I've wanted to get out of my car
many times over the years and snap a few shots,
but never seemed to have time - until last Sunday.
(bree-ko-LAZH) noun Something created using a mix of whatever happens to be available. [From French bricolage (do-it-yourself job), from bricoler (to putter around, to do odd jobs), from bricole (trifle), from Italian briccola.]
Oct 30, 2007
My Favorite Gargoyle
Oct 29, 2007
College Memorial Park Cemetery
This headstone is so white compared to the other stones I saw, but the engraving is hand scratched into the stone, without dates or other information. It almost looks like graffiti, but there is nothing on the other side, so it must have been put there to mark Alonzo Fennell's final resting place.
Backyard Cemetery by Finijo
This house backs directly up to the cemetery. The homeowners can see the headstones from their windows, but they never put up a fence to distance themselves from the dead. They seem to be taunting the cemetery's inhabitants with their vibrant orange paint and patch of deep purple flowers.
The neatly laid out graves of the Price family must have rattled and hummed while the luxury townhouses were being built. Hazel Price Jackson, was born in 1900, but it looks like she never made it to her spot in the family plot. Below, there is a sky blue townhouse with a fountain on its deck, and rather than shutting out the dead, they seem to be extending their yard out into the cemetery with a fence that you can see through. It's interesting to see how differently people deal with the dead.
Oct 25, 2007
Ramen Connoisseur
A few months ago, Connor asked if we could get some ramen, because a cartoon character he likes eats only ramen. It's cheap, so I bought him one in every flavor. He tried each and every one of them, finally determining that there is only one flavor worth eating - chicken vegetable. Tonight I asked Con if he would mind if I ate some of his ramen. His response seemed odd to me - he said, "Which one?" Knowing that we have only one kind in the house, I replied, "Chicken vegetable, goofus. What's the problem? You still have three left, and I'll buy some more for you when I go to the store." He said, "Yeah, but I only have one Maruchan left." He then schooled me on ramen. Apparently, there is a difference between ramen made by Nissin and ramen made by Maruchan - and according to Connor, Maruchan is the king of ramen. Now I know.
Oct 24, 2007
The Tao of Psychology
I think the following quote from the book sums up what I like the most about synchronicity:
"If we personally realize that synchronicity is at work in our lives, we feel connected, rather than isolated and estranged from others; we feel ourselves part of the divine, dynamic, interrelated universe. Synchronistic events offer us perceptions that may be useful in our psychological and spiritual growth and may reveal to us, through intuitive knowledge, that our lives have meaning."
Oct 22, 2007
God's Debris
I read this book a couple of years ago at Steve's insistence. I thought it was fascinating, but didn't really put much thought into it after discussing it with Steve. I think he was a little disappointed that I didn't become more involved in the thought experiment aspect to it. Recently, I was reminded of the book when I watched Waking Life, so I decided to re-read God's Debris. I think I really needed to re-read it, in the same way I needed to re-watch Waking Life (which I have) to get more from it.
The story is about a man who works for a delivery company and one day makes a delivery to the home of a man (The Avatar), who literally knows everything there is to know in the universe. Scott Adams (the creator of Dilbert) wrote this book as a "thought experiment" and stated the book will "make your brain spin around inside your skull." He challenged the readers of this book to find the flaws in the thinking of the Avatar, whose explanations of reality and of God are based on the assumption that the simplest answer is usually the correct answer.
I won't post any spoilers, but many of his theories do make my brain spin in my skull. I really liked the chapters on Genuine Belief, Holy Lands, Relationships and Affirmations. Those chapters weren't necessarily brain spinners, but they made me think. I think I should read this book every couple of years, just to keep my mind limber and to keep myself from falling into a pattern of rigid thought.
Oct 20, 2007
Strange Dream
I am walking through a cemetery barefooted in a white cotton nightgown in the Autumn, during the gloaming. I know, how else would you walk through a cemetery on a chilly evening? In the dream, have the feeling the cemetery is in Galveston, but it looks like it could be a cemetery in Virginia.
Oct 19, 2007
He Bite Me Two Times...
Marilyn showed me this video yesterday and I fell out. I'm still lauging about it, even as I post this. It's a little long, but completely worth it. I think it's from a show about animals behaving badly. I have to say that if happy bit me even once the way he bit his owner - Happy would be looking for a new home. The owner...well lets just say she is wrong on so many levels, I don't know where to begin.
Oct 18, 2007
Broken
Some say there is beauty in imperfection. Upon that premise, I state that I believe this is the most beautiful broken window ever to exist. When the pane cracked, it was like a phoenix coming out of the ashes. During a particularly fabulous wind storm, we opened the sealed windows in our dorm. Opening windows was strictly verboten, for fear of a student taking a drunken dive out of the window. All was well until I left the room and then re-entered, causing a vacuum that sucked the window violently shut. My roommate and I freaked out, because it was so loud and all of the glass flew out into the courtyard twelve stories below. We were relieved that there was nobody standing below in the courtyard, which was probably due to the vortex swirling below in the windstorm. At the time, I was on the Arts floor in Jester I, so when word got out about the window, I ended up with every artist on the floor in my room sketching the window, including me. A few hours later, when the repairman came, I lied like a dog and swore that the window was never open. I was sure I couldn't afford the repair bill and knew I couldn't face the folks, if the bill got sent directly to them. Either he didn't care, or he was sleep walking through his job, because he never asked why the glass didn't end up all over the room. Anyway, I do believe in the beauty of imperfection. Before the storm came it was just a window to the world, but after it shattered, for a brief time, it was a work of art.
Existential Quotes for the Day
Good art wounds as well as delights. It must, because our defenses against the truth are wound so tightly around us. But as art chips away at our defenses, it also opens us to healing potentialities that transcend intellectual games and ego-preserving strategies.
Oct 17, 2007
The Psychobox
The card reads, "Inkblots have long been regarded as suggestive prompts to projective fantasies." Developed by the Swiss psychiatrist, Hermann Rorschach, the test is supposed to gauge responses to "ten symmetrical inkblots, created by a vertical fold, and presented on printed cards." I've always thought of this test as a kind of divination, like having your palm or your runes read, but psychologists still use it. The problem I have with this test is that its value is dependent on the skill of the person who is subjectively determining the results. I just don't have enough blind trust to be able to accept this test as being completely valid. Those who practice the art of Rorschach testing would disagree with my assessment.
To perform this test you should make a mask by cutting an aperture the size of the individual images into the center of a sheet of paper. This can be maneuvered to cover all the pictures but one at any time, starting at the tip left or bottom right. The person performing the task should describe what is sen as each subsequent picture is revealed and all the others (including those seen so far) are masked. The ideas behind the original test were developed by an American-sponsored international group of social psychologists in the mid-1940's, at the end of a world war fought against Nazism and fascism. They were interested in defining those traits in personality that led to political authoritarianism: extreme 'rigidity' correlated, they thought, with the need for security and a faith in hierarchies.
Oct 16, 2007
The Essence of Triangularity
I thought of that idea drawn out more than 20 years ago, as I've ruminated over another idea that has been running through my head for a while now. The idea I am stuck on has to do with the convergence of art with mental illness and with psychology. The way the three interconnect and flow one from the other. The chicken/egg question is, does mental illness help an artist create - or is art the torture that becomes the catalyst for mental illness. Psychology, not being a hard science, is almost an art form when applied skillfully. Also, many psychological tests use artistic expression and the subjective judgement of the clinician to unlock the secrets of the subconscious mind; just as art is often used as therapy to help express the inexpressible. I don't have any theories about this idea. It's still just a thought swimming around in my skull, taunting me with the interconnectedness of everything, but leaving me hanging on the cusp of nothing.
Oct 15, 2007
Bayou City Art Festival
Marilyn and I went to the Bayou City Art Festival today. We managed to get there in time to see all the booths and get out before the rain started. The day was overcast, but that's the best weather for a festival. I miss the old Westheimer Art Festival. The atmosphere is more slick and professional than the old days. There are pros and cons to this. It seems like the artists are charging a lot more for their work - which is good for them, but it prices most of us out of any purchases we might have made. Another good thing is that there are wash stands outside of the port-o-potties. The general vibe is less Bohemian than it used to be, also - no more Urban Animals skating through the festival and no more pets.
We bought these two prints today. The artist is Jay Long from Austin. I first noticed his work a few years ago when the Bayou City Arts Festival featured one of his paintings on the postcard the sent out to announce the event. There were other artists that caught our fancy, including Kavan Geary's wonderfully illuminated photographs and Barbara Woods hand painted silk and ceramic lamps.
Oct 13, 2007
Dixie Friend Gay
Shadows of Truth 2001 fiberglass and gauze 17 life size figures
Ms. Gay also does amazing sculpture and fascinating paintings and drawings. After viewing her work, it's easy to see why she is the Art League Houston's choice for Texas Artist of the Year. I'm looking forward to seeing more of her work in person.
Twisting Form 1978 ink on paper 19" x 13"The NPR interview can be found here: http://www.kuhf.org/programaudio/thefrontrow/2007/10/071009Gay_128k.m3u
Really?!?!?!?
How is taking a half a million dollars from a woefully underfunded college not wrong? How can twelve rational people not agree that her actions were egregious and unlawful, not to mention, harmful to the finances of TSU and the morale of the student body? Why is she not serving time? When did stealing for the sake of keeping up appearances become appropriate behavior for a university president? I guess in this parallel universe of right and wrong, I should not be surprised that Rush Limbaugh was actually nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. At least in Norway, they had the good sense to make the right choice.
Oct 12, 2007
Irrational Fears
I have a few of irrational fears. My first fear is of snakes, and it is probably more of a phobia than a fear. Truth be told, I'm not convinced that it is really irrational. My snake fear stems from a particularly awful nightmare (buried up to my neck in snakes) when I was about 10. I think this fear was formed while I was reading How to Eat Fried Worms.
My second fear is of snot. This is not a phobia, but it's close. Mucous in any form turns my stomach. I hate the look of it and the sound of it. Blech! I know this fear stems from "the mashed potato incident" (I won't go into it) in first grade and the "Troy W********/metal shop Incident" in 7th grade - GAG! Irrational, but well founded in horrid experiences.
My last fear is of dreadlocks. I don't know why, but they have always creeped me out. I've heard from so many people that they aren't dirty - but damn, they seem dirty. I've worked with people who had dreads before, and they were all nice enough people. The only negative personal experience I've had has been when one of my clients left part of one behind when he left my office. I thought I had a dead mouse on my office floor - yuck! So, all of this is leading up to a picture that Marilyn took while on the bus this evening. Apparently, this is a dread - of sorts. I guess it's more of a dread head, than a dread lock. It looks like a matted rabid dog is shooting out of this guy's head. I don't even know what else to say.
Oct 10, 2007
Linklater-fest
In Waking Life a young man tries to wake from one dream after another. Each dream he travels through involves people discussing (or ranting) about different philosophical questions and perspectives. This film brought to mind a book that Steve recommended a few years ago, God's Debris A Thought Experiment, by Scott Adams. Waking Life throws so many complex ideas and thoughts at you in such a short time through the lucid dream sequences, that I am sure I have to see it at least one or two more times to really feel like I've taken all I can away from the experience. I think I will have to re-read God's Debris, also.
I did wonder as I was watching the film, why Linklater would make a movie that seems to me to be about what it is to be human and alive, and remove the human element through animation. I guess it adds another layer to the creative onion, making it both fascinating and beautiful to watch, but I don't know if it helped or hurt the film in the end.
These are two of my favorite quotes from the movie:
“Whatever you do, don’t be bored. This is absolutely the most exciting time we could have possibly hoped to be alive. And things are just starting.”
and,
“When we communicate with one another and we feel that we have connected and we think we’re understood, I think we have a feeling of almost spiritual communion…I think it’s what we live for."
and this is one (of many) passages that I found myself nodding affirmatively to:
Philosophy Professor: The reason why I refuse to take existentialism as just another French fashion or historical curiosity is that I think it has something very important to offer us... I'm afraid were losing the real virtues of living life passionately in the sense of taking responsibility for who you are the ability to make something of yourself and feel good about life. Existentialism is often discussed as if it were a philosophy of despair, but I think the truth is just the opposite. Sartre, once interviewed, said he never felt once minute of despair in his life. One thing that comes out from reading these guys is not a sense of anguish about life so much as a real kind of exuberance, of feeling on top of it, its like your life is yours to create. Ive read the post modernists with some interest, even admiration, but when I read them I always have this awful nagging feeling that something absolutely essential is getting left out. The more you talk about a person as a social construction or as a confluence of forces or as being fragmented of marginalised, what you do is you open up a whole new world of excuses. And when Sartre talks about responsibility, he's not talking about something abstract. He's not talking about the kind of self or souls that theologians would talk about. Hes talking about you and me talking, making decisions, doing things, and taking the consequences. It might be true that there are six million people in this world, and counting, but nevertheless -what you do makes a difference. It makes a difference, first of all, in material terms, to other people, and it sets an example. In short, I think the message here is that we should never write ourselves off or see each other as a victim of various forces. It's always our decision who we are.
What a great movie.
A Scanner Darkly tells the tale of drug addiction, paranoia, brain damage and treachery (both personal and systemic). I think this film was definitely aided by the Rotoscope animation, which was especially well done for the "scramble suit," a computerized cloaking device that uses an infinite number of facial and body types to disguise the wearer . The story seems like it could be happening now, even though it was written in 1973. Pick your poison, crack, X, or in this case "Substance D," then throw in a liberal amount of Big Brother watching, and the recipe cooks up the same tragedies, regardless of the age.
After watching the movie, I watched one of the extras on the DVD, an interview with the author, Phillip K. Dick. I was surprised that the interview for his book was done in 1977. He described the McCarthy-esque (and now Bush-esque) feeling of persecution and loss of civil liberty that led him to write A Scanner Darkly, and he could have been talking about things that are happening now with drugs, our government, and our world. I think I will hunt down a copy of Divine Invasions, a Phillip K. Dick biography sometime soon.
I watched both of these films with an open mind, not knowing what to expect beyond the fact that they are animated features. I'm glad I didn't know more, it's given me more to think about, and my brain is still buzzing.
Oct 8, 2007
I'm Sorry
Oct 7, 2007
Ada's First Birthday Bash!
Oct 6, 2007
Pick Your Candidate
Below are the candidates ranked by how much you agree with their stances.
Hillary ClintonScore: 47
Agree: Immigration, Taxes, Health Care, Abortion, Social Security, Line-Item Veto, Energy, Gay Marriage, Death Penalty
Disagree: Iraq
Barack ObamaScore: 47Video
Agree:Immigration,Taxes, Health Care, Abortion, Social Security, Line-Item Veto, Energy, Gay Marriage, Death Penalty
Disagree: Iraq
Chris DoddScore: 46Video
Agree:Immigration,Taxes, Health Care, Abortion, Social Security, Line-Item Veto, Energy, Gay Marriage
Disagree: Iraq, Death Penalty
Dennis KucinichScore: 39
Agree: Taxes, Health Care, Abortion, Social Security, Line-Item Veto, Energy, Gay Marriage
Disagree: Iraq, Immigration, Death, Penalty
Mike GravelScore: 36
Agree: Immigration, Taxes, Health Care, Abortion, Social Security, Gay Marriage
Disagree: Iraq, Line-Item Veto, Energy, Death Penalty
Joe BidenScore: 35
Agree: Immigration, Taxes, Health Care, Abortion, Energy, Gay Marriage, Death Penalty,
Disagree: Iraq, Social Security, Line-Item Veto
John EdwardsScore: 35Video
Agree: Taxes, Health, Care, Abortion, Social Security, Energy, Gay Marriage, Death Penalty
Disagree: Iraq, Immigration, Line-Item Veto
Bill RichardsonScore: 30Video
Agree:Taxes, Health Care, Abortion, Social Security, Marriage, Death, Penalty
Disagree:Iraq, Immigration, Line-Item, Veto, Energy
Rudy GiulianiScore: 25
Agree: Abortion, Line-Item Veto, Energy, Gay Marriage, Death Penalty
Disagree: Iraq, Immigration, Taxes, Health Care, Social Security
Ron PaulScore: 19
Agree: Social Security, Line-Item Veto, Gay Marriage
Disagree: Iraq, Immigration, Taxes, Health Care, Abortion, Energy, Death Penalty
John McCainScore: 15
Agree: Immigration, Gay Marriage, Death Penalty
Disagree: Iraq, Taxes, Health Care, Abortion, Social Security, Line-Item Veto, Energy
Mitt RomneyScore: 13
Agree: Abortion, Energy, Death Penalty,
Disagree: Iraq, Immigration, Taxes, Health Care, Social Security, Line-Item Veto, Gay Marriage
Jim GilmoreScore: 13
Agree: Abortion, Energy, Death Penalty
Disagree: Iraq, Immigration, Taxes, Health Care. Social Security, Line-Item Veto, Gay Marriage
Duncan HunterScore: 6
Agree: EnergyDeath Penalty
DisagreeIraqImmigrationTaxesHealth CareAbortionSocial SecurityLine-Item VetoMarriage
Sam BrownbackScore: 5
Agree: Energy
Disagree: Iraq, Immigration, Taxes, Health Care, Abortion, Social Security. Line-Item Veto, Gay Marriage, Death Penalty
Tom TancredoScore: 5
Agree: Iraq
Disagree: Immigration, Taxes, Health Care, Abortion, Social Security, Line-Item Veto, Energy, Gay Marriage, Death Penalty
Mike HuckabeeScore: 1Video
Agree: Death Penalty
Disagree: Iraq, Immigration, Taxes, Health Care, Abortion, Social Security, Line-Item Veto, Energy, GayMarriage
Fred ThompsonScore: 1
Agree: Death Penalty
Disagree: Iraq, Immigration, Taxes, Health Care, Abortion, Social Security, Line-Item Veto, Energy, Gay Marriage