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Jacksonville, Florida, United States
Taul “Toy Crusher” Waters is an illustrator, painter, graphic designer, and synthographer born and residing in Jacksonville, Florida.

He concocts strange characters, landscapes, and machines using various mediums - from traditional to digital. Inspired by science fiction, horror, philosophy, graffiti, hip hop, skateboard culture - plus hilariously absurd and odd life experiences.

Thursday, January 1, 2026

EPISODE 15: Brain Hacking

Hope everyone had a great Christmas, happy New Year, and gained some weight over these past few weeks. It's an American tradition to put on some pounds this time of year, you know...

This photograph is one of the rare sightings of yours truly - alongside the mighty OXEGEN - live on Channel 4 Morning News about...well I honestly don't remember the exact time frame. I want to say this was around the end of 2008 or 2009 in the winter to promote an art show we were a part of sponsered by ECKO Unlimited and hosted by Chris White. There's also an interview floating around on the internet somewhere of me making a fool of myself and opening my mouth live on morning television. I don't have time to dig for it, but it honestly isn't worth watching...

...from The Archives!
BRAIN HACKING - 2000

Looking back on a lot of these sketches, it seems like I was just using random types of markers that I'd find on the sidewalk or under couch cushions. (I wasn't, btw) I can admit that these types of characters were executed before I had any type of art education other than what I'd learned on the street or from other artists that I had been influenced by up to this point. It was like a creative Wild West between my brain and my hand. Living on the edge, man. Crazy days.

This is something I've been saying (and getting into a few debates and arguments about over the course of my adult life) for a while now...

From Big Think:

IN THE WEST, YOGA IS EXERCISE. IN THE EAST IT IS SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER
Annelisa Leinbach / Big Think; Wikimedia Commons
"While yoga has become a trendy lifestyle and wellness practice in North America, its roots are ancient, spiritual, and profound. Originally developed in Hinduism, yoga provides a path to achieve a higher state of consciousness and to unite with the divine."
>>> READ THE REST HERE <<<

I don't know, I don't really like to get to spiritual or metaphysical these days because why would you? I will confess, though, I'm guilty of using yoga to calm my nerves so I don't curse people out. So, I'm probably part of the problem...
Full disclosure: this next interview is not for the easily offended, but is hands down one of the wildest yet inspirational interviews I've seen yet...

ANDREW HUBERMAN INTERVIEWS DAVID CHOE ON ADDICTION, PAIN, AND CREATIVITY

"David Choe is a world-renowned artist, writer, podcaster and TV host. He tells how as a child, he was made to believe he was destined for greatness but also that he was a complete disgrace, leading him to channel his energy—including deep shame—into art that brought him global recognition. He shares about his addictions that put him on a decades-long cycle of extreme highs and lows and that forced him to eventually acknowledge and heal the childhood trauma he was battling inside. David shows up with raw, authentic presence to show us how we can transmute pain and shame into our best creative work and, more importantly, how complete vulnerability, especially about our hardest experiences, is the ultimate tool for forgiveness and self-acceptance. He also tells us the actual story about early Facebook, Pee-wee Herman and Santa Claus."

If you know David Choe's story, then you know if anyone is qualified to confidently speak about these subjects to someone like Andrew Huberman it's him. I've been a fan of his since The Whale, but I can remember a time when he had his own podcast and was going wild on Instagram. Even though that's his recent history and only the surface level of who he is, Choe is someone who's lived life as a true authtentic creative. Obviously he's also a "Do Not Try This At Home" warning to young creatives who aren't built for his type of life.

Is this true?...

SCIENTISTS DISCOVER THE FIGURE THAT FORMS WHEN A LIFE IS ACTIVATED
For the first time, MIT scientists managed to observe what happens at the exact instant a human life begins. We’re not talking about minutes later, or hours: we’re talking about the precise second in which the egg is fertilized.

What they saw was unexpected. Right after fertilization, biochemical waves travel across the egg as if someone had pressed an invisible switch. It’s not a chaotic reaction: it’s an organized activation signal, a true biological “second zero” that sets everything that comes afterward into motion.

What’s unsettling is that these waves are not distributed at random. They follow rhythmic patterns and proportions that the researchers compare to shapes that repeat throughout nature: spirals, orderly growth, sequences similar to Fibonacci, the same ones that appear in galaxies, seashells, and plants.

From SciTech Daily:
Researchers have taken a pivotal step toward understanding how living cells could have originated from nonliving matter.

At some point in Earth’s history, nonliving, inorganic substances gave rise to the first forms of life. This transition from lifeless matter to living organisms remains one of science’s most profound and unresolved questions. Today, researchers are engineering synthetic cells that behave like real biological cells in an effort to uncover insights into how life might have originally emerged on our planet.
>>> READ THE REST HERE <<<

Whenever I come across any new scientific theories or discoveries I start with a few questions. "What does the general population do with this information? Is it something we can impliment in our daily thought and lives to improve things? Is it a step in unlocking mysteries yet unsolved? Should the rest of us really care? etc." This may sound ignorant (probably through sheer definition of the word), but I kind of place this type of information in the "does it really matter?" bin.

THE AMAZING WORLD OF GUMBALL - BACTERIA


Lemme show ya somethin'...


Look, I fully realize this is a decades ago trend, but I've never been one to jump on trends so here we are. It took me years just to go from MySpace to FaceBook - stop judging me. Oddly enough, this video kind of demonstrates my tedious and machine like tendency for linear, Euclidean order. That's a highfalutin way of saying I'm a little odd. Anyway...

There aren't too many good feelings that are better than a solid modern day adaptation of a great book you read decades ago...

THE LONG WALK TRAILER

The Stephen King Universe has made a resurgence in the last few years thanks to the IT series plus a slew of other films and I'm most definitely here for it. What I've noticed is that there's been a significant uptick in talk about the King World due to the premier of the IT: Welcome to Derry TV series; I'm undoubtedly guilty of devling back into a bunch of the older films just to see how well things connect.

However, The Long Walk is one of those stories by King that stick with you over the course of your life. I remember reading this decades ago while I was on a field op in Camp Lejuene and being horrified but immersed by and in the story itself. The characters are sharp on screen and are often times entertaining, regardless of the dire dystopian situation they find themselves in. If you're a fan of the Stephen King Universe, this one is highly recommended.

GET. EX. CITED!...

WE BURY THE DEAD TRAILER

I try not to hype up new releases because it can easily turn out to be disappointing once the feature actually hits the screen, but I'm a sucker for zombie flicks; even the bad ones. There's something about the genre that keeps me interested. I should probably talk to someone about that. However, this one looks promising as this is the first time I've seen Daisy Ridley outside of a Star Wars role. (I fully realize she's done other films besides, but bear with me.) What makes We Bury The Dead different is the filmmakers idea as it relates to the temperament of the zombies. It gives them leeway to still be somewhat human...until they're not anymore. I'm ready for it.

Anyone who knows me can tell you that my taste in music is eclectic and odd; sometimes bordering disturbing. Yet on the lighter side of that spectrum you can catch me bumping these awesome human beings...

STEREOLAB - PLASTIC MILE

From Mojo:
“We have to organise how society is run in radically different ways, based on radically different values…”
>>> READ THE INTERVIEW HERE <<<

I'd read that interview; they're an interesting group of individuals. I first got tuned in to them around 1995 by one of my homies from high school and was instantly enthralled with their original sound. There have been quite a few clones that have popped up in subsequent years after their debut in 1990, but at the time the mantra was "no one sounds like Stereolab". On top of that they're very prolific and consistent in their quality of releases. I only own about 7 of their albums, but I can't say I've ever heard a bad one.

I don't like ending this episode on a dreary note, but this has been some of the saddest news I've seen all year...

From NBC News:

JAMES RANSONE PASSES AWAY AT 46
James Ransone in Westwood, Calif., in 2019.Robyn Beck / AFP via Getty Images file
"Actor James Ransone died Friday apparently by suicide, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner. He was 46.

Ransone, a native of Maryland, was best known for playing Ziggy Sobotka in the TV series "The Wire" and for his role as Eddie Kaspbrak in the horror movie "It: Chapter Two."

He acted on shows such as "Generation Kill" and "Bosch," with his final TV appearance in a Season 2 episode of "Poker Face" that aired in June, according to The Movie Database."
>>> READ THE REST HERE <<<

My condolences to James' family, friends, and colleagues. He absolutely killed the roles he played in Sinister and IT, and had a distinct type of humor to his demeanor that anyone could admire.

This hits very close to home (as I'm sure it does with quite a few of us). One of my childhood friends took his own life a couple of decades ago by getting extremely inebriated and driving head on into a semi truck. I remember the last time I spoke to him he kept telling me how weak of a man he felt he was. He grew up next door to me in Atlantic Arms in Mayport, had five sisters that were younger than him, an absent father and mother who was a drug addict. His life was rough, but he was one of the kindest people you could meet and was one of my best friends.

Another friend that I was stationed with at Camp Lejuene also took his own life by undisclosed measures. He was heavy into Black Metal, loved to fight and would stick up for anyone who was on his side, but still one of the kindest and most intelligent people I've met.

I say this to say that it is imperative that people look out for one another. Know that anyone you encounter could be struggling with life in ways you couldn't conceive or imagine and still be smiling and laughing with you, going to work, and taking care of their families.

The world at large is no joke, believe me...
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 or go to 988lifeline.org to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
BIOSTASIS - BRAIN HACK

#toycrusher #taulwatersuniverse #mechdirective #art #artblog #jacksonville #jacksonvilleflorida #jax #jaxart #jaxartist #duvalcounty #duuuval #horror #jacksonvilleart #jaxartblog #oxegenmbk #channel4newsjax #yoga #biostasis #drumandbass #yoga #hinduism #jamesransone #davidchoe #andrewhuberman #stephenking #thelongwalk #science #theamazingworldofgumball #bacteria #myspace #facebook #welcometoderry #it #stereolab #weburythedead #starwars #daisyridley

Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Episode 14: Obscure Broadcaster

Made it through another year! I should probably refinance this blog or something...

...From the Archives!
TAUL'S AWESOME MIXTAPE #3 - 2000

Some may not know this about me, but I was a whole disc jockey for a long time. I played quite a few venues (some in other countries, some on boats, some in rooms so dark you could barely see the turntables), but it got to the point where hanging out in bars and clubs became over-stimulating for me. The above sketches were done during that time and I was all over the place. (You can see the influence in the subject matter and color choices.) You can say what you want about generative AI, but with that type of power I can now take these concepts into a million different directions.

Anyway, this is odd...

From Big Think:

DRONE DISCOVERS WEIRD UNDERWATER VOLCANO OFF CALIFORNIA
The newly discovered seamount as mapped by Saildrone Surveyor. (Credit: Saildrone / NOAA)

"After surveying 45,000 square kilometers of once mysterious ocean floor Alaska's Aleutian Islands, the un-crewed sailing drone Surveyor moved far to the south, discovering a previously unknown seamount within 200 miles (322 km) of the NorCal coast."
>>> READ THE REST HERE <<<

I don't know what's funnier: the fact that a scientific publication described a discovery as "weird", or the fact that one of them described it as an "enormous bundt cake". I take an interest in news like this because these types of discoveries always beg much larger questions - mainly "What do they plan on doing with this information?"
Don't get me wrong I'm not necessarily anti-Christmas or anything, but I thought this may be an interesting read 'cause 'tis the season and all that...

From Intellectual Takeout:

C.S. LEWIS’ ‘LOST’ PARABLE ON THE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS
C.S. Lewis was famous for taking ordinary topics, injecting them with an unexpected twist of thought, and presenting them in a fanciful way for his readers. His thoughts on Christmas are no exception.

In 1954, Lewis sat down to write an essay entitled Xmas and Christmas: A Lost Chapter from Herodotus. The essay described the fictitious island of Niatirb (aka Britain) which had a yearly celebration called “Exmas.”

As Lewis goes on to explain, the celebration of Exmas is characterized by insanity in which individuals run around sending greeting cards and buying gifts for others because it is demanded of them. Such insanity naturally brings the following results:
>>> READ THE REST HERE <<<

She (the author this article) isn't lying when she says Lewis was famous for his method of taking a thought and flipping it. I remember hearing Alan Watts speak of him and saying that he claimed that an individual can write or inject nonsensical words into a sentence and still somehow manage to make the reader comprehend the objective point of said sentence. How geeked up was he to even come up with a concept like that?

With all the hype about IT: Welcome to Derry (which I still haven't watched, btw), we're forgetting that there's a wild, wacky side to the town they don't want us to stay woke about...

IT BAD LIP READING

I completely lost it in the first 40 seconds of this video. I'd pay money to see full length films of Bad Lip Readings of this entire franchise.

I don't usually do this, but this was just rude...

This is a screen shot of my alliance chat in State of Survival when I greeted a new member, only for them to run right out the door. War games are full of weirdos.

Ok, I tried to get through it. I really did...
SKINAMARINK TRAILER

From IMDB:
"Two children wake up in the middle of the night to find their father is missing, and all the windows and doors in their home have vanished. To cope with the strange situation, the two bring pillows and blankets to the living room and settle into a quiet slumber party. They play well worn videotapes of cartoons to fill the silence of the house and distract from the frightening and inexplicable situation. All the while in the hopes that eventually some grown-ups will come to rescue them. However, after a while it becomes clear that something is watching over them"
>>> WATCH THE FULL MOVIE HERE <<<

Now, for us latch key kids who grew up in the 80's and were used to being left alone without adult supervision for long stretches of time, this film plays into the fear of abandonment trope. Those of my generation may be quick to put this right into the Cosmic Horror section. However - for literally EVERYBODY else - this movie goes right into the "WTF is this even about?" bin. I won't lie, I dig the eerie, ominous, esoteric aesthetic of the film (I am obsessed with The Backrooms, after all). The monotone and minimalistic frames add to the mystery, but what it lacks is a clear direction and - quite frankly - useful dialogue. It's a film that, in all honesty, is worth the watch; even if it's just to say you did. I just couldn't get more that 75% through it. Mainly because I felt like I got it by then, but your mileage may vary.

This next mix tape is by a beatsmith legend that needs no introduction. I just have to note that that Nonrev track with the Bobby Byrd break at the end is top tier left field.

DILLA BATCH | BARELY SURFACED (1995 - 1999 UNDERRATED EXTENDED MIX)


Alright, if you're from Duval and you don't already know, let me learn you...
SATURDAY DECEMBER 20TH 2025
DOORS AT 7PM / SHOW AT 8PM
UNICAT
602 E. UNION STREET JAX, FL 32206

From The Space Gallery:
"Duval Destroyer’s inspirations include living in the current moment, human rights, impermanence, change and mysticism. Destroyer states, “We are equal. All born into this realm of polarity and change. We all come into this world as vulnerable little children. All beings want happiness and hope to avoid suffering. The time to end war is now. Non-violence in thought, speech and action is the only way to create peace through equality. All equal. All one. As the organs and cells of the body must work together for overall health, we must also work together in unity for the progression of humanity and the greater good. No one is more important than another. Everyone plays their part. Different and beautiful and equal."
Jacksonville has many living legends haunting it's walls and galleries and DUVAL DSTRYR is no exception. You can see his works live and direct this upcoming weekend before Christmas, so make sure you drag your @$$ over to UNICAT this Saturday. You might catch me there if you don't blink...

...but that's going to be it for me on this one. Hope you're enjoying the holiday season!

Stay up!

MADLIB - ETERNAL BROADCASTER

#toycrusher #taulwatersuniverse #mechdirective #art #artblog #jacksonville #jacksonvilleflorida #jax #jaxart #jaxartist #duvalcounty #duuuval #horror #jacksonvilleart #jaxartblog #bigthink #underwatervolcano #cslewis #intellectualtakeout #jdilla #jaydee #nonrev #bobbybyrd #skinamarink #imdb #IT #badlipreading #madlib #beatkonducta #stateofsurvival #duvaldstryr #unicat

Saturday, December 6, 2025

Episode 13: Come On Down


I just found out there are 13, no, 14 different versions of The Office are you kidding me…

...Anyway, this is - from what I was told - the result of a drunken night in Genova, Sicily, 1999...
I don't remember half of what happened that night because I apparently blacked out at one point, but this photo - among a slew of others - emerged from someone's disposable camera. (Yes I'm that old) Understand this was 1999, probably shortly before New Years but I was in a foreign country and somehow managed to come across someone's spot and lived to tell you all about it. We literally could've rolled up on anyone and seen something we shouldn't have...

...From The Archives!
SKETCHBOOK DOODLES - 2000

This is where it gets weird (as if it wasn't already). It's the first page of a sketchbook I started while I was outside of the US, so I had a whole new type of influence and inspiration. What's going to follow in subsequent episodes I consider to be strange because I'd observed vastly different subject matter, people, and events that sent my creative habits into a new direction. I have to say, though, that digging through all of this old work hs been a wild ride down the Autobahn that is Memory Lane.

This is absolutely and hilariously legendary...

TROY HAWKE & THE JAX JAGUARS

I stumbled across Troy Hawke scrolling Instagram and I remember thinking that of all of the things I've seen in this lifetime that I've found humorous, a dude with a British accent wearing an ornate smoking jacket while walking around random cities complimenting people is the last thing I thought I'd find funny. This man does brilliant on a whole new level. Imagine being at a house party and he's in the corner of the room just going in on people in the nicest way.


I hope I get this post up in time for these to still exist:

From DirtyPilot:
NEW PRINTS FROM DR. REVOLT

"Its been a minute since the Evil DR REVOLT has graced the Dirtypilot cyber walls with a new print release.

Check out this new print edition titled "The Double Neck Bros". An Archival Pigment Print on Moab Entrada 300 gms art paper. Edition of only 50, plus proofs.

Sheet size measures approx 24″× 17.5″ inches. Each print is hand signed, dated "25"by DR REVOLT. Grab one here before they're gone!"


>>> CHECK OUT THE GALLERY HERE <<<

Legends never die and REVOLT is definitely no exception to that rule. This man began his work the same year I was born. The fact that he designed the Yo! MTV Raps logo says volumes that I can't even fit here...

FLORIDA STAND UP! (or have people stopped saying that?)

From A24:
A24'S GUIDE TO FLORIDA

I, a Floridian, will definitely be ordering one of these, no doubt. I feel like it's my duty. Mostly because I'm extremely curious about what they have to say about Jacksonville and really North Florida in general. We get shat on as a state a lot on social media and podcasts (which is hilarious when you think about it), so in all actuality I'm kind of expecting this to be a darkly humorous take on the "Gunshine State".

>>> GET THE BOOK HERE <<<


The horror gems just keep coming...

EVIL DEAD: BURN IN THE WORKS

From Horror Times:

“'EVIL DEAD: BURN', promises to be a "nasty film that hurts" from director Sébastien Vaniček. The ultimate battle against the Deadites will be unleashed in Fall 2026.” 💀🔥

EVIL DEAD: BURN TEASER TRAILER

I want to do more research on this, but I also don't want to get invested this early and get my hopes up. I did that with WEAPONS & A L I E N: Earth and, well...I will say this, though: I'm glad that this franchise is being kept alive. However, why in the universe would they cancel Ash vs Evil Dead?

I don't know who Mike is, but thanks buddy...

From Last Exit to Nowhere:

THE THING: EXPANDED DOCUMENTARY


"This documentary can't come soon enough. The Thing Expanded is set to be released in April 2026. - Mike"

Again, thanks Mike! I was 2 minutes ago years old when I found out that The Thing was based on a book written by John W. Campbell. It's probably safe to guess that most films that originated during this era were based on some sort of literature. I, for some odd reason, tend to assume that the people who wrote the movie wrote the story. Silly Negro...


I'm only posting these for street cred...

Someone's watermark is on that first one, I just noticed. Anyway, way before Cork or Phoenix Arts District or a lot of the family friendly art spaces that exist in Jax now, there was the era of independant (and some sponsored) shows popping up often around the city and the lineups were usually full of heavy hitters. I had the honor of being a part of quite a few of these shows (most I don't have the digital flyers for anymore), but unfortunately my family curse of social anxiety kept me from mingling at a lot of them - although I'd show up to hang my work and subsequently at the end of the night to take it down. (I've got some odd stories to tell about the ones I did attend)

OH, before I forget!...

DE LA SOUL - "CABIN IN THE SKY" OUT NOW!
From Substack:

"Our tenth studio album Cabin In The Sky, available November 21st on Mass Appeal. Artwork by Hebru Brantley. Featuring production by DJ Premier, Super Dave, Pete Rock and features by Killer Mike, Yukimi from Little Dragon, Common, Nas and Black Thought."

DE LA SOUL - THE PACKAGE (VISUALIZER)

Maaaan, listen! I don't even need to write any commentary on this one - the lyricism in that track speaks volumes! I think I'm going to head over to the link now and bump this while I wind down for the night.

>>> MORE INFO HERE <<<

I don't intend for this to be my last post of 2025, but this months schedule will decide that for me. In the meantime, have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year! If I manage to post again before the 1st, I'll edit this post.

Stay up!

BIG DADDY KANE - COME ON DOWN feat. Q-TIP & BUSTA RHYMES


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