art....

www.bluelineglass.com

update for gardega 8/7/08

I should have a copy of my nassau county westbury gardens painting emailed to me today..I will post it...Also I Have to paint a picture of Nassau Countie's Jones Beach today. I really like painting the beach even though I haven't set foot on it all summer. I have decided to start posting some art world news ( even art world news that doesn't include me.)

Ten Most Expensive Paintings Ever Sold

I am very interested in the value of art and why art is valuable and why people pay millions for good art and bad art. Here is a link to the ten most expensive paintings and I am upset that mine are not listed yet, especially the ones I sold for ten dollars as I was becoming "famous."

http://timesbusiness.typepad.com/money_weblog/2008/08/the-10-most-exp.html

spotted pig watercolor

I find art in the oddest places. I lose it and then find it again..This was found in a notebook I use only for business. I will sell or trade depending on my mood and the weather. this was sketched out in The Spotted Pig and refined back in my studio.

update

finished nassau county cover and delivered it..will post picture today after they scan it. I have to paint a second cover today which is nassau south. I will post when finished. I have had my first request for someone to advertise and sponsor my website which is nice. I usually shy away from advertising etc but they are good people and I believe in the cause---me...

RIP----grandma Gardega

My grandma passed away recently--she was a great lady and a huge fan of my artwork and used to send me money for art supplies when she had no money to spare. Anna J. Gardega
CONWAY | Anna Julia ''Nannie'' Gardega, 84, widow of the late Capt. Alexander Gardega, passed away peacefully at her home Thursday, July 24, 2008. Anna was born April 9, 1924 in Astoria, New York, a daughter of the late George and Anna Allmon. Anna spent her younger years on Long Island where her parents owned a local service station. After her three children were grown, she and her husband moved to Cleburne, Texas. They spent 10 years on a small ranch before making their final home Conway. She was preceded in death by two brothers, George Allmon and Thomas Allmon. She is survived by her two sisters, Vera Fox and husband, Al, of Chatanooga, Tenn., and Thelma Petrone and husband, Jimmy, of Highlands, N.C.; two sons, Alexander Walter Gardega and wife, Edwina, and Thomas Gardega, both of Long Island, N.Y.; one daughter, Mary Ann O'Brien and husband, Timothy, of Conway, a sister-in-law, Annie Travers of Fort Lauderdale, Fla; eight grandchildren, Jennifer Dulieu, Alexander Gardega Jr., Rachel McInnes, Marcus Gardega, Jonathan Gardega, Melissa O'Brien - Holt, T.J. O'Brien, and Lacey McQuigg; and three great-grandchildren, O'Brien Holt, Ryan McInnes and Meghan McInnes. Anna was the beloved wife of a sailor for 56 years, a loving mother, grandmother, and a woman very passionate about nature. The family would like to extend their heart-felt gratitude to the care givers of Agape Hospice and the Kingdom Hall witnesses for their wonderful care and love over the last year and half. Funeral arrangements and services will be announced by Goldfinch Funeral Home, Conway Chapel. Goldfinch Funeral Home, Conway Chapel, is in charge of arrangements.

today

I am painting a Nassau county book cover today. I decided to paint this one on canvas as opposed to illustration board or as a computer piece. I will photograph tomorrow as my camera is not here now. I will post the original for sale as well. It is an impressionistic view of Westbury Gardens in Nassau County.

alex in Daily News

(Page 2 of 2)

So Aldrin is trying to set up a lottery that would allow even nonmillionaires to propel themselves out of this world.

As for space sex - a freaky fantasy for some space tourists - the 78-year-old says they should go for it.

"You could do it for four minutes maybe," he estimates. How, we don't want to know. "I trained for spacewalking under water, so yeah, I think it is possible," he said with a wink.

Guests ready to tie one on

Why are the bobble-heads in L.A. so easily confused? When Lauren Conrad, Brittny Gastineau and Lance Bass heard they had been invited to a performance by Epic Records' White Tie Affair in the lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel last week, they were in a tizzy.

"What does 'White Tie' mean?" they twittered. "Is it like Diddy's white party? Do I wear a tie?"

Sure enough, all three showed up in white so as not to offend their host's nonexistent dress code.

Michelle O's no Jackie O, says Janice D

Vanity Fair's Best Dressed List lurves Michelle Obama's style, but judgey-judgey Janice Dickinson sure doesn't.

"Oooh, she made a best-dressed list; whoop-ti-doo. Michelle should stop trying to emulate Jackie O and choose an American designer to establish her own way of dressing," the ex-model snarled to us. "Since her husband is talking about change, she should change the way she dresses."

And she'll put her money where her pouty potty mouth is.

"I'd be happy to assist if they had the balls to call me."

A high-gloss Dem convention

It was nasty for John McCain to compare Barack Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, but the upcoming Democratic National Convention is getting Britney-like attention from the celeb weeklies.

OK! mag and Us Weekly are sending about twice as many staffers to the DNC as to its Republican counterpart, we've been told.

So if the number of gossip-mag hounds covering your party is any indication, Obama is beating out McCain for the most popular kid in school, 2 to 1.

Just Sayin'

Halle Berry's ex Eric Benet has found himself a new woman, Manuela Testolini, who's otherwise known as Prince's ex-wife. The two stepped out as a couple for the first time last week to see "Xanadu."

Maroon 5's Adam Levine was spotted at Waverly Inn getting his cheese on, holding court at a table with two sleazy blonds all over him.

Artist Alex Gardega, who is represented by the New York Artist Series, has been commissioned to build a 30-by-8-foot high etched-glass birch tree forest for Greg Briar's new Aspen restaurant at the 212 Hotel.

Is porn star Heather Hunter going mainstream? She was overheard telling the Plumm's Noel Ashman that in addition to her book "Insatiable," she and Treach - from "Naughty by Nature" - are producing a new all-girl doo-wop group.

Which fashionable couple is trying to quash rumors of his infidelities and their possible separation by fleeing NYC to California for the summer?

update

my blog was frozen for a few days by the powers that be as it was accidentally labeled a spam site. such is life on the info. highway.